I'm training for a mountain bike ultramarathon — here's how I'm repurposing my office as a workout zone

When I was 18 years old, I tried to make an annual tradition out of racing my mountain bike 100 miles in one day every summer. I loved the motivation my training gave me to keep working toward something when school was out of session, and I've never felt more accomplished than the first time I crossed the finish line at one of these events.

Back when I started this tradition, I had ample time to load up my afternoons and weekends with more than 200 miles of riding per week. Unfortunately, since I've started adulting, meeting this goal has become largely impossible via my original means. Normally, I would dedicate these first few months of the year to building my initial base miles, but it's just too cold and dark when my workday ends for me to feel comfortable exercising outside regularly.

Because I'm determined to reestablish the tradition that brought a younger me so much joy and motivation, I've decided to get a little inventive with the limited space in my apartment. My office is already a multi-purpose room as is, so I've decided to turn it into a mini-gym as well.

Here are three things I'll be adding to that room in the coming weeks to kickstart my training. If you're looking to squeeze some workout time into your slow winter days as well, these tools could help you knock out your first major cycling milestone by the time the wind becomes warm again.

1. A turbo trainer

If you're unacquainted with the glorious turbo trainer, let me be the first to tell you that it's a game-changer. In essence, it's a machine that attaches to the rear of your bike and allows you to transform any bike into a stationary. They often fold up to the size of a small suitcase when not in use, and they provide enough resistance to give you as much of a challenge as you can handle.

In recent years, I've avoided using even the best turbo trainers because I simply didn't have anywhere to put one in my apartment. My current home is the first one in years with enough room to set a bike up in a trainer without bumping my knees into my other furniture. Now I have all the floorspace in my office to dedicate to workouts. And because I now have one of the best standing desks, I can tuck my trainer under it and adjust the desk's height for a perfect fit.

Using a turbo trainer isn't a perfect simulation of real riding, but it gives you an opportunity to spin your legs without investing in any bulky equipment. Now for the next challenge: finding something to look at while you churn out your indoor miles.

2. A Zwift subscription

If I could pick any in-flight entertainment for my hours on the trainer, I'd have to go with a movie or TV show before anything else. And because I have one of the best monitors atop my desk, I'll have no problem putting on something I've been meaning to binge. But when that gets old, I'll be trying out Zwift, one of the best workout apps for cyclists.

Zwift is a virtual cycling simulator that can pair with your trainer or cycling computer to give you somewhat lifelike scenery and internet riding buddies to stir up the humdrum of riding in one stale room. The app has been around for about a decade now, and I actually recall disliking the concept of it when Zwift first came out. But after finally getting to try it a few times last year, I was impressed by its capabilities. It's jam-packed with fresh routes, a full library of workouts, and virtual races that can keep you feeling competitive in the offseason.

You do have to deal with "cheaters" on this app to some extent — it's not uncommon for someone to set their virtual weight super low so their average power output gives them more speed, for example. But there are cheaters on Strava in real life, too, so I consider this a non-issue. Outside of those rare use cases, Zwift has one of the most thriving cycling communities you can find that's active during the winter.

3. A huge yoga mat

I can think of three reasons for getting a new yoga mat to complete the workout area in my office.

First and foremost, I sweat like a pig when I spend a lot of time on the turbo trainer, and I don't feel like mopping that off of my cruddy hardwood after every ride. A proper yoga mat (perhaps combined with a towel on my handlebars on especially intense days) will soak up all the water I lose and leave the rest of my office looking pristine.

Second, turbo trainers can make a hell of a lot of noise when they're positioned on a hard floor. For the sake of my downstairs neighbors and their sanity, I'll be using a yoga mat as another layer of sound insulation.

Third, I want to use the first few months of this year to train the rest of my body, not just my legs. As such, I'll be using this yoga mat on its own to perform regular bodyweight and dumbbell workouts without having to trudge over to the West Philly YMCA in the bitter cold. For more serious lifting, I'll make my way to the heavier equipment, but this will be nice for light days.

Not a full home gym, but it's all I need

I was spoiled by the abundance of space and access to exercise equipment I had when I was a student, and finding the motivation to curate my own setup has been a challenge to say the least. But I've reached a point where I refuse to let another summer go by without accomplishing a feat that used to be the centerpiece of my year.

Will this setup be perfect for every situation? Certainly not. But I can't think of any workout setup that would be as perfect as a 70-degree day with no traffic and dry trails. As such, I'm giving this ragtag setup all the grace it deserves. With luck, it'll be exactly what I need to get back up to 200-mile weeks in no time.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to add a lunch run to your workday
• How to make your office cozier for winter
• Why I want to use my home office less