yugo campione

I was out yesterday doing my first real intervals, 2 minutes at @92% with 5 minutes recovery(very easy spin dropping down to @65%. I was using my HRM for the first time like this and can't believe how much help it was. I thought I had done this type of workout before without the HRM, but boy was I wrong. By the end of my 2 minutes I felt like I could barely make it to the finish and I could actually feel how the Oxygen debt was causing the muscle fatigue. It was an extremely illuminating workout and I thoroughly enjoyed it(?)!

Anyways, on to the question, given yesterday's workout, I know I need to have a rest day, but am I resting my cycling muscles, or am I resting my cardio system? Can I run today or should I just bike at an easy pace? And what about an endurance ride of say, 1hr at 70% or so?

merlinextraligh

Endurance ride would be fine.

My question would be why you're doing 2 minute intervals to a set heart rate. In my experience you want to do those as hard as you can, and still finish the 2 minutes.

Your HR will lag in the first part of the interval anyway, so I'd just do them at maximal sustainable effort, and let your HR fall where it may.

yugo campione

I wasn't actually trying for 92%, that is just where I "landed". I was going as hard I could go and still be able to finish the 2 minutes. And I "spooled" up to what I felt was my max and then started my 2 minute timer, so I was already at my max speed. Does that sound correct?

waterrockets 

+1 to endurance for recovery. You don't need to completely baby yourself, but you should do something less intense than intervals.

I've recently started experimenting with doing intervals from an elevated HR, and I'm not sure it's much different. It kind of makes a 1 minute interval just feel like a 2 minute interval. I imagine yours were pretty much 3 minute intervals. Nothing wrong with that, but conventionally, people start intervals recovered.

I'll probably keep doing a mix of the two approaches, just to keep some variability in my training.

sogood

Based on my understanding on power training levels, when you are down to 2min intervals, HRMs are no longer meaningful. Just do it to max power that's sustainable to the time interval set and be able to complete a few sets. IIRC about 2mins, it should be L6 power.

waterrockets 

That's more true of 1-minute intervals. I actually get decent control of my HR in two minutes, though I can't get it to max (I only seem to be able to do that in races).

yugo_campoine, you really should try 1-minute intervals, 3-4 minute recovery. You'll think about them the next day, yearning for next week, when you can do them again.

yugo campione

Maybe this weekend! Can't wait!!

mleess

You don't need a day off after intervals -- just something easier. Save intervals (or hills) for one or two times a week. They are designed to be a PART of your training, not what you do everytime you go out.