"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Workouts to do when you are short on time

I just got done with work, i left at sunrise so a pre-work ride wasn't possible today. Tonight i am photographing my sisters softball game and then going to the gym with the lady. So my solution to fill the void is to do some intervals in front of my house in the free 30 mins i have.

There has to be some other quick workouts...right?

My choice would be to warm up for 10 minutes, flat out for 15 minutes, cool down for 5 minutes.

With the same warm up/cool down you could do:
Two six minute sets of 15on/15off with 1 minute rest.
Three three minute VO2 intervals with 2 minutes rest.
A 1-2-3-4-5-3-2-1 pyramid with 1 minute rest.

etc.

^

sounds like a plan.

next time let your lady go to the gym by herself, and you do your ride. co-dependency isn't a healthy thing in a relationship.

just sayin'

ALong the same lines, I didn't have time to get all of my intervals in this morning... I missed two 6 minute intervals, couldn't fit them in on my way to work. Should I do them on my way home? Or should I just take it at my normal "endurance" pace.

Robobo: It depends on how you're feeling. If you're feeling froggy, and don't have anything else on the plate, then I'd do more than just two. I'd go for a full 4x5 workout on the way home.

If you're tired anyway, then just go easy. Listen to your body.

Sprints, if you do those types of workouts, are great. 1m intervals will fit in that time span (5-minute warmup for each). Also, 15s/15s intervals or Tabata or whatever depending on your crit training religion.

Snuff's 15m interval suggestion is good too. I'd actually just warm-up 5 minutes and do a 20-minute interval. All my 20m power records have been set with this ride configuration. The trick is to start off with a 90% 1m interval out of the driveway to get your warmup jump-started.

I like 1 min all out, 1 min recovery, 1 min all out. You'll be puking up bile long before the half hour's up.

I don't know about you guys, but if I did a serious interval workout the last place I'd want to go to later in the evening is the gym. I'm usually still hurting the next day.

Just as a point of reference, I did intervals yesterday. I didn't puke, but I had two reflux incidents. My vision went monochromatic. I nearly felt over a couple of times. I crawled home at 14 to 15 mph afterwards.

^^^
I don't think I do intervals right... :(

^^^
I don't think I do intervals right... :(

You and me both. I've had vurps and in general felt like crap. It's never changed my vision. I kinda like doing intervals on a trainer just because I feel like falling over when I'm done, but I think mollusk goes further than I do.

15 minute workout: 5 min warmup, 10 min of 15s sprint; 15 sec rec, 5 min of warmdown (or coming to). I think this is the same as WR posted above.

^

sounds like a plan.

next time let your lady go to the gym by herself, and you do your ride. co-dependency isn't a healthy thing in a relationship.

just sayin'

Hey Dr. Phil, she works, and i work, our time together is limited. Tonight, we wanted to spend it at the gym. ;)


I don't know about you guys, but if I did a serious interval workout the last place I'd want to go to later in the evening is the gym. I'm usually still hurting the next day.

Just as a point of reference, I did intervals yesterday. I didn't puke, but I had two reflux incidents. My vision went monochromatic. I nearly felt over a couple of times. I crawled home at 14 to 15 mph afterwards.

Don't ya wish you were 22 again :D

****
Thanks all for the info

Intervals on the stairmaster. 30seconds on max and 60seconds(level 1-3)

I did a max effort spin up every minute for 10 minutes on a fixed gear flywheel type stationary bike, the effort lasted perhaps 5 seconds. I was off the bike in 15 minutes and didn't walk right for about a day for each minute.

http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2007/07/training-10-x-231-rpm.html

However, I wouldn't recommend doing this regularly. I haven't done it since :)

cdr

I've been doing this a bunch lately...with work and family commitments my weekday riding is often limited to 30 to 45 minutes first thing in the AM (ie 6).

I have no fantastic race reports to let you know that this works...but...

Like others I'm doing a 5 minute warm up and then:

7 x 2 min interval, one minute rest.

or

3 x 5 min interval, 2 min rest

or

10 x 1 minute interval, 1 min rest.

followed by a few minutes cooldown....did this on the rollers through the early season as well....Outside, I have a 2 mile loop through the woods (<10 driveways, all right turns) which includes a short steep hill...just keep doing laps till done...

I wouldn't argue against someone that called me a cycling newb but I enjoy riding up and down hills a couple of times. Great workout in a short amount of time.