Originally Posted by
bowzette
Two weeks ago I felt geat (I should have been concerned) and rode for well over an hour at 89-92% of max HR. It took me most of the next week to recover-not smart.
You've got my attention and respect.
I did a little climbing last week, really no clue what my max HR is, and I should know, but during the climb, my HR peaked at 167. I try not to exceed 160, more like 140-150 during normal rides, so the 167 got my attention. I also found it painful to push that hard.
Not sure I understand why people are saying cycling shouldn't be painful. If your climbing with effort, do you ever feel the burn in your legs? Don't you ever get short of breath pushing beyond your normal speed? I always thought intervals were painful.
On a loop I ride regularly, there's a straight section of road with a marked 1/8th mile drag strip. I often try pushing as hard as I can through this drag, which also leaves me out of breath. I find this painful but also rewarding. So if cycling shouldn't be painful, as some have stated, does this mean you never ride like this?
Perhaps I've been miss-lead reading some of the magazine articles on training.