Join me LIVE for an indoor bike workout!

I understand that you may be experiencing stress from the change in your active lifestyle, current work/family situation and life uncertainty during this public health crisis. During these times, we must all stay positive and support one another. Most of all, we must continue to take care of our mental and physical health.

If you are in need of some social interaction, motivation and a quality workout, join me on Facebook on Saturday March 20th, 2020 at 8am EST for a 75-minute indoor bike workout. I will coach you through the entire workout (pump-up music included) and we will sweat, have fun, suffer and work hard together.

Click below to get the reminder. ↓



Here's the workout. It has a nice mix of steady state efforts and descending intervals. You are sure to get in a great workout (and a good sweat!). If you can't tune in live - no worries! Once the live workout is complete, it will remain on the Trimarni Facebook page for you to rewatch anytime.

Warm-up:
15 min easy spin
(if you'd like to get in a bit more of a warm-up or more time in the saddle, feel free to start before me and tune into the workout at 8am).

Pre-set: 
3 rounds of
90 sec strong
40 sec stronger
1 min easy spin
Repeat 2 more times

Main set: 
10 min steady state effort (78-84% FTP or ~7.5/10 RPE)
4 min easy spin
8 min steady state effort (82-87% FTP or ~8/10 RPE)
3 min easy spin
6 min steady state effort (85-90% FTP or ~8.5/10 RPE)
2 min easy spin

Post set:
2 rounds
45 sec very hard
45 sec hard
45 sec strong
45 sec moderate strong
3 min easy spin
Repeat one more time

Cool down:
5 min EZ spin

-----------------------------

If you would like to join me but do it as a run workout, here is an option for you (walk as needed):

Warm-up:
15 min easy jog (walk as needed)

Pre-set: 
3 rounds of
90 sec build to strong
40 sec stronger/strong
1 min easy jog/walk
Repeat 2 more times

Main set: 
10 min endurance effort (~7.5/10 RPE)
4 min easy jog/walk
8 min moderate effort (~8/10 RPE)
3 min easy jog/walk
6 min moderate strong effort (~8.5/10 RPE)
2 min easy jog/walk

Post set:
2 rounds
45 sec very hard
45 sec hard
45 sec strong
45 sec moderate strong
3 min easy jog/walk
Repeat one more time

Cool down:
5 min EZ jog

----------------------------
If you are unable to run but would like to walk on the treadmill, here's a workout for you:

Warm-up:
15 min walk as (5 min 1% incline, 5 min 4% incline, 5 min 6% incline)

Pre-set: 
3 rounds of
90 sec walk at 12% incline (effort 8/10)
40 sec walk at 15% incline (effort 9/10)
1 min complete rest
Repeat 2 more times

Main set: 
10 min endurance effort at 10% incline (~7.5/10 RPE)
4 min easy at 1% incline
8 min moderate effort at 12% incline (~8/10 RPE)
3 min easy at 1% incline
6 min moderate strong effort at 12-15% incline (~8.5/10 RPE)
2 min easy at 1% incline

Post set:
2 rounds (all at 12-15% incline)
45 sec very hard walk
45 sec hard walk
45 sec strong walk
45 sec moderate strong walk
3 min easy at 1% incline
Repeat one more time

Cool down:
5 min EZ walk at 0% incline

Weekend recap: Training

I'm sending a big thank you to my body for giving me another week of quality training. I never take a day of training for granted. It's been 3 years and 8 months since I've last been injured and 10 years since I've had a cold/sickness. Not a day goes by that I don't thank my body for letting me do so much with it.

The overall training volume hasn't changed a lot over the past few months but I've noticed a bit more intensity throughout the week lately. I've worked hard to build a strong foundation since starting my training back in late October so my body is responding well to the added training stress. 

On Wednesday morning I had a tough hill run workout. Although the intense intervals only totaled 8 minutes, it was a leg burner and cardio stressor. 

For 20 minutes, I ran EZ on some of my favorite roads around where I live, which included no shortage of hills. After listening to a Facebook LIVE 75-minute educational chat with running expert Chris Johnson, PT, I used a lot of his running cues to keep me focused on my running mechanics during warm-up. 

When I arrived close to the street where I was going to perform my main set, I first did a pre-set of 5 x 30 sec build to fast strides w/ a 30 sec walk in between. 

For the run main set: 

8 x 30 sec strong uphill effort w/ 1.5 min recovery (jog/walk/rest) in between

5 min EZ

8 x 30 sec strong uphill effort w/ 1.5 min recovery (jog/walk/rest) in between
Then jog home (about 15 minutes). 

It was a great workout and I felt super strong.

In the evening, I tested out my new Tacx Neo smart trainer with a good workout that Karel wrote for me. My legs were still a little tender from the morning run but it felt good to spin them out and test out the CycleOps Virtual Training app on my ipad. You can see from the picture that my iPad is standing up on a microphone stand that Karel ordered for me. It was a cheap way to hold the iPad, where I control my trainer.

Wednesday night bike workout:

WU: 20 min EZ

Pre set:
2 x 4 min
2 x 3 min
2 x 2 min
Odd Z2, fast rpm
Even Z2/Z3, slow rpm, 55-65
5 min EZ

MS:
1 x 4 min build effort to strong, choice cadence
4 min EZ
3 x 3 min Z3/4 slow cadence (slop/resistance mode)
3 min EZ between  3 x 2 min high power/high cadence 100+ rpm, 3 min EZ between (slop/resistance mode)
3 min EZ between

CD: EZ spin

As for Thursday morning, I had about 1 hour and 45 minutes of fun on the trainer for my first real workout. The trainer is super quite and very smooth. There is no sticky pedaling, especially as I increase the slope or resistance.

WU: 20 min EZ

Pre set: 4 x 4 min (odd Z1/2 build rpm to fast, even Z1/2 build rpm to fast)

MS: 4 x 10 minutes as:
2xs (3 min Z2, rpm 100+, 2 min Z3, 45-50 rpm)
4 min EZ

Post set: 15 min Z2/3 - steady effort, gradually decreasing power and increasing rpm.

Whew, what a great workout, especially after the tough run on Wednesday. I've been super diligent with my nutrition before, during and after workouts to ensure that my body can stay consistent with training and to give me confidence that any fatigue that I feel is normal fatigue and not from underfueling or poor recovery. So far, I'm feeling very energized, strong and healthy and I hope that feeling continues to last as I am expecting a lot from my body in April and May.

I did a very short swim (1900 yard)  swim workout at lunch time to knock out my 2nd workout of the day because I had nutrition consults the rest of the afternoon through early evening.

As for Friday morning, Karel was off to NC to the A2 wind tunnel with our athlete Joe so I had to swim solo. Karel has been swimming almost every swim workout with me so it was kinda lonely swimming by myself, especially for this endurance tracker main set.

500 warm-up

Pre set:

4 x 200's w/ snorkel and fins

MS:
10 x 25s w/ paddles fast w/ 5 sec rest

35 x 100's on 1:30 at 85% effort

Total: 4900

I was feeling tired during warm-up and pre-set so I wasn't sure how the main set would go but after 6-8 x 100's, I started to find my rhythm and the set actually went by really fast!

Then I again, I was really excited to eat my homemade banana bread when I returned home from my swim.

Here are a few pics that Karel took of Joe in the wind tunnel. Joe is a 3-year Trimarni athlete and recently won the HITS Naples Half Ironman. When Joe started working with us, he was far from the athlete he is today. Joe is an engineer so his mindset is often to analyze everything but he has trusted us as his coaches since day one and he is not one for excuses. Joe and his wife Erica just had their first baby 9 months ago so it's been neat to see them both balance it all. This wind tunnel adventure was a fun experience for both Karel and Joe, just to test his position, along with other gear like his clothing, calf sleeves, helmet, wheels, bottle placements, etc. Karel and Joe learned a lot! The wind tunnel testers were impressed with Joe's attention to detail but also very impressed with his position on the bike (fit by Karel).

I wrapped up my day with a light strength session in the late afternoon, followed by a long Campy walk.

We received a nice package from our friends at Mg12 over the weekend, which came at the perfect time as we use this stuff regularly. I just love this line of products for recovery and the quality ingredients.

As for the weekend training, the fog and big chance of rain made it hard for us to get in the workouts that we wanted to get in outside but we dealt with what we were given and still had a quality weekend of training.

Joe, Karel and I headed out on our road bikes around 8:15am on Saturday morning hoping to get in a solid ride but as we headed on the trail out, the fog was rather thick so we decided it wasn't safe to ride (even with lights on our bike). Instead, we just spun on the trail and had more of a social ride for 90 minutes. 

Joe headed back to Jacksonville after our ride and Karel and I followed up our ride with a run. Karel ran outside and I ran on our treadmill for an hour. For me, just a nice form focused run with no hard efforts.

After an afternoon of working on the computer and making a beautiful looking Mexican-themed quinoa and black bean salad for our evening pizza part at Meredith's house (picture and recipe on tomorrow's blog), I finished up my long run with another hour on the treadmill. After not getting in our long ride on Saturday, I had planned to do two runs today instead of one long run to reduce the overall training stress with the previous training.

Sunday morning was a trainer ride with a main set that looked easier on paper than what it turned out to be. Nonetheless, a great trainer session for 2:20 followed be a 30 min EZ run on the treadmill.

Bike workout:
WU: 30 min EZ spin (build from Z1-Z2)

Pre set:
5 x 5 minutes Z2 (1 min at 70 rpm, 1 min at 80 rpm, 1 min at 90 rpm, 1 min at 100+ rpm, 1 min choice cadence)

MS:

6 x (2 minutes Z3/4 at 40-45 rpm w/ 1 min EZ choice rpm between)
2 min EZ
6 x (1.5 minutes Z3/4 at 45-55 rpm w/ 1 min EZ choice rpm between)
2 min EZ
6 x 1 min Z3/Z4 at 55-65 rpm w/ 1 min EZ choice rpm between)
5 min EZ

Post set:
15 minutes Z3 steady effort, choice RPM

Cool Down
-------------------------
Hope you had a nice weekend and you are finding yourself building confidence in your training/exercising and nutrition to move closer to your health, fitness and performance goals.

Never compare yourself to other people. Discover what makes YOU happy and then direct all your energy on yourself so that you can focus on being the best version of YOU. 

Bike trainer tips and recommendations

Last year I interviewed Karel to help me with an article on bike trainers.

Over the past 10 years, Karel and I have had the luxury of spending most of our "winter" bike training, riding outside. There were always a few cold days each year when we would bike indoors on our Cycleops Powerbeam Pro but typically we would bundle up to brave the 40-50 degree chilly mornings in Florida (yes, I realize it's all relative!).

But now we live in Greenville, SC. We no longer live close to a beach but by the mountains. We now have two trainers (we added a Computrainer to our bike gear family) and we are learning to embrace the cooler fall days which will turn into cold winter days.
However,  we aren't complaining as we just love our bike friendly community which is also filled with great hiking trails and beautiful fall colors. 

But with the cooler temps does come a shift in the riding environment for triathletes, cyclists and anyone who enjoys riding a bike.

So I thought I would share the post that I did last year (thanks to Karel) but Karel would like to add one more trainer to this list of  Bike Trainer recommendations

LeMond Revolution
$499

According to the website: 

The LeMond Revolution eliminates the need for a rear wheel setup by connecting the bike's drive-train directly to the Revolution's cassette.  The large, weighted flywheel effectively mimics the inertia of a bicycle in motion while generating progressive wind resistance. Set up is simple, just remove your rear wheel, attach the rear drop outs to the spindle and away you go. It works with both 130mm (Road and Cross) and 135mm (MTB and Cross), quick release bicycles. Also, installing the WattBox to any Revolution trainer allows you to display both speed and power (watts) to your ANT+ device. The WattBox will turn on and off automatically; just get on and start pedaling. If you wish to display cadence on your device, an ANT+ compatible cadence sensor will need to be purchased separately.
The Revolution is ready for Shimano/SRAM 9-11sp cassettes. 9-11sp adaptors and upgrade kits are sold separately for each trainer.

Bike Trainer workouts: 
Riding indoors is an effective way to make good use of your riding time because you can do it anytime, rain, cold or snow. Also if you train with power, you can monitor your watts so you are giving similar efforts for each workout (pending the main set) There is no guessing as to how much work you are applying to your pedals. Just keep in mind that your power indoors will differ a bit from riding outdoors so always be consistent with effort inside and consistent with effort outside (the numbers do not need to be the same). 

Riding indoors can be a bit boring if you don't have a fun set so here are a few workouts to keep your legs entertained while riding indoors; 

Descending intervals

Speed pyramid

20 Trimarni bike trainer workouts

Trainer room suggestions: 

Every bike-loving athlete needs a good trainer room. You want an environment that you enjoy going into when you are going to sit your butt down on a bike for x-minutes (not to mention suffer a bit too). 

Here are a few suggestions for setting up a good trainer room in your house, garage or basement:
-Good entertainment - a big TV placed at eye level or slightly above is essential if you want some visual entertainment. Install a DVR, DVD player or plug in your computer for your pick of inspiration when you are riding. Music is also helpful. If you need to be considerate of your family if you are riding early mornings, you may want to invest in a good pair of headphones.

-Table - Water bottles, food, gels, phone, iPad, workout, magazine....you take your pick as to what you need during your workout but you need something near your bike to place the important things that will help you have a quality workout.

-Space - just like when you ride outside, it's nice to have your space. Make sure you have room around you so you don't feel claustrophobic as it will likely get a bit stuffy in your room (especially if you do not have window's to open). If you have multiple equipment in your trainer room (stability ball, treadmill, trainer, etc.) you will want to make sure that everything is functional.

-Mat  and fan - You are going to sweat a lot on the trainer  so it is good to have a clean floor mat. Also, a fan is helpful to keep the room cool, especially if you do not have good ventilation in the room. Keep in mind that when you sweat a lot, your sweat can corrode your bike parts. You want to wipe off your bike as soon as your finished riding and also more frequently do a detailed tune-up of your bike so that the small parts are removed and thoroughly cleaned.

A few other important tips:
-It is recommended (and safer) to invest in a trainer wheel and tire and also have an outdoor wheel (with a separate tire). Your training tire (the tire on your wheel that you use on your trainer the most) will get run down and if you ride the trainer a lot, you will notice a soft spot on your wheel which can become very unsafe when riding outside (especially when making turns). Although an occasional ride inside and outside is no big worry, just be mindful if you are riding on your trainer all winter, you will need a new tire for when you take your bike outdoors for your spring/summer training. Many athletes are now investing in trainers where you remove the back wheel and simply connect the wheel's drive-train to the trainer's rear cassette to eliminate the need to use a rear wheel on the trainer. 

-Don't forget your towel when you are on the trainer. Did I mention you will get sweaty on the trainer?

-On/Off drills are an effective way to warm up quickly. When you only have an hour to ride your trainer before/after workout, you don't want to spend 30 minutes warming up. I recommend to incorporate 3-5 x 30 sec ON (high cadence, 95+ rpm) efforts w/ 30 sec OFF (EZ efforts) to wake up your legs and to get the blood flowing. 

-The trainer is a great place to work on your pedal stroke, especially if you have any weak spots in your pedal stroke. In our transition plan we focus on single leg drills where you unclip one leg and use the other leg to pedal around with a comfortable cadence and gear. If you notice a clicking or dead spot in your stroke (on the top of the stroke), this is something to work on so that your glutes work better throughout the entire pedal stroke. We typically do 3-5 x 30-60 sec single leg drills (with time in between to unclip and clip in with the other food) in our workouts. You can also do these outside on flat, safe roads. Do not ride aero with single leg drills, but instead sit up and on the trainer you can also remove your hands from the bars to use the core for more stability work. 

-We encourage a short dynamic warm-up to loosen up the hips as well as a few minutes of foam rolling on the quads, back, hamstrings and calves to get the blood flowing before your workout. Additionally, post workout (after all bike workouts) you should spend a few minutes opening up your hip flexors (and psoas) which can be rather tight after being crunched on the bike. I recommend doing a bridge exercise, plank and sitting on a stability ball and then rolling yourself over so that your back lies on the ball, feet on the ground and you are looking behind you with arms above the head to really stretch out the hips. Other yoga moves can be included here. Just take a few minutes before/after every workout to ensure longevity as a cyclist/triathlete (tight spots only get tighter over time so it's better to stretch out before you really need to stretch out). 

Indoor bike trainer workout - ready, set, sweat!

Source

I'm not one for excuses but even living in Florida, I have my "it's too cold" days to train outside. But, that doesn't keep me from sticking to my training plan. 

All of my athletes, included myself and Karel, have specific workouts and zones when bike riding so that makes for instant motivation when it's time to train. There's no guessing as to what to do when we swim, bike, run, especially if we are forced indoors with only music/TV, a pounding heart, burning legs and a mind telling the body that it's time to stop (over and over). 

After Karel and I created our 5-week transition plan (which we also both followed to help us build a stronger foundation for the upcoming year - in other words, put up strong walls for the structure of the house before you start thinking about decorating the inside of the house) we decided that it would be helpful for other athletes and fitness enthusiasts to have effective indoor bike trainer workouts to perform inside, especially on the cold (or rainy) days. Although the workouts are not structured in a way that would match a periodized training plan, every workout (between 90 minutes and 2 hours with your choice of warm-up and cool-down) is has a focus and that focus is described at the beginning of each workout. 

For example: 

WORKOUT: 

Focus: Over/under intervals to work on buffering lactic acid and to improve anaerobic threshold.

Marin set #1:

3 x 30 sec ON/30 sec OFF FPE (fast pedal efforts – description provided in plan)

2 min EZ spin

Main set #2:

2 min @ Z5
4 min @ Z3
2 min @ Z5

5 min EZ spin
Repeat main set #2,two more times (3 sets total)

(You may use your previous zones or establish new zones for indoor riding or RPE as suggested in the plan description)

If you are interested in our 20-bike trainer workouts (created by Karel - Cat 1 cyclist turned Ironman triathlete), you can read more (and purchase) HERE.

These workouts are not designed for athletes only. These workouts can also be performed on the elliptical (I LOVE the elliptical!) and outside on a safe road in warmer weather.

To get you started, I have two great one-hour trainer workouts for you, featured in Triathlete Magazine (online):
Descending intervals

Speed pyramid 

Just be mindful that spinning bikes are not always equipped to match your body structure. Although you can move the handlebars and seat, the crank arm, seat position and other various parts of the spin bike may not be ideal for your body and overtime may increase risk of injury (and often will rely on primarily the quads working more than other muscle groups). However, I am not a coach who is oppose to spinning (I was a spinning instructor for over 2 years and also incorporated my spin classes with my IMFL training) but just be mindful of a good position while riding (with adequate resistance). A computrainer class works great for introducing athletes to training with power (or if you currently train with power) and this is ideal for athletes who enjoy the group setting for indoor training. 

Also, for athletes, remember that muscle memory is your friend. If you can, train indoors on your racing bike as your primary bike if you are starting a training plan for your upcoming race. 

And lastly, as prioritized in our 5-week transition plan, if you are riding indoors (or outside) be sure to address any weaknesses or imbalances with your pedal stroke and also consider a professional bike fit before starting your training plan. Not only did I work hard on my dead spot in my pedal stroke on my left leg for the past month in a half but I also had two RETUL fits by Karel (first fit when I received my new Speed Concept and another fit a week ago, when Karel put a new saddle, Bontrager Hilo, on my bike to help my pelvis be in a better position while riding).

If you are interested in learning more about buying a bike trainer, here are some bike trainer suggestions that Karel recommends. 

For now, let's all stay motivated and consistent with training this winter with warm and sunny Kona thoughts while riding our bikes.......

In need of a bike trainer? Karel recommends........

I consider myself really lucky to be married to my bike mechanic. Not only is he crazy smart in all things related to bikes and a talented cat 1 cyclist (turned endurance triathlete and Trimarni coach) but with his retail experience as the former GM of the Trek Bicycle Store of Jacksonville for the past 5 years, Karel does a great job of staying up to date with products, gear and technology.

 

With the temps dropping, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts have a few options for riding in the winter months:
-brave the cold and bundle up
-dust off the bike in the spring
-compu trainer or spin classes

-indoor cycle trainer

 

I receive many questions about indoor trainers (obviously, the questions are for Karel for that is not my area of expertise) so I thought I would highlight a few trainers that Karel recommends.

 

A few things that Karel suggests to consider for when you are purchasing an athletic/fitness product/gear/equipment:

-Customer service - can they help you when your product malfunctions? what's the return policy? are they helpful from reviews?
-Budget - what's your price range? what are you willing to pay extra for and what's a deal breaker?
-Reliabilty and function - if you are paying for quality, what are you getting in return?
-Safety - if applicable
-Upgrades/updates - are there updates for software? do they have a good website for update features or new additions?

 

 

An indoor trainer is a great investment to help you stay consistent with training, no matter rain or snow/ice. But with so many brands and types of trainers on the market, it can be a little overwhelming to find the right trainer. And when we say "right", one that won't eat up your rear tire, won't cause a lot of noise and one that will provide enough resistance to simulate outside terrain.

 

Before I get into trainer models, let's talk tires. There are many trainer tires out so he recommend to invest in a tire specific to the trainer if you are doing most of your riding inside (if you only ride the trainer once or twice every month or two inside, you are fine with what you ride outside just inspect it before you take it outside). 

Karel recommends to have a seperate wheel for your trainer (if you use a rear wheel - see below) to make your life a lot easier so that you can just put on your trainer wheel and you won't have to worry about ruining a tire. But, if you need a "trainer specific tire", Karel recommends Cycleops trainer tire ($34) for your rear wheel. Also, do not ride your trainer tire (that you have used all winter or for most of your rides indoors) outside. There will be a "hot" spot or a flat part of the wheel where the tire was rubbing and this can make the tire sensitive in turns as well as for a flat tire outside.

Here are a few trainers that Karel recommends:
(we were not paid to promote these products. Also, many websites have videos to learn more about their trainers. Any questions, you can send me an email @ Marni@Trimarnicoach.com )

 

Cycleops Fluid ProFor a simple trainer without fancy features (ex. no virtual reality courses, etc.) this is a great option with a lifetime warranty. Smooth, quiet and realistic resistance. It has a good frame and won't break the bank account. Karel really likes Cycleops as a brand. They have excellent customer service and are very quick if anything happens with the product (warranty or non-warranty issues).

Price - ~$399 

 

Silencer Direct Drive Mag

Another great trainer from Cycleops but one that will substitute your rear wheel. With the cassette in place on the trainer, all you need to do is remove your rear wheel from the bike and fit it right into the trainer. The best part is that you don't have to worry about ruining your rear tire from The silencer provides direct drive technology and is promoted as a "silent" trainer. resistance.

Price: $659 - $729 (with or without cassettee)

 

 

 

 

 

Wahoo Kickr

 

If you want to have more fun riding indoors and on different courses Karel suggests the Wahoo Kicker. It can be connected via Bluetooth to a smart phone or tablet. It's a newer trainer on the market but has been shown to be reliable and the company has great customers service and support. It also substitutes the real wheel so you won't ruin your tire.
Price - $1099

 

 

 

 

 

Computrainer

The last category of trainers is a virtual reality trainer or training with power, which are two features of the Computrainer trainers.
Although a bit more expensive than most trainers, this is a great option for anyone who may get bored riding inside and wants to have some fun with different courses. This is also an effective trainer that has been shown to help riders improve their fitness on the bike.
This is also a good trainer for athletes who work with coaches so that the coach can see the power file after uploading to a training software program (ex. Training Peaks).
The Computrainer requires a lot more settings whereas the Wahoo trainer is a bit more simple. But everyone has their own likes/dislikes so like with any technology, some things take getting use to but are worth the extra money, time and attention. The computrainers are  compatible with ANT+ and heartrate. There are other features like Spin Scan to help improve pedal strokes as well as Real Course videos to be able to "ride" on your upcoming race course (if available).

Price - varies ($1400-$5000)