Warning: I’m about to state the obvious.
It’s a little drizzly out today, but I need to lose some weight before gaining it all back in Rome this Christmas, so I got on the trainer for an hour. A comment Coach Rob made to me in a recent email made me think that doing some intervals would be a good idea.
As soon as I started them, I realized a few things:
- Intervals hurt.
- It had been a good 6 or 7 months since I’d done any real structured sessions like this.
- Intervals hurt.
- The simple acts of watching the clock, working within my heart rate/power zones, and following the plan, do amazing things for the mind. It’s not a time to get great ideas, like on the open road with the wind in your helmet, but the added discipline gave me some instant motivation.
- Intervals hurt.
I still don’t have an objective for next season, but maybe a few more trainer sessions will lift me out of my dilly-dallying ways and make me find something worthy.
The Vicious Cycle 
It’s the only way to kill the boredom. Funny how much easier riding a structured workout makes the time on the trainer fly by. I think it’s because you can’t wait for the hard intervals to end and the recovery segment ends too soon. And before you know it, you’ve completed a session that will improve your cycling performance.
In my case that’s true. I’m always looking forward to the Cool Down portion. There’s also something to be said for ‘following the rules’, i.e. many of us are hard wired to follow instructions.
Indoor work can be quite fun if you have sharply defined aims. It’s tedious if you are just pedalling away aimlessly.
Agreed, unless you have a good bike race on the computer to watch….
I hadn’t thought of that. As my legs go round involuntarily when I watch bike racing on the telly, that would be a help.
I’ve had about 7 indoor sessions already these past couple weeks. More just trying to lay down a base again as I really backed off the last 3 months. I was really looking forward to the turbo trainer but the weather has been so great this fall that I really didn’t have a good excuse to get on the trainer. However I found tons of reasons why not to go outdoors. Go figure. Big wuss. I think it’s just the convenience of getting a good workout in about an hour, staying warm and relatively dry except for the sweat, that I like riding indoors. I use Sufferfest videos which are killers and right now as the base is going back on I use an app called CoachMyRide which has a variety of different workouts. My mate from the UK doesn’t understand it. No bad weather for him. All good.
I agree, Luc. There’s a big difference between chucking on bibs and doing an hour or so on the trainer than putting on half your wardrobe to go outside. Saves a lot on laundry, too. Guess we are both wusses!
I ride the trainer all winter long, then laugh all spring as my friends who didn’t, struggle to catch up. Ride hard, brother.
I only know one freak of nature who can not ride all winter and still be strong by summer (but not spring). Age will catch up to him soon, though!
Gerry, I like Zwift on the trainer, and the comments about the virtues of intervals indoors are right on. However, I just shared this with my team mates and will for the first time try to heed its advice:
‘Christmas Stars’ is a great term! Instead of just continuing workouts/training, consider a few weeks completely off the bike. Yes, that’s a weird thought, but I remember some December rides that I really wasn’t enjoying–I think that’s the burnout effect this coach talks about:
http://chicrosscup.com/2014/12/03/coachs-corner-christmas-stars-and-the-transition-period/
Jan, I haven’t tried Zwift out yet, but keep seeing it pop up on Strava.
To be honest, I don’t understand ‘burnout’, mainly because I’m such a slacker at heart. However, I do know many who have the potential to overcook it, and have seen the results over here with friends, I think. Good luck taking it easy over the holidays, and hope to see the results on a ride together next year in Europe!
Sufferfest. Not boring.
Another one I’ve yet to try.