Training & Nutrition - Interval question...

Alright, I am heading into the home stretch, getting read to do my actual first criterium in a few weeks with several shortly after. I have been working on base miles for 3 months and now am getting into the harder training. I understand there are different types of intervals. Today I did anarobic intervals, basically sprint in a big gear, through some sharp corners at speed, sprint some more and then repeat, 6 sprints, 3 sets, rest inbetween.

I have done intervals in the past where I just pushed for example up a hill where my legs burn from lactic acid but I do not go anarobic. The question is, does the onset of heavy breathing always bring on the accumliation of lactic acid that causes burning in the legs? Do your legs have to burn to get results from an interval?

It seemed like while I was going so hard that I was going anarboic but not feeling any burning in the legs today.

This also begs the question what kind of intervals are there> Can someone explain them? Thanks

Was thinking about something...

If my arobic base was not as good as it should be would hard breathing at 175 BPM with no muscle burning be an indicator?

The question is, does the onset of heavy breathing always bring on the accumliation of lactic acid that causes burning in the legs? Do your legs have to burn to get results from an interval?



That's hard to say because "heavy breathing" isn't an objective measure. Some people may be breathing heavily to us, but they may not think they're breathing heavily and vice versa. Usually when you're doing hard intervals that cause that lactate buildup, you'll experience heavy breathing. But the heavy breathing doesn't actually bring on the lactate buildup.

To answer the second part, I wouldn't say that your legs HAVE to burn to get results from an interval. You can get results from various types of intervals without having your legs burn that much, or at all for that matter. It just depends on the interval. If you're talking about high-intensity intervals well above your LT, then that burn is a good thing...not always the most comfortable feeling, but it's good. And the longer you train your body to produce 'x' amount of power at that intensity, the better you'll do in races.

I get the same feeling the I get when I do hill repeats, like I can not get enough oxygen but without the burning. When I do these intervals they are so fast that my legs seem not to burn but fatigue.

When I do these type of intervals on the trainer though I get burn and the anarobic feeling...

I have done intervals in the past where I just pushed for example up a hill where my legs burn from lactic acid but I do not go anarobic. The question is, does the onset of heavy breathing always bring on the accumliation of lactic acid that causes burning in the legs? Do your legs have to burn to get results from an interval?

It seemed like while I was going so hard that I was going anarboic but not feeling any burning in the legs today.


Heavy breathing and LA buildup in the legs are separate issues, though typically related. An extreme example: do a typical hard trainer work-out, and at some point when you're thoroughly warmed up, and feeling some tiredness in your legs, get off the bike and do a 90 second isometric parallel squat with your hands clasped behind your neck. I'll bet you'll get a burn, but if you breath hard it's probably a response to the pain rather than going anaerobic. You've already experienced the reverse, going anaerobic w/out the burn.

To answer the second question, there are all kinds of intervals for developing all aspects of fitness. What makes it an interval is that you're alternating intervals of work with rest. They aren't, by definition hard or painful. Just usually. ;) If you're interested in types of intervals, do you have any cycling training books? Most cycling coaching web-sites, as well as VeloNews and CyclingNews have online training articles that discuss different types of intervals for different seasons and types of development... some googling will yield a wealth of information.

Being able to go hard w/out pain in the legs sounds like a good thing to me... probably a result of all that base work. So, under the conditions of that ride, your oxygen delivery was the weaker (not necessarily weak, just weaker) system.

I have a slight leak in one of my heart valves which allows blood the return to my lungs. This tends to make me breathless earlier than most folk, my point being that being breathless can indicate various things.
Reality is that as you become breathless your lungs need to try to adjust and I guess this makes them stronger/more efficient?