that's why it;s better to train in hours. miles means nothing. you could do 90 miles with a tail wind or 90 miles with a head wind and be about :30 difference (or more).

or train with a powermeter and shoot for the same average watts inside as you do outside and let your wheel tell you when you've 'ridden' 90 miles.

1 ride? seriously you're beating yourself up over if you got exactly 90 miles on 1 ride? it's not the end of the world and you'd be better off never worrying about it again.

Point well taken. I'll start tracking hours as well. Don't have power meter yet maybe next year. Thanks

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COtrimom

when you do you'll realize that 1 hour outside is 'harder' than 1 hour inside at the same perceived effort level. but just stick to training by time because there are so many other variables especially in riding.

It's not wimping out - the trainer sounds like the safer choice. If it was really windy and wet you could have stayed out and maybe written "I'm kicking myself, I rode in a huge storm and crashed on wet pavement and broke my collarbone." Or something.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

What are you training for that you are doing 90 miles now?

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I log it all the same...an hour on the trainer is the same as an hour on the road.

I do almost all of my riding on the trainer. I did a 3.5 hour ride this summer on a day that didn't have any bad weather at all. Sometimes, I find it more efficient to do it that way.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
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Depending on where you're riding outside and how you're doing your trainer rides, IMO a trainer ride can actually be "more" than an outside ride. When I need to hit certain intervals or perform at a certain threshold, I do it inside, where there's no external influence (stop signs, cars, rogue animals). If you're just toodling along on your trainer, that's one thing, but if you're actually pushing it and working yourself, that's another. If you're going to use trainer workouts frequently, there are a number of different DVD workouts out there. Coach Troy is obviously a well-known and respected coach, and I have a number of his workouts. Some of them are so hard I pick myself up off the floor afterwards, which just doesn't happen often if I'm training outside. (And if you need distance work or are training for an IM, he has some venue-specific rides, like Lake Placid and Madison - which are just a ride of the IM course. Nice to get to know the venues you're working with if you haven't been before. I think he has arizona, too, but I'm not sure.)

You did the ride. Why be disappointed. Finishing 90 miles is finishing 90 miles. Well done!! IMHO you picked the sane and safe choice.

I agree w/ Bellytri. Easy trainer is obviously easier than outside, but pushing intervals, DVD, etc is harder on trainer. There's no stop signs, down hill or coasting. You have to just keep riding. Good luck!

Totally agree with Tigerchik. There is a reason why you went home and jumped on the trainer. Listening to your inner voice is what will keep you safe!

1: you need to know when to pull the plug on workouts. It is more important to stay healthy and motivated than it is to check a box on some workout sked.
2: when the weather's bad, trainer is good. In fact, trainer is better in many more ways (harder, more efficient use of time, get to watch football, less cars running you over, etc.). you can get just a good a session on the trainer, or better, than on the road.
3: time not distance. Already said, but watch the clock not some odometer.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

xxx watts on a trainer is a hell of a lot harder to hold than xxx watts on the road. so what might feel like harder inside really isn't. Mentally- maybe, but physically, not really.

did we help? feeling any better about it?

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

COTrimom,

I did almost all of my Ironman training on a trainer (rollers, but still)...my longest ride ended up being completely on the trainer, 90 miles on rollers from about 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on a Saturday night (wow, I'm really, really cool) because of work constraints and I had to fit in all of my training during the weirdest hours ever. :) Props to you, during most of Lake Placid, I kept thinking, "hey, if I can survive 5 hours of mind-numbing time on my rollers, I most certainly can finish this bike course!" so...don't beat yourself up! Sometimes the mental toughness is good. Oh, and I did finish Lake Placid. Hehehe.