Topic Title

I've known riders who have ridden on days like this in november, they've usually packed in racing by mid april. A few days lost to the weather now makes no odds come next spring. I'll not be out until it's safe to do so, and I'm not going to stress about it.
I'll just try not eat so many pies if I can't ride 'em off.

Wise words. Adding 2pth - I wanted to join the training run this week but when I saw the forecast I knew I wouldn't bother. For my money, group training is the *worst* option for freezing days - greater risk of a pile-up if anyone does slip up, plus you freeze on the back, waiting for your turn so you can warm up again.
I did go out, yesterday afternoon - an hour at 'tempo' pace, quicker than steady so as to keep warm, just on the well-gritted A19 around Selby. Seemed like only 5mins since I was doing this in Februrary (groan). I'd much rather it were warmer so I could do the training ride, but we don't get to choose...
cheers
tom

Tried to get to get to the square on Saturday but decided that it wasn't worth the risk. Ended up doing 3 x 2hr sessions on the turbo, two on Saturday and a further one this morning, can't say I felt it did me any good but a good work out all the same
Hopefully get out on the next training ride, weather permitting

"...doing 3 x 2hr sessions on the turbo..."

I am humbled... ...but...

"...can't say I felt it did me any good..."

...strongly suggest a glance at my "T*rb*!" posting! Shorter, sharper sessions will probably do more good than grinding away for hours, assuming that the current cold snap is reasonably finite and you can get back to the long steady distance stuff within a week or so.

I did an hour's fast cadence session on the drops to work on flexibility and another hour big gear/low cadence session yesterday. Very impressed with Rob's report of the Sunday club run, but having done 3½hrs out there at zero degrees on Tuesday (and needing an hour in a hot bath to restore normal functioning afterwards) I wasn't tempted to join them

Fingers crossed for next Saturday...

"...doing 3 x 2hr sessions on the turbo..."

I am humbled... ...but...

"...can't say I felt it did me any good..."

...strongly suggest a glance at my "T*rb*!" posting! Shorter, sharper sessions will probably do more good than grinding away for hours, assuming that the current cold snap is reasonably finite and you can get back to the long steady distance stuff within a week or so.

Phil here is my training regime that I did for the 1st session on Saturday and on Sunday - but I did both sessions twice, making it 20 minutes on each activity

10 min warm up low res med gear
10 mins alt between each leg. 1 min each leg, low res low gear 2 mins rest
10 hill at 1 min in 1 min out high res low gear 2 min rest
10 min sprint @ 30 sec sprint 1.5 min rest med res med gear 2 min rest
10 min tt med res high gear
10 min warm down low res low gear

2nd session Saturday was a big gear on low resistance which I cut short at 1hr 40

I am no expert on the use of Turbo trainers but I got this from a cycling buddy who swears by it - any thoughts!

I hate the turbo, but after another day lost to the snow I decided to dust it off this morning.
My session went like this;

10 mins warm up
10 mins spinning my nads off in tuck position.
2 mins medium gear, no hands on bars holding normal riding position.
10 mins in big gear
2 mins easy.
10 mins spinning in tuck
2 mins medium gear, no hands on bars holding normal riding position.
12 mins increasing the resistance every 2 mins, keeping same cadence.

I sort of made it up as I went along and I've no idea what my pulse was doing (I don't have an hrm)
I had the Stereo MC's blasting, and the time went quite fast.
I don't know what Phil would make of that lot...I've never read a training manual.
Please make the snow go away.

As per my standard health warning:- "I'm not a coach..."

Both sessions look varied and good - if they keep it interesting(-ish) and keep you on the turbo (especially for a very impressive six hours in two days) then they're working. Both are doing similar stuff - sort of - to a varied outdoor ride:- varied cadence, work-rate, position on the bike, etc. If you get off and feel as knackered as you would have on a proper training ride, it's probably done nearly as much good!

I tend to take a different tack with turbo use and keep it short and specific; I use the long steady rides for endurance and basic aerobic fitness and use the turbo for very intense stuff that would be risky on the road. When I get off after a threshold or leg strength or 5x4's session I can barely stand and the only way I can finish them is by closing my eyes and thinking really strange thoughts. I'm working on the basis that to bring about changes in any physical system you have to go beyond where you would normally (eg in a race). This worked for me last season, but we're all different, and respond differently to training, and so different approaches work for each of us.

Main thing is to stay vaguely sane until it all thaws!

The problem I've got with turbo training is I can bludgeon myself on it in the morning and feel like I haven't done anything by the afternoon.
If I ride hard on the road in the morning I feel it in my legs all day, and I am nodding off in the afternoon.
I might be doing it wrong, but this is why I will always get out on the road if I can.