"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - "The findings demonstrated striking differences between the training groups."

"The moderate intensity group improved VO2 max by 10% over the course of the training program while the high intensity group exhibited a VO2 max improvement of 14% while the anaerobic capacity was enhanced by 28%"

Very informative.

Apparently I was not in the high intensity group...

So I can increase VO2max without training VO2max? Who would have thought.....

Link to the study?

it certainly works....
but you gotta be willing to put yourself through it.

A few years ago I put myself through a few training blocks of Tabatas.
Hurt like there was no tomorrow, but it worked like crazy. Last year I thought about it, and decided I wasn't in the mental position to hold on through a training block of them.

Yeah.. I did them two years ago and was flying. I had a pretty bad bike fit coming into the season last year, new frame, dealer claimed to know what he was doing and screwed the fit up pretty bad, and I was suffering from ITB issues like mad so I skipped them last year, wasn't flying as much.

Link to the study?

it's the original Tabata study.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training#Tabata_Method

ah - I wasn't sure if you were going off of a new study, or the classic.

If you haven't done a block of them - you'll be flying, and it is sustainable... if you can keep up with the mental stress.
I couldn't keep them up last time I tried, but I may be doing it again this year.

Yeah.. I did them two years ago and was flying. I had a pretty bad bike fit coming into the season last year, new frame, dealer claimed to know what he was doing and screwed the fit up pretty bad, and I was suffering from ITB issues like mad so I skipped them last year, wasn't flying as much.The intervals themselves take less than 5min. How much additional riding did you do?

if you do them right, you won't be doing any other riding that day, for sure.

if you do them right, you won't be doing any other riding that day, for sure.

yep.

and, read the protocol carefully: you are doing this "4 times per week, plus another day of steady-state training" for six weeks.

I was doing tabatas at 6:30AM and a regular ride around 12 hours later.

For those with power meters that have done Tabatas, how much did your FTP rise over the 4 week block? I did these 1 time per week on top of my regular training (mostly group rides, races and 1 other interval day of 2 to 5 min. intervals). They felt like a great workout, but with no power meter it is tough to say.

ken - you are also a freak.
I avoided other rides close to them so allow for recovery, but I'm a mere mortal :)

This past season I did more intensity than the year before because (due to working full time) my training hours were cut back. I had the best season ever this past summer, but I burned out mentally and physically in the middle of august.

I had the best season ever this past summer, but I burned out mentally and physically in the middle of august.

yep - that's what happens.
This year, I'm planning for it, and planning to avoid it.

If you haven't done a block of them - you'll be flying, and it is sustainable... if you can keep up with the mental stress.
I couldn't keep them up last time I tried, but I may be doing it again this year.

I'm not surprised that you were flying, especially if you weren't doing a lot of intensity prior... but you can't expect that to last. It's best to pick your moments and save efforts like this for building to a peak... and then stop doing them.

I'm not surprised that you were flying, especially if you weren't doing a lot of intensity prior... but you can't expect that to last. It's best to pick your moments and save efforts like this for building to a peak... and then stop doing them.

indeed.
I'm trying to see how they fit on my calendar this year.

It's worth noting that majority opinion is the V02 max ceiling is genetically determined, how you hit the ceiling can be dependent on the individual. And a big V02 max does not win races.

What I'm left with after looking at this stuff is similar to what I was left with after SST and other "shorter" training strategies came into popularity and were being pushed as "the answer"...

It depends on what you're racing. And to some degree how you race.

Tabata/high intensity stuff has it's place, but I look at it more as a time crunched or crit racer strategy or icing on a big base-layer cake.

I was doing tabatas at 6:30AM and a regular ride around 12 hours later.

Was this the same period when you were doing ZCI workouts (5-6 x 5' @108%FTP, 1' rest)? If I'm remembering that correctly, which do you think was more effective?

ZCI's were last year once the season started. Tabatas were the year before just prior to the season starting.