Beating the Boredom of Indoor Training

December has brought with it shadows of sugar-laced treats and long, dark days indoors. Cold snap after cold snap persists in our area of the world, with temperatures so low that even we, who have typically run outside all winter long, refuse to put ourselves in harms way. 

When the windchill is nearly -40F, we draw the line. 

At this point in our pre-training, two enemies assault us hard: boring workouts and poor eating habits. The eating habits will resolve themselves in a couple of days when the holiday season has passed and the real training begins. We've heard and briefly experienced the negative reactions that come from fueling poorly, and we've witnessed the positive results of fueling well. Sugar cookies out. Bananas in. 

As for boring workouts, well, it's time to get a little creative. A few different strategies have mitigated the boredom for cycling. Friends, in particular, help pass the time well. I tried to cycle the other day while Jason watched football and the big kids played. That was the longest fifteen minutes of my winter so far. Just two days previous, a friend came over and pedaled beside me. I genuinely think I could've cycled for an hour. It's amazing how just having someone there to visit with can make a big difference. 

Jason also introduced our cycling group to Spinervals, these evil DVDs with a pleasant-sounding man chirping out orders for a group of sweaty, indoor cyclists. The videos range in time, with our longest one currently at a little over an hour. The workouts challenged just about every rider in the group, and the time went FAST. 

I'm also on the lookout for some motivational pictures and sayings. These type of things keep us moving and smiling. After all, if I can't have some fun during a workout, I don't want to do it. We both had big silly grins on our faces when this came in the mail this past weekend:

In November Mr. T., (aka Mr. Media), noticed the group of professional triathletes participating in Movember, a global charity that raises awareness and funds for men's health. These triathletes participated in Movember by growing some (pretty gnarly) mustaches in November. Near the end of the month, the triathletes decided they hadn't raised enough funds, and so in a last-ditch effort, they put together a "Men of Triathlon" calendar to top off their funds. We bit. The pictures were just too hilarious inspiring to not have in the house this long winter season.

I have a feeling that several inspiring pictures and quotes will find themselves in the most unique of places in our home these next few months. But for now, we're reminded daily as we open the fridge of exactly how much time we have left until the big day. Merry Christmas all!