The Trainer Blues and My 2008 Summer Goals

The Trainer Blues are a normal thing this time of year. Weather is getting colder and the roads are heading toward icy, and you really don't want to go out for a ride, so you have your bike on the Trainer Stand.

Personally, I hate riding the trainer. It makes me feel like I'm riding in a Gerbil Wheel. It's the lesser of two evils though, as compared to not riding. I have some goal rides for next Summer to train for.

The first major goal is to turn a high speed Century on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Tour de Cure, 2008. Ideally, I want to turn the 100 miles in about 5 ½ hours. This means I'll need to be able to hold a 20 MPH average to make it and still get a 5 minute break hourly for nutrition and bottle restock and possible output breaks.

My second goal for the Summer is a lot more ambitious and I've been hesitant to talk about it for obvious reasons! I've been struggling with the whole idea as to whether it's within my physical abilities, but I decided it's better to try and not succeed than to not try and always wonder.

I am planning a route right now for a ride starting in Michigan City, Indiana at the Michigan State Line, and ending at the Indiana/Kentucky line by Owensboro, Kentucky. It's a 310 mile route, and here's the catch. I want to do it in a day! It's going to be a fully supported attempt, with a SAG van and support crew, ala RAAM. All I need to do on that end is recruit crew.

Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself.....”Is he insane?” The answer to this is a resounding YES, but in a good way! To achieve this goal, I'm going to have to train, and train hard! When the pain hits, I'm just going to have to “take off my skirt, cancel my manicure, grow a mustache and harden the f*ck up”, to quote one of my favorite funny men, Ronnie Johns, aka Chopper, down in Australia!

My roughed out route

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/in/lafayette/743009585

This ought to be a challenge for me, what do you think?

Winter Weather and Cycling: Trainer Time!

So, what do you do when the temperatures drop into the single digits and wind chills drop to -25℉? Me, if the roads are dry and safe, I do get out and ride. The last few days though it's been the trainer for me! I don't have studded tires on the winter bike and didn't buy any this year because of the deceptively warm early winter weather.

I use, for a trainer, the Kurt Kinetic Fluid Trainer, and while it's boring riding a trainer, it's better than no pedaling the bicycle! As far as the workout I get, it's great! The Kurt Kinetic is a great trainer!

As to how I occupy myself while on the trainer? Well, I watch TV! I either use a Spinnerval DVD or I watch a movie or something like that. One piece of advice.....don't let the spouse put a chick flick in the DVD when you are on the trainer! It'll kill ya!