I suppose this is a good description of Florida at times during the summer. For right now we are dealing with Tropical storm Debby. I know for certain, however, no storm will seperate me and Campy.
As a triathlete, I have a selection of sports to choose from to keep me exercising indoors when weather is not corporating. For runners and cyclists. This may pose a problem if you don't have the right equipment to train indoors. Before I give a few tips on training indoors due to weather, I will first say that there is no need to waste energy on something out of your control - like weather. The great thing, believe it or not, is that you can use your energy on things that are within your control. However you may need to be a little creative and be ok with changing up your structured routine.
1. For cyclists and triathletes - I LOVE my Cyclops Powerbeam pro trainer. It is really use to tolerate for those who don't like the trainer and I love that the joule always me to adjust my watts and provides resistance to keep me in my specific zones.
2. For triathletes and runners - find a treadmill. If you don't like the treadmill or don't fel comfortable on the treadmill, I recommend bumping up the incline and doing a power walk to get the heart rate up.
3. Change up the routine - head to the gym (drive safe) and do some strength and cardio. Do an aerobic class, the stair stepper, elliptical, rowing machine, take a dip in the pool, water jog or do a spin class. Don't set yourself up for failure by saying you don't like those things and think black or white. Something is better than nothing and you may end up getting a quality workout - which beats lying on the couch wishing you could train outside.
4. Get creative at home - not only in the kitchen but find something to keep the body moving for at least an hour (either continuous or total). Dance, do aerobics from the web, strength train with equipement at home or do some heavy duty cleaning. Stop worrying about losing fitness and not burning calories...the body always enjoys a new exercise and a change in the routine and nbelieve it or not, your body will eventually appreciate your effort (when you can return back to your normal routine) to not stop your workouts when it is stormy outside.
5. Find your connections - ask your training buddies if they belong to a gym. Often, members get free guest passes (or at a cheaper price than normal) and it may be fun to workout somewhere new with your friends.
6. Invest in your fitness - spend $15 or $25 for a week temporary guest pass at a local gym if you don't belong to a gym. The great thing about going somewhere new is the chance of making new friends and perhaps being motivated by others.
I recommend keeping indoor workouts around 60-90 minutes unless your schedule requires you to do more for your upcoming races (or phase of training). .I enjoy intervals all the time but find them great for indoor workouts when it can be easy to feel bored starring at a screen (or walls).
Here are a few workouts (2 different main sets listed for each sport) that you may want to try to spice up your indoor routine:
Swim:
*2-3 x 1000's
(swim like this continuously: 50 easy, 50 fast, 100 easy, 100 fast, 150 easy, 150 fast, 200 easy, 200 fast)
(swim like this continuously: 50 easy, 50 fast, 100 easy, 100 fast, 150 easy, 150 fast, 200 easy, 200 fast)
If you are a new swimmer you can give yourself rest breakfast between each part of the set for 10-30 seconds.
*400, 2 x 300's, 3 x 200's, 4 x 100's, 5 x 50's
(rest as needed, effort 75-90%. Try to keep same interval. Ex. if you can swim a 50 @ 90% in 1 minute, your 400 should be on 8 minutes)
Bike:
*over/unders: 3-4x's:
2 min under, 1 min over, 2 min under, 1 min over, 2 min under. Recover 5 minutes
(find your threshold zone (or functional threshol) or around 85% max HR and your goal is to be a little under and a little over for each interval)
(find your threshold zone (or functional threshol) or around 85% max HR and your goal is to be a little under and a little over for each interval)
*10 x 30 sec "sprints" w/ 60-90 sec recovery
(this can be in or out of the saddle - focus on good form, not bouncing on the saddle. RPM should be 100+)
Run/elliptical/walk/water jog
*5 min easy, 5 min fast, 4 min easy, 4 min fast, 3 min easy, 3 min fast, 2 min easy, 2 min fast, 1 min easy, 1 min fast
*2-3 x's
3 x 1/4 mile (or 90 seconds) @ 90% max HR (or mid to upper Z4) w/ 1 min recovery. Then 5 min "tempo" (75-80% or Z3 low to mid). Recover 1 min, then repeat 1-2 more times.
3 x 1/4 mile (or 90 seconds) @ 90% max HR (or mid to upper Z4) w/ 1 min recovery. Then 5 min "tempo" (75-80% or Z3 low to mid). Recover 1 min, then repeat 1-2 more times.