No matter what you do, it is just do it. I spend the last 9 months, 7 days a week on the trainer. Even with DVD's boring but I guess nothing is better than
time in the saddle.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Are you near a gym that offers classes using a Computrainer.....as in VeloSF (just for a reference site to better explain my idea)?

Stick Any AC/DC CD on, get your head down and get on with it. Job done!

What do you do about variations and things like that? New to this indoor training.

TrainerRoad (http://www.trainerroad.com/) -- well worth the monthly subscription!

If I want a hard session I turn the volume up, and if I'm after an easy one I turn the volume down. Easy as that :0)

In all seriousness I've got a power meter so I work on specific sessions based on power and where I am in my training cycle. I would 100% recommend a PM if you're serious about your training and a good book like "training and racing with a power meter".

Some of the spinerval DVDs a fine if your a bit board or just want a change from the norm. But a PM will really focus your time on the trainer and save you from wasting time with unproductive sessions.

Hope this helps you a little.

Going to look into that site. Looks great.

Gotcha, keepin it simple. Like that. PM research tonight

One of the owners is a regular poster on here, so he'll be able to answer any questions you may have about TrainerRoad. It's a great program!

Tempo, tempo, tempo and more tempo. ~85% of FTP is where I usually land.

When the time changes I go indoors M-F (and on rainy weekend days because I'm a wuss).

1 hour each day.
10' warm up
20' @ Tempo
5' easy
20' @ Tempo
5' cool down and done.

During the 20' sets I pop it up a couple of gears and stand for about 10-15 seconds. Gives your butt a break and make the workout into easy 5' bite sized chunks.

If you are feeling good, ramp it up just a bit to sweet spot.

This is the shit that kills. Do this 5 days a week and get out for longer rides on the weekend and you will crush dreams on the bike come spring.

I don't bother with FTP intervals, VO2 max, sprints etc. on the trainer. It is too much mentally. It's going to be a long winter on the trainer and it's important to stay fresh mentally.

This should not be a killer workout. It might take a week or two to get into it, but you should be able to do this day after day after day. After I broke my collar bone at the end of December I did this workout 7 days a week for about 8 weeks. Coming off of this I rode a 51:32 40km in late April on a double out and back course at sea level. On about my 4th ride outside after the collar bone I did an FTP test. 375W for 20 minutes. Most of the trainer workouts were around 300-310W, once in a while as much as 320.

This is the shit that kills.

Important things for being on the trainer.

Fans. As many as you can reasonably use. I'm outside in the garage with the door open. Even when the outside temp is around 30 degrees F, I've got two fans on my when I'm working and still get pretty soaked in sweat. Ironically, there have been a few days where I wore shoe covers because my feet were really cold while my core was soaking in sweat.

I don't have a TV in the garage, I listen to music. I like to listen to podcasts most of the time, but on the bike when it's time to actually work it has to be music. Preferably 80's hair metal. :-) I like to visualize races that I want to win. On my trainer with a good Night Ranger song going, even Eddy Merckx fears me. :-) One of those Motorola blue tooth headsets is a nice touch. I can set my phone on the work bench next to me and control the volume and skip controls by pushing a button on the headset.

I broke my other collar bone in a crit on Aug 5th, 4.5 weeks before nationals. 3 weeks on the trainer, 1.5 on the road before I went to Bend. 2nd in the TT and I won the RR solo. The week after nationals I did the Mt. Tam hillclimb and won the 45+ group. It's about a 45 minute race depending on how fast your group goes on the flat section. On the main climb? 20' @ 400W.

Why are you still reading this? Get on your freaking trainer and do some Tempo!!!

There may be better indoor schedules and workouts, but you have to be willing to do them day in and day out. 7 days of tempo is better than 4 days of FTP and 3 days of "I can't face getting on my bike".

Good luck.

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Kevin

http://kevinmetcalfe.dreamhosters.com
My Strava

Get a Power-Meter, a coach that writes power-based workouts (or a power-based plan), an Ipod, a zip-loc bag, and a box-fan.

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*********************************************
Brad Stulberg
Author, Peak Performance
http://www.BradStulberg.com

+1 on the powermeter and anything nslckevin says.

Also have to say I enjoy the sufferfest videos, helps keep the boredom level to a minimum.

Wow thats an impressive post. Thanks for all the great info. Now just have to get everything!

What kind of trainers are you guys using? I've got a fluid trainer and any time I've used it it makes a nasty vibration and feels like it doesn't want to rotate at all. I can be pedaling at max cadence and within a second or two of stopping pedaling the wheel is at a complete halt. I'm trying to get into trainer rides since it's starting to get colder in Chicagoland in the mornings.

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Michael Hebert
Hebertmike.com
Supported by: EnduroPacks | TrainerRoad | Asylum Cycles
I support: Team RWB

how often do you do the get out of the saddle and rev-it-up routine? Is is similar to the Hour-of-Power?

Also, say if I have 90 minutes every day but no good place to ride after dark, how would you change things to fill up the 90 minutes?

Thanks in advance.

You might have the tension on the flywheel too high. Try loosening the pressure that the trainer is putting on the tire. When its hooked up you should be able to see a slight depression in the tire, but nothing too crazy.

Gotta ask, zip lock bag??

TrainerRoad + Sufferfest. Done.

So if this trainerroad is like it says, $30 pwer meter, $30 ant stick and my computer, $10/mnth? Going to have to go that route, affordability for now.

Dang props!

Youre like a walking ad for bike trainers!

Plus Linkin Park tunes to rock your 60mins workout.

For the Ipod.

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*********************************************
Brad Stulberg
Author, Peak Performance
http://www.BradStulberg.com

It's not really like hour of power. My power actually drops a bit when I stand up. Maybe 15-20 watts for 10-15 seconds. It really is more of a butt break and mind break.

I do 3x20' on weekends that it rains (or when I have a broken collar bone...). I would be tentative on the idea of doing 3x20', 7 days a week. Maybe 2x20' @ Tempo and 1x20' @ maybe 70% or something for starters to see how that goes.

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Kevin

http://kevinmetcalfe.dreamhosters.com
My Strava

I'm on a Kurt Kinetic. I really like it. It feels a lot more like riding on the road than my old crappy Blackburn trainer. I do find that at higher wattages that I ride with a lower cadence to keep the power up. For instance, I would normally do a tempo interval at ~100rpm, but on the trainer that seems too hard so I bump it up one gear and nail the power at ~90 rpm comfortably. I wonder if I got the model with the bigger flywheel with more interia would allow me to do my normal cadence.

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Kevin

http://kevinmetcalfe.dreamhosters.com
My Strava