Indoor bike training can be painfully boring! I don’t know about you, but for me, it involves losing myself in some Netflix series in an attempt to fight off the boredom. Right now while we are indoors, I’ve talked my Tri coach into running a Sunday morning bike trainer session at his house. An hour and half certainly feels a lot less gruesome when you have friends with you. It also helps because he pushes me harder than I would push myself.
As Tim constantly reminds me the biggest percentage of time in a triathlon is on the bike. Since the bike is my weakness, I’m currently adding in more sessions to my training schedules. I think over the years, I’ve come to realize that I just don’t like indoor workouts. There’s something about scenery changes that I need to keep me motivated. That and you can’t really ride 15 miles out and just stop because you have to get back home. On the trainer, it’s really easy to talk yourself into getting off – just stop pedaling.
So, how can you build that base and continue working on improving your cycling?
Spend more time in the saddle. You might be saying “Well, Duh, Cassandra!” but, honestly, it’s really as simple as that. You’ve got to get those workouts in if you’re going to improve.
Customize your training. You’ll want to include both shorter and longer rides into your training plan. You’ll also want to work on a variety of speed, hills, and long endurance rides.
Indoor Trainer Workouts
Here are couple indoor trainer workouts to help work on your base building if you live in a climate that forces you indoors right now:
I Feel the Need for Speed Intervals (1:00.00)
Warmup: 10 minutes easy, 2:30 minutes left leg, 2:30 minutes right leg
Main Set: 10 X 1 minute at 100 RPM with 1 minute at 80 RPM recovery
5 minutes at 90 RPM
10 X 30 secs on/30 seconds off, alternating between standing (on) and sitting (off)
Cool Down: 10 minutes easy
Let’s Climb (1:35.00)
Warm Up: 15 minutes easy
Main Set: Raise your front wheel to mimic an uphill
2 X 15 minutes in Zone 3, every 5 minutes 30 seconds standing
5 minutes recovery
3 X 10 minutes in Zone 4, every 2 minutes 30 seconds standing
Cool Down: 10 minutes
Rolling Hills (1:20.00)
Warm Up: 15 minutes easy
Main Set: 5:00 Pedal Easy @ 90 RPM
5:00 Alternate: 00:30 Seated & 00:30 Standing
2:30 Using Just Left Leg
2:30 Using Just Right Leg
SET #1: 6 x 2:00 @ z2. Maintain 70 RPM. Stay Seated
1:00 Rest Interval in Between
Maintain 100 RPM @z1
REST: 3:00 Rest Interval @z1
SET #2: 6 x 3:00 @ z3. Maintain 70 RPM. Stay Seated
1:00 Rest Interval in Between
Maintain 100 RPM @ z1
Cool Down: 5:00 minutes easy
Indoor Trainer Essentials
If you’re like the rest of east coasters and spending time on the trainer these days, make sure you have all the essentials to before you start your workout.
- Cadence Meter – I use my Garmin 920XT
- Heart Rate Monitor – I also use my Garmin for this
- Water
- Towel – I drape mine over the handle bars for easy access
- Rubber mat– If you’re not on a concrete basement floor, you’ll want to make sure to invest in a rubber mat to avoid movement of your bike during intense riding. It’s also great for catching all those sweat drips! Ewwww, you don’t want that on your carpet/flooring.
- Riser – Invest in a riser for leveling your bike and also for allowing you to increase the bike’s angle to simulate a hill. (You can also get a block of wood from your local home improvement store
- Your Distraction of Choice (if you’re riding alone) – Laptop/iPad, etc for watching movies, listening to music or watching your online trainer.