Sign Up for a Spin Class
A couple of years ago on a family (read: no bikes allowed) holiday, I was going a little stir crazy and needed a cycling fix. I managed to track down an indoor spin class that started early enough that I could go and be back before my sleeping family even knew I was gone. As an avid cyclist, used to what I thought was a fairly intense training regimen, I traipsed into the class like I owned the place, expecting to barely break a sweat. The last clear thing I remember is rolling my eyes as the dance music started—everything after that is a blur of relentless exertion set to a thumping beat of 140 rpm. At the end of the class, I sloshed from the bike to the changeroom like a used dishrag, exhausted and disoriented while the women around me chatted about the latest spin class gossip. Without a word of a lie, I think it was the hardest workout I had ever done. Call me a masochist, but by the second class I was hooked. These classes might not be for everyone, but they do offer a crazy hard workout in a fun environment with lots of similarly deranged people.
Pimp Your Cave
I'm not saying your workout area needs to be the Taj Mahal, but if your pain cave doubles as a laundry room and/or smells like cat litter, we have some work to do. If you can claim a designated space for workouts without upsetting the delicate balance of domestic harmony, do it. Moving gear around is inconvenient and can be a serious deterrent to your otherwise unflappable motivation. Once you've staked your claim, work out a basic set up: a place for your trainer, a stand or desk for a monitor or tablet and a fan so you don't die. Other pleasant enhancements might include a floor mat, wireless speaker and towel rack. Next, if space permits, why not install some shelving for tools, books and other important cycling paraphernalia that may not exactly make it to the illustrious pages of Architectural Digest. With minimal effort and little expense, your pain cave can be an inviting oasis of suffering solitude. As for the smell, that's between you and the cat.
Dress for the Weather
You wouldn't wear sweatpants to the Oscars, so by the same token, it makes sense to pick proper cycling attire to suit your occasion. And if that occasion happens to be a three-hour trail ride in Winnipeg in January, a poorly selected wardrobe can have far worse consequences than sideways glances by the glitterati. It can be as bad or worse to overdress in cold weather. You might start out comfortable, but once you get moving, you will start to sweat. A lot. Without proper ventilation, that sweat will stick to your body until such time as you stop to rest, at which point it will a) get cold and clammy or b) freeze solid, depending on the temperature. It will also do a number on your hydration. Take it from this Canadian—none of this is terribly pleasant or comfortable. I'm a big fan of layering with a light Merino wool base layer, an insulating layer (if it's really cold) and a wind-blocking layer. Remember, your hands and feet will suffer the most in the cold. There are plenty of options out there to keep you comfortable depending on your winter conditions, and your LBS will be more than happy to hook you up. They like the business and probably like you better with fingers and toes.
Embrace the Gains
If winter is your offseason, this is the time to rest, focus and improve. These things will only serve to make you stronger come race season. Take time to allow your poor body to heal itself from the repetitive movements you subject it to on a daily basis while saving both your body and mind from the risk of complete burnout. Do you really want to start hating cycling so much that you take up golf? No, I didn't think so. The offseason is also a great time to focus on improving things that take time, like your aerobic system or muscle strength. Or maybe you can work on upping your FTP or your cadence. You get the idea. Winter training has many benefits, but in general it's way easier to stay in shape than get in shape. If a side benefit happens to be the ability to use your new strength to crush your judgy friends, so be it.
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