Give us Five! Girls from Squadra Donne talk Winter training

Three of the Squadra Donne/ShuttVR/Bikefood/C Originals women’s team run by Jon Miles tell us how they’ll be preparing for the 2012 season during a British winter. Thanks Vicky, Sarah and Karen

Vicky Ware
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?
Vicky: I had October off the bike after the Tour de Trossachs. I had two weeks where I did nothing, then two weeks where I started fell running, doing Pilates and starting a bit of gym work. In November I started riding again, but I haven’t done any structured training yet. In November I was doing 7-10 hours a week on the bike, but now exams have taken over at University so I’m doing pretty much nothing but a bit in the gym and some running to keep me sane until the 20th December when I’m finished for Christmas.

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)?
Vicky: It depends on what my timetable is like at Uni and that varies each semester. Usually we get Wednesday afternoons off, so I try to get a longer rider in then and then at the weekend (3-4 hours). Recently, on the other days I’ve just been getting out after Uni for as long as the light will allow. Proper training will start over Christmas and then next semester.

VeloUK: Do you ride Xmas day or New Years day?
Vicky: I’ve spent the last two Christmas days in Spain, so a ride has definitely happened then – it would be rude not to! One year I remember they were giving out free champagne in the town square on New Years Eve, so I needed a ride the next day to clear my head. This year I’ll try to get a ride in so I can eat loads of my Mum’s Christmas dinner. I don’t really have much of an appetite unless I’ve been out riding. I suppose it will depend on whether there are 70 mph winds/3 feet of snow/a plague of locusts though.

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?
Vicky: I intend to spend some time in Spain over the Christmas holidays. I am lucky in some respects that my boyfriend is spending the winter out their training, so I have somewhere to go and stay which is brilliant for riding. Apparently, we are having some kind of ‘Innovative Learning Week’ during next semester at Uni, where we have no lectures or labs for a week (I think we’re supposed to Innovatively Learn somehow) so I’m planning on getting a week abroad then too if flights are affordable. We don’t get reading weeks on my degree so it will make a nice change to have a break from being in Uni mid semester and get some good training done. Over Christmas, it’ll be longer riders with blocks of tempo. In February, I would have thought I’ll be getting into high intensity rides.

VeloUK: Finally, what will be your first races for 2012?
Vicky: I’m going to be doing the Uni time trials which will probably be the first thing on my calender, in April. Although I might do some of the earlier TLI races in Scotland if there are any convenient ones or some TTs in Scotland depending on when they are. I find competing mid-season (err, May-July) when the pollen is high pretty difficult as I suffer from pollen allergies, meaning I ride like an asthmatic granny. This is the first year I’ve realised what the problem is so I now aim to be going well for the start of next season and then again for the end of the season when pollen counts are lower.

Sarah Kennedy
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?
Sarah: Yes, I had a week off because last season was not very intense due to illness, and therefore I didn’t feel mentally and physically fried.

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)?
Sarah: During winter, most mornings I turbo at 5.30am for 2hours before work, which includes at least one hour of power intervals or quick cadence.
At weekends, weather permitting, I ride 3-5hrs hilly route, because I live on the edge of the Peak District near Bakewell…none of which is flat!

VeloUK: Do you ride Xmas day or New Years day?
Sarah:  I love to have a leisurely ride on both Christmas and New Years Day with my boyfriend. It makes space for the big dinner and helps us to relax ready for the Christmas TV …

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?
Sarah:  I have a holiday booked for Lanzarote as a chance to get some miles in under the beautiful sunshine.

VeloUK: Finally, what will be your first races for 2012?
Sarah: My first races should be mid-week at Mallory Park, Leicestershire and the Women’s Team Series.

Karen Poole
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?
Karen: I had four weeks off after my big race (which was the triathlon long distance world champs). I started training again at beginning of December, so I’m still building volume up at the moment. This week will be about 12hrs total

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)?
Karen: Weekday training sessions are no longer than an hour. I’m doing technique on the turbo (eg single legs) and base sessions. I also do weights, swimming and running during the week.
Weekends are long (3-4hr) base and these are road or mtb.

VeloUK: Do you ride Xmas day or New Years day?
Karen: Yes, absolutely.

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?
Karen: I always go warm weather training in Feb or March. I would look to do long base rides every day for a week, with a bit of a mix of swimming and running thrown in as well. By this time, I’d want to be doing some long higher intensity hill climbs as well. The Squadra Donne trip to Malta will be a bit different but fun.

VeloUK: Finally, what will be your first races for 2012?
Karen: Tour Ta Malta at end of March.

 

YOUR TURN!
Is the weather better down south of England? Perhaps riders down there would like to fill in the following like Ciaran and let us know how they are faring during the Christmas period. Share your winter training schedule and early season programme with others in the cycling community by answering the following and email back to VeloUK

1. 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?

2. Tell us about your winter training bike — type of bike and is there anything special about it compared to your summer bike — mudguards, lights, etc

3. 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)?

4. Do you ride Xmas day or New Years day?

5. Finally, what will be your first races for 2012?

Other Winter Training Stories

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