Your aim is to lay the foundations of a healthy athletic lifestyle and be mentally and physically fresh for the upcoming season.\u00a0<\/p>
Naturally, we see more athletes doing extra strength work or focussing more on swimming where the conditions are less likely to interfere with a session’s quality.\u00a0<\/p>
However, indoor training is a year-round staple of top athletes’ schedules and has several benefits that really come to the fore over autumn, winter and into spring.\u00a0<\/p>
Training indoors (with the likes of Zwift<\/a><\/strong>) has the advantage of being a warmer, drier experience than training outdoors over winter and also removes risks such as poor roads or visibility.<\/p> However, it\u2019s also far more efficient, making it a secret weapon for busy athletes to fit in their training.\u00a0<\/p> The other benefit of indoor training is that athletes can clinically execute their workouts or follow precise sessions from coaches. Athletes no longer need to find the proper route to train on; they have reliable and repeatable \u2018lab\u2019 settings at home.<\/p> Another beauty of it is that, on Zwift for example, the indoor sessions you tackle can be tailored to your functional threshold power (FTP). This means even if you\u2019re a beginner, the training will be accessible and customised to your fitness level..<\/p> Of course, outdoor training shouldn’t be totally neglected through the winter months as it enables a significant variance in training.<\/p> A turbo trainer<\/strong>, such as the Zwift Hub One<\/strong><\/a> (\u00a3549), which is the brand\u2019s second turbo product.<\/p> While the original Hub worked like a traditional direct-drive trainer (meaning you lose the back wheel and bolt your rear axle directly to the trainer), the new one comes with the \u2018Zwift Cog\u2019 instead of a cassette.<\/p> This means you can use pretty much any 8-12 speed bike with it. The Hub One then relies on virtual shifting to move you through the gears via a button you can mount on your handlebar.<\/p> The Hub One has a power meter accurate to \/-2.5% and also features smart resistance, which matches to the gradient of the virtual road you\u2019re riding on (up to 16%). You can also use ERG mode, which matches the resistance to the level prescribed in your workouts or interval sessions.<\/p> A bike<\/strong>, to mount onto your trainer for you to ride on.<\/p> A subscription to a training platform<\/strong> such as Zwift<\/a><\/strong>, which will allow you to follow thousands of workouts, cycle on virtual courses, join group rides or take part in virtual races.<\/p> Anyone buying the Zwift Hub One will get a 12-month Zwift membership for free. Otherwise, you can try Zwift out with a 14-day free trial<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p> And finally, a fan<\/strong>, to help keep you cool during particularly sweaty sessions, a towel to mop away sweat and a training mat<\/strong> to protect your flooring from both your sweat and kit.<\/p><\/div><\/div> Now is a great time to invest heavily in your technique such as pedal mechanics on the bike.\u00a0<\/p> Both can be effectively done on the turbo or treadmill, where you can keep everything consistent and feel, or even see, the changes made.<\/p> November training should be more technique-focused than anything else, as there is no rush to get something fixed before a race.\u00a0<\/p> On the bike, you could look at everything from positional changes and aerodynamics to pedal mechanics, breathing and cadence.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> The \u2018low cadence intervals\u2019 session<\/a><\/strong> found on Zwift may be worth checking out, as it helps you focus on your pedalling technique while building strength in your legs, and that\u2019s all without taking too much of a toll on your cardiovascular system.<\/p> As you build back into more structured training, a technical focus may be particular for you as you\u2019ll likely have critical areas to work on (this is more apparent from your season reflections).\u00a0<\/p> However, you also want to build back from last season, so ensure you deliberately hold good form after some time off, even if that means slowing down or doing much less than you used to before your break. It will all come back better.<\/p> The aim is to have fun and explore different training styles.\u00a0<\/p> Do an FTP test<\/a><\/strong> to gauge where you\u2019re at and then think about doing some racing or following some of the fantastic online training programmes offered by platforms like Zwift (such as this \u2018multisport mixer\u2019 plan<\/strong><\/a>, which is specifically tailored for multisport athletes).<\/p> Whatever you do, building training into your week will be vital in setting up for a new season (not just starting in January!).<\/p> To help you stick to this, you may want to work through some of Zwifts pre-made workouts, achieving reward badges as you go.<\/p> Traditionally, the winter period is where you may build mileage and an aerobic base (\u2018winter miles equals summer smiles!\u2019).\u00a0<\/p> ERG mode is useful here, as it locks in a specific resistance to ensure you don\u2019t push harder than you should be.<\/p> More generalised advice would be to use this period pre-Christmas to find some consistency (and enjoy the festive period!).\u00a0<\/p> Time spent working out your weekly schedule, fuelling, recovery and building momentum with each session is more effective.<\/p> Zwift\u2019s group rides will really come into their own at this time of year, too.\u00a0<\/p> Motivation can drop at this time of year because of the weather and the solitary nature of indoor training, so being able to train with others is a huge boost. Plus, it adds a slight competitive edge.<\/p> At this point in the season, you\u2019ll be starting to implement your season plan, and you\u2019ll know if you need to work on a specific area.\u00a0<\/p> Indoor training can help give measurable and reliable feedback on how those areas are improving. Repeat key sessions to generate clear comparisons of how you\u2019re progressing.<\/p> Consider leaning on ERG mode to maintain consistent efforts and avoid soft pedalling.<\/p> Doing an FTP test<\/strong><\/a> will also give you some vital info to take forward into the new year.<\/p> After your first season, now is the time to begin to see how training consistently can help you progress. Use indoor sessions to build the area you need to work on.\u00a0<\/p> For long-course athletes, this may be increasing training duration. For short-course athletes, it could be working on FTP<\/a><\/strong> or threshold building by regularly trying some of the sessions in this FTP builder plan<\/a><\/strong> on Zwift.\u00a0<\/p> Be sure to do another FTP test after a few weeks to track your progress.<\/p> Now is a great time to see how effective your aerobic endurance is. After a warm-up, aim to hold a zone 2 effort<\/a><\/strong> for a set duration. This could be 30 minutes or up to a few hours.\u00a0<\/p> Your aim is to see how your heart rate trends. It should remain level, and then, as you reach the end of your aerobic fitness, you will start to rise for the same effort, or your power\/pace will reduce for the same heart rate.\u00a0<\/p> You can practise fuelling through this as well. This test is best completed indoors (as long as you keep cool) as you can control more of the variables.<\/p> You should be making significant gains in the area you wanted to work on from last season.\u00a0<\/p> This should be tested frequently through January to ensure you\u2019re on track. Indoor sessions offer an easy way to test many aspects of your physiology, so test your engine!<\/p> With your first proper winter of training under your belt, February is a great time to test yourself and see how you\u2019ve got on.\u00a0<\/p> This may be through indoor tests and races or early-season single-discipline events.\u00a0<\/p> The time trials on Zwift<\/a> <\/strong>are excellent sessions to settle in and see how you improve week to week.<\/p> February is often a tough month for athletes; the excitement of a new year is behind you, but racing seems so far away.\u00a0<\/p> However, now is the time to settle into training and put in the hard work, which means increasing intensity as well as volume.\u00a0<\/p> You would want to do some racing (Zwift\u2019s event calendar<\/strong><\/a> has lots of races to match your schedule) to see the progression and keep training interesting and varied.<\/p> Alternatively, you could pick a route from Zwift<\/a><\/strong> that matches the terrain you\u2019ll be riding on, be that a hilly course, a flat one or one with lots of turns.<\/p> Indoor races are a beneficial way to check how your training has gone, especially if those races somewhat reflect the area you need to improve (e.g. TTs, criteriums or 5ks).\u00a0<\/p> If you were working on specific areas, then review those, too. For example, are you actually holding your aero position all the time?\u00a0<\/p> Using indoor testing allows you to record your whole effort and reflect on it objectively more than anything you do outdoors, so set up your camera and look not just at your numbers, but also how you get them. Running off the bike is an odd sensation for many new triathletes. Indoor training can facilitate your adaptation by making it easier to tackle a brick session<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p> These are most often implemented in the build-up to a race, but it can be useful to introduce them at this point, too.<\/p> If you\u2019re also running indoors, brick sessions also give you a chance to consolidate your technique running off the bike by using mirrors to check your form.<\/p> Race season is just around the corner, so think about using some brick sessions to practise your transitions.\u00a0<\/p> If you\u2019re lucky enough to have a treadmill and turbo next to one another, you can work on running off the bike or jumping back on again, like a duathlon, to really adapt to multisport racing.<\/p> Alternatively, tackle an endurance session on the bike and have your run shoes waiting so you can pull them on and head out for a short run once you\u2019re off the turbo.<\/p> Try out this \u2018race-pace brick\u2019 session<\/strong><\/a> (it\u2019s number 30) to help you readjust to competing at race-day intensity.<\/p> You can continue the specific work for the race distances you\u2019re competing in. However, you can also begin to set targets.\u00a0<\/p> Perhaps you need to build a workout to replicate your A-race<\/a><\/strong>, and you can manage the run off the bike at the same intensity.\u00a0<\/p> You can begin to see how your training can be applied to the specific demands of your race.\u00a0<\/p> British pro David McNamee shared his key Zwift sessions<\/a><\/strong> with us for long-course racing, which include two race-focused efforts that you might want to try if you\u2019ll be taking on long-distance events.<\/p>What you need to train indoors<\/h4>
November: Build your technique<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/zwift-gameplay.jpg?fit=1024,800\")
<\/figure>Advice for new triathletes<\/strong><\/h3>
General advice<\/strong><\/h3>
Training for the sharp end<\/strong><\/h3>
December: Time to start building consistent training<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/man-using-zwift-for-training.jpg?fit=1024,755\")
<\/figure>Advice for new triathletes<\/strong><\/h3>
General advice<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>
Training for the sharp end<\/strong><\/h3>
January: Build on the platform you’ve constructed<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/what-you-need-for-indoor-training.jpg\")
<\/figure>Advice for new triathletes<\/strong><\/h3>
General advice<\/strong><\/h3>
Training for the sharp end<\/strong><\/h3>
February: Consolidate your fitness and be more intensive<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"Racing](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/racing-triathlon-on-zwift.jpg?fit=1024,674\")
<\/figure>Advice for new triathletes<\/strong><\/h3>
General advice<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>
Training for the sharp end<\/strong><\/h3>
March: Become more specific<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/woman-using-zwift-on-laptop.jpg?fit=1024,800\")
<\/figure>Advice for new triathletes<\/strong><\/h3>
General advice<\/strong><\/h3>
Training for the sharp end<\/strong><\/h3>
![](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2023\/11\/man-using-zwift-indoors.jpg\"\/)
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