Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

Continuing the discussion . . .

So when one goes out for some anaerobic hill repeat work, one might ride for 45' to the hill, do the repeats, and ride 45' back. Are we all doing it wrong and we should drive to the hill?

It's pretty well accepted that the fastest way to get fast is to do group rides with riders who are faster than you. This forces you to go anaerobic considerably more than you are used to, those efforts being separated by long aerobic periods. The best thing I ever did for my aerobic and anaerobic fitness was going anaerobic on every hill in group rides. I advised the newbies to hold their wheel until the blood started from their eye sockets. Same thing with racing crits. It's constant random anaerobic surges. Racing improves one's ability to do these. Are we all doing it wrong?

Maintenance isn't "going through the motions." I hold the max weights I've been using during my strength maintenance period. That's "maintenance." Anything less is losing strength.