Tips for Making A Long Indoor Ride More Bearable

I am at the point of triathlon training where the long rides aren’t even that long. Maybe 2 hours max. But I still am not loving it.

Give me a warm summer day and an open road and a 6 hour long ride and I am in heaven. But tell me that my long ride is 2 hours on a trainer and I will dread it all week. The reality is, I am doing an Ironman next year (more details soon) so I have a lot of 4 hour plus rides on the trainer. I have started to become creative to make the time pass more quickly. Here is what I have come up with so far.

Watch awesome movies.

I research some inspirational movies and documentaries to watch on the bike. My new favourite is the Ironman World Championship coverage for this year. Those athletes are so inspiring.

Load up on podcasts

I am such a podcast junkie and subscribe to so many that I am perpetually behind. I have a feeling I will catch up soon though with all of the training I have coming up. A few from my rotating list are Trainer Road, Endurance Planet, The Physical Performance Show, and The Weekly Word.

Throw a trainer party

The best way to take on a long ride is with friends. This photo is from last year – a group of my friends and I cued up some of our favourite movies (Cool Runnings, anyone?) and spent a large chunk of the afternoon on the trainers. The time flew with people to talk to.

Throw a spin class in the middle

Sometimes, if my ride does not call for a power meter or cadence data, I will take it to Goodlife Fitness and do a heart rate based long ride with a spin class in the middle. Having people sweating around you with an instructor motivating you helps the time fly by.

Incorporate drills

Long rides on the trainer can be mind numbing. It is a good time to work on mental focus as well as technical form. I like to do this drill sequence:

• Isolate either the right leg or the left leg for several minutes at a time. Try imagining “pins and needles” on the pedal of the non-focus leg so that you can stay light on your foot.
• Next, do slow 50 to 60 rpm “grinds” with a focus on full force application during the entire pedal stroke.

And there you have it. Happy riding!

NOTE: Sometimes, my career in PR causes this blog to take a bit of a backseat and this is one of those weeks. I will be less available than normal for questions, comments and social media but I will resume in full speed once I am able to return to full speed. Wishing you a wonderful and healthy holiday season.