Best Use of 4hr Ride

Obviously a very subjective question. But for someone who doesn't get out for longer, 4/5 hour rides very often, i want to know best use of my time when i do get out.
I currently commute to work in London (13 miles round trip) and probably get out for an hour top end/intervals on top of that once a fortnight or so. I probably get out for a longer 4-5 hour ride every three weeks or so.
I want to improve endurance by doing some zone 2 training (ready for 100 mile summer sportives, which i try to get round as fast as i can rather than as a gentle toodle around) - ie get some longer miles in but i'd also like to get some harder miles in too.
Should i just do a 4 hour ride purely in zone 2? Or should i stick to zone 2 on much of the ride but then throw in some harder bits - maybe 2 x 20 mins intervals? Or just try and race up all the hills. Or 5 x 5 intervals?
As you can tell i'm a bit confused. Cheers.
I currently commute to work in London (13 miles round trip) and probably get out for an hour top end/intervals on top of that once a fortnight or so. I probably get out for a longer 4-5 hour ride every three weeks or so.
I want to improve endurance by doing some zone 2 training (ready for 100 mile summer sportives, which i try to get round as fast as i can rather than as a gentle toodle around) - ie get some longer miles in but i'd also like to get some harder miles in too.
Should i just do a 4 hour ride purely in zone 2? Or should i stick to zone 2 on much of the ride but then throw in some harder bits - maybe 2 x 20 mins intervals? Or just try and race up all the hills. Or 5 x 5 intervals?
As you can tell i'm a bit confused. Cheers.
amc
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I think this is where i get confused - i'm pretty sure i can manage fast spells between steady riding as i've already done at 80mile ride at the begining of the year and managed the v hilly Hell of the Ashdown sportive 100km in under 4 hours.
But am i putting the effiecency gained from zone 2 riding at risk but doing various bursts?
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
I like the variety and the challenge of including some different elements to break up such a ride. Fair to say that as I did the VO2 max intervals first, I was fairly tired after the first hour. But it was a fun ride!
Obsessed is just a word elephants use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com
You need to do some threshold 20s on your own and some super-hard 3-4 hour group rides once or twice a week taking all out VO2 max pulls. But focus on the groupies because thats your practive for races.
The rider with the highest VO2 max and FTP will win a 100 mile road race even on half the training of a rider wilth less FTP and VO2 max.
Rider A has a 300 watt FTP on 20 hours a week of JRA (just riding around.)
Rider B has a 350 watt FTP on 8 hours of very hard smart training.
Who will win? Rider B of course!
Rider A will be digging deep at points during the race while rider B is still going easy. You only can "dig" so many times.
You need to increase sustainable aerobic power output! Zone 4 training. IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ZONE!!!!!!
In the end i did a 3 1/2 hrs ride most of it zone 2 as i have a cold with a nose that is snotier than an Eton schoolboy - but with 2 * 20mins hard effort at threshold and big ringing it up the hills for the last 45 mins.
What with the cold, it ended up be a useful session.
If your "big ringing" it up the hills......then they aint hills!
Did he mean big ring at the front..?