Chris Brandt wrote:
I also ride my rollers for hours, maxing out at about 3 1/2.
That's just disturbing. My training partner tells me I'm psychotic for
being able to ride a trainer more than an hour at a time! Of course, I
can usually only do that with the Tour VHS/DVD on the tube...
Hi
Good topic. I am known to my friends as the cold wuss. My strategy is to
avoid excessive amounts of training outside this time of the year. I like to
ride hard for short durations when it's cold, and get this over with during
'cross season. At the beginning of the year, I postpone my outdoor "long
easy mile" accumulation until later, when the weather tends to begin getting
warmer. I do more cross training, lifting, and shorter rides, sometimes
twice a day.
I also ride my rollers for hours, maxing out at about 3 1/2. Sometimes, it
works to just break your workout into two halves. First being on the rollers
indoors. Then dry off real well, change clothes, bundle up, and head out for
the rest of the ride.
For outdoors, my favorite trick is to apply Cramer Atomic Balm to my legs,
carefully keeping away from the groin area. I don't believe it works very
well on hands and feet, though maybe it will for you. Keep away from in
between toes. Don't even think about getting it anywhere close to your
contact lenses. I always pull on the shorts FIRST, then apply the balm. It
takes about 45mins to an hour for the stuff to really heat up to a nice
"standing in front of the fire" feeling for me. Thus, this extends my ride
prep time. It is stinky. Some people can't stand it. I am strange and
actually like the smell of wintergreen oil and capsicum. I use Go-Jo and a
rag to remove it, since it is petroleum based, like vaseline. Rubbing
alcohol works too.
For hands, I bring several pairs of gloves too. My pockets are always
totally stuffed with gloves. Sometimes I put a layer of bag balm over my
hands for extra insulation, under the liners. For feet, I use thin liner
socks, then Defeet wool socks or Smart Wool cycling socks, then shoes. Make
sure to keep things loose enough to prevent loss of circulation. Outside of
the shoe, I stretch a wool sock over, with a slit for the cleat. Then the
Neoprene booties go on. If it's really pouring, I add the gortex sock layer
before putting on shoes, but make sure to not cram too much inside. Also
make sure the tights overlap the top of gortex socks, unless you like the
feeling of waterballons under your arches.
Hope this is somehow helful. Good luck at the early season races, and don't
look for me in the results. I'm just early season pack fodder.
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Chris Brandt
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