Second in the Junior National Road Race Series in 2011 and part of the Rapha Condor Sharp team for 2012, Luke gives us an idea of his training programme for the winter
VeloUK: Have you started your winter training and if so, how long did you spend off the bike post season and how many hours a week would you spend now training?
Luke: I’m now just over a month into my winter training. I had the first half of October completely off the bike and the second half, I started riding again just steady rides to get a bit of fitness for the first few rounds of the National Trophies and Rapha Super Cross series.
In November, I started training with a structured plan of about 10 – 15 hours a week which was mostly steady riding and going into December my number of hours has increased slightly to about 15-20 hours per week.
VeloUK: What is a typical weekday ride for you (how long and what intensity) and what sort of rides do you do on a weekend (how long and what intensity)?
Luke: My typical week this month is that I have Mondays and Fridays off.
In the week, I do a three hour steady ride, a three hour hilly ride riding steady on the flat and more intense on the climbs and a ride of around 2-2½ hours with 30 minutes steady at the start and end and 60-90 minutes at a moderate intensity. At the weekend, I do a three hour hilly ride with the same format as in the week and a four hour steady ride.
VeloUK: Do you ride Xmas day or New Years day?
Luke: Ken (Matheson, coach) has very kindly given me the day off on Christmas! I’m not too sure about New Years day as my four week plan ends on Christmas day but I think I will be out training on New Years day.
VeloUK: Do you intend to go to a training camp abroad and if so, what would be a typical training camp there in terms of the time spent training and the type of training rides they would be?
Luke: I decided to come to Majorca this week as the weather in the UK was looking dodgy so I could get my training done in warm weather (it’s been 20°C during the day so far this week.)
With Rapha Condor Sharp, I’ll be going on a camp to Lanzarote in January for 10 days and a camp in Spain in February.
VeloUK: Finally, what will be your first races for 2012?
Luke: My first race in 2012 is likely to be Eddie Soens and then my next race will be the Tour of Taiwan from the 10th-16th March.
Other Winter Training Stories
- Oliver Wright: Why do we use the turbo so much these days?
- Spot Chat: Endura Racing’s Rob Partridge
- Alex Dowsett: 48 hrs on the bike in 9 days in Majorca
- Give us Five! Riders from Cycle Premier RT talk Winter Training
- Give us Five: Riders from Velo29 talk winter training
- Give us Five! Simon Gaywood on Winter Training
- Give us Five: Martin Cox’s winter training
- Give us Five: Jack Pullar
- Give us Five: Rhys Howells
- Give us Five: John Whittington
- IG Markets-Sigma Sport Riders tell all about their Winter Training
- Give us Five: Ian Wilkinson (Endura Racing)
- TalkingShop! Winter training for Endura’s James Moss
- Give Us Five: GWR Team talk winter training
- Give us Five! Girls from Squadra Donne talk Winter training
- Give us Five! Ciaran O’Grady
- Give us Five: Luke Grivell-Mellor
