how to train once a month.....

[h90]

Here the situation:

I work in Bangkok and once a month for 7-10 days I in the south.

So I can bike 1 week per month only :-(

I try to change that to 2x per month 4 days, but I doubt it will happen. At the end I might be sometimes 2 month in Bangkok without time and sometimes I can go twice a month.

I know that isn't good. My plan now is to train these 7-10 days like crazy. Than brake for 1 week for regeneration.

Than once a week I do heavy squats and once a week I do 1 hour on the trainer (which bores me to dead). In the hope to maintain....

Not perfect, I know. Someone has a better/alternative idea? Specially the trainer is hard for me.....

Going with the bike here in Bangkok isn't really an option.

[MaeJoMTB]

3 days a week or you lose muscle tone.

After two weeks with no cycling I've lost 30%.

Nothing else works.

Edited March 23, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[apetley]

I used to hate my indoor trainer too but sitting it in front of the tv with a good cycling DVD playing made it just about bearable.

[h90]

3 days a week or you lose muscle tone.

After two weeks with no cycling I've lost 30%.

Nothing else works.

After the heavy squats I need 2-3 days to recover

But I am doing squats first, than deadlifts, than one more exercise for the thigh.

But it is not cycling but easier to bear than the trainer.....

[moonoi]

For the trainer, suggest getting yourself some training videos from Sufferfest www.thesufferfest.com and if you want to take it the next level, also get a subscription from TrainerRoad www.trainerroad.com and a usb ANT+ stick so you can capture your heart rate, cadence etc. on the computer. You then have a nice suffercave, which will be not so boring for those times on the trainer.

I also work in Bangkok, and don't have much time, manage to get 2-3 hours a week riding in, mostly at the weekend, on the road.

Edited March 23, 2015 by moonoi

[Felt 35]

Try spin classes in a Bangkok Gym / Fitness. Yes they help if done with high heart rate or do intervals on a stationary bike / trainer at home. Wu 10 min easy, then 2,4, and 6min in pyramid with 85- 90% of max Hr. One minute easy between intervals but don't let the Hr go all down. Finish with 5 min easy cycling. Totally 45min.

[h90]

I used to hate my indoor trainer too but sitting it in front of the tv with a good cycling DVD playing made it just about bearable.

I try to watch a movie....but I am not so into movies.

I try with tribar to read a book, but at high intensity I can't read well and even less I can understand what I read........But by trying to time goes one....

[h90]

For the trainer, suggest getting yourself some training videos from Sufferfest www.thesufferfest.com and if you want to take it the next level, also get a subscription from TrainerRoad www.trainerroad.com and a usb ANT+ stick so you can capture your heart rate, cadence etc. on the computer. You then have a nice suffercave, which will be not so boring for those times on the trainer.

I also work in Bangkok, and don't have much time, manage to get 2-3 hours a week riding in, mostly at the weekend, on the road.

I have the stone age version of it. I have the cadence and watt. But no heart rate, no nice visual, just an old LCD display. I don't want to upgrade until I know I really do it frequently.

But I think heart frequency for the smartphone might be not expensive and might help to monitor how hard I really train. + distract me from looking the watch.

Good idea.

Edited March 23, 2015 by h90

[h90]

Try spin classes in a Bangkok Gym / Fitness. Yes they help if done with high heart rate or do intervals on a stationary bike / trainer at home. Wu 10 min easy, then 2,4, and 6min in pyramid with 85- 90% of max Hr. One minute easy between intervals but don't let the Hr go all down. Finish with 5 min easy cycling. Totally 45min.

Good idea.....shopping for a heart monitor......That intervals might be also a nice distraction.

[moonoi]

For the trainer, suggest getting yourself some training videos from Sufferfest www.thesufferfest.com and if you want to take it the next level, also get a subscription from TrainerRoad www.trainerroad.com and a usb ANT+ stick so you can capture your heart rate, cadence etc. on the computer. You then have a nice suffercave, which will be not so boring for those times on the trainer.

I also work in Bangkok, and don't have much time, manage to get 2-3 hours a week riding in, mostly at the weekend, on the road.

I have the stone age version of it. I have the cadence and watt. But no heart rate, no nice visual, just an old LCD display. I don't want to upgrade until I know I really do it frequently.

But I think heart frequency for the smartphone might be not expensive and might help to monitor how hard I really train. + distract me from looking the watch.

Good idea.

Depends what smartphone you have, you need to ensure it supports either Bluetooth LE or ANT+

Most smartphones from the last year or so will have Bluetooth LE (also know as smart Bluetooth), ANT+ is much more of a rarity. I use a Mio Link Optical HRM, which supports both standards.

[h90]

For the trainer, suggest getting yourself some training videos from Sufferfest www.thesufferfest.com and if you want to take it the next level, also get a subscription from TrainerRoad www.trainerroad.com and a usb ANT+ stick so you can capture your heart rate, cadence etc. on the computer. You then have a nice suffercave, which will be not so boring for those times on the trainer.

I also work in Bangkok, and don't have much time, manage to get 2-3 hours a week riding in, mostly at the weekend, on the road.

I have the stone age version of it. I have the cadence and watt. But no heart rate, no nice visual, just an old LCD display. I don't want to upgrade until I know I really do it frequently.

But I think heart frequency for the smartphone might be not expensive and might help to monitor how hard I really train. + distract me from looking the watch.

Good idea.

Depends what smartphone you have, you need to ensure it supports either Bluetooth LE or ANT+

Most smartphones from the last year or so will have Bluetooth LE (also know as smart Bluetooth), ANT+ is much more of a rarity. I use a Mio Link Optical HRM, which supports both standards.

aaahhhh

I didn't know that....I am a bit of a dinosaur on these smartphone gimmicks. I have the old Note 2 from my wife, so I guess it won't have both.

I'll google a bit......When I was young I was always amused about that old farts who have the latest expensive gear, but no power at all. Now I am one of them myself

Either having time and no money or having money and no time.....

[villagefarang]

I don’t seem to be nearly as serious as the rest of you. I just did 55 minutes while watching TV but without any measurements. I figure something is better than nothing and if I don’t hate it, I will do it more often. My goal is to simply reinforce the habit of riding and not lose all my fitness while waiting for the smoke to clear.

[h90]

I don’t seem to be nearly as serious as the rest of you. I just did 55 minutes while watching TV but without any measurements. I figure something is better than nothing and if I don’t hate it, I will do it more often. My goal is to simply reinforce the habit of riding and not lose all my fitness while waiting for the smoke to clear.

On a quick read I read that you are smoking while you train on the trainer .....

OK I read more carefully the second time.

by watching TV is good, just I don't watch TV, never interested in it. OK I could steal one of my wifes TV but still wouldn't know what to watch.

Tried to watch a movie.....OK that went well for the 2-3 movies I might be interested per year.....

Trying to read a book on the table, didn't went so well, but better than nothing.

I tried to "sleep" while training full speed with the tribar.....It won't work, but trying eats another few minutes.

[CNXBKKMAN]

h90 do you get any days off whilst you are in Bangkok? Can't you get over to the Suvarnabhumi airport track? Bike on the airport express? Or bike on the BTS to Mochit and cycle up the quieter road alongside the railway line until about DonMuang where there is a quiet route to Ayuthaya? Using the normal train to get out of the city might be worth a try? I am Chiang Mai so no first hand experience to share!

[moonoi]

For the trainer, suggest getting yourself some training videos from Sufferfest www.thesufferfest.com and if you want to take it the next level, also get a subscription from TrainerRoad www.trainerroad.com and a usb ANT+ stick so you can capture your heart rate, cadence etc. on the computer. You then have a nice suffercave, which will be not so boring for those times on the trainer.

I also work in Bangkok, and don't have much time, manage to get 2-3 hours a week riding in, mostly at the weekend, on the road.

I have the stone age version of it. I have the cadence and watt. But no heart rate, no nice visual, just an old LCD display. I don't want to upgrade until I know I really do it frequently.

But I think heart frequency for the smartphone might be not expensive and might help to monitor how hard I really train. + distract me from looking the watch.

Good idea.

Depends what smartphone you have, you need to ensure it supports either Bluetooth LE or ANT+

Most smartphones from the last year or so will have Bluetooth LE (also know as smart Bluetooth), ANT+ is much more of a rarity. I use a Mio Link Optical HRM, which supports both standards.

aaahhhh

I didn't know that....I am a bit of a dinosaur on these smartphone gimmicks. I have the old Note 2 from my wife, so I guess it won't have both.

I'll google a bit......When I was young I was always amused about that old farts who have the latest expensive gear, but no power at all. Now I am one of them myself

Either having time and no money or having money and no time.....

For note 2 you will have to find a HRM that supports standard Bluetooth, Polar used to make one, not sure if it's still available.

[h90]

h90 do you get any days off whilst you are in Bangkok? Can't you get over to the Suvarnabhumi airport track? Bike on the airport express? Or bike on the BTS to Mochit and cycle up the quieter road alongside the railway line until about DonMuang where there is a quiet route to Ayuthaya? Using the normal train to get out of the city might be worth a try? I am Chiang Mai so no first hand experience to share!

No days off, but I could escape office for 2-3 hours.

Both Don Muang and Swampy is far away. But there is something here, maybe not good for biking but maybe for running or skating. I'll have to check that.

Good idea.

[moonoi]

I ride around Chocolate Ville, near to Ram Inthra road. Lots of cyclists riding around in the evening, as well as weekdays

Strava segment map of the route is here https://www.strava.com/segments/4064327 don't know if that is nearby or easy for you to get to or not.

[h90]

I ride around Chocolate Ville, near to Ram Inthra road. Lots of cyclists riding around in the evening, as well as weekdays

Strava segment map of the route is here https://www.strava.com/segments/4064327 don't know if that is nearby or easy for you to get to or not.

If you mirror that over the river than it is approx. where I am (Thaveewattana). So it far away....

[h90]

heck they are all over 40 km/h

Considering that it is in the city with traffic........I am amazed.

[moonoi]

heck they are all over 40 km/h

Considering that it is in the city with traffic........I am amazed.

Most of them at that speed are club riders, that ride in a big group. This is my effort on the same segment last weekend, a mere 32.6kmh avg!

[Bosse137]

When it is about taking care of your helth,don`t think about what is fun/boring; just do it !! Likewise, regarding time and oppotunity;let it be among the first on your "must do" list.My father often told me,"if you want something extra,you also have to put in an extra effort"! Sorry if I sound highstrung,but these are the facts.Beeing fat and suffer from poor helth is not so fun either,rather boring I would say....

[F4UCorsair]

Buy an exercise bile, sit in front of the TV and go for it. Training for week every month may do more harm than good.

[Daniel Ingalls]

........Let me get this right. You live in the Southern part of Thailand, and you ride your bicycle to Bangkok

for exercise once every 7 days. How long does it take you to travel the distance?......What are you some kind of Olympiad nut?..............Simply crazy.... I can see the headliners.....on TV " Bicyclist hit by 18 Wheeler" or "Unknown Farrang Roadside KIlled, Scraped off the Road"

[moonoi]

........Let me get this right. You live in the Southern part of Thailand, and you ride your bicycle to Bangkok

for exercise once every 7 days. How long does it take you to travel the distance?......What are you some kind of Olympiad nut?..............Simply crazy.... I can see the headliners.....on TV " Bicyclist hit by 18 Wheeler" or "Unknown Farrang Roadside KIlled, Scraped off the Road"

Read the first post again, he says he works in Bangkok except for 7-10 days a month when he is in the south.

Not quite sure how you managed to get that he rides to Bangkok from that........

[h90]

When it is about taking care of your helth,don`t think about what is fun/boring; just do it !! Likewise, regarding time and oppotunity;let it be among the first on your "must do" list.My father often told me,"if you want something extra,you also have to put in an extra effort"! Sorry if I sound highstrung,but these are the facts.Beeing fat and suffer from poor helth is not so fun either,rather boring I would say....

Yes you are right! Actually could be my words.....

It is not that I am fat and not doing anything. I do exercises almost every day for 1+ hour. Sitting on the trainer replaces one day with squats, deadlifts, and other exercises. I am doing it and I think I'll change it to 70 min now.

Just it is really boring, while all the other exercises I like to do, on the street I like to go full speed for hours, but kicking the pedals in the living room is testing my willpower. I have the willpower but I also need all of it to do it.....

[h90]

........Let me get this right. You live in the Southern part of Thailand, and you ride your bicycle to Bangkok

for exercise once every 7 days. How long does it take you to travel the distance?......What are you some kind of Olympiad nut?..............Simply crazy.... I can see the headliners.....on TV " Bicyclist hit by 18 Wheeler" or "Unknown Farrang Roadside KIlled, Scraped off the Road"

No!

My English is sometimes a bit strange/hard to understand.........

I live in Bangkok and work here. Here the streets/traffic is horrible.

I have a "weekend" house in the south. Whenever I am there I sit on the bike.

We work Mo-Sa.

To go down to the south is 1 hour to the airport, be 2 hours early (with some safety because of traffic jam), fly 1 hour, go there with the car 1 hour.

So instead of every weekend we try to take off 1 week per month (more or less, trying to adjust with public holidays and workload).

There in the south is almost no traffic and very safe.

So not riding the bike from the south to BKK, at least not now.

[nithisa78]

Sounds good already. Not broke, don't fix. Stay the course.

[h90]

Sounds good already. Not broke, don't fix. Stay the course.

hmm, maybe you are right....but I am always open for suggestions to improve.....

My average energy output is 20-25 % more than on the beginning....so it is working....

[NanLaew]

How about audio books instead of trying to read/watch anything when on the trainer?

[h90]

How about audio books instead of trying to read/watch anything when on the trainer?

excellent idea....Just I don't like audio books.....But your idea brings me to a other one, I could watch or listen some discussions, which can (I think) be streamed on internet.....

Good point, having something to listen....