Doing intervals is great, but to truly get strong you need to be able to combine power with endurance. For example, how can I possibly replicate the final 10-15 minutes up Washington, when I need to keep it pinned but my legs feel like noodles? In other words, how do I work on muscular endurance? Simple, I do intervals at the middle or end of a long ride on tired legs. Three times this summer I rode out to Wachusett from Cambridge, did intervals on the mountain, and then rode back for a 120-135 mi, 6-7 hour ride. In the spring I also once rode to the Fresh Pond training race and back for an 8+ hour ride with a race in the middle. These absolutely helped extend the length of time I could hold a certain power by forcing me to work hard on tired legs. I believe this is the simplest thing most people can do to get better but realize it is not simply going out and trying to hammer every climb for as long as possible – it is a deliberate strategy of tiring the legs by riding zone-2 but for a long time and then trying to empty the tank such that I am crawling back home on fumes, barely turning the pedals.

You have to get in (2) big rides each month and preferably (3) big rides. Rides that are at least 5-6 hours long that force you to dig deep near the end, so that when you reach home, you are tired and your muscles are quivering(not cramping though) from the fatigue. This is the #1 thing you can do and you cannot skip this step if you want to go to the next level, no matter if you are a pro or a recreational cyclist, you have to increase the miles, hours, and overall volume of training stress in order to challenge your cardiovascular and muscular system enough to create positive adaptations for the future.