This weekend was a perfect example of what happens on long climbs.
On Saturday, my workout was a steady 50-65% for two hours while watching one of the Fast and Furious movies. 90 minutes in and during an extended time of “boring” dialogue, my legs began to feel very heavy and tired. Tired to the point I wanted to quit the ride or take a break badly. I felt depressed. But whenever a race scene would start, my legs felt great and I was happy and strong again (only 65% FTP).
This 55 year old ADHD guy needs a mental hack to turn up the dopamine or adrenaline or whatever during the 3 hour outdoor climbs I experience in bikepacking events too. It’s all in the head…I know. Can someone recommend a hack?
Break it up. Add some zone 2 intervals - 3 minutes @ 70% - 2 minutes back at 55% or something like that. Get off the bike every 20 minutes and swing a kettlebell, dumbbells, whatever.
When I’m riding the trainer and randomly get that bored, heavy legs feeling I usually try to mix it up a little (kinda like @AJS914 mentioned). For small mental blocks, getting out of the saddle (still pedaling) for a minute or so usually gets me through it. For a bigger one, I might get off the bike and refill a bottle or go to the bathroom or something.
I’ve had the same issues watching movies on the trainer in the past. So you’re definitely not alone on that one.
I watch a lot of you tube videos on the trainer. They tend to be pretty short and it allows me to switch up topics. I can’t watch entire movies while on the trainer, I just get too bored.
Have you ever tried idle games on your phone while pedalling? Adventure Capitalist and The Tower are my two recent favorites. You basically click to upgrade something to earn more money to make more upgrades, ad infinitum. I can burn through a two hour endurance workout without even really noticing it.
Totally not kidding have you gotten medication for ADHD. Adderall made long rides much easier for me. I used to go crazy on 3 hour rides, all I could do was think of other things I could be doing.
Are you using ERG mode? If so, I would suggest turning it off if you can shift with your trainer bike. Stay within the percent of ftp you’re trying to ride in. To me, it makes indoor rides easier than slogging through with erg; sometimes.
Other things I get up every 30 minutes whether still on the bike and do a little calf stretch and twist or get off the bike completely for 20 seconds ( mostly for 3 hour indoor rides).
Regardless, try finding new movies to watch or even reading a book on your Phone or a real book. I never thought reading would be possible but you get used to it. I don’t recommend reading during a threshold or vo2 workout.
On easy-moderate Z2 trainer rides I recently started doing the following: every 30 minutes, instead of standing for a minute, I hop off and do 10 pull-ups or overhead barbell presses then jump back on. Any upper body work will do could be bench press, dumbbell curls combined with overhead press, whatever, as long as it is a legit set not just going through the motions.
