Train like Ben: tips to get you through the winter

The goal for all this training is to build a huge endurance base, technical strength and muscle balance so that when I start training faster I’m more efficient and able to tolerate a higher workload.
Here are some tips for getting through the dark, slippery, wet and dreary winter training:

• Try to find groups to train with. A masters swim group and cycling gyms where you can ride on a trainer next to your friends are great. That way you can help each other with form and the social aspect of the training should make you forget about the weather outside (until you have to go run in the snow).

• If you have to ride an indoor bike trainer by yourself, make sure you have something interesting to watch on TV. Riding a bike for a long time indoors will wear you out mentally long before your first race if you’re staring at a blank wall. ("All work and no play…")

• Keep the intensity low. It’s easy to get bored of riding, running, and swimming slowly, but brining up the intensity too quickly this time of year will just make you tired and limit the amount of time you can spend training. It may be fun to race your friends every day (and it feels good too), but when you wake up too tired to train the next morning, you’ve just lost valuable training time. Watch your heart rate and power. It’s ok to have a little fun with your training partners, but keep it in control.

• Put weight training on your schedule, and stick to the plan. It’s easy to think of weights as "supplemental" training, but a little extra focus now could save you from being injured and unable to train in June (doctors are expensive, but more so are unmet goals.)

So for now, I’m going to watch an episode of "The Office" and then make some phone calls with my Bluetooth while I get in a long ride on my trainer.

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