Faster?

[Kano]

I've enjoyed this version of "speed"

It's been an interesting and informative series of posts -- pretty much all constructive! It appears to me that the answer to that original question of "is it riding, or is it special training to get faster" all boils down to my husband's favorite annoying answer to an either/or question:

YES

The more we ride, the stronger and faster we get, and the more we challenge ourselves when we ride, the stronger and ultimately faster we get!

(and I've decided that carrying around the extra me is making me so strong that I'm going to positively amaze myself someday when it's gone!)



Sarah -- l think I'm learning to be like you when it comes to those long sustained climbs. Can't do 'em well, so I'm torturing myself with them! And we don't want to call that "sick" -- that's just too danged negative. Let's see how "determined" fits instead?

Karen in Boise

[Whip]

Whip and others, can any of you recommend a basic "intervals" routine?

K-

Indysteel,

That's a great question because there are all kinds of intervals - and even if it's not about speed, intervals can make a ride more interesting and give you something to make you feel like you earned that latte (or at least for me anyway, because a ride isn't a ride if it doesn't end with coffee!)

Basically, an interval can be anything that is on-off-on-off-on-off-on-latte.

The requirement is only that it is basically the same thing each on cycle - so if you are doing 5 minute intervals at LT, the next "on" is also a five minute interval at LT - UNLESS you are doing interval ladders which can be anything that builds up and then back down - like 30 sec on/30 sec off; 1 min on/1 min off; on up the ladder and then back down.

So, at thise point I feel like mentioning that there are no rules - there are all kinds of intervals - and the main thing would be to add variety and a structured way to work a little harder - NOT to drive yourself crazy, because it is possible to drive yourself bonkers trying to follow some plan and get it all right and you end up injured and burned out which is just not necessary - so in my opinion, and if you are not shooting for the Olympic Cycling Team - I think you are really wise in requesting a simple, basic interval routine.

Here are some of the intervals I do: (AND PER YOUR QUESTION - I think LT's are the most basic, easy to perform, can be done anywhere, kind of interval - I included the others in case you want to try something else at some point.

1. Lactate Threshold Intervals (LT's) -

20-30 minutes Warm-Up
3 minutes at Lactate Threshold Heart Rate
5 minutes recover completely
3 minutes at LT
5 minutes recovery
3 minutes at LT
Cool Down - 10-20 minutes

Each week you can lengthen the work interval a bit (3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 10 minutes, 12 minutes)

You can also you drop the recovery time in between intervals to 3 minutes - so you are training yourself to recover faster by allowing yourself to fully recover than hitting it again. My suggestion would be to ignore the five minutes in between at first and just ride very, very easy until you can totally talk again, and drink and breathe easy - even if it takes 10 minutes. Then start the next interval.

Some people never have you do long LT intervals, some people do very long (20-30 minute LT intervals). A time trial is a 25-mile LT interval - or whatever the distance is.

If you don't have a heart rate monitor - LT is where it's hard to talk, but you're not gasping major air. However, it's above just heavy breathing (which is also hard to talk) - should be uncomfortable, but you are not out of control, maybe on the verge of getting close to losing control

Here are some other types of intervals:

2. Sprint Intervals --Choose a gear you can turn over quickly. Quickly start the sprint with max effort and after you hit speed, drop into a gear that is one harder to finish the sprint. Sprint for 15 or 20 seconds. Recover for two minutes in between - do four to six. This should be maximum effort.

3. Aenarobic Power Intervals (APs) ---- Okay, so seriously, I cried once when I did these - don't do them until late spring or until you have experience in LT intervals - they wipe you out and you will redline and most coaches say you should only redline rarely. AP efforts are only 1 minute each, but it should be the worst minute of your life - you should be praying to quit at 40 seconds and want to scream out the last five. You recover 2 to 3 minutes between efforts. Start off slightly less than max effort but still hard. Choose a pretty hard gear - the opposite of sprinting - you should be able to turn the pedals, but it should be work. Go as hard as you can possibly go. It really helps to do these on a trainer with someone else - or at least have someone yell at you!

4. VO2 Max Intervals --- This require commitment too, and are into the red zone, but are longer than APs - so you measure the effort out over 3 minutes instead of 1 minute. Maybe an easier gear.

5. Hill Repeats - Can be done as full out efforts or in a hard gear as strength intervals. Can also be done sitting or standing or alternating. Can be done as LT intervals. So pick your target heart rate and ride for the predetermined amount of time in that zone then go back down and recover and repeat. If you are doing it as strength intervals, then you choose a gear you can turn between 50-60 rpm - if you don't have a computer, just hard and slow - don't worry about heart rate.

Again, there are a lot of ways to do intervals, but here are the keys:

1. At least 3 intervals of whatever you are doing.
2. The interval starts when the TIME starts NOT when your heart rate hits the right zone. So, the first part of any interval, your heart rate will be lower than the zone you are aiming for.
3. Recover fully in between until later in the season, then some gains can be made by shortening the recovery time in between.

The coolest thing about doing intervals for me has been to see how much quicker I recover. When I started, I couldn't recover in between - I had to literally stop pedaling to get my heart rate down - but after awhile (and after the overtraining incident) - my heart rate started to drop quickly after an effort. That was actually the first tangible proof I had that I was getting fitter.

The only intervals I did when I started were LT's - the others I do for racing - and likely wouldn't do if I didn't race.

I'm so excited to hear how you like doing intervals!!!!

Whip

P.S. I do want to recommend a couple of great resources that you likely have heard of - I suggest them not necessarily to follow the training plans outlined, but more as good descriptions of different kinds of intervals if you want info from experts who actually know what they are talking about:

1. Cyclist's Training Bible - Joel Friel - I give the caveat of not trying to follow the whole book, just to gather background. I had a bad experience of getting overtrained, overwhelmed and injured - can you tell when I first started cycling and was totally riding over my ability. Now I firmly believe that less is more.

2. Heart Rate Monitor Training Book - fun workouts at varying intensity levels - even has Recovery Intervals which are super for relaxing and flushing out the legs.

3. For the very, very, very, very serious, Dr. Arnie Baker's High Intensity Training - eBook available Roadbikerider.com - or he has his own web site.

4. Anything by Ed Burke, Chris Carmichael or even The Fit Chick in Bicycling Magazine - she typically outlines an interval workout in her column.

[indysteel]

Whip, in pulling this thread up to link in another, more recent, thread on getting faster, I noticed the helpful information you posted on intervals. I must have missed it when you first posted it. Thank you. It's most helpful.

I'd like to work them into my routine, although I think I end up doing them on some level during training rides because we inevitably have points on the course where the speed picks up or there's an incline or a surge of some kind.

Again, thank you. Sorry I'm just getting around to reading it!

K-

[Whip]

Whip, in pulling this thread up to link in another, more recent, thread on getting faster, I noticed the helpful information you posted on intervals. I must have missed it when you first posted it. Thank you. It's most helpful.

I'd like to work them into my routine, although I think I end up doing them on some level during training rides because we inevitably have points on the course where the speed picks up or there's an incline or a surge of some kind.

Again, thank you. Sorry I'm just getting around to reading it!

K-

You are so welcome! I love talking about training