Spring training? H\’m It never occurred me to try to teach anything to a coil of metal!

Leaving crazy jokes aside, cyclists want to get going with their Spring training when warmer weather sets in; especially those who live where snow and ice make outdoor riding difficult during Winter. Here are some things to guard against.

Understandably, the very first precaution is: don\’t go too hard too soon. A rarin\’-to-to cyclist who\’s felt like a caged animal for several months could very well find it hard not to get out there on the first day of ice- and snow-free roads and blast away. This might easily lead to strains and overuse injuries.

Saying not to let group rides intimidate you might have been tailored specifically to me. I see enough pace lines out there that whiz past me when I\’m working hard to go 15 mph. Not attempting to keep up with them seems like plain common sense. But am I wrong?

The same thing applies to \”same old intervals\”. I\’m only beginning to get back to working at \”force\” intervals. Today I touched 20+ mph, but that really isn\’t saying much. Some cyclists cruise faster than that!

I\’m not as consistent with cross-training as I ought to be … Where did I put my kettlebell?

As to calories, I certainly manage to get far too many!

For advice on working up a season\’s plan for training and racing, may I suggest The Cyclist\’s Training Bible? When I read it, I catch myself wishing I could train like that, even if I\’m never going to enter a single race.

Who knows, though. You never know what life might spring on you.