When you hear the term “cycling base training<\/a>” many of you think of cycling base training, involving long slogs through frozen tundra and icy winds. \u00a0Those of you who are racers or competitive fondo riders may believe that the necessary base miles for competitive cycling are long, boring and low intensity, with little variety. \u00a0Other, more recreational riders may think about watching the Tour de France while they spin away on the indoor trainer for a couple hours per week, hoping to get a jump on their group riding buddies. \u00a0I've got a newsflash for you: those impressions are OLD SCHOOL and couldn't be further from the truth.<\/p>\n In reality, base training should be taken to\u00a0it's most primal definition, one that's hidden within the term itself. \u00a0“Base training” should be the activity done to build a solid BASE for your future fitness, both on and off the bike.<\/p>\n Just like the base of the human body is the core<\/a> (everything attaches to it, everything works through it, so it's the true base of the body), the base of your fitness involves the core and everything contained within it, including your heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system. \u00a0As an extension of your core, your legs have something to do with this too. \u00a0Since\u00a0they're the stems that attach your core to your pedals and they are important to build a base of fitness for as well. \u00a0So it's not just accumulating saddle time that should be your focus (although you really do need saddle time), but what you do WHILE accumulating saddle time.<\/p>\n In this episode of the\u00a0Tailwind Coaching Podcast<\/a>, I'll talk about the importance of base training and how you can be more effectively base training than you are now.<\/p>\n Read more after the jump, including:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n