"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - 10 Min Efforts - What Benefit?

I've recently been doing ~10 min hill climb efforts, since I found a perfect hill for this about 5 minutes ride from my house.

My question is, what benefit, if any, am I getting from these 10 minute efforts, assuming I'm doing four with 5 minute recovery between, with each climb at 95-105% LT?

Hill is about 3 km @ 6.1%, but with sections as high as 9%.

This effort will help develop your threshold and give you some practice with the mental focus required for a time-trial. Since it's a climb, it's obviously going to train your climbing intensity as well.

10-minute intervals in your TT position, on TT terrain, are even better for TT training. Different muscles associated with climbing.

those intervals were the basis of my training this year. They definitely help push your LT. The won't help in a race situation unless there is a climb that takes longer than 10 min, or you're in a breakaway and working hard.

Your working at a steady state level, and it works on your power at your functional threshold (FTP), or Lactate Threshold.

Doing steady states is good core part of your training.

If you want to ramp it up a bit, do the 10 minute climb, first 8 minutes at LTHR, then the last 2 minutes as hard as you can possibly go. Friggin hard, but great training. (Don't do them without being in pretty good form already, and don't overdo them).


I disagree that they won't help your racing. When you raise your FTP, everything is easier. You spend less of the race above FTP, burn fewer matches, and have more for the anerobic efforts. But I'd agree they don't prepare you for the all out intense efforts of racing, and you need to do other intervals as well.

Agree that this should reap great benifits. Two ways this will be of immediate racing benifit, you will be much less stressed in any field and you may need this kind of effort for say a longer bridge.

Using a hill is a great way to avoid that no mans land Zone 3 garbage time. Mix in a little sprint work and you're good to go!

Agree that this should reap great benifits. Two ways this will be of immediate racing benifit, you will be much less stressed in any field and you may need this kind of effort for say a longer bridge.

Using a hill is a great way to avoid that no mans land Zone 3 garbage time. Mix in a little sprint work and you're good to go!

What is the definition of teh "garbage" zone? Also why is it "garbage"? I'm guessing because it makes you tired but doesn't give you much training benefit? I wonder though with so many different training systems with different zone definitions, could you end up having one system's "garbage" zone overlapping with a "good" zone in some other system?

What is the definition of teh "garbage" zone? Also why is it "garbage"? I'm guessing because it makes you tired but doesn't give you much training benefit? I wonder though with so many different training systems with different zone definitions, could you end up having one system's "garbage" zone overlapping with a "good" zone in some other system?

This is what I'm finding. Some say 'you can't train in this zone!!!!', then some say 'train here'.

This is what I'm finding. Some say 'you can't train in this zone!!!!', then some say 'train here'.

There are so many different systems, Friel, Coggan, etc. I'd be surprised if there wasn't some overlap that put you in a bad zone according to some of them

What is the definition of teh "garbage" zone? Also why is it "garbage"? I'm guessing because it makes you tired but doesn't give you much training benefit? I wonder though with so many different training systems with different zone definitions, could you end up having one system's "garbage" zone overlapping with a "good" zone in some other system?

Thats exactly the definition. I suppose there is a lot of grey area, just have to find what works for you. But in general terms a bigger difference between hard and moderate efforts is a proven winner.

There are so many different systems, Friel, Coggan, etc. I'd be surprised if there wasn't some overlap that put you in a bad zone according to some of them

No reputable training scheme would have a "bad zone" since every intensity will benefit some aspect of riding provided it is carried out for the proper duration. The question is what efforts should a rider be performing at a certain time to bring about the desired result.

10 minute effort - what game play? http://aycu31.webshots.com/image/25630/2005447825185623142_rs.jpg

Looks like a good LT workout to me as long as your hill is somewhat steady.