How the race was worn

Every spring I start going outside and I forget, “what do I wear today?”  So after years and years of trying to remember,  I recorded these layers over the past year and made some tweaks. It is so easy to overdress and be miserable. These are geared towards racing, so if training long, maybe consider going one range colder. That way, at lower intensity you can stay warm.  As always, experiment with what works best and customize.  Layers below work best when using Verge clothing.  They make great stuff using modern patterns.  There are two exceptions noted below for very specific garments.  But buy Verge whenever you can!!

Above 65: dry or wet: short sleeves and shorts, base layer. Maybe a vest and arm warmers in the pocket if rain gets cold on descents

55-65: Dry: shorts, SS jersey, base layer and arm warmers, vest in the pocket maybe if you are feeling chilly. 

55-65: Wet: same as above but add light leg warmers if chilly. 

47-55: Dry: jersey, shorts, base layer,  arm and leg warmers, vest, maybe oversocks/shoe covers

47-55: wet: leg warmers, shorts, long sleeve jersey with long sleeve base layer underneath. Vest or jacket

40-47: Dry: leg warmers, shorts, long sleeve jersey with long sleeve base layer underneath. Vest or jacket, booties/shoe covers, maybe buff/gaiter

40-47: wet: arm and leg warmers, long sleeve base layer, LS jersey, jacket, long gloves, thick booties, buff/gaiter

Sub 40 or Rasputitsa: Gabba Jersey LS baselayer, shorts with base layer underneath*, leg warmers, booties, long gloves, buff/gaiter 

*Many years ago, I bought a few pairs of baselayer shorts that were sewn inside out so the seams weren’t against the skin. They were made by Andiamo, and they provide just a little more insulation without bulk. 

Never put on a fleece as an outer layer, as it provides no insulation unless in still air. Still air = no forward motion!  This is actually part of old Polartec marketing. “Provides best insulation relative to bulk in still air” or something like that. In most cases, it would just absorb moisture and make you colder. 

Make things modular if on the bubble. Allow for stuff to be removed if it gets too warm. That’s why leg warmers vs tights are key. Vests that can tuck into a pocket if required.  Look at the weather, especially if you are out for 4 hours starting at dawn.  Temps can change, and the new weather tools can really help identify how things may change.  This is where armwarmers and vests are key.  Manage pockets thinking of this.

Most of all, enjoy.  Conquering the weather makes you feel alive.

Zwifting for fitness

So I just dove into the electronic trainer game full force. I bought a Cycleops Hammer, and took the rear wheel off my bike.  Now before everyone is all like “trainer riding is lame, ride outdoors!” I give you exhibits 1 and 2: it’s -6 F out and my kids have activities at every moment of every day. Riding in the AM on rollers for me has been the way I get things done for a long time during winter. I have been training with power for about 17 years and have been used to that feedback, augmented by metrics in TrainingPeaks. 

But electronic trainers and Zwift etc are a pretty cool development. And it isn’t that you can ride through a virtual world and have the resistance change while going uphill. (Believe me, it’s only been a month and if I see that climb to the top of the cable car once more...I might lose it).  Rather, putting workouts into Zwift and having the software control the power output in erg mode is where the real benefit lies.  You can connect your TrainingPeaks account and it’s designed workouts with Zwift. If your coach assigns warmups, tempo, warmdown etc in a workout, “erg” mode in Zwift allows you to have the power controlled. 

I have ridden long tempo blocks and held a reasonably consistent average power. I have watched my Power/HR metric and felt good that it was staying below 5%. But Zwifting a long tempo block is another level of difficulty.  When it says: Ride “X” Watts for 20 minutes, it doesn’t know you tire at the end of the set. And since power is proportional to torque, and torque is affected by  cadence, when you get tired or lose focus and drop cadence, the electronic trainer ups the resistance to increase torque and keep power constant.  This is motivating because if the resistance gets too high...you are grinding it out at low revs!  Watching a power number and keep it roughly at the average yourself is not the same as a machine constantly making it exactly obvious that you will ride “X” Watts and that only. 

So this is where the real benefit of winter training on electronic trainers becomes so much better for getting you fit. When you are pushed to complete sets on target and to the end, you build muscle endurance and increase conditioning. The intensity of the set further drives this home. Riding 10 min at threshold there is more opportunity to fade vs 49 min at aerobic or easy pace. 

Mixing this strength work up with regular roller rides at lower intensities as well as open rides on Zwift where you can ride with others and sometimes race them is a good diversion. And always, there is the 4th and 5th options: riding on the road when it’s safe and fat biking the local trails.