Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
Chasm is correct. As every coach has always said, "Most riders don't go easy enough or hard enough." Keep away from Mr. Inbetween. Your conclusion should the the opposite to the one you have reached.
I've bought into the theory, but I have to say, thus far, it's not netting any noticeable improvement. I've clocked almost four weeks, over 600 miles almost exclusively in Z2 now, and speed and perceived power have not changed one iota. In fact, I'd argue that I've actually slowed down, but I haven't had exact conditions to prove it. I'm not giving up yet, but it seems that base building, at least in my case, could be a 6 month process, at which point the season I'm training for is over and done.