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Edsall Coaching · Off-Season XC

Use the off-season. Come back stronger.

Ten focused weeks for mountain bike & gravel riders who don't want to start spring from zero. Every bike workout is structured and downloadable, and every plan includes the new strength training — so the work you do off the bike shows up on the bike. Cross-training is the one exception: it runs on heart rate only, and still downloads to your head unit or watch.

See the 3 plans — $79 What's new: strength training

Delivered through TrainingPeaks · Start any Monday · Built for XC mountain bike & gravel

Mountain biker in an orange jacket riding a snowy, wooded trail in Colorado
Off-season in Colorado: shorter days, colder trails — and the best window of the year to build.
10Weeks per plan
3Progressive cycles
$79Every level, one price
2-in-1Structured rides + strength
New

Yes — new strength training & new descriptions, in all three plans

These aren't the old off-season plans with a fresh coat of paint. All three levels carry the new strength training written into the training weeks — 18 structured strength sessions in each plan, with video, twice a week in Weeks 1–8 tapering to once a week in Weeks 9–10. Every bike workout shares the same downloadable structured format; cross-training is the exception, built on heart-rate targets only so it still downloads to a head unit or watch. And the plan descriptions are all new — structured workouts, strength, and the Zone 1–2 endurance philosophy the riding is built on.

How 10 weeks / 3 cycles works

The off-season isn't base miles for the sake of it. Each plan runs three progressive cycles: lay the foundation, build on it, then consolidate — with the strength work progressing alongside the riding instead of competing with it. Tap a cycle to see its job.

Cycle 1 — Reset & build the foundation

Shake off the race season, restore movement quality, and re-establish consistent training. Riding is structured but controlled, and strength starts with form and foundational lifts — the base everything else in the plan stands on.

Weeks 1–3 of 10

Choose your level

Same 10-week, 3-cycle structure and the same $79 price at every level. What changes is training load, intensity, and how much is assumed about your experience. All three are built and verified in TrainingPeaks as structured-workout plans with strength included.

Store status: the three plans are finished in TrainingPeaks and not yet published — publishing is the last step. The buttons below open edsallcoaching.com, where each live listing will appear the moment its plan publishes. Nothing here takes payment until then.

BeginnerBest fit for you
$79 one-time

For riders newer to structured training, coming back after time off, or who want a first real off-season with guidance instead of guesswork.

  • 10 weeks · 3 cycles · structured, downloadable bike workouts
  • 18 strength sessions with video, introduced progressively
  • Cross-training on HR targets — downloads to head unit or watch
  • Manageable weekly load that builds week to week
  • Clear workout targets — no testing or jargon required
  • Ends ready to start a Base plan in spring
Beginner plan at Edsall Coaching

TrainingPeaks plan #694691 · Delivered via TrainingPeaks

AdvancedBest fit for you
$79 one-time

For experienced, competitive XC and gravel racers who already train with structure and want a demanding off-season that protects top-end fitness.

  • 10 weeks · 3 cycles · structured, downloadable bike workouts
  • 18 strength sessions with video, at full progression
  • Cross-training on HR targets — downloads to head unit or watch
  • The highest load and intensity of the three levels
  • Assumes experience with structured training & lifting
  • Ends ready for a Build phase toward spring races
Advanced plan at Edsall Coaching

TrainingPeaks plan #695767 · Delivered via TrainingPeaks

Not sure which level? Answer two questions.

Your answers stay on this page — they just highlight the plan that fits.

1 · How long have you trained with structure (planned workouts, not just riding)?

2 · How many hours a week can you realistically train right now?

Pick one answer in each row and your recommended level will appear here.
Athlete performing a kettlebell lunge in a gym during strength training

The off-season is strength season

There's a reason strength sits inside these plans rather than next to them: winter is the one window where you can build real strength without it costing you race performance. The new strength training in every Off-Season plan is written for cyclists — not copied from a general gym program.

  • Single-leg strength for the imbalances pedalling hides
  • Posterior chain & hinge work — the power behind climbing and sprinting
  • Core and upper-body strength for bike control late in hard races
  • 18 sessions, level-matched, with video — twice a week in Weeks 1–8, tapering to once a week in Weeks 9–10, scheduled around your key rides, not on top of them

Want to go deeper on strength on its own? Edsall Coaching also has a dedicated Strength Training page — it sits higher in the site menu because riders ask for it year-round. These off-season plans are where strength and riding are combined for you.

Ride outside when you can. Train with structure when you can't.

Every bike workout in these plans shares the same structured, downloadable format, so it loads cleanly onto your head unit or indoor trainer with targets set for you. Snow day, dark evening, or a perfect cold-and-clear morning on the fat bike — the plan works the same either way.

  • Structured bike workouts that sync from TrainingPeaks to your devices
  • Cross-training is the one exception: HR-only targets, still downloadable to a head unit or watch where possible
  • Indoor-friendly when the weather closes in
  • Endurance riding built on a Zone 1–2 philosophy — real riding outside whenever trails allow
Rider on a fat bike riding through deep snow on a wooded winter trail

Written by a coach who's raced it

Coach Drew Edsall — mountain bike & gravel coach in Castle Rock, Colorado, racing and coaching with Dirt Camp Racing. A pro since the mid-2000s, he finished top-10 in the USAC Pro XC rankings in 2011 and raced for the Kenda/Felt Pro MTB Team (2012–13) and Pro Closet / Stan's NoTubes (2014).

His one-on-one athletes have become State Champions and 15 National Champions, with hundreds of podiums — the same structured approach is what these plans are built from.

Recent results

  • Colorado State Pro XC Champion — 2026 & 2022
  • 1st — Fayetteville Pro XCT, Pro Open XCO (2026)
  • 1st — Fayetteville Masters STXC (2026)
  • 1st — Puerto Rico Masters XCO (2026)
  • True Grit 100 champion & course record holder; Syllamo's Revenge champion & course record holder

Questions

When should I start an off-season plan?

Any Monday works — the plan runs 10 weeks from whenever you apply it in TrainingPeaks. Most riders start after their last race of the season, with enough weeks left to finish before spring Base training begins. Mid-November through January is the classic window.

Do I need a gym for the strength training?

The strength work is written for cyclists and progresses across the plan. A basic setup — dumbbells or kettlebells and room to move — covers the foundation work; heavier barbell access lets Advanced riders follow the full progression. Start with what you have rather than waiting for perfect equipment.

How do I receive the plan?

Plans are delivered through TrainingPeaks. Once published and purchased, the plan appears in your TrainingPeaks library, and you apply it to your calendar starting on your chosen Monday. Bike workouts are structured and sync to compatible head units and indoor training apps; cross-training sessions carry heart-rate targets and download the same way where possible.

What do I do after the 10 weeks?

That's the point of the 3-cycle design: you finish ready for the next phase, not fried. Most riders roll straight into an Edsall Coaching Base plan, then Build toward their first spring races. If you want that mapped out for your exact race calendar, 1-on-1 coaching is the step up.

Can I repeat the plan?

Yes — a TrainingPeaks plan you own stays in your library, so you can re-apply it next off-season. Many riders repeat their level once, then step up a level the following winter.

Start your 10 weeks

Pick your level now so you're ready the moment the plans publish in TrainingPeaks — then apply yours on a Monday and let the off-season do its work: structured riding plus the new strength training, $79 at every level.

Choose Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Browse all Edsall Coaching plans