Originally Posted by
Mitch529
Thanks for the advise Mike, unfortunately I live in FL so there is only flat terrain for me. What are SST rides and pyramid intervals? Concrete plans work for me, between full time work, full time student and wife I have to plan out my time wisely.
Pyramid intervals mean that you steady increase the length of your intervals. For example, you would start with a 1 minute hard interval, then a 5 minute rest. Then another 1 minute hard interval and another 5 minute rest. Then increase it to a 2 minute interval followed by a 5 minute rest. The top of the pyramid is a 5 minute interval followed by a 5 minute rest. Then you go back down to a 2' interval w/ 5 minute rest, a 1 min interval w/ 5 min rest and your last 1' interval w/ 5 min rest.
So it goes 1' on 5' off, 1' on 5' off, 2' on 5' off, 5' on 5' off, 2' on 5' off, 1' on 5' off, 1' on 5' off.
SST stands for "sweet spot training" It basically refers to training between your power zone 3 and 4. I don't have a powermeter and I assume you do not either, so you will have to estimate power. I feel that I am pretty good at this and for me SST is going just hard enough that it hurts, but now so hard that I am trashed before the end of the ride. I try to pace my SST rides so that I just have enough left in the tank at the end of the ride.