Talking about riding a bike trainer.
It’s All About the Bike Trainer. Indoor Triathlon Training – Organic Runner Mom
It’s Tri-Talk Tuesday and today I’m talking all about indoor cycling! Tri Talk Tuesday, which is cohosted by Cynthia at You Signed Up for What?!, Phaedra at Blisters and Black Toenails, and Courtney at The TriGirl Chronicles. This is a monthly link-up to talk about everything triathlon which is awesome especially if you are a tri-newbie like me. It is awesome to be learning about a totally new sport and these ladies have so many wonderful triathlon tips to share!
It’s Tri-Talk Tuesday. What’s happening in triathlon training? Indoor biking | Organic Runner Mom
Since I am a New Hampshire transplant (I’ve been here for almost 15 years now!) I have had to become accustomed to amazing summer and fall cycling and then an endless season of riding my bike on the bike trainer. Thankfully in my prior life as a rower in Maine at Colby College
I was used to many long months of indoor torture training although then the selected torture training device was the Concept II Ergometer. In college we would spend hours “rowing” inside with the meters whirring by in rhythmic harmony. To many this kind of working out seems totally dreadful and utterly boring but for me it was a means to an end (getting stronger for rowing on the water) and the workouts would be almost hypnotic and I actually mostly enjoyed them.
Now instead of the erg I spend my days of indoor training riding on my bike trainer or ticking of the miles on my treadmill when the weather is just too dreadful to go outside. Riding the bike trainer while not nearly as good as actual road riding gives me a way to continue riding through the cold snowy months and enables me to keep up my biking fitness. When I am on my bike trainer I am able to focus on my riding form and posture which is great for a newbie like me. What I have to keep telling myself as I ride my trainer is that it will make me fitter and faster come race day and I will be thankful for all of the time I banked because it all adds up when it comes to overall endurance!
Riding your bike trainer in the winter takes dedication and focus.
As with rowing on the Erg for countless hours indoors spending a gazillion minutes on the trainer every winter 9and spring too if you live in New Hampshire) requires discipline especially if you are like me and do not have an indoor group to ride with. The workouts can be long and it can be much easier to end early when you are in the comfort of your own home and not out riding a gloriously long loop. For me when I ride on the trainer I need to get in past the first 20 minutes and then as the sweat begins to pour and the endorphins kick in I am able to get in a great riding groove and just spin away.
Simulating hills on the bike trainer can be more of a challenge as there is nothing that quite compares to grinding up a large hill in the great outdoors hoping that you will make it up and over the crest. When riding indoors simulating hills can be done riding in the big gears and/or you can add some height under your front wheel. With that being said, I am eager to attack some real hills out on the roads.
This is the view out of my kitchen window today. It’s April 7th!
Thankfully I am a flexible athlete and with winter seeming to continue on forever in New Hampshire I am able to survive a little longer riding my bike trainer!
How do you survive a winter training indoors. What do you like best about training for sports inside? What do you hate the most?
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The bike trainer is very much a necessary evil, but a great one for strength and endurance. Also, I love erg!
Courtney@The TriGirl Chronicles recently posted…Tri Talk Tuesday – Buying Speed To Become a Better Cyclist
I technically only started on the bike trainer mid-Jan after Dopey. And it was hard at first, but necessary evil. Especially since I know that I’ll be on the trainer a lot with my schedule and kids.
Smitha @ FauxRunner recently posted…PINspiration Wednesday: The Little Engine That Could
Wow! You still have so much snow! I hope it gets outta there soon so you can get some fresh air and real hills on that bike!
Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…Scotland Run 10K Recap
OMG I would cry if there was still that much snow here. The trainer is the best way to focus on form and cadence, especially if you’re relatively new to cycling. YOu don’t have to deal with traffic, other cyclists, stop signs etc. You can just ride. 🙂
Phaedra @ Blisters and Black Toenails recently posted…Tri Talk Tuesday: Improving on the Bike
Nice to see you can still sport your skirt w all that snow!! I had an indoor trainer once and thought it was so boring I couldn’t deal! I just go to spin class now.
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Spring Cleaning With PhenOh 7.4
I have never been on an indoor trainer although I recall my brother using one when he trained for his first triathlon years ago. Great that these tools are available. Yikes! All that snow! Pretty though.
Elle recently posted…Do You Really Love and Use Those Products You Review?
I can’t believe all the snow you’re getting! I was thankful for the 24 hours of rain we got in California…can’t imagine all that snow!
Maureen recently posted…#WIAW Whole30 Days 5-10 {This really isn’t so bad}
Man I teach spin but couldn’t imagine trying to mimic the hills on the bike, you just can’t quite find that sweet spot. And the whole balance thing. But it looks like you are doing what you can with the weather!! Hope spring shows up soon!!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors recently posted…Overnight Oats: Cinnamon Raisin
You New Englanders just can’t catch a break! I can’t imagine having to continue to be forced to run on the treadmill for all of my runs, so I can only imagine how crazy you must feel some days being stuck on the indoor bike trainer.
My friend sent me one of those over the winter and it definitely made life a lot easier in terms of getting some sort of workout in, because the gym would usually be closed by the time I got home, and the roads were all sorts of terrible!
I hope it warms up for you soon! :'(
Farrah recently posted…Review: The Sprouted Kitchen (Bowl + Spoon) + Tropical Smoothie Bowl
I really need to invest in a bike trainer for next winter. I’ve done a computrainer class in the past, and I really enjoyed that. Maybe I’ll do that instead…
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Solitude
I tried a bike trainer but just couldn’t get into it so I returned it. What I like least about being indoors is being indoors. I miss the fresh air and sunshine.
I’ve never used a bike trainer but I know that it’s a must if I want to get into tri. Our winters are endless as well and our roads are not bike friendly.
I hate training indoors but the only saving grace in that is that I can watch tv while I train 🙂
Stephanie (@FitMomTraining) recently posted…Wednesday musings and post-Easter routines
I’m not much of an outdoor sports person, so I actually love being in the gym year round. But I guess if I was used to doing something outside and then had to be cooped up for months on end with an indoor substitute, I’d be over it pretty quickly…
GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth recently posted…23 Recipes for your extra Bananas
Girl, tri training would be dead in the water if I had to exercise indoors. Good on you for having the discipline.
GinaB @ Mirror Watching recently posted…Untamed Emotional Eating
Another NH resident here, close to the seacoast region. Have you picked up xc skiing yet? It gets us outside and working cardio and breaks up the trainer monotony. There are a lot of areas great for this. But with that said, this warm weather has kept me on my bike outside. Maybe we get a reprieve after the last 2 years!