Making a Training Plan.

Finally I have time to train. What to do? That is what a training plan is for. I'm in the middle of making one. It's a difficult process.

Joe Friels' book "Mountain Bike Training Bible" provides a great starting point. Friels provides a simple, systematic method for coming up with a properly periodized regimen. I heartily recommend the book. However, Friels' book doesn't address some of the weaknesses that are personal to me. It's up to me to address those issues with my plan.

Making a training plan when you are out of shape is hard. The natural tendency is to list and address your weaknesses as a rider. But when out of shape, it seems everything is a weakness! I'm thinking that good balanced training plan will be good place for me to restart. Right off, I know I'm going to need some serious uppe-body and core (abdominal & back) muscle strengthening.

Finding bike specific strength exercises is not easy. Google searches for strength training bring up all sorts of useless, misleading, and outright incorrect information. Most of it centered on body-building. Shall I design some exercises of my own? Time to get creative with the torture ... mmm, exercise equipment.