Photo by thefsb/flickr.com

Cool days have given way to a full-blown chill. Any way you look at it, it’s still winter and will be for some time. This is the time of shifting priorities, periodization, and maybe bit of dread. Since most of us have “Type A” blood pulsing through our veins, it might even be guilt. We all know what needs to happen next, but it always amazes me how many triathletes simply give up cycling, often for months at a time, during these short days and frosty conditions.

If you associate riding your bike with warm fresh air and blue sky, the sport may end up as the bastard child of your training regimen. The solution to this annual dilemma is to learn to enjoy riding your bike indoors, and the best way to do this is to constantly change up the dynamics of your ride.

Cycling indoors can be a fun new challenge

Early in the week, you might tap into the group energy of a lively (but possibly mindless) spin class. Although I’m no fan of these sessions where heavy flywheels all but defeat hip flexion, I can speak of other positives, highlighted by some much needed socialization with that collective crescendo of pure energy. Allow yourself to roll with this once-in-a-while workout. Depending on who’s leading the charge, these sessions can be a mainstay of your indoor routine. I like the sessions lead by creative, energetic personalities. I also prefer these stationary workouts on a trainer with my own bike.

Continuing the exploration of something deeper might be next. Acquiring, borrowing or begging for a CompuTrainer is worth the effort. We’ll access a pre-loaded rolling course—my favorite is the Coors Morgul Bismark loop—we keystroke our pacer to fulfill our wildest European classic victory while actually watching it on TV with earphones. I crank the pacer up to a sustained 400 watts, and for the next 35-40 minutes we’ll go cross-eyed trying to stay 9-15 feet from the little monster’s rear wheel. It’s like playing a video game at anaerobic threshold. It takes every ounce of our honed concentration to stay in that draft. Should your focus drift for even a millisecond the demon will gap you, requiring a surge of power just shy of or just over your maximum everything. In these moments of extreme output, you’ll connect your mind and body with the true spirit of what winter training should be about. This higher plane will either make or break you, and I’m betting you are up for the challenge. The beauty of these sessions is that as you’re reaching your vital capacities, you’re coaching yourself while logging watts, speed, distance, cadence, and MPH. Additionally, you have Spin Scan data that splits torque and wattage for each leg and average torque angles which tell you precisely where the pick-up points occur. All of this information will improve your pedal stroke.

Connect your mind and body with the true spirit of what winter training should be about…

Hard building has its place, but rest is the catalyst that makes the training gel, so take a day off or have an active recovery session at fairly high rpm’s. Throw your bike on the trainer and just roll over the cranks for active recovery. In these sessions I will pitch in 8-10 breath-holding hypoxic intervals for 15-20 seconds—holding just short of lactic building, usually on a 1-minute schedule. While cruising at around Zone 3 you will be having a pleasant conversation with your lungs about their role in performance training, which has nothing to do with burning the cardio or abusing your muscles.

On a day of cross training, I will drop my fixed gear track bike on a pair of seemingly frictionless 35-year-old Krietler rollers. A road or TT bike will suffice if that is what you have. This one might just be my personal favorite: I slowly build my rpms by 10 from 80, topping out at roughly 130 revs or more, depending on the music. You can’t do that on a trainer and the reason you want rollers is that getting comfortable at that speed supercharges your legs, balances your stroke symmetry and coordinates the flow of muscles that makes you a smoother, more powerful rider. In all likelihood, you will get off your bike and run with more panache. For multisport athletes, I recommend a best application range topping out at around 110-120 rpm’s and building this number slowly over the course of about five miles or 15 minutes. At the end of the session, try making a fast transition to running shoes and out the door for another 30 minutes of form-oriented running. Upon returning, it’s a repeat of the first 15 minutes, up and then down the ladder with a slow dissolve to cool. One hour and you’re done.

At mid-week we might be blessed. You suddenly get a break in the clouds and your energy is high. Use your best creative rationalization to bypass what it is you do for a living and do something that really matters. With all our faculties we need to savor a warm front the same way we savor a good vino. Grab every opportunity to ride outdoors when the weather suddenly smiles. This experience, however long or short, will become the fuel of your desire to ride. Savor riding your bike, grab some good tunes, and forget about the doors.

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John Howard holds world records at both ends of the spectrum of madness: In speed (152 mph) and endurance (539 miles in 24 hours). He is an 18-time elite and masters USA cycling national champion, an Ironman world champion, a professional coach, bicycle fitter (he created the FiTTE System), and author of the new book, “Mastering Cycling.”