Base Building for Cyclists

Book excerpt: Once the season starts, most cyclists are saving every spare moment for the road. The miles to ride in preparation for upcoming races leave little time for fundamentals like strength training or cross-training. This is just one of the reasons why Thomas Chapple argues that the success of the upcoming season depends on the extent to which you can build your foundation of aerobic fitness, or your "base," for the road ahead. After identifying a cyclist's strengths and limiters, it is time to sacrifice the volume of training and the perceived level of fitness in order to increase intensity and broaden the aerobic base. In effect, this builds a bigger engine and the cyclist is then able to work back up to the higher volumes and an overall improved levels of fitness and speed. But Chapple's guidance for cyclists extends past the important off-season months to establish a more efficient plan for the upcoming year. A stronger base makes a stronger, faster cyclist.