Base Building
It’s the winter now and if you’re not training for anything specific you are in the off-season. That means it’s time to be base-building. Many of my clients don’t like (and don’t trust) this time of year. But trust me, it’s for the best. There are some great books on the subject, starting with Joe Friel’s Training Bible series. However, eventually you should progress beyond those books to more advanced concepts- email me if you would like some recommended reading.
Endurance coaches will often refer to your fitness ceiling- the highest level of fitness that you can currently achieve. We all have them, and the best coaches will help you hit that ceiling during your peak of the race year. And while the goal of the athlete is to progress beyond that ceiling and improve, most don’t always go about it the right way. Some believe they must keep pushing themselves to get faster. Others will take the off-season to regroup, slow down, and work on skills and limiters.
Let’s use cycling as an example. Go on a group ride in November and you’ll see two different scenarios. The ride may start slow, but someone will eventually take off and push the pace. Watch what happens next- some will follow in what turns into a quick paceline where everyone is beathing heavy and working hard. Others will sit back and continue the slower pace, maybe even having a conversation amongst themselves as they ride. You’ll find me in the later group. And here’s why…
Your fitness peak can only be improved year after year if you have a strong base. Using the house building analogy, your ceiling can only be as high as the foundation of your home can support. Base building isn’t just about riding (or running) slow. It includes building strength, endurance, and efficiency. This period of training should last AT LEAST 8 weeks, but usually extends 16 to 24- depending on your level of fitness.
If you ride hard all year long you are erroding your base foundation which will ultimately DECREASE your fitness ceiling- the exact opposite of what you want to occur. The purpose of base building is to take the level of effort that is currently challenging and ultimately make it an easy effort. Smart base training will allow you to ride faster or with more power while maintaining a lower heart rate or RPE.
As with a house, you have to build from the ground up. When you begin a base building program, the majority of your rides should be Heart Rate Zones 1 and 2, then increasing the amount of time spent in 2, then venturing into 3, then increasing the amount of time spent in 3, and so on. If you don’t know your heart rate zones, then THAT is the perfect place to start. You can obtain these zones through the VO2 Max test, a test we do at FitMed Partners. If you have any questions about the test or what it entails, email me at info@annefinch.com.
Even as you increase the amount of time you stay in higher zones, you should still have several rides per week that are very low and sustained. And, as I mentioned previously, this is also the time to be working on skills and strength. This should include drill work to improve pedaling efficiency and weight training.
Please note, it’s easy to start getting ahead of yourself. Stay focused and you will see great gains. If you have any other questions or want help with building your base, email me or visit www.annefinch.com.
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