Rider Diary – Matthias Knossalla
It’s February and my first competitions are still months away. However, it is important to be prepared for a long season so you have to work on your basics. As triathletes we have many possibilities besides swimming, cycling and running. Strength training for example is very important to me and I do a special mix of core stability and plyometric exercises.
Many ambitious triathletes, however, make the mistake of not investing enough time in riding their bikes outside. Units on the trainer can complete the training. I do approx. 95% of my bike training outside – even during winter months.
Although it isn’t particularly cold, it rains very often. This makes the question of choosing the right clothing more decisive. If it’s really rainy outside, I’ll put Castelli’s Pocket Liner jacket on because it offers great protection. A base layer and the Trasparente Due Wind Jersey is the ideal combination for me. Breathability and the Windstopper membrane are important because it gets warm during the climbs and chilly on the downhills. The streets in January are usually wet and therefore I wear my Nanoflex Bibtights and Pioggia shoe cover.
Even though I love great trail runs, I use the possibility of running on a treadmill. I can easily check the intensity and do my VO2max work or hill repeats. Next time I will be at my first 2014 training camp at Mallorca. Stay safe! Matthias
