What to do as the season ends

Road racing season is coming to or has already come to a close depending on where you live. Maybe you are tired of racing and are taking your "offseason" break. However, if you still have legs and still mentally want to go hard tackling some Strava PRs could be something you try in order to keep some focus in your training. I had an athlete's season end a few weeks ago, and he decided he wanted to PR or KOM some Strava segments around town.

It would be wise to tackle segments that play to your strengths. This particular rider is a sprinter, so he sent me a list of segments ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds in duration. If you want to hit peak power for these durations it is best to dial training back to as little as possible. I cut his training volume to about 60% of what he normally trains, and I cut all intervals (besides sprints) from his training. Another thing you want to do if you want to increase power for the 10-30 second duration is not do a ton of efforts. For all his workouts I have him perform 4-6 efforts maximum. That way he is setting peak power for all the efforts.

Another thing we have to look for in Strava is the necessary speed to enter the segments. Most of these segments are slight uphills but the average speed is over 30 miles per hour, so entering the segment at or above the average speed is critical. For a couple of the days I paced my athlete into some of the segments to help him save energy and enter the segment with speed. However, he tackled most of these segments on his own.

One of the KOMs my athlete took

This is just one idea to gain some motivation when it may be low at the end of the season. Remember to have fun and stay safe. Also when it is time remember to take that necessary break to recover and recharge for next season.