Base training to Intervals

onabike

hmm... I think i've lost my first post so am re-posting.

I'm adding intervals to my cycling for the first time this winter.
It's going ok, but I'm finding that it's a big jump going from base training ( 4hr rides 17mph avg) to 2x20 min intervals on a turbo ( at time trial pace)
Seeking advice for what sort of ride to do to bridge the gap and so prepare me for full-on intervals. Or even what sort of ride on the road I should do to supplement base training and turbo sessions. A sort of bring it all together type ride.

I hear of muscular endurance sessions which sound like you go at a pace sort of in between base and intervals. Also tempo rides - should a tempo ride be done on hilly terrain, or at a set %HR? For how long? I do some mountain biking which I find is a good bridge between base and intervals.

Thanks

Toks

onabike wrote:

hmm... I think i've lost my first post so am re-posting.

I'm adding intervals to my cycling for the first time this winter.
It's going ok, but I'm finding that it's a big jump going from base training ( 4hr rides 17mph avg) to 2x20 min intervals on a turbo ( at time trial pace)
Seeking advice for what sort of ride to do to bridge the gap and so prepare me for full-on intervals. Or even what sort of ride on the road I should do to supplement base training and turbo sessions. A sort of bring it all together type ride.

I hear of muscular endurance sessions which sound like you go at a pace sort of in between base and intervals. Also tempo rides - should a tempo ride be done on hilly terrain, or at a set %HR? For how long? I do some mountain biking which I find is a good bridge between base and intervals.

Thanks

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Mike Willcox

onabike wrote:

hmm... I think i've lost my first post so am re-posting.

I'm adding intervals to my cycling for the first time this winter.
It's going ok, but I'm finding that it's a big jump going from base training ( 4hr rides 17mph avg) to 2x20 min intervals on a turbo ( at time trial pace)
Seeking advice for what sort of ride to do to bridge the gap and so prepare me for full-on intervals. Or even what sort of ride on the road I should do to supplement base training and turbo sessions. A sort of bring it all together type ride.

I hear of muscular endurance sessions which sound like you go at a pace sort of in between base and intervals. Also tempo rides - should a tempo ride be done on hilly terrain, or at a set %HR? For how long? I do some mountain biking which I find is a good bridge between base and intervals.

Thanks

An excellent question which can only be answered by some disciplined hard work on the bike. It's all about striking a balance between your current state of fitness, training stress loads and subsequent recovery; and that is subjective to your training objectives be it racing, sportives and/or just getting fit and enjoying riding with your club.

In establishing a plan you should take into account some ot the basic parameters of physical and mental conditioning. IMO you will be making it tough for yourself to embark immediately on too structured an interval session. The body has to learn how to deal with hard work from a mental as well as a physical perspective.

The best way to get the body to acclimatise is to introduce periods of harder efforts on your existing rides. Instead of just getting up a climb or a drag with the least amount of expended energy, treat it as challenge to get to the top as quickly as you can. Use a low gear and focus on a level smooth consistent effort that will take you to the top, up and over the other side and then use the descent to recover.

The recovery part is essential, vital, and compulsory in fact a must, (I think I have made my point here). Start off with one or two and then increase to three and four. After a few rides the effort will never ever seem easier but the recovery will improve with your better fitness levels and you will be able to sustain the effort for longer. Ensure that rides on the days following take into account how you feel. In other words don't hammer yourself into the ground. Recovery equals improvement.

When you feel that (mayebe a couple of weeks or so) you can handle this then introduce a tempo ride. This is basically an effort of TT intensity but for not too long a ride, usually undertaken whilst fresh after a rest day. You know that too improve speed then you must train for speed so intervals like 2 x 20 minutes and 4 x 5 minutes are something that you can then bring into your training routine as by now you should be able to handle it.

chill888

Mike

Very helpful response ... thx

Personally I find structured intervals no fun, so when trying to do intervals I design a nice route with several climbs as mly intervals (descents and flatter parts as recovery.

More interesting - at least for me.

SteveR_100Milers

For what its worth, this is what I am trying this year: core ride each week are

1 x track session (for huge intervals far harder than I could go on my own or a trubo by some margin),

1 x LSD ride, but includes a long climb of min 20 mins at LT effort.

2 x Tempo rides of between 1 and 2 hours, both hilly so lots of varied effort. Try and sprint/push up hills and inclines

1 x turbo recovery session, 30 minutes of relatively easy spinning RPE 3 or <60% MHR

If the weather is really crap like today, the LSD becomes a 1.75 hour hilly loop at moderate intensity. There is no transition from base to intervals, as Im doing both effort levels constantly....then again I have limited time of between 6 and 8 hours a week normally.

Mike Willcox

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

For what its worth, this is what I am trying this year: core ride each week are

1 x track session (for huge intervals far harder than I could go on my own or a trubo by some margin),

1 x LSD ride, but includes a long climb of min 20 mins at LT effort.

2 x Tempo rides of between 1 and 2 hours, both hilly so lots of varied effort. Try and sprint/push up hills and inclines

1 x turbo recovery session, 30 minutes of relatively easy spinning RPE 3 or <60% MHR

If the weather is really crap like today, the LSD becomes a 1.75 hour hilly loop at moderate intensity. There is no transition from base to intervals, as Im doing both effort levels constantly....then again I have limited time of between 6 and 8 hours a week normally.

That's a lot of high intensity to maintain during the winter months. What are you going to do when you want to peak for the summer?

onabike

Thanks for the very useful lreplies.
Until now it's just been recreational riding lacking a training focus. This is the first time I have been trying to do some structured training as I want to improve my poor 10-mile TTs.
I've found that my riding has got a bit polarised over the winter - im either doing long, slow distance rides at the weekend, or going flat out on my new turbo in the evenings. This time of year It's difficult to fit in a "tempo" ride, so I will try and incorporate some harder efforts into my Sunday ride.