 I’ve been riding indoors for almost 30 years now and most of those years were spent staring at some kind of movie, video, show, webinar, etc. Sometimes it was less than exciting, but it was effective and got me through the cold, dark months of winter.
Around 2014, I started hearing about this thing called Zwift, back when it beta and was just the island. I was intrigued and listened intently as it was described by some of my friends who got on the beta release, but it seemed unnecessary to me and just added a layer of complication that I didn’t want. After it moved out of the beta version and started gaining some momentum and membership, I felt even stronger that this wasn’t something that I needed and always got... a good workout on my trainer with no problem. Admittedly, I was also concerned that I would indeed develop a dependence and not be able to ride indoors without the gamification of Zwift. Quite possibly it was a bit of grump old guy not interested in the new-fangled gizmo. As a TrainingPeaks Coach, several years ago I was given the tools to create workouts that are downloadable to all the major online platforms, and I learned everything I could about them and the “new” smart trainers that were quickly becoming ubiquitous. But I still felt this wasn’t for me. To add to this mentality, I heard more than one story of connectivity issues, frozen screens, deleted workouts and the like. Again, all aggravation that I wasn’t looking at add. Fast forward to 2019 and I’m still off Zwift, despite the thousands and thousands of users, many of them my friends and racing colleagues. Everyone seems to be raving about it. Then, late fall of that year, another virtual platform called RGT reached out to the top level TrainingPeaks Coaches and asked if we would pilot their software. It sounded like a good opportunity to me and with it came a lifetime free membership to their premier service. So I downloaded the app, created a profile, and I was off. It was a cool experience for sure, and it was fun providing feedback and seeing what changes they could or would make to the platform. The graphics were great, the courses were fun, and it has a super cool feature where you can upload a GPX file and it would recreated the course for you. Now, it was in this magical land where the roads were kind of clear and there wasn’t much terrain, but it’s a cool tool to practice a real life course like a road race or a TT course. If nothing else for the elevation profile which would be recreated accurately. The greatest downside with RGT was a fairly “small” membership base. I did a few events and often there were less than 20 people registered. Meanwhile, I’m hearing of Zwift events with hundreds of participants. I would drift on and off of the RGT platform and had no problem just “riding” and doing my workout without logging in. OK, so a cool experience but I wasn’t hooked. Then we all know what happened in March of 2020 and as a result more and more people started training indoors, or training more indoors. The pandemic cycling explosion had happened. Well, I also rode inside a bit more but spent plenty of hours riding out of doors as usual as outdoor riding was permitted in my area. I wasn’t going to hop on the Zwift train…yet. Late summer in 2020, one of my clients asked if he could hire me to do some Zwift rides with him. At that point it seemed like a no brainer, so I got an account as I was off. I had some fun with my client and my original plan of only being on for a short while quickly went out the window. As a child of the 70s and having lived through the birth of video games, I was having fun earning the different badges and learning more about the platform. Group rides were kind of cool, and I tried a race to see what that was all about. Zwift does a great job of peppering in those dopamine hits very frequently and you really crank through the levels in the beginning. As you ride more, you start earning new frames, helmets, glasses, shoes, socks, etc. I certainly felt like I could still ride indoors without Zwift, but now, why would I? It’s been a full two years since I signed up for Zwift, and I have to admit it’s added to my enjoyment level when training indoors. On days when I’m a little low on motivation, I’ll scour the group rides to find one that meets my target intensity goal of the day, but I’m also fine getting spit out the back if it’s harder than what I’m looking for. It’s fun just doing a workout on an open world and getting some PR’s, KOM’s, Green Jerseys, or Course Leader Jersey’s when your intervals line up with the sections. I also create meetups and will get together with clients, friends, teammates, and so on. It’s weird that that becomes even more motivating, but it does. Just cruising around some Zwift world in the winter, texting back and forth, rubber band is on (no one can get dropped), and getting in time spinning our legs. Finally, I have strategically put in a handful of races when they fit my training goals. I can tell you that they can be very, very HARD if you want them to be. I’ve set some 5, 10, 20, and 30 minute power records chasing some avatar on the screen which is just downright silly. But they’re “free,” there’s many to choose from if you get dropped, and results just don’t matter. For the most part at least. Indoor training is not what it used it be. Interactive online platforms and smart trainers have changed the game for the most part for the better. But unless you’re a sponsored e-sports cyclist, I do hope you use the indoor trainer as a tool to enhance your outside riding, not as a substitute to your outside riding. Just this past weekend it was in the low 30’s with wind in the teens, and I considered staying indoors and banging out a few hours on the trainer. It’s convenient, a great workout, very focused, efficient, and effective. And makes for a lot less laundry. After a quick gut check and mental head slap, I suited up with my five layers and burly gloves and got outside for two great rides. Maybe I’ll see you on the roads of Wattopia, but I hope to see you out on the roads and trails IRL! If you’re interested in listening to an in depth discussion about the future of online racing, check out: https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fast-talk/is-virtual-racing-the-future-with-ben-delaney/ What’s your take on indoor training? What’s your favorite online training platform or are you “old school?” Leave a comment, question, or answer below. Thanks for reading! Coach Brian
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KEEP YOUR WATER BOTTLES FROM FREEZING ON YOUR COLD WINTER RIDES I can remember the first time I rode long enough in temps that my water bottle started freezing up. At first I didn’t believe it, but I unscrewed the top and sure enough, I had made my own personal slushie. It was a bit of a badge of courage, until I really needed a drink and then it was just annoying and keeping me from hydrating. I have to admit that I still get a kick out of riding in conditions to freeze bottles, I also take... a very easy step to make sure some of my water stays water. Very simply, I rotate bottles in and out of my back center pocket. If it’s super cold, I’ll make sure to have two outer layers with pockets and put my bottle in the pocket under the outer layer. This technique works amazingly well to keep your fluids fluid. One key is to make sure you start with one of your bottles in your pocket so it doesn’t even start freezing. Then, after 15-30 minutes, depending on how cold it is, rotate your bottle from your bike cage to your pocket and vice-versa. Keep this rotation going, drinking all the while, and you’ll be less likely to be chipping away the ice from the inside of the bottle in pursuit of some liquid satisfaction. By sticking to a timeline, you’re also possibly more likely to drink on these cold days were we don’t always feel like we need or want to drink, but its super important. Here’s a good read on the importance of staying hydrated in the winter: https://pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/toolbox-winter-hydration-for-better-training/ What’s your best winter hydration tip? What do you do to keep your bottles freezing? Leave a comment or question below. May your water stay water! Coach Brian I got a pair of GCN thermoses that will accept hot liquids (or warm) and they are basically soup or coffee thermoses. Not cheap but they keep liquids at acceptable non solid/frozen temps long enough to outlast any ride and are designed to fit in bottle cages! Sounds like a worthy investment. Thanks, Alberto!  This is a great article written by one of the giants in a scientific approach to endurance training, Doctor Edmund Burke. I first came across Dr. Burke with his High-Tech Cycling as pictured here. Since then I have learned much from his books and other literature, and indirectly through his influence in the sport. He is surely missed but his works live on.
Keep these key concepts of:
Check out what Dr. Burke has to say and let me know your thoughts, questions, or comments below. What’s your goal for 2023? Ride on! Coach Brian Starting the Year Off Right By Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D. Active.com Most of you could ride almost as well as Miguel Martinez or Alison Dunlap. You probably couldn't ride their times or beat them in a race, but if properly trained, you could approach your potential as they have theirs. While we each have different genetic gifts for off-road cycling, most of us have the ability to fully realize our promise if we go about our training with intelligence and restraint. Whether you choose to try and maximize your talent or simply to obtain the greatest possible fitness benefits from your riding, the results will depend largely on how you train. As we begin the New Year, let's explore some of the key concepts used by many great athletes in designing their overall training program for the year. Much of what separates the good cyclist from the back-of-the-pack cyclist is their individuality, consistency, slow progression, fulfillment and goal-selection concepts from which we can all benefit. Individuality First, you must plan your training to your needs, abilities and routines. While we must listen to the training programs of elite riders, read books and articles on training, you must know your strengths and weaknesses. What is good for Steve Larson, the 1998 and 2000 NORBA cross-country national champion, may not be good for you. The smart cyclist listens to everyone and then selects what is best for his or her training. In addition, you must also train your weaknesses: if you are a poor climber, make sure to spend time on climbing technique and building anaerobic power, so you climb better in your first race of the season. Too often, we train at what we are good at already, and neglect our weaknesses. By strengthening your weaknesses, you will become a better all-around cyclist. Consistency It is more important to do less more often than to do more less often. When in doubt about a ride, the choice that will improve consistency is to be conservative. Often it is better to do less than more. You'll probably avoid the three major reasons most athletes spend time away from training: injury, illness and lack of motivation. Ned Overend, a multiple national champion, has attributed much of his success to his ability to race less, train consistently and take a few days off his bicycle every few weeks. He also pointed out the need to monitor his state of health and fitness during a long, hard season, which lasts from early March to late September. Slow Progression Along with a consistency in your training, there should be a progression in training volume and intensity that taxes your body enough to improve it, but not enough to cause it to break down. Again, if in doubt, be conservative. You'll get there. Whether your goal is to climb faster as soon as possible or to finish in the top 10 at the national championships, the season is long and you need to build to a peak during the months of July and August, and not in April. A champion's path to end-of-the-season success shows that the shortest path may be the one that appears the longest and slowest. The cyclists that were flying in March were not necessarily the ones with strong legs when the season was winding down in September. Fulfillment This can be defined as a challenge or goal you enjoy working toward, while feeling good about yourself and what you are doing. You need this to psychologically stay with any endeavor. However, if you demand too much of yourself too often, your body (especially your immune and endocrine systems) will be unable to respond to the requests you put upon it. You will be more susceptible to injury and illness, and you may even find yourself dissatisfied with cycling. Goal Selection Your goal should be a major race or race series of the season. Your goal could be finishing in the top five in the Colorado Off-Road Points Series or placing in the top five in 10 races this season, but it could also be the fulfillment of other cycling aspirations. If in doubt about some matter regarding your training, racing, commitment or equipment selection, the question you must ask yourself is, "How will this decision affect my goal?" Whatever enhances the accomplishment of that goal and doesn't interfere with consistency is probably the best answer. Though few of you have all the time you'd like to devote to mountain biking, you still take it seriously and every once in a while seek to test yourself as a cyclist. Following the above ideas and suggestions will give you a sound and proven methods for better performance in the upcoming season. Dr. Edmund R. Burke was among the pioneers in applying scientific principles to endurance sports training, especially cycling. As an exercise physiologist, he was responsible for several advances in sports drink formulation and almost single-handedly developed the subcategory of performance recovery drinks. A former director of the Center for Science, Medicine and Technology at the U.S. Cycling Federation in Colorado Springs, he worked with the U.S. Olympic cycling team during the 1980 and '84 Games. Dr. Burke is the author of 17 books on fitness, training and physiology, including the best-selling Optimal Muscle Recovery.  It's no new news that with the colder months also comes colds, flus, stomach bugs, and other forms of communicable diseases. As endurance athletes we're often operating with a depressed immune system especially immediately following a training bout. While ultimately exercising and staying can strengthen our immune system, we need to be extra careful during those more vulnerable times.
There are some steps we can take to help protect ourselves which will then also protect our loved ones and other folks in our lives. On a lesser note, if you're sick you will quite likely to be forced to take some time off from training, and I don't know anyone that will rejoice with that experience. The link below will send you to some some great tips from Andy Blow, founder of Precision Hydration, as posted on the TrainingPeaks Blog. I got to know Andy's work and expertise through his Precision Hydration certification program, which I participated in a a few years ago. Simple Tips to Avoid Illness During the Off Season https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/simple-tips-to-avoid-illness-during-the-off-season/ And honestly, most of them are quite simple. Stay hydrated. Eat enough and eat balanced. Sleep. Practice good hygiene. Don't overdo it. Sounds like Mom, right? Well, maybe not the hydrated part at least for my generation, but plenty of good ol' common sense. Thanks, Mama! If you're more into the graphical breakdown, this is from the IOC that was posted a few years ago also with some good suggestions. What's your best "stay healthy" tip? Post that or questions below. Stay healthy and well and keep smiling! Coach Brian |
AuthorCoach B.L. is the head coach at BJL Coaching and an avid racer and cycling enthusiast himself. Categories
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