It's cold out there, a week with a trainer

The spiteful weather is testing my determination to ride everyday. It's not just the cold, but the rigmarole involved in getting out. The layers of clothing, the decision about which route is least likely to be icey. Then when I get home the pain as my hands and feet warm up. Yes, despite many different gloves and overshoes, I'm still not able to get as warm as I'd like. 

I mentioned to a friend that I had slid on ice a couple of weeks ago and hurt my hip. He lent me a trainer. I've now used it a few times, and it's a game changer. I had been getting very disillusioned because of the weather so it came at the right time. I get anxious if I think I may not get out, now I don't have to worry.

I'm not sure how to make it more like a real ride though. Do I include sections with almost no effort to mimic a downhill? I haven't, so my average speed and distance covered is less. On the other hand it means I'm working all of the time, I must therefore be getting fitter - I think.

The prep before a ride is minimal, I only have to worry about ice on the walk to the garage and I don't get cold and wet.

Another upside is that I can listen to music; I use it to vary the intensity of the ride. Once warmed up I increase the resistance and them speed up or slow down depending on the beat of the track. Punk or ska means a sprint at maximum effort. It seems to work okay, each session during the week is an hour. Starting in long and short sleeved jerseys, I quickly remove layers. By the end I'm in just shorts, both jerseys discarded. 

At the weekends I have been timing my outdoor rides for the warmest part of the day. Saturdays normally allow for bigger distances. To be honest though, at the moment I much prefer the garage to the road. The longest I have managed is two hours. It gets boring, and because I am at home there is the temptation to stop. My target is 60 miles, about four hours; it's going to be tough. I didn't do it this weekend.

Which leaves Sunday; and the meetup with Matt. It's still allowed, and we keep a distance from one another. But the snow and ice means I'm likely to postpone until the weather improves. Sorry Matt.

So it's another two hours in the garage.