Training & Nutrition - Another "Will doing this make me Faster" Question

I keep hearing that doing intervals and upping your HR threshold is the surefire way to improve average speed, and longer but easier rides could help improve endurance. My question is: what will riding at medium to high effort until I feel burned out do for me? No hills involved. I usually do 2 hour, 30+ mile (depending on wind) rides at an intensity that'll make me feel a bit burned in the end but not all tired and bonking. My guess is I'm at about 60-70% maximum HR - deep breathing but not panting. Would this type of riding only boost efficiency?

You are doing mostly zone 2-3. You still need to do some max effort work but it is still great stuff.

I keep hearing that doing intervals and upping your HR threshold is the surefire way to improve average speed, and longer but easier rides could help improve endurance. My question is: what will riding at medium to high effort until I feel burned out do for me? No hills involved. I usually do 2 hour, 30+ mile (depending on wind) rides at an intensity that'll make me feel a bit burned in the end but not all tired and bonking. My guess is I'm at about 60-70% maximum HR - deep breathing but not panting. Would this type of riding only boost efficiency?That's an endurance ride. That'll help your body develop energy-efficiency in digesting food and delivering it to the muscles. Helps burn off a higher percentage of fats. Develops stamina as well.

As for increasing your average speed? Yes it will over 10-years of riding as you inadvertently get in an interval or two on the ride. However, your top-speed won't be much higher than your average-speed and not for long. If the knave passes you, you won't be able to pick it up at +15-20mph above your average for very long to bridge the gap. And if you see him coming up behind you, you won't have much in reserve to stay away.

You've got the general idea of how training works. You have to go fast to get faster, you have to go long to last longer.

The ride you describe doesn't sound like it will make you go faster or longer..... However, the ride does do one thing --- it "prepares" you to be ready for "faster or longer" rides.

If you keep performing the same workout over and over, you'll maintain your readiness for faster or longer rides.

Yeah, there's nothing "wrong" with the ride you're doing. Only do it once a week or else you've left off something else that would've been more beneficial. Add in two other kinds of rides, an longer endurace ride and a shorter sprint/interval day. Try to get in 1 ride that's longer at 3-hours at a slightly slower pace that you can hold the entire time. Then get in 1 ride with sprints and intervals at 90-100% max-HR. Adding in those two rides will have you increase your average-speed at a rate 5-10x faster than what you're getting now. As it is, you might even have reached a point where you've hit a plateau and not getting faster.

Good info. I just did a day of intervals and found it a ton easier to stand on climbs - used to be able to stand for 10 sec max before burning and now I could do 15 :D