THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING ALONE (WHILST NOT TRYING TO TALK MYSELF OUT OF A COACHING ROLE)

THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING ALONE

With lots of clients currently winter training and battling with trying to keep to the set programme I thought it important to post about how important training on your own is......

MOTIVATION

Solo training allows you to focus on yourself and builds your mental toughness. You have your objective and it is solely up to you to complete. It comes down to you, your bike and the ride. With no other cyclist to use for motivation and chase down or ride away from, you find your own personal motivations. Done successfully, you will not only make yourself physically stronger, but now you are mentally tougher too.

FOCUS

Your plan is unique to you. Whether you are working directly with a coach, using a training plan, or have set out your own plan, that plan is designed to get you where you need to be. It is based on your time constraints, strengths, weaknesses and goals.

Focusing on your individual plan provides several key benefits. First, even if your teammate or riding partner is on the same schedule for the day, most likely your target numbers for efforts, or even your recovery between them, are different. You do what you are supposed to do and they do what they are supposed to do, it’s that simple. Next, we all have a competitive side. Training with others can tempt you to compete against each other, forcing you to go above and beyond what you are supposed to be doing. It can also have the opposite effect if you have to tone down your workout for your partner. Riding solo keeps you in check and allows you to focus on your form too. You are able to pay more attention to your position on the bike, pedaling technique, etc.

Riding on the road has enough natural distractions. Your buddy riding next to you chattering away can take your mind out of the game. The less you have pulling you away from your objective, the more you can concentrate at the job at hand.

INDEPENDANCE

From a purely selfish standpoint, a big benefit to riding solo is that you only have to answer to yourself. There is no meeting time, other schedules to accommodate or having to wait for those that are late. You are not dependent on those around you to dictate the pace or effort. You get to choose the route. If you feel good you can extend it, or if the legs are shutting down you can simply soft pedal back home.

Whether you have structured your own plan or you are working with a coach, your schedule was written with specific goals or targets in mind. Each day is a separate puzzle piece that when put together will hopefully help you achieve your target. Training by yourself allows you to follow your prescribed workout by concentrating on your plan without distractions

ENDURA FS260 PRO KNITTED OVERSOCK £12.99

Need a last minute present for that cyclist in your life, then get them a pair of these...I love a good over sock, so much better than the thick neoprene rubber overshoes in winter. The thing with a good sock is that it should keep your feet warm but not overheat, simply keeping the chill off. I have warn these at temperatures of below zero and they still work a treat. They come up long to keep your ankles warm which is an added bonus and are not too tight on your leg too.

When pulling on a sock one of the common complaints is that they snag and pull threads on the material - so far this winter not once has a thread caught or pulled and they still look as good as new, in fact I have had these covered in road crud and have returned home with them almost grey. One wash later and they are still as good as new.

So what doesn't work as good I hear you ask. Well personally I would have bought one size down as the toe is slightly baggy but that's miner. However there is no cut out for the heel and of course I am now creating my own even with my limited walking, a design "fault" I think Endura should have thought of really.

At the £12 - £15 price bracket its money well spent for something that does the job. They come in white or black so easy to match up with your kit.

Go on treat that cyclist in your life with a stocking filler

AND SO IT BEGINS.........

The first post of an expat brit, cyclist and British Cycling Coach trying to survive in Italy. With a lovely Italian wife to guide me through the trials and tribulations of living #ladolcevita and understanding just how things get and not get done in Italy. Normally via who you know and not what you know..

There will be reviews of equipment, cycling "Italian style", my own training updates/progress as well as general day to day life living with the Azzurri. I hope you enjoy sharing my ups and downs the good times and not so good and like me can try to smile when it doesn't quite go my way...which in the first month has seen me been invariably defeated by Italian bureaucracy on a grand scale.

Most of the people have now got used to me in the village...that crazy englishman always riding his bike - he must be crazy he moved to Italy when we are all trying to get out of here !!

Next step on the  road to embracing italian life is to join a cycle club and of course Federazione Ciclistica Italiana so that I can at least compete in something and transfer my coaching accreditation too ( more paperwork). Time for a quick skip back to blightly before Christmas to see the family then back for Crimble Italian style - homemade lemoncello already made ;)

Parlare Presto