The Time Challenged Triathlete
by Peter Ekberg   

   It's my opinion that the most challenging aspect of triathlon is neither the races nor the training – it's the time management required to fit it all in.  Achieving the training needed to perform my best performance in each race isn't always easy.  And although triathlon is a hobby that I'm passionate about, my family and career take priority.

    Like most folks, my life is incredibly busy - throw in ten to twelve hours of training per week and things get downright nuts.  In fact, when I considered entering the sport about six years ago, I believed that I could actually fit in the necessary training while still having a great family life and a successful career. I decided that each and every workout had to have a purpose and contribute to my goals (no junk miles or yards allowed).  One of the best tools I've used as a time challenged athlete is a CompuTrainer.

    The cycling leg of most triathlons makes up approximately half of the race.  So it makes sense to allocate at least half of weekly training time to the bike.  Unfortunately, living in a major urban area in the Upper Midwest – with it's notoriously long winters – means that my outdoor cycling time is limited.  This is what ultimately led me to start using a CompuTrainer, and it has been one of the best investments I've made in the sport – and I've made my share.

What is it?
    A CompuTrainer is a type of stationary bike trainer that provides variable resistance for intervals, hill climbs, and resistance tests. A CompuTrainer can also be hooked up to a personal computer, where various software packages provide graphics on-screen that simulate riding outside in different conditions.  You actually see the CompuTrainer rider riding on roads in different settings and at different grades, and as those increase and decrease, the resistance at which you spin does as well.  Combine its accuracy and consistency with all of the data you'll ever need (speed, heartrate, watts, cadence, distance, etc.), and you can tailor your workouts to accomplish specific training objectives for a particular workout.

Advantages.
    Like any indoor trainer, a CompuTrainer allows you to get a cycling workout in without having to stop for stop signs or lights, without having to avoid small children walking into the path of your bike when riding at 20 mph (I say this from personal experience), and without the risk of accident or injury (although I did a fall off my bike once while on the CompuTrainer – don't ask).

    Unlike other indoor trainers, available features include simulations of hundreds of popular races and courses, the ability to devise courses targeted to your own training objectives (no more excuses for not doing hill workouts in vertically-challenged area), and SpinScan, which represents your pedal stroke graphically and allows you to correct it.  You can even race against yourself – past performances can be saved and recalled.  CompuTrainer allows me to spend much more time with my family and still get as much, it not more, training bang for my buck.  I frequently squeeze in an hour or two of cycling early in the morning while it's still dark and often snowing outside.  My time on the CompuTrainer is purposeful and always interesting.  CompuTrainer users all use it differently because it's so easy to customize workouts.  This makes it much more than a plain indoor trainer hooked to a computer.

    As I mentioned earlier, my ten to twelve hours of weekly training needs to be quality time.  But for each hour of that time there is additional transaction time (changing clothes, inflating bike tires, etc.)  This is another area where the CompuTrainer comes through.  With a CompuTrainer, all you need to do  is change clothes, turn on the computer, and get on your bike.  No stoplights, rain-slicked roads, or charging dogs.  And the workout isn't just spinning while watching and old movie – I stay pretty focused on spinning technique, high intensity muscular endurance drills, hills and time trials.  Even during my recovery workouts I'm watching my stats closely to make certain my cadence stays relatively high while my heart rate stays low.

    I often hear, "It's not about how good your gears is, it's about the engine."  I couldn't agree with that sentiment more (even though I buy plenty of gear), so I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about CompuTrainer four years ago. But since I began using it, my bike times have improved dramatically and, even more importantly, I look forward to and enjoy my indoor cycling.  Sure, the CompuTrainer is definitely gear, but it's helped this engine get to where it is today.

Peter Ekberg is a corporate attorney and triathlete living in Minneapolis, MN

(reprint from American TRI Magazine, late summer 2003)