Training Advice - Short Trainer Intevals
 

Hey, maybe this inquiry belongs in "Training" but no one goes there.

Due to winter weather and other obligations, I have not been able to ride on the road as much as I would like lately. I have generally preferred to ride outside and LOVE it....and don't really like riding inside, it's torture but I can tolerate about 1 hour on rollers and maybe 45 minutes on a stationary trainer.

My goals for the upcoming season are:

1. Be able to ride faster and stronger (duh).
2. Be able to ride with the A riders in my club if possible (right now I am an "A-" rider)
3. Be able to take more turns at the front and climb stronger.
3. No interest in racing or sprinting
4. Finish strong on club rides which are typically 3-4 hours.

Anyway, I do not have a power meter, I do have a HRM which I use sporadically when training.

So here is the 45 minute interval training session I did this morning and am considering to try to do weekly to increase fitness and power:

1. Warm up 5 minutes
2. 2 mins work x 4, 2 minutes rest between intervals
3. 5 minutes easy recovery/spin
4. Repeat step 2
5. Warm down 5 minutes

While doing the work intervals I am doing pretty much the max power I can sustain for the whole 2 minutes. By the end of the 3rd or 4th interval I am nearly ready to puke, and by the last 30 seconds of each interval I am between 95% and 100% of HR max.

Anyway I suspect I should do 3 sets rather than two, or perhaps do 5 or 6 intervals instead of 4, but I really can't stomach doing more than 45 minutes on the trainer.

Any feedback or suggestions are welcomed.

ps Yeah, I know it adds up to 47 minutes, not 45

SST and threshold workouts should also go in there, I feel. Check out the BF Workout Recipe in 33 for some ideas.

For the more experienced racer types - wouldnt 1-2' intervals all out be building anaerobic capacity rather than sustainable speed? I'd imagine VO2Max and FTP/LT intervals would be better for the stated goals.

That workout would be reasonable later in the season if you were planning on sprinting or racing but since you're not I would recommend basic threshold intervals instead. Here's an alternative:
10 min warmup
5 min @ FTP (threshold power)
5 min easy
20 min @ 90-100% FTP
5 min easy
20 min @90 -100%
10 min cooldown

Do these 2-3 times/week and you should move up to the A-ride.

If you have a trainer with published speed-power curves you can determine your FTP by measuring the highest speed you can maintain during a 20 min all out interval. Your FTP would be approx 95% of your 20 min power.

^^ Thanks for the tip. I had thought that if I want to increase my FTP I need to do some work well above it, not at it...not so??

Of course I don't have a PM but I can go by HR from a "field test."

Different people respond differently to stimulus. I need to train slightly above threshold once or twice a week to pull it up; others can get improvement from training at or just below (so called SST training) threshold. If you train at threshold consistently you will see that threshold go up eventually (conversely, you would see your average HR go down of equivalent efforts over time). Definitely check out the Workout Recipe page.

I like doing the ZCI intervals 6 intervals for 5 minutes at 5-8% above threshold, with 1' of rest in between the intervals. You might see this written as 6x5' at 105% FTP [i.e., threshold] w/1' RBI [rest between intervals].

Spend the $10.99 on a Sufferfest video. They give you exactly what you describe, but about 50x more entertaining with the visuals and music.

Working well above your FTP is painful and will take longer to recover from so you won't want(or be able) to do it as frequently.

Short 1-2 min intervals are useful for building your anaerobic work capacity which will slightly improve your FTP but are more useful for short hard efforts. If you're frequently getting dropped due to hard accelerations that might come in handy but whatever gains you'll get in short term power come (and go) quite quickly.

If you're wanting to finish strong after 3-4 hrs you're better off improving your FTP and that will come with more type spent training in that vicinity. Personally, I have had very good results with the ZCI intervals mentioned by SpongeDad and use those along with basic 2x20 intervals for threshold improvement.

I would use speed or RPE on the trainer rather than HR as HR tends to vary too much for reasons other than power output.

Cool, what is the RPE for the ZCI intervals described?? I am guessing 7-8, correct?

+1

You should be able to modify some of the workouts from here.

The first couple are not too bad but they get harder and the last couple can be difficult. I usually want to quit after 4 but find some motivation to keep going.

It really depends on how accurately you've estimated your FTP. I found overall they get easier from one week to the next as my FTP improves so I just keep increasing the power trying to keep the level of discomfort roughly equal. When I start feeling OK after the 6th one I add another 20 min at 95-100% FTP on the way home.

I don't have the book, 'The Time-Crunched Cyclist' with me, but I think all of the intervals in that book are based on being at threshold. The idea being to train your system to be efficient at that output level. I'll look again when I get home tonight.