winter training

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by SBERRY
Got my first road bike about a month ago. Averaging 120miles per week, ave.speed 16-18ml/hr, and am looking to get the miles in over the winter.
Can any one recommend a set training programme so that I can think about competing next year.

Is it worth getting a heart monitor thingy?

you cannot train without one, their are some very affortable models out on the market, heart rate is what you base your training on and how you determine your fitness progress, if you don't train with one , i guaretee you'll get beat buy someone who does. I highly recommend www.trainright.com , or get some training books by Joe Friel

Spend some time learning what you are meant to do with the HRM. Too many riders strap one too their chest and look at the numbers but have no idea what they mean!!!

Set out some specific goals ASAP, to guide your training, motivate and help you monitor performance.

SBERRY:

Good advice by Dirtrider and 2LAP. The only thing I would say is learn how to use it properly, and learn when to ignore it.

Lots of riders get too dependent on technology and use it as a "crutch." Sure it's always nice to know what your pedal cadence is or your watts or heart rate, but a huge part of being a good rider is knowing yourself. No device can tell you that.

Don't be a slave to technology. Think of it as a rear-view mirror. It's important to be able to see traffic behind you, but by far, it's much more important to see what's ahead of you.

Happy monitoring!!!