Veteran - LVRC

Coach: in the Interval
Anyone knows that if you ride
around at 15 mph you’ll get very
good at riding at 15 mph. But you
can’t then expect to feel OK racing at 25
mph plus. You therefore have to overload
your body’s systems to provoke overcompensation
during the resting/recovery period.
Intensive training is very demanding,
draining and exhausting. Training for a 40-
mile race by repeatedly riding 40 miles in
1.40 is not the answer. However, it was
shown many years ago that repetitions of
short bursts of high intensity work with
short rests between each were more effective
than a single long stretch of high
intensity work. This kind of training is
called interval training. Interval training
should not be confused with sprint training.
Sprint training aims to develop greater
speed: interval training stresses the body
to force it to adapt to greater physical efforts.
Interval training develops the cardiovascular
system, develops strength through
progressive overload of the muscles, develops
endurance and speed, and improves
tolerance to pain. It also reduces blood
lactate levels at given work-loads, and
brings about changes in slow-twitch muscle
fibres (the ones that you depend on for
endurance) with consequent improvements
in speed.
Interval training has always been based on
the principle that the high intensity interval
and the rest interval are of such a length
that the body does not have time to recover
fully before the next high intensity
interval begins. However, recent research
and training techniques by Dr Gordon
Wright, working with Stuart Dangerfield,
suggest that long er rest periods between
efforts may be beneficial: for instance,
flat-out efforts of four minutes are followed
by 12-minute recovery periods.
For cyclists intervals can be of many kinds.
Here are some. Note that before doing
interval training you should already have
reached a good level of fitness with a
large base of endurance training. Trying
to do high intensity speed work from the
start is like trying to build a house on no
foundations. Always warm up thoroughly
(30 minutes) before beginning the interval
work, and warm down afterwards. You can
do intervals anywhere, preferably on quiet,
traffic-free roads, or on the turbo. The advantage
of the turbo is that you have no
distractions or dangers and are in complete
control.
Short sprint intervals
Sprints of 6 seconds on a racing gear (53 x
15 or bigger), absolutely flat out as hard as
you can go, followed by a rest period (spinning
on a small gear) of around 1 minute.
Around a dozen is the maximum you
should aim at. Time starts when you jump,
so you’re better off counting seconds than
trying to look at a watch. If outdoors try to
pick a stretch with the wind. You should
not feel very tired afterwards.
Long sprint intervals
As for short sprint intervals, but the sprints
will be 12 – 15 seconds in duration. Leave
a longer rest period (2 – 3 mins) between
the sprints and do fewer, perhaps 6 – 10
depending on how you feel.
Power intervals
Done up an incline (but not a steep hill),
in a high gear (typically 53 x 12 – 14), for
up to a minute at maximum effort, with two
to three times the amount of recovery. Aim:
to build power.
Low intensity
Sometimes called ‘time-trial’ intervals. 5
mins at 80 – 85% of peak sustained power
with rests of only 1 minute. They should
not feel exhausting, and a fit rider should
be able to do six or eight. You can vary the
system with 6 x 5 min, 8 x 4 min, 10 x 3
min. Good for building power.
High Intensity
Usually short (1 – 2 min), five to ten repetitions,
always at 100% effort, with 1
minute rest periods. Exhausting.
Russian steps
Easy to do on the turbo. Start with 1 minute
on, 9 minutes off; then 2 on, 8 off; 3 on, 7
off; 4 on 6 off; 5 on, 5 off. If you’re still
fresh enough, do five more in reverse, finishing
with 1 minute on. Intensity: 100%.
Hill intervals
These are done on hills, preferably with
steady gradients. They may range in intensity
from 80 – 100% and last from 1 minute
to 5 minutes.
Points to watch
v Don’t be tempted into actually stopping
during the rest period, especially
if you’re on the turbo. Continuing
gentle exercise speeds recovery because
it promotes blood flow through
the muscles, removing lactic acid.
v
Don’t do interval sessions more than
twice a week. You might do a low intensity
session for one, and short intervals
for another.
Stuart Dangerfield’s pyramid of
interval training ends with four
2½-mile efforts in around 4.30
each (33 mph) with 12-minute
recovery intervals.
Short intervals
Typically 1 – 1½ minutes in duration with
rests of about double the interval in between,
i.e. 1 minute on, 2 minutes off.
Generally you’ll do these at 90% - 100%
of max heart rate, but always above your
threshold. They cannot therefore be longer
than 2 minutes. The principle is to do your
first interval at a set effort and time it. Subsequent
intervals should be at the same
effort and completed in the same time. As
soon as your time exceeds 10% of your initial
effort, then stop: further training will
not be effective. You will feel tired, probably
very tired.
v
v
v
Only do intervals when you’re fresh,
rested, and feel like doing them. Stick
precisely to the scheduled intervals.
Always allow at least two days after
interval training before your next
race.
For whatever intensity, choose a gear
that allows you to pedal at 90 – 120
rpm. The only training that should be
done at very low revs (50 rpm) is pure
strength training on very high gears.
V
Page 24 Veteran Leaguer: Winter 2002