As usual, October - now, there has been a big gap in the blogging of my cycling life. Off-season training doesn’t leave a lot to type about, it generally ends up being lots of talk great training, being at a better position at this point that previous seasons and the challenging weather.

Well, I have to say, training is going better than ever. I invested in a Powertap for the start of this block and it has been a revelation for me. Whilst I knew the benefits training with power presented, I had my reservations; I didn’t want to become a slave to it or have my moral crushed by the analytics. It is perfectly complementing my training however and I feel I got it at just the right stage in my development.

My heart rate zones have always been a bit iffy with a low rest and lactic threshold right near my max. I could never quite find the right zone, often wondering if I was fatigued. With the Powertap, I’ve been able to mostly ignore heart rate and be a lot more consistent and, here it comes, I feel fitter than ever for February. It’s not just feeling either, I can back it up with big gains since November. Testing showed I had worked up a big diesel engine as I had been plodding along at what would probably be recovery pace now for most my steady rides. It was hard actually getting fit at the beginning of base but that is how it should be and something new to me. I’ve also been able to work on just what I need, explosive and top end power.

Big improvements haven’t just occurred in my legs though. We the all weather trails in Bristol now I’ve been able to concentrate on my technical weaknesses too. I opted to stay at home again this year rather than travel off to a training camp. There were many reasons for this but the new trails were one of them; I needed lots of quality off-road rather than big miles. Becoming addicted to Strava has made these improvements quantifiable as well. I’m on about a 80:20 mtb:road split as I know I can get free time just from being able to ride a mountain bike faster.

Reading over this post, it certainly lives up to its name. Of course, as the title implies, testing isn’t the untamed world of racing which is why these pre-season posts are always so chirpy. After a long period without comparison to others, it is easy to build oneself up. March will be the ultimate test of a decent Winter.

Talking of the racing season, I have updated my calendar with my race plan. I am also sticking with CNP-Orbea. The team currently fits me perfectly and has a number of great new sponsors soon to be announced along with continued support from CNP and Orbea. I’ve already had my new training bike, which could have been the reason for improved trail times!

You will be glad to hear, blogs will be more frequent again from now onwards. I have the next one already in the pipeline, something not so cycling related and one of the other reasons I stayed at home to train…