Ride in place. Puke. Repent (I mean repeat).

Arrrg! Today was beautiful. I really wanted to get outside, but the sun just went down and I’m still sitting here working. So I’m rocking the Indoor Training Plan of Penance:

Week 10, Day 2

– Warm up
– 15 minutes as hard as I can
– Recover (sort of)
– 15 minutes as hard as I can
– Cool down

Bless me father for I have sinned …


12 replies
  1. Chris Q says:

    That’s some pretty serious self flagellation! You have to really hate yourself to do that on a stationery bike. Do you find that you like yourself any more after you have finished?

  2. leelikesbikes says:

    The next morning:

    Oh man that sucked. For me these long intervals are more about mentality than physiology. If I stay focused I can spin 300 watts, and it feels pretty easy. If I let my mind wander, power drops to 250 … 200 … and it feels even worse.

    The fun part:

    While I cooled off I did three mock gate starts. Get in position, imagine the cadence and hit five full cranks: bam bam bam bam bam! Peg the power meter at 999.

    Chris: That part makes me like myself more!

    JimV: Yeah man, it’s all about efficiency. Super D national champion, with two little babies on the podium!

  3. Marz says:

    I have a few trainer routines I go through for when I stuck indoors, one of which I got from a friend who’s a track coach.

    45 minute session
    1, 5min warm up
    2, 3min medium pace (80-100rpm)
    3, 2min max out (as fast as you can spin and hold for 2 minutes, for me that’s about 135rpm)
    4, 3min medium pace
    5, 2min max out
    6, 3min medium
    7, 2min max out
    repeat 1 to 7
    finish with a 5min warm down.
    Stretch.

    Make sure when you spin at your max rpm you’re not bouncing in the saddle, but pedaling smoothly.

    Have fun.

  4. JimV says:

    I rememeber 8 years ago, when my twins were babies and were opting for wailing instead of falling asleep. People told me to drive them around in the car or set them near the drier and they’d fall asleep.

    That never worked, but I tried a few times to put them in their little carriers near the trainer and let the noise of the fluid resistance calm them. It never worked, but I tried.

    Now, I put them to bed and say “you can read until 9, I’ll be on the trainer.” (Last night I did James Wilson’s Feb WOM A instead)

    -Jim

  5. TomGreenwald says:

    About 3 years ago (when I was racing mountain bikes) I also used to train on a stationary bike. Those high intensity intervals where really enjoyable compered to the long aerobic rides. More than 650 miles in a month isn’t something 4X racers usually enjoy. 🙂

  6. leelikesbikes says:

    Hey Pete,

    Right now, yes, most of my high-intensity “cardio” training is on the trainer. I also do some intense strength circuits, and I ride outside whenever I can. But the structured work is on the trainer.

    When the weather gets better and the days get longer, I’ll go back outside. I was planning a big MTB ride today, but SNOW!!! So I’ll ride the trainer … again.

  7. leelikesbikes says:

    Tom!

    Yeah man, I too would rather ride short and hard than long and easy. Especially on the trainer.

    I know XC pros who do five-hour trainer rides. Five hours!!!???!!!

  8. leelikesbikes says:

    James! Oh man. On days when I feel like I have to do both strength and conditioning, I rock a variation of the MTB DB Combo Workout Program 45 seconds on/15 seconds off. It is *SO* hard! 45 seconds of rest is totally reasonable. 15 seconds of rest … UNreasonable!

    https://www.leelikesbikes.com/mtb-db-combo-workout-program

    The above 15-minute intervals are for my steady-state power. That’s where I suck most, and where I’m trying to improve.

    Hitting the dumbbells today …

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