Bike Trainer Got You Down?

I broke down this weekend and pulled out my trainer for the first time of the season.  Ironman training is officially underway and I just can’t get outside as much as I should during Seattle’s dreary winter.  A flood of emotion came back to me from last winter: boredom, monotony, dread, and more boredom.  Long rides on the trainer definitely get me down, but I find if I go into the ride with a plan to work on a specific drill, skill, or interval it makes time pass more quickly and leaves me with a feeling of accomplishment and not to mention sore muscles.  For your next trainer ride consider sprint intervals or hill repeats.  Both will improve your body’s ability to recover from increased effort and will add an interesting twist to those long rides.  I’ve tried to simplify these as much as possible so you don’t need a fancy computer or VO2 max calculation.  All you need is a watch and the ability to tune into your body.  When I refer to RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) I am talking about a simple scale from 0 to 10.  0 is rest and 10 is maximal effort.  Simple.

Work out 1:  Speed Intervals.

·      Warm up 10-20 minutes at comfortable resistance and pace

·      4 x 1 minute fast with easy gear and high cadence (RPE 5) with 2 minute rest between

·      Pedal easy x 5 minutes

·      10-20 intervals - 30 sec on:30 sec off.  “On” intervals should be RPE 8-9 with high cadence and “off” intervals an easy spin

·      Cool down 10 minutes

Work out 2: Hill repeats

·      Set your front tire on the trainers highest setting to simulate climbing

·      Warm up 10 minutes at an easy pace

·      Increase effort to an RPE of 8 for the next 10 minutes standing every 2 minutes for 15 pedal strokes for an all out effort

·      Ride 10 minutes at easy pace to recover

·      Repeat as many times as your work out warrants

·      Cool down 10 minutes

*If you’re new to this type of work out, start with 5 minutes.

Happy Training!