Long session boredom

iAcesHigh

As a triathlete I'm quite often doing middle long and long (5+) training sessions and while I would go outside of Dublin, from time to time I have to stay close to my place if something urgent happens at work etc.

Sometimes that means I'm doing 50, 70 or 90 km mostly in Phoenix park which can be straight down boring. How do you deal with boredom on those rides, do you ever listen to music on a bike (still reluctant due to safety issues) or have some other way of "entertaining" yourself? Mostly I don't have so much issues with this since I always have some things to think about and I generally enjoy cycling, but from time to time I literary have 0 motivation and this gets even worse when I feel bored at the same time...

Chips Lovell

Get a group going? Having someone to chat too really helps pass the time.

If I'm out on my own, I'd always stick the music on when not doing intervals.

oconnpad

i always listen to music even for sub hour spins.

I don't have it too loud, music would be hard to hear if there was strong head wind but i just live with that till i turn another direction and then volume ok.
i can still hear stuff coming behind me, granted maybe not as well as if i'd no earphones in but works for me

07Lapierre

70K in the Phoenix park! :eek: Even music wouldn't do it for me. Best option would be to find a training buddy.

omri

Try chasing the deer that live there...

Fian

If you are doing 70/90 k why not head out of Dublin and back - a bit of variety in the route would help surely? Unless there is some reason why to train for Triathlons you need to do a circuit?

Is it that you need to avoid traffic lights? they tend not to be an issue once you are out of the city proper.

JohnBee

iAcesHigh wrote: »

Sometimes that means I'm doing 50, 70 or 90 km mostly in Phoenix park which can be straight down boring.

If you are out for a 90km training ride, why not cycle the few km to get to the Dublin mountains and train there?

iAcesHigh

No no, don't get me wrong. I mostly go out of Dublin for longer sessions (Sally Gap and other parts south of Dublin, North is next to explore) but sometimes I have to be "close" (ie 20-30 mins) from computer in case of something work related so Phoenix park falls into that category (although I never did 90 km there, I think 50-60 with going and coming back from the park was tops)...

So music is "allowed", I'll try that, seems more than enough, just to keep me motivated. P.s. cycling buddy is not always an option when I have to do training in the middle of day/week when they aren't around + not much people around me cycle for sportive reasons...

Brian?

Hills, lots of hills. I get seriously bored on long flat spins but never get bored on a good hilly spin out into Wicklow.

connie_c

Podcasts and audiobooks in my left ear only so I can hear traffic. There is a whole world of amazing free podcasts.

lennymc

you could try the cycle path out to howth, couple of laps of howth and then back. You should make it back into the city centre in handy enough time.

iAcesHigh

lennymc wrote: »

you could try the cycle path out to howth, couple of laps of howth and then back. You should make it back into the city centre in handy enough time.

I was thinking about trying cycling there, any specific path around or?

Leroy42

Another way i to break the ride down into smaller sections. I too don't like the long flat rides, but sometimes they are required so you need a way to break the monotony.

Of course a group is the best thing,but failing that look at ways to add some variety into the ride. I have earphone in left ear, just as background noise really.

Take a lap at high cadence, next lap at low cadence. One lap at full gas, the next spinning. Do a couple of sprints to certain points. Give yourself a countdown and then see how far you can make it in 2 minutes, then repeat.

Even within Phoenix Park there are a couple of possible routes so that can break it up somewhat.

Main thing to do is to set out on the ride with an idea of exactly what you are trying to get out of it. Is it a certain speed/HR/W etc. Is it a recovery ride. Is it just a chance to get out on the bike for a few hours in which case but whatever you feel like and that in itself will add variety.