That’s actually why I DON’T do audiobooks. I’d like to, but i would never get through one in the library time.
I did 200min today. I Watched a movie and then Paris roubiax highlights. I just tell my self I have to do this and keep pounding away
Did most of the IM courses on a CompuTrainer. Having an actual course profile was critical to sitting for 8 hours (yep). CompuTrainers now in land fill and am still looking for course alternatives. Think PerfPro has them. Also uploading from GPS to whatever interactive program used should work- eg Garmin to trainer. I have yet to try Zwift but that seems like it would be a sufficient distraction. Or do 1000 x 8 min and watch old Gunsmoke episodes. Haven’t tried that…yet
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Watch a race on GCN+ and time it so they get to the finish line when you do.
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Break up the endurance workout into regular harder/easier intervals to trick your brain. For example, instead of just holding a steady z2 power for 3 hours, do 8-9 intervals that have “breaks” where the z2 is easier.
I was going to suggest this also having just hopped off the bike from longfellow.
I tried wearing a 2nd set of bibs as an experiment. Probably helped a bit.
I prefer to not take breaks if I can help it; learned to have my bluetooth headsets charged so that I don’t have to stop and find another one 3 hours in, oops.
Thank you for all the ideas everyone. I got my first 2-hour ride in on the trainer today. Good bibs helped. Having a rocker plate helped. Having some variety in the form of intervals and standing for periods helped. And having enough water and carbs helped too.
I will try watching a movie.
It can be a bit annoying. But usually I can renew in time for next z2 session. And I line up some shorter books as backups just in case.
I definitely found Zwift to be plenty distracting for long z2 rides. Esp. when I was pursuing the tron bike. But don’t want to pay for 2 subscriptions.
I have been putting youtube up on my TV and putting 4K crit races on. NorCal Cycling has some pretty good content. I feel like I actually get into it if I let myself get distracted.
Has anyone else tried this? Seems better than paying for Zwift.
I go through phases where I like having Zwift to watch but then I get tired of it and go back to watching something and/or listening to music or a podcast while watching something like sports where I don’t need to hear it.
Great point - where I have a long session, I make my sugar water the night before, and lay out kit towels etc, so I can get on the trainer ASAP and actually have some of the day leftover.
And yep - not much housework happening after a really long ride, so try and get all that done the day before if possible to stay in the husband/wife’s good books! When I’m in the good books I’ll sometimes have a fresh coffee brought to me on a long Sunday ride!
My record is a 5 hour ride, and some solid food is needed for that kind of length IMO. Haribo, bananas, cereals bars etc. Other than sugar water, I’ll have a separate bottle for straight water, and I’ll get off for a 2 minute refill and toilet break as often as is needed - usually once every 60-90 mins.
The biggest thing that made multi-hour sessions something I would even consider was that changing my indoor saddle to a softer version of the one I use outdoors. This greatly improved my comfort, not just for my sit bones, but also my knees (somehow).
I’d probably be willing to do a three-hour session my indoor bike fit was a little better dialed. Currently I have to get off to walk around a bit every once in a while.
Sounds great for breaking the monotony, but not optimal for endurance training.
Full IM course on trainer. Ouch. What trainer do you have now? I keep trying Zwift off and on but it never really sticks for me. I think if I did group workouts or races on there it might be different. I’ve found it useful for stuff like bill repeats or just hard workouts where I grab on any wheel that passes me. I’ve been trying RGT Cycling. You can send them any gps route and they’ll create a “magic route” so just a simple world around that route.
+1 on pretty much all of this.
The Zwift BMTR saturday morning ride has become my go-to weekly long z2 training ride when the weather isn’t great for outdoors. It’s 100 miles and takes about 3:45. The first time I signed up, I had no plans to go the full distance, but you get caught up in the group dynamics and time flies pretty quick. Lots of caffeine helps and the pace/power is very smooth and right at the border of Z2 and Z3 for me with a few threshold surges mixed it. Part of the deal is you can’t stop pedaling, even for a few seconds or you get spit out the back with little hope to get back on at those speeds. That keeps you engaged and focused. A table nearby filled with gels, skratch, and cokes allows me to stay well fueled and hydrated.
Rollers also help, I use the floating e-motion rollers with smart resistance and they have very road-like pedaling dynamics and the balance/attention required is another thing that keeps me engaged.
I still prefer doing my long Z2 work outdoors, but it’s hard to argue with the time efficiency indoors. In under 4 hours, I can knock out over 250 TSS and 3000 Kj’s. Less than 2 minutes of that time is spent below Z2 (just the slight pauses when getting out of the saddle periodically). I would be out of the house for nearly 6 hours to get similar work in when figuring in junk miles and store stops.
The zwift bmtr faster masters 90 minute rides on tues/thurs are also good and fly by quickly, but they are a little hot for me when I’m trying to get z2 work in.
For harder interval work using TR, I don’t have any issues with the 2 hour sessions just with music. Intervals keep me engaged since they break things up. The rest invervals fly by (or obvious reasons) and the hard intervals have my full attention.
The tough ones for me are sweet spot. A little too hard to watch TV and the intervals drag on when they start pushing up to 30 minutes each.
For endurance pace for 2 hours or less, netflix helps the time fly if I can’t find a zwift ride that fits the bill. You need to be selective on the zwift rides. Many of them are a lot like outdoor group rides with surging and power all over the place. Look for the smooth ones with disciplined riders and I find those great to optimize time in zone.
RGT is good IMO but it has a 100km limit on magic roads (why anyone would want to spend any longer on a turbo 
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Doing the A’s, I assume?
I have found i can’t do group rides and watch something on TV. If the group is big enough, maybe, but otherwise too easy to miss a wheel and get spit out the back.
I’ve noticed my “fit” is a little different indoors than out. My trainer bike is more comfortable with a bit less reach and slightly more upright than I like outdoors. I ride in the drops some inside for the variety but overall more upright, which also has to do with saddle choice like we talked about earlier. It’s not a huge difference between my regular road bikes but the difference is there for me.
Yep, you get a little distracted with anything and the group ride is over. It also limits your bathroom breaks, water breaks etc. imho a flaw in the Zwift group ride, not much of a regroup option. I’ve tried using the pacers and jumping back in with them after a break, it’s doable but you end up with however many ride files…
100 miles in 4 hours in Z2. Yikes. I am weak.