Trainer Workout Advice

Hi all -
I'm in need of some advice about trainer workouts for this time of year. Here's my deal:

I signed up for Virtual Coach at trainingpeaks.com last December - about 11 months ago, and it started me on a program to build for several events this summer. Very cool. I liked it a lot.

But after my last event in September, it just kind of defaulted into another base-build phase. So right now it has me "building" towards...nothing but the annual renewal of my trainingpeaks.com account.

I'd like to use this time of year for some less-structured training - still riding 4-5 times/week plus a couple light weightlifting workouts - but not at the super-intense "build" level.

So I've just kind of been doing whatever I want - but since my work schedule is pushing me to the trainer more than outside rides, I'm having trouble staying focused on trainer rides. Sooo....

1. What are some fun trainer workouts you do this time of year?
2. How do you focus / unfocus your training at the end of the season, before you start "prepping" for the next?

Thanks for reading this far. :)
Solveig

Assuming you have your trainer in front of a TV, get some movies or an old television series you always loved, put them in the DVD player and spin away. On a cold, steel gray sky Iowa day, you might also like to pedal along the CA coast or through the CA vineyards with the Bike-O-Vision DVD's. Not the greatest and they certainly do not approach virtual reality, but on a blah blustery MN day I can almost imagine being in that CA sunshine on warm day riding through Napa or along Highway 1.

I usually catch up on something on the DVR while I spin and I'll shift up and work harder during the commercials as a sort of interval training. Not that I'm on anything remotely close to a workout 'routine'. ;)

Saw this, but haven't tried it yet:

http://thesufferfest.com/category/videocast-workouts/

Thanks for the ideas! I don't exactly have a TV, but I do watch movies on my computer - although I haven't done it while cycling lately.

I think I'll Netflix myself a TV series and see how I do with that. And I like the idea about going harder during commercials - I might try that with radio, too.

:)
S

I mostly do spinups and one legged drills. Turn it into sets of about 5 minutes long, then rest 1 min and repeat.

I sound like a broken record, but for trainer "training," Spinervals. You can get some 45-60 minute workouts that are extremely effective (Uphill Grind, Suffer O Rama, Zoot Challenge, to name a few).