vesteroid

When the weather turned bad here, and I decided to come inside and do the trainer, I thought I had a plan for the entire winter. while I still like the trainer, I just cant do it five days a week, like I could riding. If I do it both days on the weekend for an hour and a half, I am more or less nutty when I finish.

SO...I was procrastinating and only riding about 3 days a week.

I actually started gaining weight back. A pound or two at first, but I convinced myself that was a "normal" fluctuation. I have one of the withings scales where you can track your weight on a graph over time. One look at that this weekend and I could see the bottom of my weight in early october, and see it inching up ever since.

I promptly went and signed up for a half marathon. I will be running the shamrock Half in Virginia Beach on St Pats day.

So get up, go run 13.1 miles, then go drink green beer till I fall asleep. Almost a perfect day. I have an entire 16 weeks to get back into running shape. I paid for my race and my hotel rooms already, so now I HAVE to train!

Still going to ride on the trainer two days a week to keep my bike fitness and use those as recovery days for my running.

For some odd reason I dont mind running in cold and wet, I just hate riding in it. GO figure.

Then I can get serious about my bike training in late march, and be ready by may when it finally gets warm here.

anyone else switching back to running over the winter?

TrojanHorse

What is this.... winter?

But seriously, I can't run. At all. It's excruciating. I wish I could, it's a very efficient form of exercise and my dog's a fan.

Good luck!

vesteroid

still really liking trainer road.com I have all but quit using erg videos (sucks too as they werent cheap). I would rather watch netflix while on the trainer than watch some cyclist and pretend I am chasing him.

jsigone

running in rain is pretty good, but riding in the rain sucks. Wind, speed, traction, cars, other people, lots going on on top of being wet and cold. If you need a good training partner go get a dog, not a lil yap yap either. Something 40+ pounder would be a great running buddy. Worst case you end up walking/ jogging a couple miles in the morning every day w/ the dog. I know it works for me. I have a boxer, she's an awesome dog.

Brando_T.

For the first time in a while I wish I could run on these bum ankles.

But it'll be on the trainer in the basement for me - when I find time. My spare time evaporated abruptly Sept 1st.

Best of luck in your running.

tpy2010

I'm with you on not liking the trainer so much. I made one that is basically free rolling and I have elevated the front of the trike to make it more challenging. Still too big for long distance, or even short distance running. I have tried cross country skiing but really sweat, thought I'd try snow shoes and hiking. But, need the snow first. I just need to get really skinny. That doesn't sound as much fun as the running.

Mi11er

That is why I got into Biking, running is just not my thing. I was thinking of getting a trainer, after reading these comments I am glad I haven't yet.

vesteroid

There are just as many stories of big guys and girls of all ages starting running and losing weight as there are biking.

It is harder, and perhaps takes longer (and hurts more) but its just as possible.

i think doing both over the winter will be a great combo for me. I won't get burned out on either and at least have the trainer if its snowing on run days

Hill-Pumper

I think that running in the winter is what has kept my weight in check for the last two years. I just bought my third pair of running shoes so I can train for a half marathon in April of next year. I never thought that I would like running as much as I do, but it is nice to change things up from biking all the time.

IBOHUNT

Good luck. I'd love to be able to complete a half. As it is now a 5K is painfully slow and boring.
I'm sure part of it is mental but I can't see me "running", and I use that term loosely, for a couple of hours

vesteroid

Ibo...it's in va beach...come run with us...plenty of time to train and no one cares how fast you run.

Neil_B

Running is more of a 'sport', but I think hiking bears consideration too for a wintertime activity.

That said, my first 5K is December 1.

vesteroid

That's fantastic Neil. Best advice I can offer is really watch your pace going out. When that horn sounds and the group starts moving, it's very easy to go out to fast. Even 15 seconds a mile too fast really makes a difference in the end.

Neil_B

I don't think there's much worry. I'll be walking most of it, as I did with the three 5Ks I 'ran' in 2010.

Mark Stone

I have a magnet powered trainer (I still call them "windtrainers") gathering dust in the garage. There is nothing more boring on planet Earth than extended periods of time on a trainer. Ugh. I can't run because of knee pain, though, but I like to walk and hike and live in a very hilly city that happens to have a mountain right in the middle. That's right, El Paso Texas is a "U" shaped city that wraps around the very southern tip of the Rockies, so there are dozens of hiking trails that go up up up up right outside our front doors. It's even more convenient than the Front Range is if you live in Denver. So I like to hike and aerobic walk when I burn out a bit on cycling, and I'm giving my "windtrainer" away to my son. If you all don't live in El Paso then you're losing out . . . yessir.

IBOHUNT

... how fast I plod along

is what you meant to write

I am giving it some serious thought. I'll stay in touch and we maybe can do the wheel thing then if you have them. I'm saving as much as I can.

lenny866

I rode through the winter last year, outside on the weekends and on the trainer during the week. That was the first time I rode year round. I also barely ran this year and cycled a lot. By August, I wasn't very motivated on the bike. I'm going back to riding 3 seasons and mixing in running. I just did a 5k today, the local Turkey Trot. I signed up for another one on new years eve. I'll get in a few more rides then put the bike away. Sometime after the new year, I'll put it on the trainer and start using it again. By March I'll be excited to ride outside!!

I'm with hill pumper....it is nice to change things up from biking all the time.

Mi11er

Good Luck!!