Building a Foundation

Setting yourself up to being stronger on the bike 2026 starts now. The work you put in during the fall and winter will pay dividends next year. You reap what you sow!

Depending on your riding/training/racing schedule in 2025, you may need some "off-season recovery" to reset mentally and physically, but don't overdo it! A couple weeks off the bike between October and December can do you good. Ideally, you should take about a week after your main riding season ends and then another around the holidays. This should have you primed to start training as 2026 begins, but still maintain your hard earned gains from the previous year.

That leaves a lot of time for training over the next 3 months!

What I am doing to set the groundwork for a fitness breakthrough in 2026

Winter Weather: I am planning to be training indoors a significant amount between December and February. This training will be done on Zwift and will be a combination of Zwift races and structured workouts. I want to be motivated for the indoor trainer during this period, so I am going to prioritize outside riding until winter really sets in.

Intensity: I know I need to incorporate regular hard sessions in 2026 and I will rely on Zwift to help me get these done. Doing these indoors will build an intensity foundation and resilience, so when Spring arrives I'll be ready to step it up outside on the open road. Last year I did quite a lot of Zwift racing from January to March and it served me well (and I wasn't burnt out). Zwift races get me working hard without the mental demands associated with intense structured workouts.

Event-specific Demands: Although I haven't committed to any specific events in 2026, I have a pretty good idea of what kind of events I like. As such, this fall I will incorporate specific sessions that will address various weaknesses I've felt in events like the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race. I won't overdo this, because the real work will be done next Spring, but I want to lay a foundation so I will be ready to really lean into those future hard sessions.

Volume: Hours on the bike has always been and will always be the key to unlocking your best fitness. High intensity is important, but you can't make up for a lack of volume. Volume is especially important for me because I like the longer events. Even though I don't have an unlimited amount of time to dedicate to training, I will still try to make volume a priority this fall and into 2026.

Specific Workouts: I remember various training sessions from my professional days that pushed me to very good fitness. I will try to insert versions of those workouts into my training regimen this fall and throughout 2026.

What are you doing?