Finding Sessions to do
The best way to get the most out of your indoor training is to sign-up to a training platform such as Zwift, TrainerRoad or SufferFest. All offer something slightly different but, with free trials, you can get a feel for them and see what suits you best.
Along with specific training sessions and, in the case of Zwift, races and group rides, but also structured training programmes. Following one of these that tallies with your riding goals is probably the best way to ensure variety and progress.
The Hotchillee Ride Captains and Hotchillee team host several rides each week on both Zwift and RGT. You can find the full list of rides on the calendar.
Beat the boredom
The biggest boredom buster is a decent playlist and studies have shown that motivational music can boost performance. With the training platforms mentioned above, turbo training is a million times more tolerable than the days of staring at your garage wall. If you’re not wanting to subscribe to a training platform, films, box-sets or even old race footage can all help make the indoor kilometres tick by. However there’s no doubt that certain sessions tend to pass faster than other. Interval workouts with lots of changes in intensity are good whereas steadier paced sessions tend to drag painfully on.
Saddle soreness
You move around a lot less when riding indoors so issues down below are far more common. It can be tempting to use old kit for indoor riding but you really should be opting for your newest bib shorts with the plushest chamois. Slather on the chamois cream and be super diligent about post-ride hygiene. Finally stand out of the saddle for 10-15 seconds every 5-10 minutes right from the start of any indoor session. It’ll maintain blood flow to your nether regions and help prevent soreness and potentially more serious issues.
Fuelling and hydration
For indoor sessions up to 90 minutes, you shouldn’t need any on the bike food but, especially for races, you will need to think about your nutrition beforehand. You’ll be riding hard so try to allow at least 2 hours digestion time. You also might want to drop a caffeinated gel during your warm-up.
If you’re doing some longer indoor rides, fuelling should mirror exactly what you’d do outside. As a general guide, you should be looking to consume 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour.
Here are a few examples of what some snacks will deliver:
Typical energy gel: 20g
500ml of sports drink: 35g
Typical energy bar: 30g
Slice of malt loaf: 25g
Fig roll: 12g
Obviously you don’t need to pack everything into your jersey pockets but just make sure your snacks are within arms reach.
For all indoor rides, you’ll probably need to hydrate more than you would outside. Don’t be surprised if you get through 750ml+ per hour and don’t forget your electrolytes.