Training Tip #3

[MikeWaters]

Work on intervals.

The reason to do this is that it will allow you to better be able to hang on group rides, where the pace is not constant. Meaning that there are surges, and those surges are where you get dropped. If you are doing intervals, you will have the anaerobic capacity to hang.

What I do is I have about a 3 mile stretch where I ride as hard as I can. Then I do a slow pace back to where I started (maybe 15mph). Repeat. To be honest, I almost never do it more than 3 times.

Do this once or twice a week for three weeks and you will be amazed at the performance difference.

[bluegoose]

Excellent advice. Its amazing how much pain you can inflict in a such a short time, but the benefits are amazing. I think the key with starting an interval program is to remember it is not a sprint but a sustained near-maximal effort. If you start an interval in sprint mode, you wont make it more than a minute or 2.

[MikeWaters]

you can also work on pure sprinting. A friend suggested that I ride maximal effort for a quarter mile. then wait until my HR gets to 110 or so (basically just coasting) then repeat. Fun to see what you can get your max speed to.

But you are right. No one can sprint for 6 to 7 minutes. Think of it as a prologue time trial. You are pushing as hard has you can over 7min.

[bluegoose]

3 miles in 6 or 7 minutes? Mike, you are truly a man among boys in this forum.

I also like to see how high I can get the old speedometer going on a level surface sprint. It just amazes me when I absolutely kill myself to hit 32 or 33 mph and then realize that Lance and company average 30-35 mph over the course of a 35 mile time trial with some rolling hills.

[MikeWaters]

it's probably more like 2.5

I am doing good to average 23 or so over about 7 minutes of mostly flats. neutral wind.

I'm no racer.