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Tri-Umphs (Triathlons & Duathlons)
Triathlon: Making the Most of Winter Indoor Trainer Time
By Margie Shapiro
January/February 2011
For the Washington Running Report
The winter season, with limited daylight and chilling temperatures, is a great time to get back to basics indoors. Below are some tips to make the most of your indoor trainer time.
Spin classes are fun and interesting; they can provide a nice break from the solitary grind of the indoor trainer.
If you own a trainer, it is a good idea to keep riding your bike throughout the winter with triathlon-specific workouts. Properly focused indoor trainer sessions can enhance technique and fitness in short blocks of time, even if you only have 45 minutes.
Trainer workouts, however, can also become counterproductive if we get lazy (riding too easy or at an inappropriate cadence) or lose focus on the purpose of the workout (riding at unproductive intensities, ignoring proper technique, or allowing poor body position).
I admit I like to multitask on the trainer--reading e-mail or a magazine, taking care of a quick phone call, even helping my kids with their homework--but, I limit those activities to warm up and cool down time.
During the "focus" time of the session, I monitor my heart rate and/or wattage output to ensure appropriate intensity for the session. I remind myself to stay low on the handlebars or aerobars, as if I were riding outdoors. This will help you avoid the early spring sore back that may come from too much upright riding.
I perform specific exercises for specific purposes (like increasing force through low-cadence, heavy-gear intervals, or improving neuromuscular efficiency with high-cadence or one-legged intervals).
In addition, I regularly remind myself to pay attention to what my core and heels are doing:
1. Am I pulling my navel toward my spine?
2. Am I relaxing my shoulders to distribute weight away from my upper body?
3. Am I keeping my heels down across the bottom of the pedal stroke?
4. Is my head up as if I were looking at the road?
As long as I focus for the meat of the workout, I find the trainer time pleasantly entertaining--even if it's painful!
Lastly, no matter the time of year, paying extra attention to core strength, technique, and stability will make you a better athlete. Establish good habits now-you will enjoy your winter workouts and benefit more from them. Train smart!
Buying an indoor trainer? Consider these factors.
1. Choose a fluid trainer (wind trainers are too noisy!)
2. Compact and easy to set up are important factors.
3. Price range, you can find good ones for $350 or less. A CompuTrainer is more costly, but it is well worth it.
Margie Shapiro is co-owner of Potomac River Running stores where she coaches runners and triathletes through the =PR= Training Programs. A professional triathlete, she is currently on the USA Triathlon Project 2012 Team (for Olympic hopefuls) and has been a U.S. National Elite Team member (2007-08) and Elite World Championships Team Member (2007).