Intervals or long rides

[Wayne Potgieter]

Ok f*ck it. I'm just gonna get a waterproof cover for my laptop now. This is getting ridiculous. Either you okes are too funny or I am too easy to please in the guffaw department.

 

I reckon I'm losing 20% of my coffee intake daily to my keyboard.

It will improve your power to weight ratio.

 

Kinda like Bullemia

 

You can thank us later.

[Eldron]

Some of the best training advice I heard was "do what youo're bad at".

 

If you suck on the hills - ride more hills.

If you get ridden off by hasr accelerations on the hills - do more accelerations on the hills.

If you get guttered off in sidewinds - ride in the wind more (or duplicate windy riding).

If you lose ground in the technical - ride more technical.

If you love groping podium girls - go to the lollypop lounge more.

Simple really....

[fabes]

My vote is for long rides, they make you lose weight. Being lighter helps more than intervals.

What he said

 

That's why I am so lean

Edited July 29, 2013 by fabes

[SwissVan]

I really find all of this information super helpful and I have been reading about intervals and wanting to start trying them for a while now, but I'm not really sure how to monitor my effort.

 

I have a heart rate monitor, and I know how to work it and what not.

 

What is Lactic Threshold, and how do I calculate it? Or is there some other way to monitor my effort?

 

If it helps at all, I am 21 years old, I weigh72 - 74kgs.

What I used to do to calculate my HR threshold.

Warm up 20min

Do a 20min time trial as hard and fast as you can for the whole 20min.

Your threshold will be around 5 - 10 bpm of your avg HR for the TT.( where your HR is just before where your lungs start to scream stop...)

That is the quickest way to calculate where your threshold is.Approx.....

 

Originally the boffins said you must do a 60 minute individual time trial, but as that's difficult for the average guy to do the TT method has got shorter but still provides a good method to figure out LT

 

Ideally you need to be tested under controlled circumstances by someone who has the right equipment and experience.

 

You can quite accurately estimate what your LT heart rate is by doing a relatively simple test on your bike, either do a 30 minute individual time trial (flat course) or a long hill climb (20 – 30 minutes) both at a steady paced but maximum effort that you can maintain for 30 minutes. Record your average heart rate for the last 20 minutes and that should be close to your LT level i.e. if your average HR for the last 20 minutes was 165 bpm then your LT would be very close to that.

 

 

http://www.lactate.com/lactate_threshold_definitions.html

 

The lactate threshold is the maximal effort or intensity that an athlete can maintain for an extended period of time with little or no increase in lactate in the blood. It is an effort or intensity and not a specific lactate level. It is most often described as a speed or pace such as meters per second, or times to achieve certain distances such as minutes per mile or kilometer for running and minutes per 100 m in swimming, or as a power measure such as watts.

[DIPSLICK]

Some of the best training advice I heard was "do what youo're bad at".

 

If you suck on the hills - ride more hills.

If you get ridden off by hasr accelerations on the hills - do more accelerations on the hills.

If you get guttered off in sidewinds - ride in the wind more (or duplicate windy riding).

If you lose ground in the technical - ride more technical.

If you love groping podium girls - go to the lollypop lounge more.

Simple really....

we can always count on sound advice here from this here GENT

[jaxtun]

Some of the best training advice I heard was "do what youo're bad at".

 

If you suck on the hills - ride more hills.

If you get ridden off by hasr accelerations on the hills - do more accelerations on the hills.

If you get guttered off in sidewinds - ride in the wind more (or duplicate windy riding).

If you lose ground in the technical - ride more technical.

If you love groping podium girls - go to the lollypop lounge more.

Simple really....

 

Sage advice which can probably be applied to most aspects of life.....

[jaxtun]

What he said

 

That's why I am so lean

 

You are my boy, you are.... a lean, mean, " when are you gonna be a dad again" machine

[DIPSLICK]

we can always count on sound advice here from this here GENT

THERE IS HOWEVER ONE THAT DOES NOT APPLY,

 

I SUCK AT RIDING AT THE BACK(i hate it) BUT I TEND TO FLOAT AROUND THERE,I KEEP DOING IT,BUT ITS NOT CHANGING

[Eldron]

Sage advice which can probably be applied to most aspects of life.....

 

Well said. Avoidance of pain leads to many weaknesses in life!

[Wyatt Earp]

_{I hate getting involved in these discussions.}

 

But here goes.

 

Base miles is something you can never get enough of, they build power ,strength and mental strenghth.

Saying that, both forms of training are for their intended purpose.

 

Intervals are a great tool when you want to get faster (read ,not stronger but faster)

Interval session wake up those fast twitch fibers (that existed in your body before) that have become lazy.

 

The slow twitch fibers can never be converted in to fast twitch fibers, these are good for endurance and long distance rides.

This type for rider benefits immensely from distance and time in the saddle (think 24 hour solo rider)

Depending on the level of competition, this type of rider would have to also do intervals to wake up those fast twitch fibers to have speed on race day.

 

Now to determine what one should be doing, you first have to understand where your skill lies and what it is you want to achieve.

Some guys are good at XCO, some at marathons, ultra's and downhill.

Every discipline will be dominated my a different rider.

 

Some riders do all everything they can, long road rides, a race every weekend, coaches, types of training methods (cadence training being the latest)

Ultimately they burn out, become tired and lose all interest in the sport after a few years.

Even the different methods allow a rider to reach a plateau and normally from there the curve spirals downwards again.

 

Forn an XCO rider intervals are vital with longer weekend rides, the longer rides will just give that mental edge when the rider is going full rivet and their head gives up which in return gives the body signals that it can't go anymore.

Intervals should;d also be approached with extreme caution and should ideally only be attempted a max of two sessions a week.

 

The body is fragile and not much different to a car that runs out of fuel.

I see guys doing intervals day in and day out, they become faster, really quick.

But the tank eventually runs empty, the next step they hit the plateau and from there they just lose all pace again, simply because mentally they destroyed themselves and physically they have abuse their muscles.

 

OK, I am out, otherwise I will be typing all day.

[Wayne Potgieter]

@ wyatt....got it.

 

BAse miles for me it is then.

[SwissVan]

 

 

what's everyone's take, I'm curious ?

 

 

 

So Iron, howz the training going for Masters XCO, less than a month to go

[shova1]

Has anyone actually reduced time in the saddle with an interval program? If so, can you report any increases/decreases in endurance and or power?

[Iron]

and i was told the hub is a bad place to ask advice , some solid answers been given . like

[SwissVan]

Has anyone actually reduced time in the saddle with an interval program? If so, can you report any increases/decreases in endurance and or power?

 

Time in the saddle....its like money in the bank...

[Iron]

So Iron, howz the training going for Masters XCO, less than a month to go

 

is training ever what we want it to be , i dont think i have ever heard a athlete say my training is right on track . work, life , sickness, broken rib all these things make it a challenge.

race day will present how i was doing i think