Before I started training this winter on an indoor trainer, I read several articles about training inside and noted that almost all of them commented on how “boring” it was. I decided it couldn’t be that bad (Besides, what choice do I have? I live in the tundra of Grand Rapids, Michigan).
Now that I’m three months into my indoor training, I can say – it is boring.
If all you do is ride your bike when you’re indoors, I’m convinced you’ll go crazy within a month – six weeks at max. So unless you want to head for the place they took your old Uncle Joe when he started thinking his dog was actually an alien, consider these suggestions for making your indoor ride more bearable:
· Music – I listen to music when I ride outside (it drums out the speeding cars that are ready to run over me, making sure my last few moments will at least be happy), so why not do it inside? Riding to good, fast-paced music is worth 2-3 extra mph of speed during a ride – it’s that exciting.
· Book on tape – Not as exciting as music, but more educational. I can “read” a book in a fraction of the time by listening to it (rather than actually reading it), and I can get through scores of books a year that I would otherwise not be able to enjoy. But books are not always the best motivators, so I spend half my time (at the start of the ride) with a book and the other half (at the end when I need a bit more umph) with music.
· TV – Yes, I can listen to a book, watch TV, and pedal like a madman all at the same time. I set my TV on the floor in front of me, try to find something I can watch without needing the sound (sports are great), and turn up the volume really loud. Then I put on my headphones, start my book on tape, and start pedaling. If I see something I want to hear about, I pause the CD player and I can hear the TV – even above the bike sound (because I turned it up so loud). Of course, my wife and kids think I’m going deaf because the volume is up so loud (I don’t let them know that I’m actually not watching it with the volume most of the time – also, that’s why I ride in the basement).
· Eating/drinking – You have to have nourishment on rides, so I set up a large step ladder next to my bike and put a couple bottles on it – one with water and the other with Gatorade. Since I’m only riding 30 miles at a pop now, I don’t need to have food during the ride, but once I start going longer, I’ll add it.
So, those are my suggestions. I’d love to hear from any of you who have some other ideas. I’m always up for something new to do while riding.
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