Winter Training?? Base2Build?? Nothin??

So the winter weather here continues to be wintery...in fact more wintery than it has been for a couple of decades.  This is positive-speak for 'it is colder and snowier than it has been in forever!!'...which kinda sucks for a mountain biker.  And apparently for just about anyone else...

However, riding in snow is an opportunity to better ride single-track, to power through a boggy feeling trail, and to ride slippery conditions.  This weather has made fatbikes very popular, and I have tried to fit in with the fatbike crowd. 

 

 

 

 

 

It has also had me on the trainer, riding to Sufferfest videos when conditions are bad enough (-30degrees C) to keep me indoors.

It has also been an opportunity to try new cross training activities when the snow is too deep to ride in.  For example, CptSydor was kind enough to lend me some snowshoes and invite me to give that sport a go.  Turned out not only to be fun, but a great Base training workout, and to pack down the trails.  Besides, what more appropriate sport for a Metis man??

Some pics to prove it...

Notice how I always had a couple of attractive females following me??

Actually, this is the accurate pic of me...

Anyways...moving on.  I am now finishing my last week of Base training...and next week, will be moving into the Build phase of training.  What that means is that, where Base training was basically training to train (working on strength workouts, and maintaining general fitness and mountain-bike skills to increase capacity for the higher stress workouts of the Build phase)...sorry getting kinda techy here, its the kinesiology/bio-chemistry background.  (Mountain-biking Chemistry professors love this stuff!)

Sorry...there are a ton of those memes!!

Like I said...enough!

Anyways, to keep this in language I can understand; in the Build phase, strength maintenance is now the plan with the primary focus on race-like training and building aerobic endurance.  So, the next 9 weeks of my training will be 3 blocks of this...
where the red highlighted days are when I will be working on either an aerobic endurance workout or one that mimics what is expected on race day.  The black days will either be rest days, or days of a low intensity recovery activity.

Build 1 – 3 week block
         Week 1 – 7 days (S, S, M, T, W, T, F)
         Week 2 – 7 days (S, S, M, T, W, T, F)
         Week 3 (recovery) – 7 days (S, S, M, T, W, T, F)

OK...enough tech stuff...

The race schedule is up on the little widget to the right.  Fig may talk me into a couple of road races in there somewhere (don't worry...I am still a man...I will ask Lois to check occasionally...'occasionally' = hourly)

Yeah, usually ends like that (and yes, my Lois is blonde!)...anyways enough about my private life...

As far as the race schedule goes, I will likely do the Albion Tuesday night race series where I can fit it in.

Anyways, the weather is supposed to clear up to a balmy -4 today!!  Perhaps a real ride could result! 

Stay posted!

 

PS:  Condolences to my family in Saskatchewan...after a lengthy struggle Auntie Marie is at peace, and will be dearly missed by all that knew and loved her...