Brrr… It’s cold
outside. You don’t want to get up before
work and train outside. The trainer is
only so appealing, even with the $400 in DVDs and toys you have lying around. Hit snooze and go back to bed?
NO! You can’t. Your competition is training, and sleeping in
a few times can become a habit and get you out of your fitness routine. Here are some tips to get out the door and
train when it’s cold, wet, or freezing.
Do Something
If you’re on a training plan, you’ve got your
instruction. If you’re not, I suggest
getting one. A coach can help here, or
you can write one on your own. The
benefit of someone else writing it is that you are accountable to that
person. It’s the next best thing to
having a training partner knocking on your door. That voice in the back of your head saying “if
you don’t get out of bed and train I will know it” is a powerful voice and can
bring good results.
Make it Count
You don’t have to go for a 3-hour session to make it count,
and many times shorter is better. A
short duration, high intensity trainer or treadmill session can go a long way
toward fitness and can give you a great workout in 40 minutes. Or a short run in the morning and a short run
at lunch can give the benefit of a single longer run.
Be Consistent
Do something every day.
It can be stretching, yoga, or a great 3-sport brick, but set aside
time, leave all else behind for a short period of time, and do something for
your fitness goals. Consistency is the
key to endurance training—gains are made over time, not a single day at once,
but each single day adds up to produce results.
Make it Fun
We’re in this sport because it’s fun, right? Don’t lose sight of that. You get
to train, not have to train. As a good friend of mine says, “train with
joy or not at all.”
Join a Group
Group indoor sessions are great for all of the above. It’s scheduled, so you are encouraged to get
out of bed and get there. They are
typically intense and may have the bonus of being just what your fitness needs
at this time in the season. Weekly or
daily classes bring the athlete consistency.
And the group setting, especially early in the morning when all of you
want to sleep in, can be a fun, energetic start to your day. At the Tucson Endurance Performance Center,
we build the cycling sessions to be appropriate for the typical racing season,
intense and challenging, and fun. You
can’t go wrong there.
Now get out and train!
