interval pacing
I am new to this type of training and finally have been able to get some numbers off my trainer in terms of wattage. I have been trying to really determine my FTP and am now just training primarily with HR since I don't have a powertap. I just listened to the interval focus lecture where Patrick said to break down the intervals into what you can manage, if i understand it correctly. For example, my plan had me doing 10min intervals last night and i could only do 4 minutes at a time consistently, so that's what i did. Is that what others have experienced and did i understand this correctly? It seemed to be the recommendation rather than just having the latter intervals suck.
Comments?
thanks
mary
0
Comments
Hi Mary:
You want to complete the interval. If you are only able to do 4 minutes of the 10 then you are going too hard. Drop down another HR zone the next interval session and see how that goes. Manage in 2, 3, 4 minutes sections within the interval. Then slowly build/adjust over time.
EN bike intervals take a while to learn. So don't feel bad. Over time you will instinctively learn Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) doing intervals and you will use HR to help confirm that you are where you should be to complete the intervals.
Hope this helps.
John
Hi Mary,
I second what John said. You are definitely going too hard. That's OK, it takes several weeks to dial in these things around here. If you have 2 x 10' to do, you should do the entire 10' at a time. The other thing I would recommend is to work into it. Start out in an effort that has an edge for the first minute or so, tjem work into it until it feels like real work--not maxed out, but the top of what you could manage if you had to hold that effort through an entire hour. I like to take it up a tad from there for the last 60" or 90" if I have it in me. You'll make mistakes right and left dialing this in, but over time you learn how to mete it out. Hope this helps.
thanks for your help.
John can you clarify the "manage the intervals in 2, etc" sections within the interval?? Is this what Patrick was referring to about making intervals manageble? thanks
sign me confused and no PM
just wanted to add one thing- HR lags about 90 seconds behind the effort so if you're blasting yourself right from the gun to see that HR number early in the interval, you're more than likely cranking away at zone 5 or higher. By the time the HR catches up, your legs are cooked. Really really easy to blow yourself up early in the intervals this way.
when I was training with HR it was not uncommon for it to take 2-3 minutes to get up into zone 4. after a few weeks of blowing myself up much like you I started relying on some secondary info as well- had a speed monitor with a rear cadence/speed sensor. From my testing, I knew what my avg speed and cadence were so for z4 work I would sit right at that and sure enough my HR would follow along.
yes. that's absolutely what i understood.
thanks. so even if i have go to down a bit to manage the intervals, i'll do the best i can.
why is it it hink i'm gonna end up with a PM
Do it. You'll never regret it.
Here's the link to the 2010 PT pricing from the old forums:
http://www.endurancenation.us/en_fo...php?t=9367
It's a bit of an investment, but training with power will pay off in big dividends of fitness!
http://www.endurancenation.us/en_forums/showthread.php?t=9304&page=4
someone here also recommended the quark but i thought only the PTap uploaded to the garmi. i have a garmin 310XT which i haven't figured out how to use yet.
thanks for the suggestion