My 6 Indoor Training Essentials
How many of us are doing the last Sunday ride of 2017 inside today? With the high in the single digits here in Osage Beach, where I’m ringing in the New Year with friends, I’m happy to be setting up inside on my rollers for a few hours. At least at my friend’s lake house I have a great view and lots of natural light!
These days I’m spending a lot of time inside on the rollers. Right now I’m training 10-15 hours a week on the bike, depending on the week in my training cycle. With the temps staying well below freezing, that is a lot of brain numbing time on the equivalent of a human hamster wheel. So how do I do it, maintain my sanity, and even look forward to it? Read below for some of my indoor essentials.
1. A good set of rollers. Two years ago my coach walked in to an endurance class at Power Up carrying a set of Cycle Ops rollers. He looked at my teammates and I, all about one hour into our 3 hour endurance ride and asked who wanted to go first. To those who are wondering, it was not me. I was still pretty new to cycling and had seen riders on rollers before, but to me it looked like blatant defiance of the laws of physics. As someone that regularly loses balance just walking, I didn't want to try my chances with gravity any more than I already do. But oh how my feelings have changed. I rode rollers the first time in power up with Coach Wendy holding on to my stem, and like anything else that challenges me, I was hooked. I started saving and next year bought a set of Kinetic folding “Z” rollers. I started riding them for my easy rides. And I fell. Hard. Ever imagined crashing indoors going 20 mph? The tire marks on my living room rug make for a fun conversation starter. It took me about a month to feel comfortable drinking water and watching tv. After 2 months, I was practicing no hands. One year later? I’m a master (sort of). I’ve got the no hands, standing, and single-leg drills down, but there’s always room to grow. Now I’m working to increase my max cadence on the rollers (160 at the moment). Why are rollers better than a trainer though? Being the type A analytical person that I am, of course I’ve done some research. Here's the three reasons I find most convincing:
They require balance and constant pedaling. A stationary trainer holds you up and stabilizes you, which means you don’t have to pedal the whole time or focus on staying upright. Balance on the rollers comes from gyroscopic motion of the wheels moving--you let your cadence slow too much and you may discover that rug burn can hurt as much as road rash. I also find that my core engages more on the rollers.
Your pedal stroke becomes smoother. That balance thing means you have to learn to minimize upper body movement and pedal in smooth circles. Rollers really help you feel the minor imperfections in your pedal stroke.
It’s a way to practice skills indoors. As is clear from points 1 and 2, rollers improve your balance and stability. While it’s no where near as beneficial as skills practice outdoors, rollers offer a place to practice things like no hands on the longer indoor training rides, which I think makes them more interesting.
2. Chamois butter. Inside riding means a lot of sweating, and less scenery to distract from any chamois discomfort. A sweaty and hot chamois is a breeding ground for bacteria. If you’ve ever had a saddle sore, which I’m guessing most any cyclist has, you know how crucial it is to avoid them. Finding the right chamois butter has been my saving grace. I prefer Enzo’s Buttonhole because it’s an amazing combination of anti-bacterial comfort that doesn’t irritate my skin. Plus, and this is going to sound weird, but it smells amazing. Not to mention they support women’s cycling!
3. A Bluetooth speaker. Sometimes I like to watch TV or movies while I ride, but mostly I like music. It’s easier to stay focused on the workout at hand and groovy tunes just get me going. I just got a JBL flip for Christmas and it’s been a game changer. Before I would stream Spotify through my TV, but now I have this amazing little speaker that puts out big stereo sound. It’s way easier for traveling. My favorite training songs right now?
Money by Guapdad 4000
Trigger Bang by Lilly Allen
Grannies by Maxo Kream
Truth Hurts by Lizzo
BagBak by Vince Staples
Look ‘em up and let me know what you think!
4. A heart rate monitor watch. This tool is important whether you are training indoors, outdoors, or not training at all. I’m a big believer in tracking my resting heart rate. Before my watch I would measure my RHR in the morning. I started religiously tracking it with my watch in October this year and since (knock on wood) I haven’t been sick. I’ve also gained some valuable insights about how my body reacts to certain things like alcohol. The picture below shows my resting heart rate (blue line) and max hear rate (red line) during the month of October. The two spikes are the days after I had a few drinks at dinner. When I say a few, I mean 1 or 2. I’m not much of a drinker, and after seeing the way it spikes my heart rate, I decided to give up alcohol all together.
My heart rate tracking watch is a Garmin forerunner 935. While I do not run anymore, the bike features are a little better on this watch and to be honest, I just like the way it looks.
5. Yummy snacks + hydration. Indoor training is SO dehydrating, and no coasting means higher calorie burn. I always put something in my bottles on long indoor rides. Sword is one of my favorite mixes because it’s high calorie and high salt, which for me means less chance of bonking. I’m also someone that forgets to eat so sword has been a big help at getting me to the line in longer races. As for snacking? I like a variety of food, but lately I’m obsessed with the peanut butter banana cliff bars. I try to eat at least one snack per hour on the bike.
6. A power inflator. This is, admittedly, a bit of a luxury item. But if you are like me and regularly travel to non-cyclist households or stay in hotels, a portable power inflator is a great tool to have in your bag. It’s small, quick, and makes you look super cool to all your non-bike friends. Mine is a Ryobi adapted for presta valves.
Now get out there and devour the space between you and the indoor training you know you need. Happy rolling everyone.