Everybody loves riding the trainer, right? Ya, right. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a necessary evil for some of us. Winter time in Montana isn't the best for a cyclist. The weather and road conditions usually cooperate at least a couple times each month, but for the most part riding outside is limited. If and when you can't ride outside, there are tons of other activities that you can do to get in a good aerobic workout. Things like skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, ice climbing (for you brave souls), and running are just a few ways to get outside, embrace winter, and get a good workout in. The GAS Team puts on a great Tuesday Night Headlamp Crosstraining Series where people meet up and do many of the above mentioned things as a group. Good fun, and good training to boot. However, for some of us, it's hard to fit things like that into the schedule, so that leaves the option of no workout, or the trainer.
We've all heard the great advice out there on how to make the trainer rides more exciting, or at least bearable. Things like having a fan, drinking plenty of fluids, watching television (I prefer hockey, go Avs!)or cycling videos, listening to good music, doing specific workouts, and keeping the ride short are all great ideas. For me, the hardest part of any trainer ride is just getting on the bike. It's way to easy keep putting the ride off until it's to late to do it. Or to tell yourself you feel a little tired, skipping today is probably best. Some days, if you really are to tired, taking a rest day IS best, but using it for an EXCUSE to avoid the trainer just leads to decreased fitness, and increased chances of getting dropped when the racing starts. Remember, every day counts, even the days that you don't feel like riding the trainer. The thing that best helps me avoid those missed rides is focusing on how good I feel after a ride, rather than on how bad it sucks to have to ride the trainer. I always feel great after a good ride, whether it is on the trainer or outside. I know if I skip the ride, I'll feel like crap for cheating myself, and if I do the ride I'll feel great afterwards. It may seem cheesy, but it works for me. There are not a lot of positives about riding the trainer, but try to find one that works for you and use it to your advantage, so you can get the most out of your training in these cold, dark winter months.
Keep it PURE,
Brad
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Great Advice Brad, I have been going to spin classes at the gym to keep my legs going however I decided to ride the bike in the basement by myself for the first time of the season last night and it was not as bad as I remembered. Today I cheated myself out of workout by all of that self talk that we do to justify not exercising and as a result I am cranky, it would have been much better to have just got on the bike and ridden or to go do some XC skiing.
ReplyDeleteGuess this helps prove my point. No ride = cranky Howard, where as I just completed a two hour trainer ride which capped off a solid week of training, and I feel great. Kinda sad that tomorrow is scheduled as a rest day and I won't get to ride the trainer again until Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteI never regret doing a trainer ride, no matter how hard! It is, as brad says, hard to get that first leg over the bike and start turning...but then it is no problem....here is a tip for all you urban clubber types out there...loud, adrenalin soaked, up tempo trance music makes threshold training much less painfull! ;)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say I consider myself an urban clubber type, and am not even sure what tempo trance music is, but I will agree with Amy, who I believe knows a thing or two about riding the trainer, that good music can make even threshold workouts on the trainer hurt less, but they gotta hurt a little, or your not doing it right!
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