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Do you do interval training?

Old 05-01-21, 01:34 PM
  #1  
yannisg
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Do you do interval training?

Do you do intervals?
At what % of anaerobic threshold or % of your FTP.
What intervals do you do, what's you age?
I'm 74+
I do intervals once a week before the race season.
I do 3 races a year with a length of 75 klm with an ascent of 800 to 1500 m.
The rest of the year I do 200 to 300 klm brevets. Max ascent for a 200 klm brevet is 4000m. The usual is 2300 to 3500 m per 200 klm.
My opinion is that the intervals slow my yearly performance drop.
They are not pleasant, but their beneficial.
I also do specific laps on my rides, and compare my Normalized power results. I like data.
This season I have done intervals 4X6min-2min rec at 87%-94% FTP once a week.
I am currently working on 6X6min-3min rec at the same % of FTP as above.
My goal is to complete 6X8min-3.5min rec at the same % of FTP.
All my intervals are done uphill. I find it easier to control my power than on a flat course.
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Old 05-01-21, 01:59 PM
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I used to do them occasionally, but not in the past few years. In 2017, I was doing interval regimen 3 days a week on an indoor trainer. I did that for about 3 months. I will say that I was in the best riding shape at the start of spring than I had ever been. These days I still like to keep up a good pace but in a more casual way. Lately, I have been thinking I should some intervals again just for the change of pace. I am just no longer as concerned with speed or being in top riding shape.
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Old 05-01-21, 02:21 PM
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No; not formally; I don't really race much anymore (maybe a gravel thing here and there for fun). But yes; I do believe structured training & intervals, atop a strong base, is very beneficial. However, as we age, our need for rest and recovery increases and much of what is published as conventional training wisdom, tailored towards younger riders, is not well suited. You may seek the services of a coach who works with athletes your age
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Old 05-01-21, 03:13 PM
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caloso
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Yes, I’ve done structured training for years. I have worked with a coach, then started creating my own plans. This season I’m trusting Trainerroad. I’m just about to turn 54.

I will generally do intervals 3 or 4 days a week lately. XC mtb race every other Wednesday night. Group ride on Saturday.

Typically, the early part of the season, the intervals are longer and lower intensity. 2x20 or 30 min sweet spot is my bread and butter to build up FTP. As you get into spring, the intervals get shorter and sharper.

This has been a fairly heavy week, intensity is turning up as racing will finally happen at the end of May. VO2max intervals on Wednesday: 4 sets of 3x2’ at 120% of FTP, steady sweet spot (90-ish percent of FTP) on Thursday, 5x6’ at 108% last night after work. Group ride this morning. Tomorrow will be super mellow. Monday will just be a short commute ride, which I don’t count.
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Old 05-01-21, 03:22 PM
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at 72, I do them, but in a gym on an elliptical or a stationary bike. It feels like a more controlled setting. I do 1’ intervals and go as hard as I can, with 1’ recovery periods. I’m not as scientific about it as you seem to be, but I wear a chest strap heart rate monitor to keep myself honest. I try to do them twice every 10 days or so in the winter (it’s a long winter in N. New England) and keep up some semblance of a routine when warm weather arrives, but it gets pretty raggedy. I don’t race but I feel the anaerobic benefits are important for climbing all the hills around here. I agree with IronM about getting coaching from someone working with older athletes. I’ve gotten some help from a woman in her 60s who’s a triathlete. There’s good stuff from John Hughes on this site: https://www.roadbikerider.com/
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Old 05-01-21, 05:20 PM
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caloso
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The nice thing about 1’ on/offs is the simplicity. Don’t need a power meter or HRM. All you need is a stopwatch and a dose of HTFU.
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Old 05-01-21, 07:53 PM
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I'll say yes, but its 'running' stairs (actually walking) in local parking garages that vary from 4 to 5 stories high. I skip stairs going up for the workout, then a quick walk back down; repeat until exhausted (usually 25-30 minutes). Though not cycling-specific, it does help with overall conditioning and makes for great cross-training. I do it once or twice a week.
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Old 05-01-21, 07:59 PM
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I overdid the interval trainng thing three years ago on a poorly-designed indoor trainer. I lost a lot of weight quite quickly but my joints took a beating. Took a while to recover.

Now I work some intervals into my commutes. Nothing too scientific or over-the-top. Joints are feeling good, muscles, mind, heart and lungs feeling great, and weight keeping low. I don't race, officially .
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Old 05-01-21, 08:07 PM
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Yes, but honestly I just do what my cycling coach tells me to do. I don’t race, but I really enjoy doing century group events. Unfortunately I was so slow, I’d routinely come in by myself as the event organizers were tearing things down. Now I can keep up with others, and I enjoy the events much more. I don’t enjoy the intervals, but they’ve made me better.
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Old 05-01-21, 09:12 PM
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Whenever I have a big event coming up (mostly endurance events, not races) part of my training involves intervals. I've never taken a scientific approach to it and I don't have a heart monitor or even a speedometer. I will typically pick a tree or telephone pole far ahead and sprint at maximum speed until I pass it, followed by a recovery until the next telephone pole. Rinse, repeat. I've found that doing intervals on a regular basis increases my speed, which means decreasing my time on an endurance event.
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Old 05-02-21, 03:18 AM
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Probably not according to the actual definition. But, I pick "segments" on my local rides and hit them hard. I like what that does for me.
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Old 05-02-21, 09:46 PM
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I do them in fall, winter, and early spring, but when the hard group rides start, I simply pace myself so as to get my weekly dose of high zone work. That's effective, too.
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Old 05-03-21, 08:45 AM
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Yes, on a stationary trainer, 2x/week. Typically, over a two-week period, three of my interval sessions will be focused on building or maintaining FTP (relatively long intervals close to FTP) and one will be focused on VO2 (shorter intervals around 110-120% FTP). I'm 55.

My interest right now is in distance riding, so VO2 isn't really that important to me, but I like having a little variety in my routine.
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Old 05-03-21, 11:57 AM
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yannisg
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I have 14 laps within the rides I do, and range from 2:30 to 18:00 min. All these laps are uphill of various gradients. The long ones I do at 110% of my FTP
I find the laps are easier to do even though a few might be more strenuous than the intervals. Max lap for 100 klm ride are 3.
I am getting ready for a 200 klm brevet with 2000m ascent, and a tough 75 klm road race with 1500m ascent around the end of May.
I do the road race as part of a tradition. I' ve been doing it for 8 yrs, and satisfied just to finish it.
I find the Brevets and a few races I do keep me motivated.
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Old 05-03-21, 12:32 PM
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Intervals no way, since I'm not racing. But I used to hit one short hill all-out on my daily ride. My goal was to crest it at a certain speed (also had it on strava). It is just interval-ish but I am convinced that the one "interval", every day, gave me some of the benefits of real intervals.
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Old 05-03-21, 04:49 PM
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An article by Coach Hughes / RoadBikeRider.com convinced me that HIIT should be a permanent part of my riding fitness routine. I've no power meter, never raced, and am worried that the (COVID) 2-year absence of century rides might have caused me to slip below the fitness level I'll need when they resume this fall. I'm 82, so just staying fit enough to ride the metrics takes deliberate effort. I do monitor (and record) my FITBIT data which gives me confidence that I'm maintaining the same level of effort. On a typical 30 mile ride (coffee and sweet roll at the turnaround) I'll do at least 5 or 6 intervals; 30 - 60 seconds at an unsustainable 200%, spaced out at least 10 minutes apart. I'm fairly religious about this, and can't wait to ride with a big group again to see if I can still keep up. If I can, I'll give Coach Hughes and HIIT the credit.
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Old 05-04-21, 07:42 PM
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Not intentionally. But my daily ride is over rolling hills, so I do have intervals when I have to push it up hill followed by downhills where I can relax more. Intervals, in a way, determined by terrain. I like to ride, but I don't like to train.
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Old 05-05-21, 10:10 AM
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Not structured intervals, but I do ride a course of several short hill climbs through Los Altos Hills that last 1-4 minutes each.

I hit the hills hard and go easy in between, so I suppose that's a kind of interval or "fartlek" riding.

I'll do that once or twice per week when building fitness. Less often when I have a good base established.
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Old 05-07-21, 05:40 PM
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All the time. Sometimes I simply speed up during a ride to see how high I can get my heart rate or crank rotation. Is there any science behind what I do...............no, At my age we just ride as the day goes. I am not ancient either but realize the limitations of aging and bikes.
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Old 05-07-21, 07:37 PM
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No I don’t.

I ride 180-230 miles a week. I pull hard 2 miles at a time and never miss a turn. After group rides, 3 of us sprint 2 miles part of the way home. Later in the day I nap. I’m 68.
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Old 05-07-21, 10:18 PM
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Originally Posted by BCAC
No I don’t.

I ride 180-230 miles a week. I pull hard 2 miles at a time and never miss a turn. After group rides, 3 of us sprint 2 miles part of the way home. Later in the day I nap. I’m 68.
No, you are a 30 year old in a 68 year old body. Absolutely amazing.
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Old 05-08-21, 01:45 PM
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Not "formally" or in a particularly structured way, but I find I get a similar workout riding my singlespeed gravel bike. Riding in the foothills and mountains, lots of terrain variety. I can simulate a HIIT session pretty well. Of course, I could do it on my geared bike too, but with the ss you sort of don't have a choice!
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Old 05-10-21, 08:10 PM
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I don't do anything formal. I tend to push hard on the small climbs, which is sort of like intervals. I try to be the first one of my group to get to the top. That's a bit of work considering I'm on a bent. It pays off by mid-summer. Unfortunately when winter hits, I hang up the bike for 3-4 months and I lose it all.
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Old 05-12-21, 10:06 AM
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I know the benefits of doing intervals but have never done them consistently.
For the years I used to do group rides, taking hard pulls at the front was like doing intervals.

Now when I ride by myself, I typically hammer two or three segments just to mix it up, knowing it cant hurt (too much).
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Old 05-12-21, 10:11 AM
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Yes. Sprints, Tabita, 5 minute VO2 max, and 20 minute ones depending on what I am trying to improve
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