Interval Training for Numpties...

Chat Forum

[closed]

Interval Training for Numpties...

28 posts & 10 voices | Started 1 year ago by Shibboleth | Latest reply from Shibboleth

Tags:

No tags yet.

Shibboleth - Member

Can anyone advise me on a training issue? I tend to ride 2-3 times a week, a big off-road ride on Tuesday nights, a 20mile hilly-ish road loop thu/fri, and/or a 2-3hr off road ride at the weekend.

Work commitments mean that only the Tuesday night ride is set in stone and recently, other priorities have meant the other rides have suffered.

However, I've really noticed my fitness going backwards lately. Whereas I used to be in the front half of group rides, I'm now shutting gates! I'm fine pedaling at high cadence on the flat but really struggling on climbs I've danced up in the past. Motivation is suffering as a result.

I've been reading a bit about interval training as I think I need a more structured plan to make any improvements. I live right on top of a hill and there are 2 loops I can ride on the road bike right outside the door - one around 1.2 miles with a steep 2 minute climb, and the other about 2 miles with a steep 3 minute climb.

Any advice on how best to use these 2 loops for intervals? ie how many laps, how often, how much rest etc.

Thanks in advance...

Posted 1 year ago #
amt27 - Member

intervals are best done on a turbo trainer with a HRM,

just use the climbs, not the rest of the loop,

do 10 reps of one climb (or as many reps until your time to climb becomes 120% of your 1st/best time), completely flat out, 90%-max heart rate,
move onto the next climb and do the same,

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

I thought both loops would be good for a sprinted climb at max HR, then active rest/fast spin back round for 5 mins to the foot of the climb and repeat.

I'm trying to think of a way of using the roadbike on the road to simulate the type of interval training you'd done on a turbo...

Posted 1 year ago #
iDave - Member

why just use the climbs? don't you want to be fast on the flat too?

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

intervals are best done on a turbo trainer with a HRM

I disagree.

They're best done on a hill I reckon, since you're already predisposed to trying hard and attacking hills. Find a hill that takes like 1 min to do, and one that takes 5 mins to do. On the short one do three sets of 6 reps as hard as you can, and on the longer one do 8 as fast as you can but steady, pick a pace you can maintain and be finished at the top.

Note the above is the traditional aproach....

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

iDave, I seem to be pretty fast on the flat - my cadence seems to be higher than most that I ride with which seems to allow me to maintain speed on flat road sections better than most. But I seem to slow down quicker as soon as the gradient increases.

I want to improve overall stamina for bigger rides too...

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

But I seem to slow down quicker as soon as the gradient increases

Gained weight?

Riding on the flat is technically the same as riding up hill I reckon, but weight is a factor.

Lot of psychological differences tho.

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

I'd like to lose some weight, but it's been fairly stable for a few years - 13.75st at 6'1".

I gain weight - presumably muscle mass when I up the miles...

Posted 1 year ago #
hh45 - Member

The trouble with intervals is they really hurt so need lots of motivation! I think you need different lengths, say a 30 second and a 2-3 minutes and definitely on a gentle uphill. Not so steep you are wrenching off the bars but just enough gradient to make 2 minutes enough to vomit (almost, the acids in vomit will scar your paintwork). 30 secs is good for sprints and having the power for short steep bits and the 2 minutes ones will build real power for the long haul.

If you are into road bikes then find some others and chain gang it for 3 hours. Through and off every 20-40 seconds and never stopping. Thats why roadies are fit.

Posted 1 year ago #
cynic-al - Member

intervals best done not on a turbo, do them on hills and it will help more on hills, flats for flats etc.

for the op getting into precision isn't worth it, do a them once a week only and change the duration. watch for overtraining.

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Cheers for the advice so far...

So would I be best swapping my Thursday night road loop for doing some fast laps of the 1.2 mile loop for example?

Posted 1 year ago #
mudshark - Member

I've just bought this, a good investment at less than £10 I think, it's all about the intervals and a variety of them:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-crunched-Cyclist-Fast-Powerful-Hours/dp/1934030473/

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

So would I be best swapping my Thursday night road loop for doing some fast laps of the 1.2 mile loop for example?

Yeah, quite possibly. You should do a few things and then figure out what feels right for your legs, and what you enjoy and feel satisfied with.

Personally I love an entertaining loop that I can hammer absolutely balls out (Cwmcarn and Swinley are my fave places for this), and I REALLY feel the benefit each time I do it.

I suspect the profile of Cwmcarn happens by chance to correspond to a very productive interval session when done fast.

Posted 1 year ago #
philconsequence - Member

why is nick clegg on that book?!

shibby... try eating a "co-op light choices hot cross bun" during your ride... i absolutely powered up a long drawn out hill i had forgotten about (mainly due to choosing routes that avoided it since last summer) and despite a crash that made me feel like i had loat 40%power from my lower-back and legs for the rest of the ride i was still powering ahead of my riding buddy who's nearly always faster up hills

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Thanks Mudshark, that looks worth a look. I ride a variety of different loops on and off road, but I'm getting frustrated at a lack of progress.

I don't think night riding through winter helps - spring always used to be a time when you'd really see performance come on leaps and bounds which was great for motivation. Now I feel like I'm starting the spring stuck beneath a glass ceiling.

So I was hoping some really structured training might make me focus more and be able to record progress.

Maybe I'll just get some of those Co-Op HCBs... And a Ragley Blue Pig

Posted 1 year ago #
mudshark - Member

I started getting more into road riding as became more interested in fitness, now only really ride on the road and am a lot fitter than ever before. Joining a decent roadie club helped a lot and get a good weekend ride in, now looking at improving my mid-week training.

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

So I was hoping some really structured training might make me focus more and be able to record progress

It will - if you reach a plateau you need to do something different to mix it up.

I've heard people say that a great way to train is to do very different things on consecutive days. So 30s intervals on Saturday, 4 hour base ride on Sunday.

Posted 1 year ago #
iDave - Member

I've heard people say

Never a good basis for action....

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

No, that's why it's not advice, it's simply reporting what I've heard

I would add from a personal perspective that it feels quite good to do things that way.

Posted 1 year ago #
surfer - Member

Never a good basis for action.

Not strictly true

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

I've ordered the book Mudshark recommended and The Cyclists Training Bible which comes highly recommended.

I'm starting tonight with laps of the 1.2 mile loop, nailing it hard on the climb and spinning back down/round.

I reckon 20 laps should be enough to induce vomiting if I hit it hard enough.

I've GT85'd the road bike so it'll be easier to rinse.

Posted 1 year ago #
iDave - Member

20 laps is too many

try 8

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Okey dokes, how hard should I be hitting this? And should I be using the descent/flat to get heart rate back down or pressing on?

Looks like I should get an HRM too, any recommendations?

Thanks...

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

My suggestion - as hard as you can without dying on the first one. You don't need an HRM for intervals as you'll be going by feel. Rest between them (ie on the flats), they are intervals not a time trial.

NB I am not a coach

Posted 1 year ago #
surfer - Member

In terms of effort my rule of thumb (and it may not stand scrutiny) is effort on the first should be hard but each effort should be the same speed, ie you should not be slowing on the last.

It also depends what you are trying to achieve and at what stage in your training cycle you are at as well as the "interval" in between (the rest)

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

It also depends what you are trying to achieve

It does, but that's more technical.

Posted 1 year ago #
Taz - Member

I find intervals pretty boring (as in ride up and down 1 hill several times) and as such don't give them the effort that is really needed unless I do them on an infrequent basis.

I like & use Molgrips approach of finding a loop I enjoy and doing that as hard and fast as I can manage

On the road I have the imaginatively named 5,6,7 & 8 hill challenge loops I use. All the hills are on the longer side so I throw in some sprints out of junctions to mix it up a bit.

The final thing I do is meet up with a few like minded mates and we race each other on our local routes in Bristol. Eg "See if you can drop me in the 50 Acre section of the Timberland Trail". We do this in the few weeks leading up to the Bristol 12 and that more than anything helps sharpen my fitness up no end

With the exception of a drive to Cwm Carn (and I'n only using that as an example) the others can be done in pretty short time frames and extended if more time is available.

Mix it up, keep it interesting and it keeps me motivated to put the effort in. Assuming you have a good base the benefits will come in a few weeks

Posted 1 year ago #
Shibboleth - Member

Ouch... Just done an 8-lap loop - plus a few flat miles to warm up.

Kept it big ring all the way, powered up the climb and sprinted over the top. Really got my lungs pumping and I can see why they're beneficial.

Considering I was only riding for 40 mins, I feel like I've done some good.

I can understand the boredom aspect creeping in, but for a once a week workout that I can monitor for progress, I think it'll be good...

Posted 1 year ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.

Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine

Chat Forum

Interval Training for Numpties...

Topic Closed

Don't miss…

Singletrack

Website & Forums

Exits