Originally Posted by hobkirk

I had become frustrated by how slow my riding is. A 15 mph average ride (30 miles, 50' ascent per mile average) was good. There is a radar speed display on one of my routes - it follows a 1/2 mile slow ascent, but the final 1/10 mile is flat. My Garmin displays my speed, of course, but the radar display was a nice spur to crank it up. How fast? 18 MPH. ARGH!

I started riding 5 years ago. I've ridden 20K miles despite New England winters and hospital stays for two cancers and two new leg joints. Many years back, I was a decent runner (4:40 mile in high school, all marathons around age 40 under 3 hours).

How could I be so slow? Could I improve my speed potential?

After two months of intervals, when I hit the same radar display on the same route, my speed was 21 MPH. My effort seemed less, my "lead out" effort shorter. Hot damn!

So maybe there's hope, even for old geezers! Obviously I am bragging, but I hope that this anecdote might help someone.

Details:

• My intervals are 4x8. That means four 8-minute "as hard as I can push" efforts, with 2-3 minute recoveries in-between.
  • I average about 17.8 mph, my average HR is 145, max HR is 150, and I am working damn hard the whole way
  • I do "4x8" because that's what the study I read suggested.
    I would consider suicide during the intervals if I knew I had to do six! So I am really glad it's only four...
  • For the last 3 weeks, a friend (72, much more experience, much faster) has joined me. We reinforce each other. He's about 2 mph faster than I am. It makes it more interesting.
• I turn 70 in 10 days. Hooray!
  • I will celebrate by leading a club ride (Wednesday Wheelers, a sub-group of Charles River Wheelmen) on my annual "Bonsai Ride."
    • After a gorgeous 32 or 45 mile ride, lunch (pre-ordered sandwiches) is eaten in the courtyard of New England's most spectacular bonsai center, Bonsai West. I've adored the place and the owner for 20 years.
    • Two years ago, there were 70 riders!