hammy56

High intensity, short duration intervals for in preparation for crits...
Im getting ready to ramp up the intensity for an upcoming crit series. Ive done various intervals; 6x1, 30/30, 5x5 etc...Im going to do 2 of these types of workouts twice a week and Im not sure yet which ones.
Whats worked best for you?

tombailey

tabatas (20 on, 10 off x 8)
killer drill (10s sprint, 50s VO2, 2-3 mins TH, repeat with no rest 2-3 times)

topflightpro

+1 on Tabatas.

kensuf

I don't LIKE any of them.

Personally, I found tabatas are most effective but they're so painful I have to hold my hand to the fire to work them into my schedule. 15s/15s are next in line. Dirty thirties are fun, in a different kind of way, but the rest is too long to be useful.

bostongarden

My favorite is a steady diet of hard 1x30-60 mins with an occasional 25-30x30 secs or attack every climb on my bread-and-butter ride, and maybe every 2 months or so of 1x3 mins (WR's 3 minute test -- but, you gotta feel like doing that one because it is a flat out nasty feeling when in its grip) .

waterrockets 

Crits are just bike racing. All types of intervals apply. You need to assess your limiters, then associate those with tactics, strategy, and fitness to help you figure out where to focus. It's possible that threshold would be the place to focus just as much as it's possible that it's AWC or sprints.

So, for the crits you done so far this season, what has kept you from winning?

hammy56

not being a sprinter, and not having the power to attack and stay away.

My loose plan is to make one of my workouts one that might help with a late attack. Like 6x1 or 5x5. I really havent been in danger of getting droppped (unless its a very technical course which is tough for me). But my goal for these upcoming events (.88 mi flat 4-corner) is to be active and give myself a chance at a result.

*edit- Im still learning tactically as well. There were a few races this year when I felt good enough to attack the field. But like I stated I dont have the power to stay away, and I had no real plan. But it was better than just sitting in and then "sprinting" for the top 15...

shovelhd

It sounds like you need some FTP work as well as some sprint practice. The best FTP work I can do is to be very active in training races. I'll dip below threshold to rest a bit but the majority of the race will be above threshold. If you don't have one in your area, a mix of intervals will do. For sprint training, beyond attacking in the training races, I like to do a more traditional Cavendish interval with a rolling start to pack speed then a sharp attack up a small grade until I pop or hit the line, whichever comes first.

waterrockets 

Yep, looks like FTP is a big part of it. That will speed recovery and bring other training zones with it on the way up. There are lots of those workouts in the recipes sticky.

Don't discount SST either. Aside from pulling FTP up from above, pushing it up from below helps too. You should do both at various times in the training cycle.

hammy56

agreed. Ive known the importance of FTP, which is what Ive been working on up until now, and another week...

mattm

For me the best crit training is crit racing, but any kind of racing will do. Intervals are an option, but I find them boring and hard.

I've done zero intervals this year but have won two crits, fwiw.

Hammy, since it's too late in the season to focus on your limiters (I would think), I would try to sharpen your strengths and use those to your advantage.

hammy56

doing 10-15 races a year, its not enough to rely on for fitness...

Im not unhappy with my fitness overall. The point of this thread was to see what everyone felt worked for them,and because I want to try different things. The intervals Ive been doing so far have been beneficial, but I dont want to get stuck in a rut of doing the same thing all the time.

SpongeDad

5x2' climbs up a 9% grade. I know it doesn't look like a crit interval, but it sure seems to be making me more comfortable staying with the pack when we go up shallower grades.

saba

Hammy, since it's too late in the season to focus on your limiters (I would think), I would try to sharpen your strengths and use those to your advantage.


This is the best advice you have gotten in this post.