Outdoor Riding

The weather is getting nicer outside (finally!) and you will start to see many cyclists out on the roads!!  Outdoor riding is a very important part of training for those of you who plan on participating in cycling and triathlon events this summer.   However, it is important that you remember that even though you are outdoors instead of indoors on the computrainer, that every workout has a purpose.  If you are out for your long ride, it is important that you are working to build your aerobic system and therefore resisting the urges to ride harder up the hills, or hammer home with a friend or training partner.  If you are out for a shorter ride and trying to build speed, it is important that you are still doing those intervals at the appropriate effort or exertion level.  In my experience, for those athletes who opt not to do these focussed rides indoors on the trainer, they have a harder time finding the appropriate terrain (flat versus hills) or the appropriate distance without having the delay of a stop sign or traffic lights.  For this reason, I recommend that most athletes do their specific interval training indoors, even when the weather is nice, and do their long aerobic rides and their tempo rides outdoors away from the traffic lights and stop adn go of the city.