It is no secret that non-running workouts are my least favorite thing. I'm not talking about the strength and crosstraining that we all work in a day or two a week. I'm talking about the "shit I'm banged up again and can't run" workouts that you do to maintain some semblance of fitness but really wish you were running instead.
Since there is nothing I can do about it, and because moping makes things worse, I'm trying this thing where I find ways to get myself excited to spend a lot of time on my spin bike. This bike is hands down the best investment we've ever made. I have used it so much more than I thought I would and it has saved my sanity on a regular basis. Still, seeing a spin on my schedule doesn't get me fired up the way a run does. So, what did I do? I GOT EXCITED.
It was surprisingly easy to find ways to get excited about sitting in my dark-ish home gym space with no more Olympics to watch (aside from football season being upon us). First, I asked for my spins to be longer. I wanted to feel like I was accomplishing something other than improving my bum's tolerance for the saddle. I wanted to work. Since I was going to have quality workouts on the bike, I decided to upgrade a few key pieces of gear accordingly. First off, big girl cycling shoes (aka clipping in).
Looks like a running shoe, clips in like a bike shoe. Yay!
I can't very well clip in without the pedals, so I hit up the REI Labor Day sale and got some great Shimano SPD pedals. Added bonus that I can take the cage from the old pedals and put it on these so MS can still use the bike (or I can should I need to spin in other shoes). I've done a handful of rides already and it is so different. I wish I had done this sooner. I'm also pretty darn impressed with myself for installing the clips on the shoes, mounting the pedals to the bike, and clipping in with relative ease. For someone who has considered herself a strictly runner (not a cyclist, not a triathlete), it feels like a big deal.
SPD compatible pedals for my new shoes!
Rounding out the bike goodness, I upped my data nerdness. Garmin was kind enough to provide me with a bike speed and cadence sensor. My 230 has an indoor bike option so these sensors will provide me with some concrete feedback on the various workouts I'll be doing. The cadence sensor was really easy to install on the bike and paired quickly with my watch. I haven't installed the speed sensor yet since I have a true spin bike with flywheel, rather than a bike on a trainer (aka the structure I should attach the sensor to doesn't exist). I think I've come up with a way to hook it up, but haven't tried yet.
While all the bike love is great, I've also started looking into running shoes for my post-Pearl Izumi existence. There is a tentative test run on my calendar for September 27, so getting back out there on a regular basis might not be too far away. After some poking around online, I ordered the Salomon Sense Propulse. It shares some physical similarities to my current shoes (shape of the last, etc.) that I am hopeful about. The drop is similar, as is the level of cushioning. Added bonus, it can handle some easy trail running as well as the road.
The first post-Pearl shoe I'll be trying...
If you've tried this shoe, or the Salomon brand, I would love to hear your thoughts. When you've had to adjust your training significantly, did you have any strategies to stay motivated? What were they?