It is another snowy day in central New York, a good one for
skiers and the like, and quite beautiful to be outside in. The complete lack of traction on our roads,
though, demands that safe riding be done indoors. The trainer – again? But, as the saying goes, your season is made
in the winter. Fortunately, I have a
Computrainer to ride, which has helped me to “make my season” since 1997. However, even this virtual reality machine
can become a boring ride if I let it.
My legs are not always as compliant as I would like, just as
my coach, Mark Fasczewski, can attest to. But when they
do take up the command I embrace my indoor training as much as possible. I have found that, like anything else, successful
indoor training requires a good amount of positive self-talk. In other words, if one thinks that an indoor
session will be boring/hard/impossible, then, well, it will! In order to avoid that negativity I recommend
that everyone get as psyched up as possible, and anticipate the “ride” just as
if it were done outside.
First and foremost, get motivated by thinking about the
goals that you have set for the season.
Are your races or events going to be long? Then spending the time now building up for
them will be a great gift to give yourself.
Skimping on preparation, forcing the event to become a slog instead of
fun, also wastes the time and money spent to arrive at that event. I know that my money and time are usually in
short supply, so I want to get as much out of it all as possible. As with any training session, a goal for that
day’s training needs to be set.
Still having some issues?
Work a bit in the fantasy world.
Look forward to this ride just as you would if you were headed outdoors.
Let’s face it, sometimes an outdoor ride is not very exciting either, but most
folks do not conjure up the dread for that outdoor ride like they do for the
inside world. Pick out some good music, and
choose a “place” in your mind to visualize this ride. If you are using a training DVD work on
focusing on the location where the DVD was filmed instead of the four walls of
your basement or living room. If all else fails, go directly to Sufferlandria and ride with Marianne Vos, Evelyn Stevens and Emma Pooley.
Keep distractions at bay.
Try to limit peeks at your email (I find this one hard!). Dress the part with a decent cycling kit,
matching socks and water bottles. Have all
of your entertainment at hand, be it on DVD, iPod, your laptop, radio, or, if
you are me, all of these. Being able to
switch from one to another, while still pedaling, can really keep you going. Do what you can to keep yourself on your bike
for the entire time.
If you have a LONG indoor ride planned, though, schedule
stops, just as if you were riding on the road.
Get off and go to the “coffee shop” in the middle of the ride, just as
if you were outside. I find a shot of espresso,
mid-ride, to really help me through the rest of the time. Just remember to not get involved in any of
your real-world activities until you have completed your goal for the day.
Think about the positives.
You are not going to get too cold, slip on the ice, blow off the road, have bottles thrown
at you by passengers in passing vehicles, or get bitten by a stranger’s dog. You
will not get lost or have frostbite if you have a flat tire or mechanical. It will
not take you 45 minutes to get dressed for an indoor ride, and deciding the day’s
wardrobe can be more about fun than function.
Now that I have you all excited about riding that stationary
trainer for hours at a time I will save the pointers that I have for what to do
when you are actually riding for my next post.
Yeah, I’ve got to get going. My
Computrainer is waiting and I will either be riding today in Lake Placid or
Wisconsin. I need to check with my coach to find out, and then I need to pick out my kit.
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