Daylight savings is noticeably gone and so is consistently good weather. More often than not, Mother Nature can practically scream at us to stop riding our bikes. Within 24 hours the weather can fluctuate from a sunny warm day to blizzard-like conditions. Regardless of if you live in the Rocky Mountains or the Great White North of Minnesota, we have begun cycling’s off-season. In five short weeks we will ring in yet another new year. But before that, we all have to tackle a busy holiday schedule where overindulging, travel, and lack of daylight can make training harder.
With seemingly fewer days of good weather, what are some of the top female cyclists doing to stay on top of their game? Do they log long arduous hours of indoor cycling? How much gym time do they get? I was looking for answers to help spice up the typical, mundane winter training.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that indoor riding is generally not a top priority for these women. Base miles are ridden outside regardless of the weather. Specialized rider Jenna Zander lives and rides in Minnesota all year. With temperatures often reaching far below zero, not including wind chill, I was impressed to find she prefers cycling outside during the shortest days of the year. “I find that it’s better mentally if you can get outside and ride or do another fitness activity”, explains Zander. Her favorite rides take her over the abundance of frozen lakes and rivers scattered across the state. When there is too much snow to ride, she gets out the cross-country skis or snowshoes and heads out to the woods. You can generally find a good trail system anywhere in Minnesota for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. With the snow flying a solid six months of the year, you have ample time to perfect your technique and jump into several ski races offered through out the state (www.skinnyski.com).
Jenna Zander braves the Minnesota cold
Here in Colorado, it’s a bit tougher to find frozen water to ride across. With an abundance of sunshine and most days above freezing, riding outside isn’t quite as daunting for the local women. Subaru/ Gary Fischer’s Heather Irmiger and Giant’s rider Kelli Emmett view the off-season as an opportunity to capitalize on Colorado’s other outdoor adventures. Both indulge in another two-wheeled sport of off road motorcycle riding. With hundreds of miles of mountainous singletrack and jeep roads to explore, bike handling at high speed with a heavier bike makes maneuvering a 20-pound carbon rig effortless. Add in the exploding colors of Aspen trees and snowcapped peaks, you just discovered heaven in your back yard.
Kelli Emmett spends her off-season hitting the trails on a different kind of bike
Colorado and Utah have amazing backcountry skiing access. Once the snow pack has stabilized, earning your turns in the backcountry can offer some of the most rewarding winter days. Knee-deep face shots are the norm after a day full of uphill skinning. This is not only a great aerobic workout at high altitude, but the thigh burning snow on the way down is great for your cycling quads.
Heather Irmiger enjoying some back country skiing
SyRae Weikle, Tough Girl’s 40-year-old US XC National Champion, gets her quads burning through ice hockey. It is a way for her to maintain her cycling fitness with total body anaerobic bursts. Although it keeps her off her bike for much of the winter, skating compliments her cycling with the 2-fer-1 combination of aerobic conditioning and strength. You’d never know she didn’t ride much of the winter when she’s winning races in May.
This "Tough Girl" likes to dish out body checks when off the bike
When it comes to specific strength training, there are good options for both inside and outside of the gym. Strength and core are important and do not need to be in the form of dumbbells. Emmett maintains her core with Pilates and running the Incline once a week. A former railroad bed built in 1907, the Incline is a vertical mile-long stair climb to a lofty 8600 feet near the base of Pike’s Peak. Many of Colorado Springs’ cyclists hit the Incline weekly and loop back around on the Barr trail. It’s a grunt of a climb but well worth the view from the top of surrounding Pike’s Peak and Garden of the Gods.
2009 US National XC and Marathon National Champion Heather Irmiger hits the gym with a focused and purposeful 30 minute session. With a routine of push-ups, pull-ups, and crunches, she gets all she needs with simple, yet effective exercises. She maintains leg strength with the usual squats, lunges, and leg press and is careful not to ignore the hamstrings. It’s all about balance, power, and strength and it clearly paid off in 2009.
Get out and enjoy NOT riding your bike this winter. Even the top women take time away from their bikes and enjoy their winter environments. Snow doesn’t have to be a four-letter word and can actually help make for a better cycling season.
Thanks to Kelli Emmett (Giant), Heather Irmiger (Subaru/Gary Fisher), SyRae Weikle (Tough Girls), and Jenna Zander (Specialized) for their contributions to the article.
