Proper time-crunched - intervals then?

bompington
bompington Posts: 7,674
edited March 2012 in Training, fitness and health
I've commented in the past that for those of us with better things to do ;-) 6-8 hours a week on the bike doesn't really sound very time-crunched at all.
At the moment I'm managing to commute (about 20-25 miles depending on route) once each way per week, and for the rest I'm resorting to the exercise bike in the school gym, which I can find 40 minutes for most lunchtimes.

I'm doing the Etape Cal in mid-May and have foolishly quoted my estimated time (to get in an earlier starting pen) as 4 hours - which means 10% faster than I've done it before, and I suspect about 15% faster than I could do it now. Of course I don't need to do it that fast* but the thought of the potential humiliation of being overtaken by about 3000 people is strong motivation. The only other thing I've got going for me is a certain amount of mental strength: I'm willing to bury myself on a daily basis if need be, but at the same time I don't want to be doing anything counterproductive.

So how do I best use my time? My 2 actual rides are basically done as best-effort pushes (not on the same day), but what should I do with 40 minutes on an exercise bike? The choice really just seems to be:
1. GBO, or more realistically a steady push as hard as I can manage, the whole session
2. Some sort of intervals

Any suggestions?



*It's not a race you know ;-)

Comments

  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    As you live in Scotchland, could you ride the actual route? It will be a bit easier than the actual event as you'll have fewer punctures.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Thanks for the helpful advice ;-). FWIW I've averaged less than one puncture per year so far...
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Any chance you could commute more often?
    More problems but still living....
  • Pigtail
    Pigtail Posts: 424
    No advice - but I'm in the same place as you. I went for 4 hours, with a plan to do a lot of work in the run-up and unforeseen circumstances have wiped out my available time, meaning I'm well down on where I'd like to be.

    The irony is that things should back off quite a from mid-May, meaning that I should be able to recover some of the lost ground - but a bit too late!
  • ded
    ded Posts: 120
    Intervals. 40mins isn't much but it can still do you good if you work hard. Tons of stuff on here or in books/websites about which ones work, but probably for you a short warm up then some 3min intervals with 2min rests?
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    OK, I'll have to admit that my eyes glaze over very rapidly when people start going on about FTP, lactate, HR and all the rest.

    I've found out enough to know that short intervals like the 3 on / 2 off (as mentioned by ded above) or 2x20s (as all over the web) would suit.

    So can someone tell me, as a 47yo guy whose brain is quite simply full by now, how hard should I be going on these?
  • ded
    ded Posts: 120
    bompington wrote:
    So can someone tell me, as a 47yo guy whose brain is quite simply full by now, how hard should I be going on these?
    Hard enough so that you are praying for the interval to stop just before you get to the end but not so hard that you have to stop before the end. So harder for the 3min than the 20min. You might get it wrong the 1st few times and have to stop before the end but it's still training...

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