Trainer Challenge

[Velobambina]

Im expecting road conditions and/or the outside temps to preclude riding outside this coming weekend.

Anyone up for an endurance trainer ride challenge? See how many hours folks can log on their trainer over the three-day weekend [I think hours in the saddle are a better measure than trainer miles, as I'm of the opinion that one usually works harder on the trainer (no coasting, after all)]? Just a way of encouraging/motivating each other--not really a competition.

I'm thinking that I might do the Spinerval Century (5 hours)---not sure what day---and/or a combo of longer Spinervals over the holiday weekend. If I know others are slogging it out, it will be easier to endure the suffering. :)

[Veronica]

Sorry VB - I think we're going to have good weather out here over the long weekend. When I'm not riding, I think we'll be putting baseboards.

V.

[Thorn]

Holiday Weekend? Government employee, eh?

Let's see...they're forcasting a high of 3F (-16C) and "breezy" for Saturday increasing to a whopping 6F (-14C) on Sunday. Oh yeah, I'd say my long ride this weekend will be on the trainer.

I have the Hard Core 100 on the docket, but I won't tell you that I don't plan to finish it. No, that wouldn't give you the motivation. Of course, the first half is the dry half where it is hard to keep yourself motivated. When you're doing that half, know that DH and I are spinning along in our basement dripping sweat with you, particularly when he wakes you up from that happy slumber of aerobic intervals and tosses in the ladders.

Gates Pass for Sunday--that one just kills my legs.

[Velobambina]

Civil Servant. At least for the next 11 years and three weeks, but who is counting.

[7rider]

Go Feds!! :D
Hey, tho'...DH isn't a fed and HE get's MLK Day as a holiday. So....it can happen.

RE: Trainer challenge. Don't know if I can pull off a Spinerval Century, but I'll certainly be logging miles on the rollers this weekend (with or without Coach Troy barking at me). Actually, we hope to dust off the skis and hit Whitetail on Monday with the crowds :rolleyes:.

[Jo-n-NY]

Looks like I will be on the trainer. They just began giving us off MLK two years ago and Pres Day last year. Yup, moving with times we are.

The spinervals century sounds quite interesting. I cannot imagine riding the trainer for 5 hours, but the thought now makes it a challenge for me, however, maybe not for Monday.

~ JoAnn

[KSH]

Trainer rides for me!

Saturday I should do 3.5 hours on the trainer. I will see if I stop at 3 hours or not.

Sunday is run day.

Monday I ride for 70-80 minutes on the trainer.

So, I guess close to 5 hours?

[spokewench]

VB - I know that is what I should be doing this weekend if I ever want to get back into shape - but I have 4 hours of tennis on Saturday and then I'm supposed to go out of town with my hubby for the rest of the long weekend.

Thanks for the challenge. I would give it a go if I were going to be around!

[Velobambina]

Much to my chagrin, it's snowing. The roads are a mess (thank goodness, I was in training today and had to drive only to Tysons Corner, not Herndon). No outdoor rides in the near future. sigh. Well, it's a good excuse to combine Spinervals with some time on the rowing machine.

Early Spring, please.

[Wahine]

I'll post if I hit the trainer. I may actually make it outside this weekend though. :D:D

[Veronica]

I rode the trainer this morning. Does that count? :D

V.

[sandra]

I'm in!!

Oh wait. I don't have a trainer. :p

[northstar]

I suppose I should get in here. I saw -4 as a HIGH TEMP :eek: for Saturday. Hunker down...

[limewave]

Gosh, I would say I was in but there's no way I'm up for a 5 hour training ride! Will a 2-hour ride be good enough to count me in? I'm a light-weight.

[KSH]

Well, I did 3.5 hours today... 58 miles... 16.5 mph average... on the trainer! :D

[Pedal Wench]

I just finished Tough Love - 3 hours, plus warmup and cooldown. Ouch. I'm supposed to do a really long ride tomorrow. It rained and snowed all day today, and won't get above freezing tomorrow, so I'm not sure how safe it will be to ride outside. Grrr.:mad: Looks like I'll have another long day on the trainer.

[guruchic]

Pedal Wench you crack me up...I love your signature...may I use that every time I get a hot flash...:D.

I have a tip for those of you that are spending so much time in the saddle. I use mens bib pants. I know but I like the longer leg length and they fit really well. The padding is obviously in a slightly different place, but I felt great after 2 hours plus. Better than I have ever felt with my Sugoi 7 panels. And I have a guys seat on my Guru to boot. Getting a new ladies this spring. Just thought the tip might be useful...happy riding everyone.

[KSH]

I just finished Tough Love - 3 hours, plus warmup and cooldown. Ouch. I'm supposed to do a really long ride tomorrow. It rained and snowed all day today, and won't get above freezing tomorrow, so I'm not sure how safe it will be to ride outside. Grrr.:mad: Looks like I'll have another long day on the trainer.

OH! I have that video. I haven't done it yet though.

[Pedal Wench]

OH! I have that video. I haven't done it yet though.

It's not bad -- it has the option to play without music, so I can use my own -- a much better mix! It's not bad, but I don't like the standing parts with little resistance -- makes my knees hurt. So, if he has them standing out of the saddle in a high gear, I just do a high-cadence interval instead. Grrr, I might have to do it again today. Not happy...

[solobiker]

I am so impressed with all of you. I don't know how you ride your trainers for that long and not get too bored. The longest I can handle is about an hour. I have a few spinervals but they only last 45 min. Any advice on pushing through the bordem that creeps in? Thanks

[KSH]

It's not bad -- it has the option to play without music, so I can use my own -- a much better mix! It's not bad, but I don't like the standing parts with little resistance -- makes my knees hurt. So, if he has them standing out of the saddle in a high gear, I just do a high-cadence interval instead. Grrr, I might have to do it again today. Not happy...

Happy to hear that it's not too bad. Sorry you may have had to do it again!

[KSH]

I am so impressed with all of you. I don't know how you ride your trainers for that long and not get too bored. The longest I can handle is about an hour. I have a few spinervals but they only last 45 min. Any advice on pushing through the bordem that creeps in? Thanks

Well, I guess it's all about motivation and each person's reason for being there on that trainer.

I'm training for an Ironman... and I know that right now I'm building my base before the REAL training kicks in.

3.5 hours on the trainer isn't fun... and trust me, the last 1.5 hours was me counting down the time and saying "it's not that long... oh yes it is!". I had to dig deep for the last 1.5 hours.

So anyhoo... for the first 2 hours I catch up on all the shows I recorded during the week. That's fun. I just watch TV and pedal along at a 90+ cadence. When the TV get boring I put on some music and put the TV on mute.

And when it gets really hard I say outloud, "This is all for Ironman! You will be an Ironman!" That motivates me.

But yea... if I was just riding to keep in shape during the winter... I sure as heck would not be spending 3+ hours on the trainer. I would have probably slept in.

[Pedal Wench]

I agree -- you need a goal. A reason to be riding. I have a ride in February that I"m training for, so that's what kept me on the bike. I just imagined how I'll feel around 2am on that ride, and do I want to know that I didn't do all the training I should? I started today at around 10am, and stopped at around 5:30pm. I stopped to check email (and the forum;) ) and for a snack and bathroom breaks, but pretty much spent the day on the bike. I have a ton of tivo'd tv shows, and I would do one in a higher gear, one in an easy gear. I did a movie, two 'what not to wears', one supermodel show and a matchmaker show, and finished with 4 Dr. Phils. Since I did the Tough Love video yesterday, today was a weird, twisted sort of long, endurance recovery ride. Basically just getting long saddle time.

[solobiker]

I agree -- you need a goal. A reason to be riding. I have a ride in February that I"m training for, so that's what kept me on the bike. I just imagined how I'll feel around 2am on that ride, and do I want to know that I didn't do all the training I should? I started today at around 10am, and stopped at around 5:30pm. I stopped to check email (and the forum;) ) and for a snack and bathroom breaks, but pretty much spent the day on the bike. I have a ton of tivo'd tv shows, and I would do one in a higher gear, one in an easy gear. I did a movie, two 'what not to wears', one supermodel show and a matchmaker show, and finished with 4 Dr. Phils. Since I did the Tough Love video yesterday, today was a weird, twisted sort of long, endurance recovery ride. Basically just getting long saddle time.

Well, I am not training for anything specific. I was not sure if you are doing intervals or hill workouts during these sessions. I tend to be a highly motivated person if I have a goal in mind. When I used to do a lot of rock climbing and mountaineering I was a training machine. I would like to ride a double this year. I have no idea how hard that would be. Maybe I will trian for that:D

[7rider]

I have montly mileage goals and a metric in April to think about, but otherwise, no specific things in mind at this point.
No where near a trainer century for me this weekend. I did get a 50-minute Lean and Mean Spinervals session in today (12+ miles), my only exercise all weekend. Ugh. My DH discovered he can stand on his bike while riding the new rollers, so he could do all the intervals on the DVD (except we spun easy when they got off the bikes to do squats). I just ramp up the resistance when they stand...no WAY am I trying to stand on my rollers! I'll bounce myself right off and into the t.v.! :eek: