A version of this article was originally published in the November/December 2011 issue of Peak Region Cyclist.

Winter is now officially in full swing, meaning cold temperatures, short days, and times where the weather just isn’t conducive to riding outside. But just because we live where there is cold, icy, and snowy weather, it doesn’t mean we can’t maintain our cycling fitness. So what do we do when we can’t ride outside? We get on the trainer, of course! Here are a few reasons the trainer is a great tool:

• Controlled Environment: no traffic, no wind (except for your fan), and as climate-controlled as your home.
• Efficient Workouts: consistent pedaling (no stopping at intersections and no coasting downhill on a trainer!) makes a shorter workout possible for the same fitness benefits.
• Safety: no cars or big trucks, pedestrians, or wild animals (well, maybe some furry friends) to cross your path and it’s a much safer environment to put those headphones on and blast away!

If you don’t have a coach to provide you with specific workouts, you still have a lot of options, as there are a multitude of workout videos on the market. Some are free, some are not. Just Google “indoor cycling videos” or “indoor cycling workouts”. But before you pick a video or workout to get your spin on, consider the following:

• Have a goal for your indoor training sessions. Do you want to improve pedaling efficiency, endurance, power, or just maintain the fitness level you have? Find workouts that match your goal.
• Make sure the workouts you choose are progressive. It takes several similar workouts to get significant adaptations, so if you are working on a specific skill, make sure to repeat it with similar workouts that get progressively more challenging. It’s even okay to do the same (or similar) workout several times to get your body to adapt. You’ll see gains using this strategy over just picking random workouts.
• Don’t neglect nutrition, hydration, and recovery! Just because you're inside doesn’t mean you can skip eating and drinking! In fact, because we are without the natural cooling effect we get from riding outside, we will become noticeably more sweaty. (Tip: have a fan, open a window if you can, have a towel, and perhaps even wear a headband to keep the sweat out of your eyes.) You’ll still need to consume fluids, take in calories if it is a long or intense workout, and of course plan recovery weeks during your training.

Of course, if all else fails, it can be quite simple. Just put on your favorite movie and pedal on...

photo credit: Like_the_Grand_Canyon

Yes, it's true, I love my caffeine. My form of choice is in coffee or espresso. But what is the real truth about caffeine and it's affects on cycling. Here are a few that I discovered while researching.

The jolt is real. The performance boost you get from caffeine is a result of how it hot-wires your central nervous system. You become more alert, you react faster, and you don't feel like you're working as hard, all of which add up to training or competing at a higher intensity for a longer period of time and being more agile in a pack.

It will not dehydrate you. In reasonable doses, caffeine alone won't lead to more bathroom breaks during a ride or a greater risk of dehydration. The long-held belief that caffeine can muck with your body's ability to regulate heat during exercise in hot weather has also been muted by science.

It affects everyone differently. Test what caffeine does to you before heading out for a specific event. If you feel jittery, anxious or notice your heart racing, cut back the amount you take in before a ride.

You can develop a tolerance. Your body eventually adapts to the effects of caffeine, limiting performance benefit. Taper your intake for several days prior to a long ride, saving the higher amounts of caffeine for before and during the actual event.

Timing is everything. It takes 60 minutes for caffeine to start affecting the body so adjust your intake properly. Aim for 100mg one hour before you get on the bike and 50mg at the beginning of each hour thereafter.

Training trumps it. While caffeine can boost performance by 3-5 percent, training can bring about improvements by upwards of 50 percent. There is also the possibility of getting over-amped and going out too hard too soon, leaving you with nothing in the tank well before the ride's end.

Australian researchers found that when cyclists refueled with carbohydrates and caffeine after a ride, they accululated 66 percent more muscle glycogen than when they ate only carbs. Here is a bar recipe that has combines both.

2 teaspoons instant expresso powder
1 1/2 cup dates, chopped
1 cup figs, chopped
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts
1/3 cup hempseeds
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or coffee extract

In a bowl, dissolve expresso powder in 1/2 cup boiling water and set aside to cool.
In a food processor, pulverize dates, figs, nuts and hempseeds. Add expresso, cocoa, cinnamon, orange zest, and extract. Process until clumps form. Place mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet and form into 1/2 inch thick square. Freeze for 30 minutes, then slice into 10 bars. Per bar-177 calories, 7 grams fat, 30g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 5g protein, a5mg caffeine. Enjoy!