Lactate threshold training?

[staceysue]

This is a question for those of you who do lactate threshold training. Can you tell, by how your body feels, if you're at the lactate threshold?

I've read about it, and I hear it's a good way to improve performance. I hope that's what I've been doing intuitively. I do my best to stay right on that fine line between "feeling the burn" and just barely not feeling it. I keep pushing until I feel it and then barely backing off. It keeps me breathing hard but not too hard, so I can maintain that pace for over an hour. I'm not sore after a long ride this way, but I couldn't ride like that every day because I just get too run down.

Do you think I'm doing it?

[maillotpois]

I dont think I could hit LT by "feel". there are too many variables that go into how I feel in a given ride.

[staceysue]

I dont think I could hit LT by "feel". there are too many variables that go into how I feel in a given ride.

How do you do it?

[maillotpois]

How do you do it?

Using a power meter (preferred) or heart rate. (With regular lactate or gas exchange testing to set the target level). The variables affect the heart rate, so that is not as reliable as the power. The power meter I use for interval training 2 times a week and then I don't really worry so much about the long rides, because that is just lower threshold endurance training.

[chicagogal]

I use a power meter only when training indoors, but have done a fair bit of LT testing over the winter to know how it "feels" to ride at my LT.

That being said, even if you haven't done the indoor riding/testing that I have done, you can probably still train at your LT outdoors. Go for some 20min intervals at an effort that is as hard as you can maintain for the duration. This should be pretty close to your LT. It might take some trial and error as you don't want to start you interval too hard and fade, but you don't want to have too much left at the end either (it's like riding a TT, which would also be done at your LT).

[staceysue]

I use a power meter only when training indoors, but have done a fair bit of LT testing over the winter to know how it "feels" to ride at my LT.

That being said, even if you haven't done the indoor riding/testing that I have done, you can probably still train at your LT outdoors. Go for some 20min intervals at an effort that is as hard as you can maintain for the duration. This should be pretty close to your LT. It might take some trial and error as you don't want to start you interval too hard and fade, but you don't want to have too much left at the end either (it's like riding a TT, which would also be done at your LT).

Alrighty! I'll give it a whirl - or several whirls until I get it figured out! Thanks, both of you, for the advice.