Even at 14 mph you should go out of with a club... most clubs will have a slower group that goes out... it is a lot of fun and will really help... the people that lead these rides are usually soem of the nicer people as well.

The more fun it is the more you will do it...
I woudl search on the net for a local bike club and go from there

good luck

 
Don't worry, three good bike workouts per week should be just fine to do your first oly, even if only one of them is outside. The biggest danger might be you find yourself getting bored silly on the trainer and itching to go outside.

Fwiw, I think riding in even very heavy traffic is not as bad as it might seem, it just requires an odd combination of respect for the vulnerability of your position + strong assertiveness of your right to use the road. If you want to get more comfortable in traffic, I'd recommend making that an effort completely independent of your triathlon training. That way there's no pressure to stay with a long ride if you're not having a good time amongst the cars. To get used to traffic, go on many short confidence-builders, as short as you like (since it's not part of your training, even a 2-minute ride around the block counts as a successful mission). But I digress. Even without doing any of that, your training plan sounds good to me.

Riding on a trainer is a great way to get in some miles. You can get good quality work done on a trainer. Just make sure you keep your focus on riding - good form! - and not on television, as I often do. :-)

Also remember that a trainer does not help your handling skills. You'll need some road time to feel comfortable on the bike during your race. Sunday mornings are a good time around here to hit the road since there is much less traffic. See if you can find a time like that around you, too.

matt

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"When I cleaned up my diction, I had nothing left to say" -- Van Morrison

Good for you - getting back on the bike and into triathlon.

Your local tri or road biking club should have slower paced rides that are more targeted toward beginners. I would contact them first and find out which rides are best for you.

As for the trainer, I use one exclusively during the week. I've done 2 Ironmans riding 3X a week only once a week outdoors. I think trainers are ideal for iall kinds of riding. In fact, since I recently bought a computrainer, I have not ridden outside at all!

Stay consistent with your workouts and you'll do great!

Trainers are a great way to improve your bike fitness. You might look into some tapes (Spinervals, etc.) to help the time pass and keep you pushing. They are tough and really helped me when I was starting out.

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It's a little like wrestling a gorilla.........you don't stop when you're tired.........you stop when the gorilla is tired.

First of all, good on you for getting out there and racing, especially a sport as difficult as triathlon. Second of all, don't worry one bit about how fast you are. 14mph is a heck of a lot faster than sitting on the couch.

As far as doing your training on an indoor trainer, I wouldn't worry too much, but second the fact that you need to get outside so that you can ride a straight line. The beginning of spring was pretty shaky (I was all over the place) for me as I had been inside all winter on a trainer. Also, you can make very big improvements on trainers with little investments. My wife is a part time cyclist purely for fitness reasons. She started out where you are last year. Sometimes I wanted to pull my hair out when we were only going 12 mph. However, she got on the trainer this winter doing 30 minute sessions (2-3 per week) with some one legged drill work and such and she is much faster this year (she went from cruising at 15-16mph to cruising at 17-18 mph over 20 or so miles). The fun part about being at 14mph is that if you work a little at it, you gain speed quickly. You probably just need power, and the trainer and hills will definitely give you that. Stick to it, and it'll get better.

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"What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind and body can achieve; and those who stay will be champions."

I would look into joining a cycling club. I am in one that has 3 groups for our regular weekend ride: Advanced, Intermediate and Recreational. The Recreational group has the motto that “no one gets dropped”. They regroup at the top of every hill. It is enjoyable for people who want to ride, but don’t want to go 30 MPH in a pack. Good luck.

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"No one ever told me they made black fondant!" - Duff Goldman

Use the trainer to do short, intense interval workouts, like 10 x 1 min hard with one minute rest in between. That is the best use - builds strength and gets you used to going hard without having to deal with traffic. The hill ride once a week is great. Hopefully you can get out for some long easy rides too (hour+)

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"My strategy is to start out slow and then peter-out altogether" Walt Stack

The only thing the trainer won't do is give you some bike handling skills. You need to get out and ride on the road some to develop those. Doing so with a club is the best way because they will teach you a lot about how to corner, ride in a straight line, etc. This will not only make you better but, also, safer.

Don't worry about speed, have fun, keepit up, and better speed will come with time.

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

I'd be careful on doing interval work on the trainer. This is a more of an advanced training technique for riders who've put in the miles and built the so called "base". Most important thing for you to focus on it getting used to being on a bike. Slowly build up your miles on a weekly basis. Don't be intimidated by the group rides, especilly if they're a bunch of triathletes.. roadies can be a different story.

As already mentioned, you gotta get outside and get comfortable handling the bike. Best of luck!!

mike

   

I'll put in my pitch for Spinnerval tapes and spinning classes. Spinnerval tapes will make you "crazy-strong" in a very short time, but becareful not to pile too much of this on. Spinning classes is another option that will help you get faster, but it is very class/instructor dependant. I've also seen a lot of benefits from weight work in the gym. Keep in mind though that you really need to keep riding outside, and like other posts have stated...find a group.



eric

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Everything changes, everything is connected; pay attention. -- Buddhism in 7 words

Just a word of caution about spinervals. tricam is right - they will make you "crazy strong." I love them. I love tricam's description of them! But if you put one in the VCR be ready for a workout that hurts.

I think the original poster's current plan is good. In a few month, when those hill rides seem easier to her, a good next step is to invest in any of the spinervals tapes, get physched up, pop in the tape and suffer. No better way to get stronger!

BTW - I love "Mental Toughness" - anyone else have a favorite?

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"When I cleaned up my diction, I had nothing left to say" -- Van Morrison