How to stay motivated on a indoor trainer?

[RyanM]

Some days the weather doesn't cooperate or my allergies are too bad to get outdoors.

How do you keep yourself motivated on an indoor trainer? After 20 mins I start to get so bored ot it and I can usually get to 45 mins but to go longer than that is so hard mentally.

I have tried watching movies, watching cycling races,etc... but just find it so uncomfortable and boring on the trainer.

[spade2you]

I think about being dropped in a race or hard group ride and how much I'd prefer to avoid that.

[den bakker]

that did not take long
I gave up and bought rollers instead.
And if I'm going on them for extended time I chew my way through quite a few crap tv series.

[Surestick Malone]

I had good luck last winter with a couple of videos from the Sufferfest.

[kmunny19]

I think about being dropped in a race or hard group ride and how much I'd prefer to avoid that.

I agree. whatever the motivating factor for your riding is, get it in mind before the indoor ride, that to avoid X scenario, or to create X scenario, I am going to go X intensity for X amount of time, or do X workout.

if the motivating factor for your riding is cruising along for fun with the freash air going over you, this may not work. But if its anything more specific than that, then it should. I'd say to avoid just hopping on with the "this sucks, let's see how it goes for a while" mentality.

[RyanM]

Last winter I some how suffered through about 1 hour long sessions but after a full season of training this year I cant stand being on the trainer

[RJP Diver]

Not sure if this is a big secret, but several companies make a wall-mountable device that is ideal for this application. They come in a wide range of sizes; though I like the 60" Samsung I park my trainer in front of...




:-)

[jlandry]

Not sure if this is a big secret, but several companies make a wall-mountable device that is ideal for this application. They come in a wide range of sizes; though I like the 60" Samsung I park my trainer in front of...




:-)

Why don't some people read the OP?


Personally, I watch Rock Concerts on DVD.

[Wookiebiker]

Well...the simple fact is if you want to be competitive at the beginning of the season they are a necessary evil. As has been mentioned, the thought of being dropped is general motivation for me.

I will say though...Hard intervals make the time go faster than endurance oriented days. If you are going hard enough you don't have time to watch a clock, time flies by.

BTW...I used to do 3.5 hour days on the trainer but now limit it to a max of 2.5 hours with 1.5 hours being the shortest amount of time I spend on my trainer during the winters.

[Undecided]

Well...the simple fact is if you want to be competitive at the beginning of the season they are a necessary evil. As has been mentioned, the thought of being dropped is general motivation for me.

I will say though...Hard intervals make the time go faster than endurance oriented days. If you are going hard enough you don't have time to watch a clock, time flies by.

BTW...I used to do 3.5 hour days on the trainer but now limit it to a max of 2.5 hours with 1.5 hours being the shortest amount of time I spend on my trainer during the winters.

This may look like an extreme commitment, but I will top it: Move someplace where you can ride outside all year. I've found that to work out really well. As a bonus, you can couple that with a visit to wherever you live now for the earliest races there, so you can make your friends suffer.

[RJP Diver]

Why don't some people read the OP?


Personally, I watch Rock Concerts on DVD.

Yeah, I guess I should have read/comprehended the entire post. To the OP - I would think watching cycling races would be the least interesting thing to watch while on a trainer, would only serve as a continuous reminder that you're not out on the road. Movies don't really work for me either. I find that straight-up TV shows are the only thing that work for me - the ability to channel-surf gets me past the boredom. I particularly like Sunday's during NFL season - I can ride for hours watching pregame, 1pm game, 4pm game, 8pm game...

[Urb]

Spinervals.

[RJP Diver]

I live in NJ and ride all year long. Don't care about cold, and as long as it's not currently snowing, there's no good reason not to be riding.

[Alaska Mike]

First off, have a plan. Mindless spinning on the trainer won't get you much in the way of results.

I watch videos of the Northern Classics. Watching Sparticus or Boonen ride off the front always gets me going, and I try to "hold their wheel". When I'm in the middle of intervals, Phil and Paul provide the soundtrack.

I rarely ride longer than 60-90 minutes on the trainer, and rarely walk away with much energy left.

[Doctor Who]

You have to go onto the trainer with a plan. Just spinning while watching a movie doesn't cut it sometimes.

The secret is intervals -- lots of them. They don't have to be hard, but the structure seems to help.

Example:

5-10 minute warm-up
4x5 efforts at a hard pace with 3 minutes recovery between each interval
Repeat if you want
Cool down

Or something like that.

The longer efforts like 2x20s are way tougher on the trainer, but I can do them no problem now.

[iliveonnitro]

Group indoor rides. First person off the bike buys dinner.

[RJP Diver]

Group indoor rides. First person off the bike buys dinner.

My LBS does these...

[pmt]

I live in NJ and ride all year long. Don't care about cold, and as long as it's not currently snowing, there's no good reason not to be riding.

Yep, you just have to HTFU and get outside to ride, remembering Rules 5 & 9. When it snows, I break out the snow wheels for the 'cross bike.

Riding outside all winter gets us up to speed in the spring almost instantly.

[DMH2979]

I too think about getting dropped or that dude who really annoys me who I want to ride off my wheel.

The other ideas listed are all good ones. Intervals are key. The focus and structure makes the time fly by, especially if they are over/under intervals so you are not just slogging out a straight 20 minutes. You can get a 2 hour workout that flies by with: 30 minute warm up, 3x20 with 10 min rest, 10 min cool down. And, these will be key to building your base throughout the winter.

I can do about 3.5 hours on the trainer before I really start to go mental. Some days are easier than others, but I know if I want to be competitive (cat1) it is necessary evil.

Here is my break down of time vs. distractions
1-2 hours -- intervals and/or sufferfest video, maybe a race video (I have a collection of about 20). If going easy or just endurance pace, I will read The New Yorker (one of those rare breeds that can read while exercising) -- getting engrossed in an article makes the time fly by.
2-3 hours -- race video or mindless movie (one that is action based, but doesn't take too much thought) -- thank god for pay per view and streaming netflix
3+ hours -- I'll usually watch a movie at endurance/tempo level, then finish with a 3x10 or something like that. Nothing like doing intervals with 2000+ kjs in your legs to simulate race conditions.

As you can see, I have lots of different things I use and although I'd much rather ride outside, the trainer is fine for me in the winter. When I moved back to New England from Boulder, I did learn to stretch my longer trainer rides to 3+ hours (Boulder you can usually ride outside year round).

I don't know, I am just one of those people who really doesn't mind the trainer and the endorphin buzz after a hard work out . . .ahh that is my therapy

[locustfist]

Do a TV/Movie 'drinking' game but instead of drinking do an interval BarMeister.com: Drinking Games: By Category: TV/Movie

[ZoSoSwiM]

I have a laptop propped up on a music stand in front of my bike.. I'll load up netflix and watch whatever floats my boat at that time. Otherwise I watch a sufferfest video.. Race coverage.. or listen to music.

As Spade said above... I think of not wanting to suck.

[spade2you]

Group indoor rides. First person off the bike buys dinner.

Off as in to pee or off as in quit?

[pmt]

Off as in to pee or off as in quit?

Either one, of course.

[jordo_99]

Seeing as I'm younger (early 20's) and love video games about as much as cycling I'll likely be figuring a way to mount an xbox controller to my aerobars and pushing out some aero sessions a few times a week. I'm also much more focused on Triathlon so that might not apply to some of you roadies as much.

[den bakker]

Seeing as I'm younger (early 20's) and love video games about as much as cycling I'll likely be figuring a way to mount an xbox controller to my aerobars and pushing out some aero sessions a few times a week. I'm also much more focused on Triathlon so that might not apply to some of you roadies as much.

Bruno Senna concentrado entrenando MultiTarea training multitask - YouTube