Intervals. Intervals are most effective when they are:

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Shavonne Marsh
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1 Chris Carmichael noted that the major breakthrough for Lance Armstrong occurred when he stopped focusing his training on his anaerobic system (too many days of sprints/intervals and long rides at close to 100% V02max) and began to train his aerobic system. This allowed him to increase his AT, be "fresher" near the end of the race with less lactate on board, and as a result capitalize on his anaerobic capacity near the end of the race day. An added benefit was less recovery time from lactate build up and a stronger next day on the bike. Training too hard, too many days in a row can be as bad as under training. Intervals Interval training involves repeated periods of intense physical activity (the exercise interval) alternating with periods of recovery (the relaxation interval). The relaxation interval avoids significant lactic acid build up and, as a result, allows longer training time at peak performance levels. Intervals are most effective when they are: limited to twice a week during the peak training season when the interval sessions are separated by at least 48 hours to allow adequate recovery. (For example, if your long ride is on the weekend, Tuesday and Thursday make good interval days.) added to your training program only after you have a solid aerobic base of 500 miles of steady pedaling (if not, you increase the risk of injury from pushing too hard, too quickly.) Intensity, not the frequency or duration of interval training is the secret behind success with interval training. * intensity is more important than either the duration of the intervals or the frequency per week in maximizing the benefit of intervals on performance. There are ramifications of decreasing exercise volumes (that is the total time on the bike per week) which can result in a decrease in endurance capacity at 75% VO2max. Thus it is a combination of intensity of exercise (best achieved with intervals) and total time on the bike (or volume) of exercise (from the long slow distance rides) that determines the athlete's overall performance. When you train to your maximum (pushing the muscle pain limit), changes occur which will allow you to push even farther into your anaerobic zone the next time out. muscle metabolism changes to extract more oxygen from every milliliter of blood flowing through the muscle capillaries more capillaries develop in the muscles

2 your heart adapts to pump more blood for any specific time interval you learn to mentally deal with the pain and exercise through it Fartlek training is a modification of interval training, using alternate periods of slow and fast riding to improve aerobic capacity. It is not as precise as interval training and is based on the perception of how the rider feels at the time. Its advantage is to allow more flexibility, freedom, and variety in workouts. High Intensity Training (HIT) is an interval program for athletes already at a high level of training. In many ways it is the "icing on the cake" which gives the elite athlete that final edge for their event. * see attached supplement INTERVAL DURATION/ACTIVE REST Short exercise intervals are generally 15 to 90 seconds and almost always anaerobic in intensity, while longer intervals may be up to 3 to 5 minutes duration. Once you decide on the duration for your interval training programs, pace your effort to exercise at your maximum throughout that period (if you can't make it through the entire interval, you need to cut back your effort a bit and not the length of the interval). The goal should be a total of 10 to 20 minutes of hard pedaling during the intervals themselves (don't count warm up, recovery, or cool down). If you are just beginning an interval program, start with 5 minutes of peak effort per riding session (total interval time) and work up from there. To get the maximum benefit from interval training, it is important to allow adequate recovery time between intervals. Subsequent intervals should start before your heart rate and oxygen uptake have returned entirely to normal. If you are using a heart rate monitor, wait for your heart rate to drop to 60 or 65% of your maximum heart rate. If you are using perceived exertion (i.e. how you feel) to decide, wait until your breathing has returned to it's normal depth and rate. The relaxation or recovery phase for each interval should be active rest (easy spinning) and can range from a ratio of 3:1 (recovery time to pedaling time) for sprint intervals of 20 seconds or less (ie 30 seconds of spinning for a 10 second interval at sprint intensity) down to 1:1 for 60 to 90 second intervals (which will probably be ridden at a slightly lower intensity). In reality, the rest time is really dependent on the intensity, not the duration, of the interval: anaerobic (sprint) interval (2:1 or 3:1 rest: recovery, ie rest interval 2 to 3 x the time of the anaerobic effort) aerobic intervals (1:1 active rest duration to interval duration) Thus a 3 minute interval done at near sprint levels of exertion should be paired with a longer rest time than a 3 minute interval ridden at just a bit more than your standard pace.

3 Consider using one day a week for short, sprint intervals (ie five 60 second and five 90 second intervals), and a second for your longer intervals (two - 3 minute and two - 5 minute intervals). Allow adequate time for recovery between intervals (up to 3 to 5 minutes) and don't forget a 20 to 30 minute warm up and a 15 minute cool down at the beginning and end of your session. It has been shown that as few as a half dozen 5 minute intervals during a 300 km training week will improve both time trial and peak performance. Here's another suggestion from the Roadbikerider.com webzine: Dial up some telephone pole sprints. When we're training alone, sprinting against imaginary opponents can be deadly dull. Next time you feel like some speed work, use telephone poles as sprint markers. After warming up, start by sprinting from one pole to the next and then spinning easily for 4 poles. Repeat 3-5 times. To vary the drill and increase the effective length of your sprint, go all out for 2 poles, spin easily for the next 4, and repeat 3 times. Of course, all telephone poles aren't the same distance apart. Use the varying spacing to simulate race conditions. After all, you never know how long you'll need to sprint. Go hard to the next pole, no matter how far it is, then spin for a minute or two to recover. Follow this with another sprint between poles. It's perfect for developing the ability to rev up in an instant and then hold your speed for the required distance. HEART RATE INTERVALS If you have a heart rate monitor, you can key intervals to your maximum heart rate. Ride your intervals at 80 to 90% of your maximum heart rate and spin easily until your heart rate drops to 60 to 65% of maximum. Note - There are many variations on heart rate based intervals - Carmichael bases workouts on % max heart rate, Friel uses % HR at VOmax, others use HR at LT, % reserve HR. You can also have an effective and easily planned interval program based on RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion). USING ROLLING HILLS AS INTERVALS (fartleks) Here is an excerpt from that suggests a way you might use rolling hills as an alternative to intervals. As these are not always found spaced appropriately, they might be considered as "fartleks". Find a road where little hills come one after another. Attacking these humps can be a peak experience -- like riding a roller coaster. You fly up one side, blast down the other and use your momentum to conquer the next rise. But if you use improper technique, you can get bogged down. Instead of grinning, you're grinding. You churn up, coast down to catch your breath, then bang against the next wall. Rhythm is everything. Here's how to keep yours on successive climbs: --As you ride into a hill that takes just seconds to climb, shift one gear lower (next larger cog) than you might normally use. Stay seated and spin fast for about two thirds of the climb.

4 --If you're riding with others, they'll probably be standing, pedaling slower than you and maybe pulling a little ahead. Don't worry about getting dropped. Keep spinning. You're saving your legs. -- In the final third of the hill, click to a bigger gear (next smaller cog), stand and apply the pressure. Your legs will still have snap, thanks to spinning to this point. When you hit it right, you'll know where the phrase "dancing up the hill" comes from. You'll roll right by your laboring companions. Even better, your momentum will carry you over, down and well into the next rise. Then do it again. INTERVALS IN A PACE LINE These training techniques simulate what happens in road racing. They're great workouts and guaranteed monotony-busters as well. Warm up and settle into a single paceline moving at a moderate speed. Then try one of the following: Rear Attacks. The last person in line charges past the group, creating a breakaway. When she gets about 200 yards ahead, the paceline works to pull her back. Everyone rides easily for a few minutes, then another rider springs from the rear. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Bridges. When she's about 50 yards clear, another rider chases her down while the pack keeps a steady tempo. Once together, the breakaway pair eases up and drifts back to the bunch. Then two more riders repeat the drill. Continue until everyone has participated. Chases. One rider stops by the side of the road as if getting a wheel change or taking what Phil and Paul call "a natural break." Another rider drops back like a dutiful teammate, and then the two work together to chase down the group. Repeat with pairs of riders. INTERVALS ON ENDURANCE RIDES You can decrease your time on long endurance rides with a little interval training. You might try these two tricks on your next long ride. Vary your speed. Vary the effort level within each ride. Don't lock into a pace that's neither too hard nor too easy. A little variety will lead to improvement in your times. Do 4 sprints every hour. Fast accelerations of even seconds can raise your average cruising speed. It doesn t have to be an all-out sprint. Simply stand and accelerate until you spin out the gear, then sit down and spin up to 10 rpm faster. Hold this rpm for several more seconds, then back down gradually. Separated these intervals by minutes of riding at your normal pace

5 Triathlon Lactate Threshold: Interval Training for the Bike When training for the bike leg of a triathlon, consistent stressing of the body's lactate production mechanism is the key to achieving a faster race pace on the bike and a smoother transition from the bicycle to the run. If you don't know too much about the lactate threshold, click here for a previous article on the topic. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to train at lactate threshold for long periods of time, such as the time required for completion of a 40K Olympic distance cycling time trial. This is because the body buffers lactic acid by combining lactic acid's hydrogen ions with carbon dioxide (for subsequent transport in the bloodstream and removal as carbon dioxide at the lungs). To blow off this CO2 and retain a physiologically normal blood ph, you must maintain a level of ventilation that can be quite difficult. In addition, that acidic burn just *hurts*! A good approach to this paradox is to spend small amounts of time at lactate threshold. By pushing at the proper intensity for 2-5 minutes, you can gradually increase the body's tolerance to lactic acid and the body's ability to utilize lactic acid as a fuel, while training the body to work at higher levels of energy output while producing less lactic acid. As your lactate tolerance rises, the goal is to eventually "string together" these short lactic acid threshold intervals to produce one long race pace intensity effort. Here's a sample interval training workout series that will allow you to achieve this adaptation: Find a trail, route, or road that is relatively flat (occasional rolling hills are OK). Warmup spin for 10 minutes. At the first mile marker after completing the warm-up, increase by 2-3 gears and stand to sprint as hard as possible for 30 pedal strokes. This will initiate production of lactic acid. After the standing sprint, sit and reduce the gearing so that 90RPM or more is possible. Maintain the "burn" in your legs, pushing at 85-95% all the way to the next mile marker. Depending on how fast you're riding, this will be a 1.5 to 4 minute interval. As you reach the next mile marker, gear down and maintain the same cadence, working at about 55-65% effort. This is your rest interval, and it will last all the way to the next mile marker. Repeat the standing sprint to seated time trial effort for the next mile. Perform 4-10 intervals, switching back and forth from lactate threshold to easy pedaling every mile. Do this workout once per week for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, choose one of the intervals and perform a 2:1 work rest interval, meaning that you will push hard for 2 miles instead of just 1 mile (on only *one* of your intervals) and rest for the normal 1 mile. So, if

6 you've been performing 8 intervals, with eight 1 mile sprints and eight 1 mile rests, you'll now be performing one 2 mile sprint and six 1 mile sprints, with seven 1 mile rests. The next week, reduce the interval count, again linking two 1 mile segments together. Continue to keep your rest intervals at just 1 mile. Continue to "string together" your lactate threshold efforts every week. By the end of 2-3 months, you'll be able to maintain a much higher race pace intensity, without burning out before the end of the time trial. Remember to allow adequate rest and recovery after intense interval training, and you'll see great performance results! If you want more workouts, or want your entire season's workouts for every single day of the entire year to be designed based on your personal schedule, limitations, or goals visit and check out the triathlon coaching options, or contact elite@pacificfit.net for more information. Ben Greenfield runs Pacific Elite Fitness at an online portal for personal training, triathlete coaching, and free fitness and multi-sport advice. He resides in Liberty Lake, WA, where he works as director of sports performance for Champion Sports Medicine, training and testing lab for athletes. Ben graduated from University of Idaho with bachelors and master s degrees in sports science and exercise physiology, and is certified as a personal trainer and coach by the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Ben also offers individualized personal training, multi-sport coaching, and training program design for athletes, lifestyle wellness and diet advising, and corporate consulting for workplace fitness programs. To learn more, visit or Ben at elite@pacificfit.net.

7 CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS High Intensity Training High Intensity Training (HIT) is an interval program for the elite athlete, already at a high level of training, who is looking for that final performance edge for an upcoming event. While significant improvements in endurance performance (and corresponding physiological markers such as VO2max, oxidative muscle enzyme activity, performance to exhaustion) are evident following an endurance training program (long, slow distance) in sedentary and recreationally active groups, additional increases in time spent on the bike (hours of training, volume of training) does not enhance either endurance performance or these associated physiological variables. For the already trained athlete, further improvements in performance can be achieved only through high-intensity interval training (HIT). HOW MUCH TIME IS INVOLVED? Amazingly, HIT requires only a few weeks to hone that performance edge. One study indicated that as few as four sessions were needed to measure a benefit, while another measured an increase in peak work outputs of 4 to 5 % and simulated 40 km time trial results of 3 to 3.5% after 6 sessions. And these improvements were independent of a change in VO2max. HOW MANY INTERVALS PER SESSION? One suggestion was to apply 15% of weekly training miles to HIT. These miles were divided into 6 separate sessions of six to eight 5 min repetitions at 80% of peak power output followed by 60 second rest intervals. Another used twenty 60 second intervals with a 120 second rest. And a third incorporated repeated supramaximal sprinting into the training program with equally good results. HOW HARD SHOULD I PUSH? Your personal maximum power output is the ideal for interval intensity and 60% of your personal time to exhaustion is a good interval duration. This combination significantly improved 40-km time trial performance. If you don't know your personal maximum power output, VO2Max can be substituted for intensity of effort. AND A TAPER IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

8 HIT should be the final step in your training program with 4 to 6 interval sessions over 2 weeks. Although relatively short, it does have one risk - over training fatigue. To get maximum benefit, HIT must be combined with a tapering of your training program. There is suggestive evidence that a slow taper may have an edge, but this is controversial. What is clear is that a 50% single-step reduction in HIT led to an approximately 6% improvement in simulated 100 km time-trial performances after 2 weeks. Most coaches have interpreted a taper as a decrease in training volume (time) rather than the intensity of each interval session. But a recent study has challenged that perception. In that study, two groups cut their training time by 50 %. One maintained a steady program at 68% VO2max while the other did sprints keyed to their lactate threshold and averaged 83% VO2max. At 21 days there was no difference in performance measures.

High Cadence Training for Cyclists. Objectives

HFC Holmes Fitness Coaching, LLC Improving Health, Fitness and Athletic Performance High Cadence Training for Cyclists President Holmes Fitness Coaching, LLC Objectives As a result of this webinar, you