hobkirk

I've been doing 4x8 intervals for ten weeks and trying to keep almost all my other rides in heart rate zone 1 or 2, but I have questions about some of the details.

Interval questions:

1. Should I make an effort to keep cadence high?
2. Is it important to keep the rests short? I've been somewhat casual about my cool-down segments - some are 3 minutes, some are 4, based on traffic, a riding partner's position, whatever.
3. Should I continue doing intervals every week? Or take a week off periodically?

Easy ride questions:

1. How important is low heart rate? Is Zone 1 significantly better than Zone 2?
2. My AHR is getting lower: AHR 128, 124, 111, 115, 123, 123, 124. 116 by making a concerted effort to coast whenever possible

BACKGROUND
I've been riding for 5 years, I average about 5K miles a year, I'm 70, 6'1" and 230# (sad to say!)

Heart Rate Zones (based on LTHR of 145):

• Zone 1 <117
• Zone 2 118-129
• Zone 3 130-135
• Zone 4 = 136-144

AHR & MHR during intervals:
Average AHR and MHR for all 4 intervals:

• 145 / 151 (most recent week, speed was PR)
• 142 / 147
• 146 / 151
• 142 / 147
• 135 / 141 (too early in AM, cadence low, speed only slightly slow)
• 150 / 152
• 148 / 152

Thanks!

chasm54

Intervals: Unless you have very specific goals beyond just getting your HR into the required zone I wouldn't obsess about cadence, but higher is generally preferable to lower imo. Yes, keep rests between intervals fairly brief. If you're doing 4x8 I'd suggest 2minutes between intervals. Certainly no more than 4. For us old guys it is probably sensible to make every third week an easier week. I wouldn't cut out the intervals entirely, though, I'd be inclined to back off the volume more than the intensity.

Easy rides: whether Z1 is better than Z2 depends on the purpose of the ride. If you are riding for recovery, Z1. If you are riding to build endurance, Z2. The point about keeping the easy rides easy is to ensure that you are in shape to make the hard rides hard. If you spend all your time in Z2 and Z3 you are going to be fatigued and compromise your ability to complete your intervals sessions, and everything subsides into mediocrity. So a great deal depends on your overall training load and how much training stress you can tolerate without getting too fatigued, but err on the side of going easily if you're in doubt.

I don't think that lowering your average HR for a ride by coasting whenever possible is especially helpful. On a Z2 ride I'd be trying to maintain a steady Z2 effort rather than looking for a Z2 average that is composed of extended periods in Z1 and Z3.

sprince

If you are really pushing yourself hard on those intervals you need to take a week off every once in a while. The week off might be just one interval 3.5 times a week then < 50% effort for the remainder.

I doubt that the coasting is of much benefit, you're basically just taking a break from your training. Maybe instead of coasting, work on managing efficiency in order to go faster with less effort. I assume the goal is to go faster?

gregf83 

If I were you I would forget about anything high intensity for the next 6 months and concentrate on long Z2 rides and losing weight. That will make you healthier and faster

The problem I have with high intensity rides is it's harder to do them consistently so you end up taking more days off. For me, I get in a routine of eating when I'm riding and on days off I still eat like I'm riding. So I find it's better to ride 6 or 7 days a week but a lower intensity for losing weight.

RR3

i can share my data. I increased power by 20% in my first 6 weeks using polarized and 31% in 6 months. I have since lost power because I have been lazy or actually nursing a torn rotator cuff

I'm almost 57 (yuck), 6'3'' and weight is up to 190 lbs.

Max HR is 181 BPS

I was able to sustain 168-172 BPS on a 1 hour time trial. My FTP was around 290 watts (VT2 at 4.5 mmol lactate) at my peak and my AT (VT1) was 210 watts at 127 beats per second. The power levels stated are somewhat suspect because I get different readings at the higher outputs from the two different meters that I have.

My long training rides are at 110-120 BPS with about 160-190 watts. Zone 1. It is hilly where I live and I really go easy on hills and definately keep it below 127 BPS. I have a 32 cog on my cassette just in case.

My intervals are either on the trainer or on the same hill. Since I hate intervals, venue is irrelevant

On long Brevets or 24 hour type rides, I ride at 125-130 bps HR and 200-220 watts. Riding in this zone routinely during training would be too stressful to my endrocrine system. Recipe for burnout. I suspect your easy rides are too hard. Are you tired?

On the trainer, I warm up. My first interval is usually at 320 watts and lasts only 4 minutes. The next 3-4 intervals are 6 minutes and at about 360-400 watts and my HR usually will climb to 165 BPS. I only rest long enough for my HR to drop below 127 beats per minute (VT1). When I am fit, this can be less than a minute. When I am not fit, this rest can be a couple minutes but never 4-5 minutes.

On the hill, I go all out and try to make it higher up it than previous efforts. 5 minute efforts and usually 90 seconds rest. After 4 climbs I spin home.

I will not do an interval session unless I am fresh and ready to crush it. Rest is important. Taking an easy week every once in a while is important, too. Maybe monthly, I do lower volume and no formal intervals. Four easy rides and then an interval sessions is what I do if training. If I do a hilly 400k brevet or something and I rode hard, I consider this my hard day and ride easy until I want to ride hard. It might take 3-4 days of easy rides before I am chomping at the bit. You should be really wanting to ride hard on your interval day. If not, i suspect your easy days are too hard or your overall volume is too high. You can't get stronger by feeling weak. Sometimes my body is not responding to training and it feels weak. If I begin an interval sessions and I am not feeling strong, I stop. I spin home easy. I think this is part of age. Not healing as fast or unpredictably.

Sorry for the ramble Hope this helps

bowzette

and I've also gone through rotator cuff surgery and was off the bike a long time

hobkirk

No RAMBLE from my view. I need to spend some time to "translate" some of your metrics into those that I use.

Also, "almost 57 (yuck)"? You're a damn spring chicken! Although, I must admit if I'm being honest that 55 is when I started to feel a drop-off in my physical capacity. I think that was more than just a reaction to my stopping running (4th operation on knees showed bone-on-bone), but that certainly colored my view.

So thanks heaps. Although I am curious how you measured improvement? Wattage improvement on your climbs?

Drew Eckhardt 

You really need rest weeks. That's when adaptation occurs. It's necessary so you're fresh enough to really ride hard. When you don't at best you end up tired and slow, although more serious health issues are possible.

Some people cut intensity (I do that) - no intervals, endurance rides become recovery rides. I get to 0 stress balance using Skiba's bike score metric under Golden Cheetah. TRIMP would work for you using heart rate.

Some people cut volume 30-50%.

One in four is traditional. Some older athletes do better with 1 in 3. Older may start at 40 something.

You need to stay below your aerobic threshold in terms of exertion to train your aerobic system.

I like to think closer is better, although that increases the risk of accidentally going over which makes a sticky shift in your energy source. Stress is also higher that way which limits how much, volume is probably more important than intensity, and when intensity limits volume I go easier.

For recovery it needs to be easy. I was psyched the first time I averaged under 100bpm (140 aerobic threshold, 168 lactate threshold, 185 maximum).

Heart rate is just a side effect which lags behind exertion level. If you're coasting to keep your heart rate low enough you're going too hard when not coasting.

You want to ride at a steady pace, pausing pedaling only for traffic lights and pee breaks.

You want to figure out where your aerobic threshold (AeT, VT1, LT1) is.

That's the hardest endurance pace you can have a conversation, don't feel lactate in your legs, and aren't yet breathing rhythmically. After a while sustaining that pace will take a little focus. It's somewhere in Friel's Z1 or Z2, probably the former without training. 25-40 BPM below LTHR.

Polarized Z1 is below that, Z3 is past LTHR, and Z2 to be avoided between the two.

Drew Eckhardt 

Power meter. Used wired PowerTap wheels have been under $200 for years. 4iiii has a $400 single-sided crank arm unit. Power2Max has a $500 crank spider unit. New powertap hubs start at $600. Garmin's single sided pedal is $900. You can spend a lot more if you want.

It shows exactly what you're doing (claimed accuracy is usually +/-2.5%) without measurements being skewed by things like wind which can eclipse the gains you make in a month.

RR3

I have a power meter. I measure improvement at vt1 and vt2. I measure lactate and power. I can see improvement also by going further up the hill and much faster brevet times (randonneuring)