- Motivation and inspiration – If you decide to train in a studio with a group, the group effect serves as a kick starter to get your training in gear.
- Establish your baseline metrics – Whether it’s a bike time trial, a run mile trial, or 400m time in the pool, establishing a baseline for your training program helps you, and your coach, develop a longer term plan with realistic and measurable goals.
- Learn to use any new gear – If you were lucky enough to score new gear in the gifting and holiday sale season, take the time to try them out and become familiar with using them in training before you head outdoors.
- Fine tune your bike set up – Your race goals may be different than they used to be, your fitness and injury rehab may be different, and your bike set up might need to be adjusted for those differences.
- Quality time to work on technique– Efficiency relies on proper form, as much as strength and fitness. Take time to have someone look at your running gait, bike set up and stroke in the pool, and identify what corrective measures are required.
- Build Strength in the Gym – Form without the strength to sustain it results in lost efficiency and returning to old habits. A regular strength program can help support the adoption of a corrected form so it becomes a habit.
- Practice sports nutrition plan – When the training becomes longer and more focused, introducing new nutrition is harder to manage. Fine tune and practice your training and race nutrition plan while indoors so by the time you go outdoors you know exactly what your body needs and how to provide it.
- Build mental strength – Long outdoor training sessions require a degree of presence to ensure safety and direction. Indoor training, while boring visually, will challenge a different level of mental strength that requires a different level of digging deep for perseverance. That reservoir comes in handy when you’re hitting the wall and coming up against your personal boundaries later in the season. Spend some time there to reinforce those resources.
- Find new forms of inspiration – Indoor training allows for some mental distraction that doesn’t make sense outdoors…like music, videos, movies – even reading. Base building can feel less painful with distraction keeping you working at it.
- Learn new skills – To help deal with the boredom that can sometimes come with indoor training, try learning something new or fine tune a technique you have been working at! Conquer the controversial flip turn at the pool. Learn to ride on rollers. Get comfortable with a mid-foot strike, higher knees or a tighter arm swing on the treadmill. Work through the wobble and conquer those single-leg deadlifts. Confidence is built one piece at a time, and achieving stretch goals will require confidence as part of the foundation for a strong training and racing season.
Embrace indoor training – it’s part of living in the North. Make it a good experience by finding the positives and making yourself a better athlete physically and mentally while you do it!
