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Rocking in Your Training Dungeon...

Thursday, 24 December 2015 00:10

By O'Brien Forbes (trainingpeaks.com)

Some riders love it while others loathe it, but putting your time in on the trainer is a must for the majority of riders that are preparing for the first races of the 2016 cycling season. Riding your trainer involves more than just hopping on and turning over the pedals. There are a few key points to start thinking about now as you develop your indoor trainer plan. Getting and staying motivated and having a proper trainer set-up are pillars upon which to build your trainer workouts. If you can maintain those pillars, the final component you need is a structured training plan....

Getting Prepared
Climbing on your bike and pedaling like a rabid dog and going nowhere, in the literal sense, can be a rather large mental obstacle to overcome. It’s important not to look at your indoor trainer sessions in that way. You have to look at the good that comes out of the training. By no means is the trainer an absolute replacement for the road. For those that are limited in time or restricted by weather, etc. a lot can be accomplished riding indoors. And with that, you need to build your excitement level. If you dread your trainer rides, you are setting yourself up for failure from the start. Don’t look at the session by itself. Look to the future and say, “By doing this today, I will be a better cyclist come March!”

Setting Up Your Training Dungeon
Unless you are training for Iditabike, you probably want to do something other than stare at a white wall when on your trainer. Try to have some sort of entertainment when you ride. Music, watching TV or a movie, or even watching bike races are all good options. Have the entertainment mood match your ride. Create playlists for recovery rides, tempo, and interval sessions. Or, watch an action packed movie when doing intervals. All of the above will help the time go faster which can make a huge difference when you are staying in one spot pedaling in circles. The faster the time goes, the sooner it will all be over. Make sure you have proper ventilation or air movement when you ride indoors. If your body starts to overheat, especially doing harder efforts, it can essentially shut itself down thereby hindering the work you are trying to do. Riding inside, you don’t have the benefit of the wind rushing over you. Ride in a cool room. Set up a fan or two that blow on your torso and legs. Most ceiling fans do not provide enough of a cooling benefit. Use box fans or a good oscillating fan, or both. Finally, dress with the essentials when you are on your trainer. Wearing too much clothing will prevent your body from keeping itself cool. READ MORE