Motivation for Hard Intervals?

[Veronica]

Spinervals!

V.

[ehirsch83]

Heart rate!! Having to reach a number and then keep it is all the motivation I need. And then I yell at myself,hehe if you were to drive past me doing one you might think I was slightly schizo..

I say things like go go go !! get the heart rate up, you can do it! Move those legs lift them go,etc. WHatever I need at that moment

[Tuckervill]

Could someone explain exactly what intervals are?

I know it's a series of harder efforts, punctuated by light effort, but what's a typical pattern?

And, blueskies....I imagine the fat melting off my legs when I'm riding or working out. I can't do the calisthenics we do without relating it to an actual movement I would do in real life if I had the opportunity. "putting a box on a shelf...putting a box on a shelf..." is the kind of thing that goes through my mind.

I guess an active imagination would be helpful to stay motivated.

Karen

[Pedal Wench]

I'm following a training plan that uses intervals. I hate 'em.

I use a stopwatch, and I know when I'm supposed to start, and it's just not an option to stop until time is up. They're short -- 30 seconds, followed by 4.5 minutes of recovery. I do three sets, then recovery for 10 minute. Three sets of those. ouch. Then there are the three minute high cadence ones, or the 10-second max cadence. And, the always wonderful one-legged drills. 60 seconds left, 60 right, 60 both, repeat 8 times.

Quiting is not an option.

[Geonz]

I'm not su;re I"m that good at it, but I basically imagine when I'll want to *use* those stronger muscles and convince myself that by hurting a little now I won't have to hurt as much later. And thinking things like "Yea? Now is when you **think** I'll stop, since it is hard. Well, that's when *They'll* stop, but not me!@!"
Now I have to make myself stop eating these cookies so that I can be lighter, too Sayin' it out loud helps...

[RoadRaven]

Could someone explain exactly what intervals are?

Hey there T!
Yup, you have described them, and Pedal Wench has described them.

You can base your intervals on several patterns... heart rate, time or distance.

I do two types of intervals; one based on HR and one based on distance.

The heart rate one goes like this...

-warm up for about 30mins - low intensity riding, HR elevated but not so you can't talk (for me, about 120bpm)
-lift your speed/intensity til your HR hits lactate threshold or close and hold for 30secs (for me 158bpm or more)
-then relax and let HR drop (for me, under 120bpm)
- as soon as your HR has dropped, hit the gas again and try to get into your LT again

The distance one goes like this... I have 1.3km of false flat I do this on

-warm up for about 30mins - low intensity riding, HR elevated but not so you can't talk (for me, about 120bpm)
- I go flat out "up" the false flat, I focus on power output, not speed, my HR lifts of course
-as soon as I get to the turn-around point I go into recovery mode as I pedal "down" the false flat
-repeat

OK... important things about intervals... realise that you may only be able to do 2-3 to begin with. Accept that and don't beat yourself up if you aimed to do 3 and only managed 2. Listen to your body - thats important.

Don't do this type of interval 2 days in a row. It is important for this type of training to be effective that your heart has fully recovered from the exertion - sometimes your heart can remain slightly elevated the next day - particularly the more you are doing.

I typically do about 7 intervals on an interval day... I have done as many as ten, I have often stopped at about 5-6 - it is tiring - prepare to be very tired afterwards.

Do make sure you cool down for 20-30 minutes - you will have just pumped a heap of lactic acid through your muscles, you need to spin those muscles out...

[Thorn]

Spinervals!

V.

Yep...I concur...when I tried the stop watch method, I'd miscount, or stop early (hey, they *hurt* ). Put ECT in charge of timing my intervals and I become a mindless little lemming doing exactly what he tells me to, forcing the heart rate where it should be. Sometime when I finish a set I'm amazed that I kept going. Sure, I could cheat with ECT, but, for some reason, I don't.

[Veronica]

About the only things I'm good at doing outside on my own are Hill Repeats and rides where I stay in the training zone the whole ride. And that only works because I set the HRM to beep at me!

V.

[Pedal Wench]

Put ECT in charge of timing my intervals and I become a mindless little lemming doing exactly what he tells me to, forcing the heart rate where it should be. Sometime when I finish a set I'm amazed that I kept going. Sure, I could cheat with ECT, but, for some reason, I don't.

Evil Coach Troy? Yeah, him and Coach Chris (Carmicheal) both inspire me to keep going. If my plans intervals were longer, I would have to agree that Spinervals or Trainright would be the only way I could do them. I just hate the music so much...

[OakLeaf]

I use the interval workout on my Garmin. Actually I programmed a custom one so that I could include a warmup and cool-down and still download the entire workout in a single track. You can program intervals and recovery periods by time or distance, and set (or omit) goal HRs or speeds. Very cool.

[Pedal Wench]

I use the interval workout on my Garmin. Actually I programmed a custom one so that I could include a warmup and cool-down and still download the entire workout in a single track. You can program intervals and recovery periods by time or distance, and set (or omit) goal HRs or speeds. Very cool.

Oh! I have a Garmin, and have no idea how to do that! Care to share specific steps to do this?

[OakLeaf]

Oh! I have a Garmin, and have no idea how to do that! Care to share specific steps to do this?

I think you have to create the workout in Training Center, anyway that's how I do it. You can edit in the device, but it's a lot easier with a keyboard and a computer screen. You might want to take a look at the workouts that are already in the software to see if any of them suit you.

Mac version: Workouts are stored in the folder all the way at the bottom of the left side of the window under "Activities." Under the "File" menu, select "New Workout." Windows version: Click the tab that says "Workouts" right underneath the menu bar, and the folders are displayed. Select the folder where you want your new workout to be stored (running, cycling or other), then under the "Edit" menu, select "New Workout."

By default, your first step is "Go until I press the 'lap' button on my device." If you want to change that (or edit any step) in the Mac version, double-click on it or press command-I. In the Windows version, the editing options appear in the same window where you create the step.

If you want to add a single step, click the "+" button; if you want to add a series of repeats, click the "++" button, and it'll let you choose how many times to repeat the intervals. When you're in your repeats, the steps will be indented in the display, and clicking "+" adds another step that will be repeated. If you then want to add a step that will not be repeated, after your repeats (like a cool-down or a harder sprint or whatever), just make sure that before clicking "+", you select the line that says "Repeat the steps..."

Then the next time you sync your computer with the unit, click "Send to device."

When you're ready to do the workout, scroll through the "Modes," select "Training Assistant" and scroll down to "Advanced Workouts." Then you can select the workout you want, and it will give you the option to do the workout, edit or delete it.

It's complicated to explain, but it's all pretty self-explanatory when you do it. I really like that feature on my Garmin.

[Pedal Wench]

It's complicated to explain, but it's all pretty self-explanatory when you do it. I really like that feature on my Garmin.

Thank you!!!

When I'm on the trainer, I just write down what number interval I'm up to on the paper with my workout on it. If I forget to write down a slash mark or I'm unsure where I am, I start over.

[wavedancer]

I think you have to create the workout in Training Center, anyway that's how I do it. You can edit in the device, but it's a lot easier with a keyboard and a computer screen.

Thanks for posting this. I have been wondering how to use the workout option on my Garmin.

I tried making an interval workout and successfully loaded to the GPS. Is there a way to have it give audible alerts for interval changes? For example, a 5 minute warmup, 25-minute tempo, 5 minute cooldown? I am doing a walk-to-run program and am out at 6 AM in the dark, so can't really see the screen on the GPS.

Thanks!