We wanted to share a fall cycling challenge Peter does each year to guide his fall cycling training. This challenge is not a mileage goal or repetitive elevation goal. This challenge is actually a constraint on your training options to ensure you add more variety into your fall, to control the intensity and load early in the training year and to preserve your motivation for harder and more monotonous training blocks ahead.

During the ‘preparation’ or early base phases Peter will challenge himself to only ride outside during October and November. How much you ride ends up being limited by the weather, your clothes and your equiptment (e.g. fenders, bike wash setup, water-proof) as well as your local climate and safe trails/roads.

This challenge is not relevant for everyone AND may be very easy for others who embrace outdoor riding or who live in warm climates or climates with great winter biking (you folks may need to set a more explicit cross-training goal!)

This challenge helps conserve trainer motivation (e.g. Will you be ready to train hard/long in March if you start indoors in September?) and can provide some natural variation and recovery as the seasons change. Weather helps limit us by forcing a few extra rest/walk days and by limiting the intensity possible.

The secret to the challenge is you DO NOT NEED TO RIDE every day. This is the time of year to walk more, start/continue strength training and ease (gradually!) into cross-training. These are all options and for some this challenge might mean that there is no cycling in November, that is a great solution to the challenge!

Inclement weather can teach us how to dress and stay warm, it can work on skills like cornering with low traction and it can be a great time to make good friends to get through tough days!

Feel free to make this challenge your own and let us know if you find it useful