These Holiday-Themed Workouts Make Winter Training More Fun
'Tis the season to be jolly, not to be slogging through another butt- and brain-numbing session on an indoor trainer. And the fact is that by going outside for shorter, spirited rides, you'll have more fun—and get a bigger fitness boost.
"Some people still think that adding intensity will blow their base, but that's not true," says USA Cycling elite coach Jeb Stewart, owner of Endurofit coaching. "The key is to do just enough intensity to maintain your threshold and neuromuscular 'snap,' but not so much you overdo it and set yourself back."
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To hit this sweet spot, Stewart recommends sprints and what he calls "microbursts," short, high-intensity efforts that maintain your top-end fitness and leg power, as well as "force" intervals, subthreshold efforts that set the stage for better climbing and power production next season. Fortunately, you can sneak in all this serious training with some lighthearted rides. Once a week, pick one of these games, grab some pals, and go out and play hard—and subscribe to Bicycling to learn dozens of other techniques to get more out of group rides.
Santa Claus Sprints: Go out for your usual long training loop and have the group agree on a seasonal landmark to serve as the basis of your workout, such as Santa Claus decorations. Riders shout, "Santa left!" or "Santa right!" as soon as they spot one, and the sprint is on. The first person to reach the decoration scores a point. Aim for six sprints, making sure there's sufficient rest between efforts. If you happen to be spinning down Santa Claus Lane, declare a 30-second time-out between sprint efforts.
Blitzen Hill Blitz: Pick one of your favorite hilly loops. Each time you come to a climb, the Blitzen Blitz begins. Push the pace enough to feel like you're dashing up the hill, but not so hard that your legs are burning. Aim for 30 minutes total of Blitzen Blitzing—either one long climb or a combination of shorter hills.
Jingle Bell Bursts: Stash a jingle bell, or any other noisemaker, in your pocket. About 15 minutes into the ride, ring the bell. At that point, everyone cranks up the cadence to the max—no bouncing in the saddle!—for 15 seconds. Then wait 15 to 90 seconds (switch it up, so the other riders don't know when it's coming) and ring the bell again. Ring the bell a maximum of five times, give everyone a five-minute rest, then pass it to the next rider. Let up to four other riders be the ring master.
Heat-Miser Mash: Ride a familiar training route. Whenever you see a house with either no decorations or out-of-season decorations (a jack-o-lantern on the porch, plastic Easter eggs hanging from a tree), shift into a harder gear and ride tempo—80 percent of your max heart rate, at 50 to 70 rpms—for six minutes. Aim for five Miser Mashes, taking a five-minute recovery between efforts.
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