I did end up with lots of long trainer rides because of the weather. But honestly, I like putting in the work and improving. Riding indoors on the trainer can be a great way to improve if you follow a specific plan and don't dilly dally. My coach always gives me specific, focused workouts and I always do my best to hit my power numbers. There are no stop signs, down hills, or drafting indoors. You either put up the watts or you don't. And in the end, it ends up being less time consuming than meeting up for group rides, etc. And with a properly designed training plan, focused indoor training with a power meter can really boost performance much more quickly then simply slogging it on out on the trainer without any performance goals.
However, there is really nothing like getting outside for a long ride. On this past Sunday, I got the chance to ride with a friend for 3 hours in shorts and short sleeve jersey. It was such a breath of fresh air after all the cold weather and snow we had the last couple of weeks. There is really nothing like being out on your bike, taking in the sites, sounds, and smells of the countryside. And for this particular ride, there was no slacking either. My friend is quite a bit stronger than me so mostly I was just trying to keep up. Overall it was a really great training stimulus and my power numbers backed up my perceived effort.
Speaking of sounds, during the ride I heard the sounds of newly hatched frogs chirping away. It reminded me that spring is a time of birth and new beginnings. What better time than now to share with you Powertap.com's new announcement. Something exciting is coming!
