Originally Posted by brigadon
There's been a whole lot of scientific investigation into sports training been done in the fifty years since I was a teenager killing myself riding big miles over the Scottish Grampians plains and mountains.
The only advice I remember listening to at that time was from an article by TDF winner Fausto Coppi who said that the best training for cycling was "cycling, cycling, cycling".
Well, I took this to heart and the result was that I ceased enjoying my cycling and burnt myself out after 3 years racing as a junior.
Now that I've rediscovered the pleasure of sitting on a bike and having regained a moderate degree of fitness my aim is to enjoy my biking like I used to before I read that Coppi article.
If fun and enjoying the pleasure of cycling is really your goal my suggestion is: Toss the Heart Rate Monitor and "fitness rituals" in the same place as the Fausto Coppi training article and enjoy your cycling at whatever pace is enjoyable. Period.