Training & Nutrition - Anarobic threshold question...

Ok Another one of these questions....

I started riding with a group that are above my ability on my road rides. I like doing this because it just makes me stronger and fitter the more I ride with them. Here is the question...

Tonight we did a few big hills that I have rode but never taken this fast, and some fast flat sections exceding 28 MPH for extended periods of time. The kind of efforts I am talking about can be considered just a level lower than race performance.

I go anarobic at approximatly 168 - 171 BPM (Need to retest again). When we were sprinting and pushing 27+ MPH not drafting and when climbing I am above 171 and am getting anarobic, breathing hard and deep, etc. Today for approximatly 15 - 20 minutes I was in this state but my HR never got more than 170 which means I was at the border. I could not really feel the latic acid build up until over that speed. On the hills 5 - 6 minutes of HR more than 180 BPM sustained (zone 5A) when pushing hard.

This is the exact type of training that I need to build up my speeds and anarobic levels. How long is it safe to sustain this high level or work? Is it based on what you can do physically or is there a level that is unsafe? Also after a big ride like tonights is it good to add a day off or a spinning day after this level of intensity? One thing I can say is that since my baseline I have improved dramatically from my old standard.

Thanks as always...

Well, you are obviously way above my level, but I am 34yo, and readily run up my heart rate to 175-180bpm on the trainer for over an hour at a time with no ill affects so far. Unless I am seriously doing something wrong without realizing it? Of course I measure my hr by taking my pulse manually. I don't have a monitor yet. But I do know how to count. :)

I would agree, it is good to take a day with a differant type of workout after such an intense ride. Maybe some spinning, or just do some other activity you enjoy. But unless you are used to it, you may not want to push too hard for another day or two.

Unless you pass out it's safe. If you push it really hard you might puke, but its not really unsafe. Most peoples legs will simply cease up and feel like lead weights (bonking) if you push it too hard without enough fuel, which is not fun. I think rest days are a pretty personal thing and depend alot on what you are training for, but if you push it really hard one day and the next day when you wake up your legs feel awful, taking an easy spin that day to get more blood flowing through the damaged muscles and clearing out any residual lactic acid build up is a good idea.

...if you push it really hard one day and the next day when you wake up your legs feel awful, taking an easy spin that day to get more blood flowing through the damaged muscles and clearing out any residual lactic acid build up is a good idea.

I check my resting heart rate every morning. If it goes up more than 6 beats or so, I ride easy that day. I also try to split up my LT days with easy zone 2 rides.