TrainerRoad Review and Giveaway

In times gone by, I would routinely tell clients, "This is the perfect exercise to do while you're at home watching TV!" It always sounds like a great idea. I could be strengthening my core and building flexibility in my hips while I follow 10 home bakers as they compete around Britain (RIP Mel and Sue)!

But I don't do planks while I'm at home watching TV. I watch TV while I'm at home watching TV. Sometimes I eat potato chips or cookies (or both) while I'm at home watching TV. So I stopped extolling the benefits of planks and bird dogs and other multi-tasking exercises. Because if I can't make myself exercise while I watch TV, who else can?

Which brings me to TrainerRoad. I'm a personal trainer, and I have read and learned enough that I could probably write myself a decent training plan. But you know what? I don't want to. I want someone else to tell me what to do. And since I'd rather buy more bikes than hire a coach, I've gone with the semi-DIY option: TrainerRoad.

I became aware of TrainerRoad through their terrific podcast, Ask a Cycling Coach. The podcast gives me a little bit of a "drank the Kool-Aid" feeling, but I think it's because all of the coaches really believe in their product. And it's always full of useful information presented in an articulate package (which can be a little hit-and-miss with scientifically-based cycling podcasts). After listening in for a few months, I took the plunge and signed up.

So far, I enjoy it. I've noticed an increase in my power and performance on outdoor rides, and my FTP (main power metric used by TrainerRoad) has increased by 20 watts or so. I was using Zwift before, and I miss the gamification elements, but TrainerRoad's workout library is so much better, and it adds more structure to indoor training than you can get with Zwift. As the weather starts to head south (the good weather, that is, to the southern hemisphere), I may sign up for and use both. But right now I use a mix of indoor workouts on TrainerRoad and outdoor rides.

I'm going to need a new trainer soon, though; I'm starting to wear the metal off the drum on the one I've had for the past 8 years. Buy one of my cycling workouts if you want to help me get a new trainer!

Getting back to TrainerRoad, I like it. It's not the end-all-be-all to training, but it's a valuable tool, and it's helped me.

More importantly, once you've been a member for a certain duration, you get a referral month to give to a friend. And you guys are all my friends. So who wants a free month of TrainerRoad? Leave a comment beloooooooowwwww! Be sure you leave me a way to contact you, though, preferably by leaving a Twitter handle. Or you could leave a comment on my Facebook page. Just make sure I can reach you to let you know that you've won and get your e-mail address so TrainerRoad can send you the invitation. I'll choose a winner randomly on September 30, which is in two weeks.

Ready, go!