longe

I've just started training sessions that require me to spend, so far, up to 10 minutes in HR Z5a. My first of such sessions I was there for a decent amount of time, but I didn't get nearly as much time there as my last two sessions and it's disappointing to be close but not hit the target.

I get to about Z4.8 where my effort seems to settle in or stick. It's not because of fatigue.

I know the advice is to push it and break through to get to the target. But I'm wondering how others set themselves up on the trainer, or outdoors, to be in a place mentally or physically where they can do that. The burning makes it feel like I'm pushing limits at the time, but its obvious that I'm not. Looking for any advice to make these sessions as productive as possible. It might just come down to learning how to suck it up and go apesht to just get it done.

Creatre

Friel Z5a? He gives you a range of like 3-4bpm. Not nearly enough range for heart rate training. If you forgot to pee before your ride you might not be able to hit that range. If training with heart rate you need to give yourself a wider variation of heart rate and pace yourself with perceived exertion. In addition, you are shooting for your ending average to be close to your heart rate goal, not every second of the interval to be in that range. You should expect to see your heart rate linear progress over the course of the effort so that your heart rate reading slowly increases over the course of the interval with your highest right around when you finished (and is at the top end of your range or could be possibly slightly above your range).

needmoreair

This is one of the key problems with heart rate. How hard are you going at the beginning to jack up your heart rate? Are you fading towards the end?

You might want to try going out a bit slower and setting a tempo in which your hr gradually rises all the way to the end. Maybe you don't even get to Z5 for the first one, but you do for the second and third one if you don't fully recover in between sets.

This is one of the huge, huge pluses for power. You can go out and hit Z5 watts and hold it there and forget about hr. Your hr will slowly creep up but your effort and output will be steady, allowing more time total in zone.

ovoleg

My HR for 300W can be anywhere between 160 and 175. HR is freaking hard to follow!

On race day my HR is like 10 bpm higher all around.

gsteinb

calm down.

ovoleg

I am usually calm but I'm excited!