Free days: a chance to replenish that bucket and have an amazing ride!

Dedication to your training is important - hitting the numbers, putting in the hours, all towards becoming a stronger rider. The key though is to temper this dedication, so that we can make sure you don’t experience burnout. As we discussed, we need to make sure you keep your bucket topped up.

Plus, our training is really a means to an end. We don’t train for training’s sake, but rather so we can have those amazing riding experiences. With this in mind let’s introduce the concept of “free days”: days where you can do what you want. No structure, no zones, no goals. Days to just get out and enjoy yourself on the bike.

Free days can mean different things. You might want to go exploring some new gravel roads. Someone else might want to go on the local club ride that they have been missing while they focus on training properly. A great chance to

test out the legs and see if the training is changing them as a rider! A mountain biker might want to hit the trails without having to worry about holding back on the hills.

Whatever your free day is, it should be about having fun on the bike. The real reason we train.

How do we incorporate free days into your plans?

Free days are not listed on the training plans because they are to be used when the opportunity arises - when the weather is spectacular, you feel like you need a break, or your friends have organized a cool ride that you want to be part of.

Free days become more important when the weather is good and there isn’t a need to train indoors. Unless you live somewhere that is warm all year the summer is the time to stoke your enjoyment of riding and free days allow you to do that.

The idea of free days doesn’t mean you should take them all the time. If your goal is still to improve as a rider they are to be used sparingly - a couple of times a month perhaps. And while they are free days to do with what you want, when you do return to your training plan you may have to take into account how that free day has affected your energy and adjust accordingly.

We don’t ride our bikes so we can train, we ride to have amazing experiences. Free days are an opportunity to do just that and put all your dedicated training to good use. Enjoy!