What to do when it rains?

"John Hardt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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I know, sounds like a stupid question. But lately here in Ohio we've been hammered by severe
storms for the past week and it has me wondering. What do most of you do when bad weather mucks up
your training plans? I'm especially wondering how people deep into their training for longer races
(1/2 IM and IM) deal with it.

I've tried all of the above to varied levels of success and really like

none

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of the options. What do most of you do?

Not worry so much about a set "schedule", or the weather. Personally, if it is not tornadic (is that
a word?) out I'll ride or run. Many people wont run/ride in lightning but I'm not overly concerned
about it. It would be rare indeed to be interrupted for more than a day or two. If you have to miss
a long workout, then make it up at the earliest possible convenience. If you are just missing short
workouts replace them in the gym or on your rollers. Or just blow it off and take a rest day.

James

Since the rains we have in Texas are pretty warm, I just go ahead and train. When I lived in
Houston, if you stopped training whenever it seemed about to rain, you would rarely train iat all.

It's not good for your bike, it's irritating at first, but you get used to
it. People in Europe, British Columbia, Canada, Washington state area, etc., train in the rain
all the time.

I hate indoor trainers. It has to be a visible, roaring thunderstorm, or a true hurricane moving
in to get me to use one. For running, I'll even run in the driving rain storm with water up past
my ankles.

One things for sure, if it rains during the race, which it often does, you'll be ready.

In winter, it is miserable when it's cold and raining, and I might cut a ride short in this.

Nice thing about long Ironman rides and runs is that it's ulikely you'll be rained on the whole
workout. Starting out in rain sometimes turns to drizzle and then sunshine. sometimes a driving
storm for 30 minutes cools you off in the middle of a 90-degree century. It all evens out.

"John Hardt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know, sounds like a stupid question. But lately here in Ohio we've been hammered by severe
storms for the past week and it has me wondering. What do most of you do when bad weather mucks up
your training plans? I'm especially wondering how people deep into their training for longer races
(1/2 IM and IM) deal with it.

1. Skip the workout and pick up your training plan with the next

scheduled

Quoted message said:

workout? This may be fine until you have a week straight of bad weather - then what?

2. Move the workout indoors? Great, and when you're doing 3-4 hour bike rides and 2+ hour runs,
what then?

3. Rearrange your week so a "less important" workout gets dropped, and

the

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"more important" one happens albeit out of order? If you are in the build phase of an IM or 1/2 IM
training plan, are there any "less important" workouts? Plus, with longer races, doing workouts
out of order could

result

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in long bikes and long runs on consecutive days. Is this a concern?

4. Stack your workouts and do a "two-a-day" later in the week to make it up? Again, if you're
training for an IM or 1/2 IM this gets counterproductive at best, impossible at worst.

I've tried all of the above to varied levels of success and really like

none

Quoted message said:

of the options. What do most of you do?

John

John,

We've just had about 6 weeks of continual rain here, and it started the week I got my new bike !!!

I'm training for my first half ironman and it drove me crazy.

I just took the opportunity to concentrate on my swimming, and realised that I couldn't do without an indoor bike trainer (which has since been very handy when winter arrived).

As for running, I just took advantage of any brief breaks in the rain I could get.

Regards,
Harrow.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Harrow said:

We've just had about 6 weeks of continual rain here, and it started the week I got my new bike !!!

Reminds me of last winter, when I took up cross-country skiing and it barely snowed all winter. In
Minnesota!

Quoted message said:

I'm training for my first half ironman and it drove me crazy.

I just took the opportunity to concentrate on my swimming, and realised that I couldn't do without
an indoor bike trainer (which has since been very handy when winter arrived).

As for running, I just took advantage of any brief breaks in the rain I could get.

I love to run in the rain, but I try to avoid biking in it because I don't want my bike to get
messed up.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Then it was every other day. . . ."

- Homer J. Simpson

"James Goddard" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:aJIOa.35093$C83.2926422
@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net:

Quoted message said:

Many people wont run/ride in lightning but I'm not overly concerned about it.

Can I be in your will? I want the bike, if it's not too scorched. ;-)

Seriously though, if the lightning is close and you're in flat country, you really are
asking for it.

Tom

"Tom Rodgers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Since the rains we have in Texas are pretty warm, I just go ahead and train. When I lived in
Houston, if you stopped training whenever it seemed about to rain, you would rarely train iat all.

It's not good for your bike, it's irritating at first, but you get used to
it. People in Europe, British Columbia, Canada, Washington state area, etc., train in the rain all
the time.

I hate indoor trainers. It has to be a visible, roaring thunderstorm, or a true hurricane moving
in to get me to use one. For running, I'll even run in the driving rain storm with water up past
my ankles.

One things for sure, if it rains during the race, which it often does, you'll be ready.

Quoted message said:

If you plan on riding in the rain, do yourself a favor and use "rain tires", or perhaps better yet,
a set of "rain wheels". Many of us use slicks for normal use, but needless to say these don't grip
very well on wet days. Some tread can be very helpful when cornering. As for the wheels, if it rains
a lot, you might consider a set that you won't worry as much about messing them up.

--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - mailgate.orgmailgate.orgOpen ↗

In article said:

Quoted message said:

Seriously though, if the lightning is close and you're in flat country, you really are asking
for it.

Tom

In that case, wear a helmet. There have been cases of cyclists hit by lightining wearing a helmet
and they survived.

I'd bet there are cases of cyclists who had a Clif bar when they got hit and survived, so I'm not
sure what your point is.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Then it was every other day. . . ."

- Homer J. Simpson

"Harold Buck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

Quoted message said:

Seriously though, if the lightning is close and you're in flat country,

you

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

really are asking for it.

Tom

In that case, wear a helmet. There have been cases of cyclists hit by lightining wearing a
helmet and they survived.

I'd bet there are cases of cyclists who had a Clif bar when they got hit and survived, so I'm not
sure what your point is.

Really? I hear eating Clif bar's in lightning is very dangerous. I was under the impression that
only Power Bar's could save you?

"James Goddard" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Harold Buck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

>Seriously though, if the lightning is close and you're in flat country,

you

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>really are asking for it.
>
>Tom

In that case, wear a helmet. There have been cases of cyclists hit by lightining wearing a
helmet and they survived.

I'd bet there are cases of cyclists who had a Clif bar when they got hit and survived, so I'm not
sure what your point is.

Really? I hear eating Clif bar's in lightning is very dangerous. I was under the impression that
only Power Bar's could save you?

Absolutely true. When you take a bite, then reflexively turn and spit it out at just the right time,
the lighting misses you.

"Tom Henderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Really? I hear eating Clif bar's in lightning is very dangerous. I was under the impression that
only Power Bar's could save you?

Absolutely true. When you take a bite, then reflexively turn and spit it out at just the right
time, the lighting misses you.

And all this time I thought it was having a mouth full of rubber that insulated you somehow. Learn
something new every day.

James

I train on Gatorskins just about all the time anyway now,preventing punctures, which are more common
in the rain. They ride pretty well. Since I race on tubulars, I go with conti comp 19mm, which hold
well enough, but I am careful. "topdog" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

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"Tom Rodgers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Since the rains we have in Texas are pretty warm, I just go ahead and

train.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

When I lived in Houston, if you stopped training whenever it seemed

about to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

rain, you would rarely train iat all.

It's not good for your bike, it's irritating at first, but you get used

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it. People in Europe, British Columbia, Canada, Washington state area,

etc.,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

train in the rain all the time.

I hate indoor trainers. It has to be a visible, roaring thunderstorm, or

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

true hurricane moving in to get me to use one. For running, I'll even

run in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the driving rain storm with water up past my ankles.

One things for sure, if it rains during the race, which it often does, you'll be ready.

Quoted message said:

If you plan on riding in the rain, do yourself a favor and use "rain tires", or perhaps better
yet, a set of "rain wheels". Many of us use slicks for normal use, but needless to say these don't
grip very well on wet days. Some tread can be very helpful when cornering. As for the wheels, if
it rains a lot, you might consider a set that you won't worry as much about messing them up.

--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - mailgate.orgmailgate.orgOpen ↗

topdog said:

"Tom Rodgers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

One things for sure, if it rains during the race, which it often does, you'll be ready.

This is VERY true. I did one race where the rain started in earnest just after T1 (this was in SE
Florida, and it was raining HARD, even by those subtropical standards). Since about every third ride
I did was in the rain anyway, I just hunkered down and rode "like normal". It was a blast - I was
passing others on the corners like they were sitting still (in fact, they almost were). A
well-watered road isn't all that slick - it's the ones that haven't seen rain in a while, and that
have had only a light sprinkle to liberate the built up oil that are dangerous.

Quoted message said:

If you plan on riding in the rain, do yourself a favor and use "rain tires", or perhaps better yet,
a set of "rain wheels". Many of us use slicks for normal use, but needless to say these don't grip
very well on wet days. Some tread can be very helpful when cornering.

Actually, that's not at all true. Tread on a car tire is important due to the much higher speeds,
the much wider profile, and the "squareness" of the tires. Tread on bicycle tires serves no purpose,
and will not improve your traction in the rain (actually, the opposite). You should, however, run
your tires at a bit lower pressure to allow for more contact area (the only thing that really
matters). Oh, and "ride smooth"...

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As for the wheels, if it rains a lot, you might consider a set that you won't worry as much about
messing them up.

Actually, just get a "rain bike" and be done with it, since the cables and shifters and chain
usually end up taking more abuse in the rain than your wheels.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles habcycles.comhabcycles.comOpen ↗ Home of the $695 ti frame

"topdog" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

If you plan on riding in the rain, do yourself a favor and use "rain tires", or perhaps better
yet, a set of "rain wheels". Many of us use slicks for normal use, but needless to say these don't
grip very well on wet days. Some tread can be very helpful when cornering. As for the wheels, if
it rains a lot, you might consider a set that you won't worry as much about messing them up.

It may be "needless to say", but it's wrong. Slick tires on a bicycle hold better than treaded tires
in the wet, dry, and when cornering.

Check out the wreck.bikes.tech FAQ:

draco.acs.uci.edu8b.13.htmlOpen ↗

Ken Lehner

In article said:

"topdog" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

If you plan on riding in the rain, do yourself a favor and use "rain tires", or perhaps better
yet, a set of "rain wheels". Many of us use slicks for normal use, but needless to say these
don't grip very well on wet days. Some tread can be very helpful when cornering. As for the
wheels, if it rains a lot, you might consider a set that you won't worry as much about messing
them up.

It may be "needless to say", but it's wrong. Slick tires on a bicycle hold better than treaded
tires in the wet, dry, and when cornering.

That's why you don't need to say it!

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Then it was every other day. . . ."

- Homer J. Simpson