{"id":182254,"date":"2021-03-16T12:38:33","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T12:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=182254"},"modified":"2022-01-24T08:49:59","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T08:49:59","slug":"early-season-cycling-mistakes-unrealistic-training-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2021\/03\/16\/early-season-cycling-mistakes-unrealistic-training-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"Early-Season Cycling Mistakes \u2013 Unrealistic Training Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t you want to jump straight into training when a new season arrives? You\u2019re not alone! All bicycle lovers can\u2019t wait to get back in the saddle and explore the great outdoors again, join in group rides, improve their fitness and become a better cyclist. This article is here to remind you of the common early season training mistakes cyclists make and few simple tips to keep your training program realistic. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep it real<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unrealistic training schedules are more common than you think. It\u2019s tempting to try to make the perfect training plans just like a professional rider at the start of a new season<\/a>. Unfortunately, for most of us, this is not very sensible or achievable considering work, friends, and family commitments. Don\u2019t do this to yourself! It will likely lead to disappointment and\u00a0stress.<\/a><\/p>\n

Consult a coach if you can for objective feedback, and talk to your family and training partners about your time limits. Use common sense to understand what you can realistically and sustainably stick to throughout the whole season to avoid unpredictable changes. Also, keep the following four pieces of advice in mind to avoid making the most common early-season mistakes<\/a> and following an unrealistic cycling training schedule.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>
Be realistic about your training plan. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u2019t improvise too much<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even if you don\u2019t have a full-blown training plan for the whole season, it\u2019s important to have some idea about what kind of training you\u2019re going to do. The second most important thing is to stick to that idea! If you start improvising or trying to cram too much training in because of other commitments or you missed a few days, it\u2019s a fine line that is going to backfire. You will experience fatigue instead of rising levels of performance.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0Have a plan<\/a>\u00a0and stick to it. If you miss a training session don\u2019t worry about it and simply do the next one on your schedule. Make adjustments to your plan only if you miss a whole week or more.<\/p>\n

Ramp up gradually<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Getting back in shape for your upcoming race schedule<\/a> can sometimes feel really slow and the memories of last racing season might be pushing you to quickly increase the training load. This is the perfect strategy for pre-season injuries, excessive fatigue, and loss of motivation, especially if solo training.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0Take 2-3 weeks to gradually increase the training load. If your plan is to train 4 days a week, start with 2 training sessions and 1 easy spin and take it from there. Focus all of that early-season enthusiasm into never missing a session. Consistency is the most important aspect of your training at this stage.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>
Take things slow. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Add intensity after a few weeks<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not enough solo work at an easy pace early in the season can cause problems later. It\u2019s a bad idea to increase the training load too fast and it\u2019s also a bad idea to wait around before going a bit harder and adding intensity. It\u2019s important to focus on building aerobic endurance in the early season. But this doesn\u2019t mean all of your sessions need to be endurance oriented.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0After those initial 2-3 weeks, you can start adding short\u00a0high-intensity intervals<\/a>\u00a0to your training here and there. They should make up a small proportion of your training at first but you can ramp it up as the season progresses. Don\u2019t get stuck on endurance training for 2 months or longer.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t skip cross training<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The off-season is usually when cyclists work on their strength<\/a> and core stability. If that\u2019s your case, don\u2019t let all of that hard work go to waste. And if you haven\u2019t been doing much,\u00a0the time to start now<\/a>\u00a0is as good as any.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0Aim for at least one, ideally two cross-training<\/a> sessions per week. This will allow you to keep the adaptations you produced during the off-season.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/a>
Profimedia, Caia Image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don’t skip recovery\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A important component to achieving long term goals and improve performance is getting enough rest. If no progress is being made and your current fitness level and power numbers are suffering, your body is letting you know that you to take more time to recover.<\/p>\n

Recovery<\/a> is an equally important component towards your main goal for the season that is often undervalued. Track your rest, meals, hydration, weight and training completed in a journal for a realistic look at how you are progressing compared to how you feel. Seek support from your coach or other riders to help you over the rough patches. And try to have fun! That’s the best motivator of all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t you want to jump straight into training when a new season arrives? You\u2019re not alone! All bicycle lovers can\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":182256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[332],"tags":[3148,4981,2107,4724],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-182254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-training","tag-cross-training","tag-early-season-cycling-mistakes","tag-training-plan","tag-training-schedule","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nCycling Training Schedule: How to Avoid Training Plan Mistakes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you making early season cycling mistakes by following an unrealistic training schedule? 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