If you’re like me and live in a frozen, wintry climate, you probably feel a little bit disappointed when the snow starts to fall and daylight becomes scarce. It means spending more time cross-training and taking your cycling indoors.
I used to live in Colorado and was fortunate enough to have flexibility in my schedule, so winter outdoor riding was still an option. But when I moved to Kelowna, BC, four years ago, my days of riding outside in the cold were over. For the first time I had to call someone to pick me up from a ride because I was too frozen, despite eight years of building up my cold tolerance on dirt roads at 10,000 feet in Colorado. I wanted to keep riding through a Canadian winter, but it meant I had to start riding indoors. It wasn’t an easy adaptation; I had to learn a lot of tricks to make it palatable.
Here’s how I learned to love training inside.
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I found a trainer I actually liked
Initially I tried a few different kinds of trainers, but they were all hard to use, unreliable, and just didn’t feel good. I hated the nails-on-a-chalkboard feeling of my back tire rubbing. Every two minutes, I had to glance at the clock to see how long I had been riding. It didn't take long before I wanted give up.
Things started to look up when a friend recommended I get a smart trainer with its own cassette/flywheel. I got a Wahoo KICKR (full disclosure: Wahoo is a sponsor of mine), and my entire indoor riding experience started to change. First, I could use both my road bike and mountain bike on it. Second, the trainer was incredibly sturdy and felt like I was really riding a bike instead of fighting resistance rubbing on my tire.
I found the app that worked for me
Once I settled into using a smart trainer, I asked clinical sports psychologist Kristin Keim, of Keim Performance Consulting, for more recommendations for indoor training. Keim pointed out the advantages of engaging the social component of training with others. "Most of us enjoy riding or racing because of the connections we make, and the community," she says. "That’s why I encourage athletes to do trainer sessions with teammates, friends, or to join some of the apps like Zwift. That way you can disconnect from the fact you’re on a trainer in your garage and focus more on beating your friends—just like you do when training outdoors and in races.”
So I took Keim's advice and gave Zwift a try. If you like video games or the idea of riding (and even racing) other avatars, the app is for you. It’s virtual reality on a bike, and the courses are constantly changing. It almost feels like playing Mario Kart, minus those magical boxes that give you banana peels or turtles. Imagine if Zwift had that option!
Zwift is great for gamified riding, but if you love training and data, TrainerRoad has everything you're looking for. It’s easy to set up and has a huge menu of power-based workouts to choose from, complete with instructions and pep talks. If you don’t want to hire a coach, you can follow several pre-built training plans. I used TrainerRoad on my KICKR in January and February to train for a few seven-day mountain bike stage races, and having the structure and accountability got me fitter than I had been in the summer. For extra motivation, I like watching World Cup races and mountain bike racing on YouTube.
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I found confidence in not cheating my workouts
But the best part about riding inside isn't just having a virtual coach and virtual competitors to race—it's the accountability. Having a trainer with erg mode makes slacking impossible and nailing your workouts a lot easier. It forces you to stay at the assigned wattage unless you manually lower it. If you don’t hold the assigned wattage, the resistance will become so high that your legs just stop. That taught me I could push harder than I thought. There were times I thought I couldn't finish a workout and lo and behold, I did. That’s great for confidence!
Keim confirms that one of the best ways to build self-assurance for race season is to focus on the process and check off as many objectives as you can. "Just think how you instantly feel more confident when you’re able to push through and hit those numbers," she says. But that's not all the trainer is good for. "Training inside is a good way to focus on your pedal stroke so you can take your mind off being on the trainer and focus on what you can control to gain a quality workout," Keim says.
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But what if you’re still bored out of your mind?
I get it. But the trick is to create a reward-based system. For example, I made a rule that I'm only allowed to watch Netflix while I'm on the trainer. And if I ride my trainer for a pre-determined amount of time, I get a treat. I also take short water breaks and fill up my bottles to help break up the time—and if Netflix isn’t doing it for me, I alternate (sometimes even every 15 minutes) between watching something and listening to music.
It's also helpful to take a look at your attitude. Keim says, “Most athletes (not all) are not a huge fan of indoor training so it's important to approach indoor sessions with a positive mindset and focus more on the workout and less on the fact of where your bike is located.
The way I work on having a positive mindset is that I change the way I tell myself stories about the trainer. I have reframed how I talk to myself. Instead of saying, “I have to ride the trainer. I’m stuck inside. I wish I was riding outside,” I say, "I’m excited to ride the trainer because the training is incredibly efficient. I can ride for a shorter period of time and burn more calories, and get more work done because I am always pedaling. I get to see very obvious gains in my fitness and that makes me feel confident. I can’t wait to watch my show on Netflix!”
And if all else fails, strap on some skis and get out there
No matter how accustomed you've gotten to riding inside, sometimes you just need a little vitamin D. I recommend supplementing your indoor riding with some cross-training outside because it will help your mind stay fresh. Fat biking or cross-country skiing are good options. Connecting with nature and breathing fresh air will help you stay motivated during the week. So get out there when you can.
