Thanks for the reply
masi61 .
I am not working presently, and I’m hoping that whatever I get into come spring allows me the flexibility and time to hit those base miles early-on. I do coached training at a cycling studio, though, and part of the regimen there is designed to have us hit the road strong for spring, and I’ve always had good luck with that in years past, so I don’t necessarily sweat racking up base miles, really, because the studio time is so effective.
Fortunately, the club and other groups I ride with are really good about riding tight, drafting, and pacelining, but also about picking up foundering riders, so it’s standard practice for the group to have someone fall back and give a wheel to pull up another rider. It’s great, but as you note, you’ve got to put in work in turn somewhere, and just can’t get pulled all around the place.
I do train and ride with power, so I use my power zones and the clock for managing my climbing efforts. I know what max wattage I can lay down for specific time periods, and at what wattage and time I need to recover, so I pace (or push) off that.
Breath control is a great strategy oft overlooked, and super important for me, too. I think one of the great benefits I’ve derived from so much stationary work is well developed breathing. On a stationary, being free of the external complexities of cycling, one can really focus in on the body and breathing, and I’m to the point where, on the road, those calming practices happen without any conscious effort.