Stay Fit While Traveling

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Travel does not have to derail your fitness.

Plan short, frequent workouts instead of long sessions. Aim for 20 to 40 minutes in the saddle, 3 to 5 times per week. Gym bikes and indoor spinning studios can be a great option when on the road. Consistency and intensity matter more than duration when away from home.

Prioritize bodyweight and mobility work. Push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, and band work cover most needs. Add 5 to 10 minutes of mobility for hips, hamstrings, calves, and upper back to offset long flights and car rides.

Use Tabata-style intervals when time is tight. A simple format is 20 seconds hard, 10 seconds easy, repeated 8 times. This can be done with bodyweight squats, burpees, mountain climbers, or a stationary bike. One or two Tabata sets deliver a strong stimulus with minimal time.

Walk as much as time allows. Airports, cities, and hotels add low-intensity volume that helps maintain aerobic fitness and recovery.

Fuel appropriately but be aware of your overall caloric intake. Travel often means poor food timing and reduces healthy options. Eat protein at every meal, add carbohydrates around workouts as required, and stay hydrated. Dehydration is the fastest way to feel flat on the bike when you return.

Accept that training while traveling should often be focused on maintenance, not key workouts. The goal is to return home healthy, mobile, and ready to resume structured work without needing additional recovery days.

References

Bompa, Tudor O., and Buzzichelli, Carlo. Periodization Training for Sports. Human Kinetics, 2019.

Maximize Your Time with Indoor Cycling Training

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Cycling Coaching

For the most efficient use of your time, I recommend incorporating indoor training as a tool using platforms like TrainingPeaks Virtual and Zwift. These platforms offer TrainingPeaks calendar integration and precise control of interval intensity and duration, key for getting the most out of a short training session.

Sweet Spot Intervals
When you’re looking for steady aerobic development without excessive fatigue, Sweet Spot training can be very effective. It’s performed just below your FTP (typically 88–94%) and is ideal for building muscular endurance and improving your ability to hold hard efforts over time.

Example workout: Warm up for 10 minutes and then perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 minutes at Sweet Spot intensity with 4-5 minutes easy spinning between intervals, and then cool down easy.

Threshold (FTP) Intervals
Training at your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) helps you build endurance without overloading your body. This intensity allows you to push hard without causing excessive stress.

Example workout: Warm up for 8-10 minutes and then perform 3 x 6-8 minute Level 4 FTP intervals, with 2-4-minute easy recovery between each interval, and an easy cool down after the final interval. This workout can fit perfectly into a one hour block of time.

High-Intensity Bursts
Short, intense bursts of anaerobic effort followed by easy recovery are highly effective for improving power and fitness.

Example workout: Warm up for 10 minutes and then perform 6-10 x 30 second Level 6 Anaerobic Capacity efforts at 125-135% of FTP, with 30-40 seconds of easy spinning between each effort. Repeat this 2 times and then cool down easy for a time efficient and high impact workout.

Making Every Minute Count
Indoor cycling isn’t just a substitute for outdoor riding, it’s a smart way to train with purpose. Whether you’re building threshold power, boosting anaerobic capacity, or increasing endurance, structured indoor workouts can help you hit your goals faster.

5 Early Season Race Prep Indoor Workouts

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Early-season racing is approaching across much of the U.S. These indoor, race-specific workouts will sharpen fitness and pacing before the first start line.

I ride these on a SportCrafters Omnium Trainer with a large floor fan for cooling. If you pace by RPE or heart rate, reference TrainingPeaks Power Training Levels.

More at http://socalcycling.com/2014/12/27/training-early-season-criterium-race-prep-workouts-gary-tingley/ and https://www.sportcrafters.com/blog/5-early-season-race-prep-indoor-workouts

#1 High Cadence / High Intensity Surges (1.5 hours)

Warm up 20–30 minutes gradually.

Main set:
data-end=”751″ />Visualize rotating breakaway pulls.
• 15 sec HARD at 130–150% FTP
• 15 sec easy draft
Repeat continuously for 10 minutes.

Recover easy for 5 minutes.

d=”956″>Finish the ride at endurance pace (70–80% FTP).

#2 Threshold Intervals (1.5 hours)

Warm up 20+ minutes.

Main set:
• 4 × 12 minutes @ 98–103% FTP
• 3 minutes easy between efforts

Cool down 10 minutes.

#3 Climb the Pyramid (1.5–2 hours)

Warm up 20 minutes.

Main set at 93–95% FTP, reverse pyramid:
20:00 → 10:00 → 5:00 → 2:30 → 1:15 → :45

Recover 3 minutes between each effort.

Spin easy after the final interval to reach total ride time.

#4 Bursts and Sprints (1.5 hours)

Warm up 20 minutes.

Microburst set:
• 5 × (:30 ON at 150% FTP / :30 EASY at 50% FTP)

Recover easy for 10 minutes.

Sprint set:
• 3 full-gas standing sprints from slow roll or stop
• 10–12 seconds each
• 4 minutes full recovery between sprints

Sprint technique: explode out of the saddle, get on top of the gear, then sit and hold max cadence for the full effort.

Finish at endurance pace to reach 1.5 hours total.

#5 Race-Day Warm-Up (40 minutes)

Complete on trainer or rollers.

data-end=”2126″>• 20 minutes easy spin, gradually raise cadence to 100 rpm. Add a few 5-second high-cadence bursts.
data-start=”2030″ data-end=”2033″ />• 3 × 3 minutes at 90%, 95%, 100% FTP with 2 minutes easy between.
• 4 minutes easy spin.

Roll to the start line with about 10 minutes remaining.