5 tips to prepare for the cycling/biking season ahead

During the winter months/off season most riders take a break from our bikes, this is either self inflicted or due to the miserable riding conditions outside.

It is always good to have some time off from riding to allow the body and mind to recharge and refocus on the goals and challenges that lay ahead in the coming season. Like most riders I too have had some time off the bike, which has mainly consisted of eating and drinking over the Festive period and it seems that either my Lycra has shrunk or my belly has expanded! I fear it is the later!!

Now I am looking to shed those few extra kilos and get back down to my ‘Race weight’, although at my age I am way beyond having any desires to race on my bike. However, I do believe that most riders have an ideal weight for riding where they are strong on the flats, reasonably good climbing and still have plenty of endurance. For me that weight is 72 kilos, more or less, sadly I am a touch more at the moment! How do I get myself in trim and prepare for the season ahead and shed those unwanted kilos. Here are my top 5 tips for shredding those winter kilos/pounds

1. Hydrate

Drink a glass of water before every meal. Why? Drinking before increases the feeling of being full and eating less will help shed those unwanted kilos/pounds. If you drink too much immediately after your meal it disturbs the digestive process by diluting the gastric juices and makes digesting your food harder. Being properly hydrated gives you more energy to exercise!

2. No snacking!

Cut out the snacks. Cut out the snacks. Cut out the snacks! Most adults consume an extra 500 Calories per day snacking (that’s an average). Over a week that is 3500 calories which is the exact calorie deficit you need to loose 1 pound in weight. So, by cutting out the snacks and you’ll be loosing those pounds without any extra effort!  Most of our snacking is late at night. No eating/snacking 3 hours before bedtime. Late night snacking is usually ‘convenient/junk foods’ and therefore particular bad for us. As we are less active, most probably sat on the sofa watching telly, the food we consume late at night does not get burnt off and is more easily turned into fats by our bodies and stored around the waist!.Doh! Double whammy! Late night snacking is also not conducive to a good nights sleep and therefore we are less energetic the next day. Try to break the habit. Eat more proteins during the day as this keeps us feeling full for longer, also try to avoid the glucose spike/dip, see point 3.

3. Movement after eating

Moving around for 10 minutes after eating helps reduce the glucose spike and therefore the glucose dip. During this glucose dip is when we crave those lovely sweet snacks, remember ‘cut out the snacks’! It can be a walk after lunch, doing the washing up and tidying away, put on some music and dance, anything that keeps you active for 10 minutes. The worst thing we can do is go straight back to our desk and sit down, go to the sofa for a siesta or to watch the TV or get in the car to drive to work. Give yourself time after you have eaten for 10 minutes of movement. It really does make you feel better.

4. Hidden Calories

Most of us only think of the calories we eat and not the calories we drink! Cut down the sugary drinks (yes even the so called diet ones), the alcohol and caffeine. You’d be surprised how many calories you consume just on these drinks alone. Drink more water. If you do not like the taste of your local water add slices of fruit, herbs or drink flavoured teas.

5. On the bike.

These early months in the year are when we want to be building our engine for endurance. Therefore long, slow rides are the order of the day. Avoid the temptation to go hard too early. You can add intensity/top end fitness in March/April. Don’t let a tail wind or a Strava segment or your ride buddies rule your ride. Nice and easy. Zone 1 or 2 in the fat burning zone. If you do not know your zones or wear a heart rate monitor then a good measurement is being able to talk. If you are catching your breath whilst riding you are trying too hard. Build your distances gradually to avoid any injuries. Start at a comfortable distance and then increase by 10% a week until you are where you want/need to be distance wise.

We hope this helps you get to your peak performance during the coming season on the bike, and checkout our Biking Holidays or contact us for bespoke biking holidays.