Weather - Plan around it or Train in it?

Leslie Sedlak

I was recently asked by a friend training for IM what they should do regarding all the 'weather'/rain in the forecast for Sat and Sun this weekend.  He has a big day planned for either day but is struggling with spending 5-6 hours out on his bike in the rain.  He has already endured an entire HIM on a cold and rainy day, so he knows he can do it, but the question in his mind is safety.  My advice to him was to wait until the weekend actually gets here and be ready to do all three outdoors, if you have to do some of the ride indoor on the trainer, so be it - but do at least some of the ride outside regardless of weather. This is the week before his Build2 rest week, so it really is his last tough week before peak/race weeks.

I'd love to hear other suggestions or past experiences of how best to approach this situation. (I looked throughout the forum area and didn't see anything covering this, so if I missed it, please send that link my way and I'll post there.)

Thanks!

kimmydct

I generally rejigger WKOs for bad weather if I can't do them inside. For example, I'll move a long bike to a non-rainy day but if it is a short interval bike or run, I'll do it inside.

I know I can ride in the rain, but for safety reasons, I prefer not to if I don't have to. Better to get to the starting line than wipe out on a training ride in sketchy conditions...

But that's just me....

Gordon Cherwoniak

I do both.  I like to get out in the rain and train to see how the tires, brakes and work on my bike handling skills in those types of conditions.  Once I have a few rides in I'm not as concerned and will shift things if possible.

Now doing a long bike on the trainer can be mentally draining for some.  I don't find too much of an issue in the 2-3 hour range and have done 6 hours on the trainer a long time ago.  If you can safely get outside and train that would be my first choice, but I spend 5 months on the trainer in the winter. 

If it's truly a safety issue and not a I don't want to get out in the rain then move the ride, get on the trainer or break it up.

Brad Marcus

I think I take a combination of Kim and Gordon's approach. Aside from thunderstorms, I will generally run in anything. I'm a bit more particular on the bike since there is a safety issue involved. On one hand, I want the experience of biking in the not-so-perfect weather. However, safety is paramount in the fact that I think measuring the risks is key. I live in a hilly area with lots of twists and turns with little shoulders on the roadside to ride. If this weren't the case, I might feel differently. So, if my plan calls for a long ride that I cannot easily move around on the bad weather days, I measure how bad that weather will be. If it's going to be a hard rain over several hours, I consider the trainer. If it's more of a spotty situation, I'll try to suck it up and prepare for the weather on the bike. I've also split a longer bike between the trainer and outdoors. After spending too many out season / get faster / and regular plan hours on the trainer, I've kind of had to part ways with it for now. Whereas I could stomach a 3 hour trainer ride a couple months ago, I find a 1 hour session grueling now!

Rumpole

I won't start in the rain, but in the summer if it starts raining I tend to welcome it. That is, if I leave early when traffic is light. Cools everything off; higher wattage numbers, etc. The downer is having to clean and lube every last pivot point when I get home, but that's life. Thunderstorms are a different matter. Trainer-wise, longest I've done is 2 hours, but I've found that 2 hours of ISLAGIATT on trainer road = at least 2.5 hours outside. YMMV.

Paul Hough

I'm with Chris except that I welcome thunderstorms. Here in central Florida, they usually move east or west depending on which coast has the dominant sea breeze that evening, and I try to catch the backside after it's cooled down and the lightning strikes have moved away. Typically it's still raining when I go out, but trailing off. That can easily drop the temperature from the low 90s to the 70s which makes a huge difference in workout quality. If you wait too long and the sun pops back out, then it's a clam bake and you are the clam!

John Withrow

I ride outside rain or shine. My training schedule is pigeon holed in to very specific time windows given my work schedule and family life that if I don't do my workout in the specific window I have allotted that I simply don't do the window. I figure it helps me build my mental six pack. With that said, if it's a dangerous thunderstorm, I'll just suffer on my rollers, but that has only happened like 1x per year.

Leslie Sedlak

Thanks so much everyone for the advice!!! We're still watching the weather to see how severe it's supposed to be - fingers crossed he can get it in this weekend at some point!

cgres123

I'm a little more conservative on riding outside. I guess because I'm a professional driver. I sit up higher than a SUV or a car. I will tell you a very LARGE percent of people are on the phone talking or texting while driving and or have their phones in their lap waiting to stop so they can be connected.
It really is dangerous out there on a good day add reduced visibility and the chances of an accident increase dramatically.
My vote be safe ride your trainer in bad weather.

Mark Maurer

I'll run outside in rain any day because I loath a treadmill and the rain doesn't bother me as much on the run. I've ridden in the rain and I'll do it if necessary, but if I can move the long workout around to a better weather day I'll do it. This weekend is a good example. There is a front moving in off the Pacific and it's raining pretty hard at times so I moved my 5 hour bike until tomorrow and, as luck has it, I'm off on Monday and I'll do my 3 hour bike then. I'll do a long swim today instead of Monday. Besides the safety/visibility issues, I've been in rain storms here on long rides where I get so cold that I start having a hard time concentrating and I almost hit a car because of it. No training ride is worth that.

MattAaronson

Personally I wouldn't go out for a ride in the rain or if rain is virtually guaranteed. I'll do a trainer ride instead and truncate the total time if necessary. I will run outdoors in all weather and all seasons unless the footing is dangerous due to ice.