Bkoolers, here’s another week’s worth of tips from our friend Mikel Azparren, expert trainer and cyclist specializing in long-distance challenges. You’ve no doubt seen him over these past weeks in some Bkool Winter Cup challenge. Well, he loves to compete, just like you, and he faces stiff competition riding at your side. This week he’ll be present at some of the Bkool Winter Cup challenges, so get ready to compete against him again.
For this week, he’ll give you some tips for tackling that crucial phase where sessions on the trainer are essential before the good weather gets here and the most important competitions in every discipline kick off. It’s important to keep in mind his wise tips, which come from experience. That way you’ll be better equipped to deal with what’s coming down the road and to show off all the hard work you’ve done this winter.
We leave you with the tips in this article by Mikel Azparren.
Tick, tock, tick, tock…! The countdown begins, the start of the season draws near.
“I’m on my way, and now what? What should I keep in mind? Am I doing it right? The dates of the season’s secondary and primary objectives are approaching and fear and doubt start to creep in.
Unfortunately, training, whether supervised by a pro or dictated by your own schedule, is not mathematics, so it’s impossible to anticipate everything, consider everything and have it all under control. However, your own years-long experience training alongside other cyclists helps you keep all that uncertainty under control. I’ll try to explain three key points:
Injury prevention. You’re at that point in the season where you’ve put in the work but the final step is still before you. During this change, it’s relatively easy to suffer some mishap that ruins everything you’ve done so far, and this detail, which we only pay attention to when we’re injured, is very important.
Confidence. Taking steps forward, in this case progressing in your training, is scary. But you have to trust your, or your trainer’s, planning.
Nutrition/hydration. If you’re not one to pay too much attention to these topics, they’re going to matter soon. After all, in order to notice the effects of good nutrition and hydration, you have to give your body time to adapt. And, as I always say, one of the most important keys when preparing for the season’s main goal is to train under the same conditions that you’ll encounter at that goal. And that means what food you’re going to take (minding the smallest detail), how much water you’ll be able to drink, isotonic drinks, supplements, etc. One of the most important virtues in cycling is patience. You’ll be better off if you’re steadfast and have enough patience to realize that a cyclist is the result of years, distance and constant work.”
