Interval Integration: A Training Plan That Works

Previously (Jul/Aug 13 edition:p104) I wrote about some of the theory and practice surrounding interval training sessions for cyclists. In this issue I will be covering some actual training plans using interval sets so that you can have a go at incorporating intervals into your own riding.

For those that missed the last issue, a summary is in order. Intervals are a form of speed training that alternate between the on phase (generally done at or near your maximum effort for the prescribed length of time) and an off phase (generally done without any prescribed effort level, just ridden easily). The gains made from these exercises depend on the length of the on and the length of the off – there is a synergy between the on and off that makes both important.

Regardless of the effort level or duration, all muscular contractions are powered by a chemical fuel know as ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate). There is approximately 10 seconds worth of ATP in each muscle cell. More ATP can be generated by metabolism of sugar (specifically glycogen). There is a 45 second supply of glycogen in each muscle cell. This process is called anaerobic glycolysis (the breakdown of glycogen in the absence of oxygen) and it produces a by-product you might have heard of before: lactate.

Once the cell is out of glycogen and the lactate level is sky high, the only recourse is reliance on the circulatory system to supply oxygen and glycogen and to remove the lactate. This process is aerobic glycolysis and it is slower than the anaerobic alternatives. Consider making dinner with food in the fridge versus having to go shopping at the mall first – slower.

The type of metabolism driving your muscles is not clear-cut – all three are in use to some degree much of the time. The specifics of the interval determine which type of metabolism is targeted by the drill, especially if you do the drills properly (which was the main focus of the last article). In general, the longer the effort the lower the power generated. Virtually everyone who is reading this magazine will know the feeling of going as hard as possible and somewhere before one minute has elapsed, the sensation of having ridden into strong glue takes over and your speed falls off dramatically – that is the loss of the anaerobic component and it is a feeling you never want to experience doing intervals.

Each of the sample programs below covers three months with a focus on the ability of interest. A usual program involves three weeks of training and one week of recovery per cycle. A good practice is to try roughly 10% less in the first week and 10% more in the third week than the average (which occurs in week two). With the intervals themselves this variation across the weeks should be accomplished from the number of intervals rather than the length of the on or off phase. Given that stopping an interval session should be dictated by performance it is often impossible to achieve the ideal. With sessions such as E, Hilly, HS and Bunch the duration can be easily adjusted to suit the week.

Sprint

A good sprint depends on one part pure power output and one part good technique. Doing sprint drills in an interval set not only works on that peak output, but provides opportunities to develop the technique too.

Cycle	M	T (X:Y)	W	T	F (X:Y)	S	S
Month 1	off	10:600	E 90	R 60	5:100	E 90	HS
Month 2	off	10:600	E 100	R 60	5:200	E 90	HS
Month 3	off	10:600	E 120	R 60	5:300	E 90	HS

 

Mid-race efforts

Most races are won or lost in the middle. A high power output is required to establish a break, go with a break, bridge to the break, sprint for a prime and so on. Unlike the final sprint, however, once that effort is up things continue at a sustained pace. This is less about peak power output than it is about making a longer effort and the ability to recover from that effort while still racing at a high level.

Cycle	M	T (X:Y)	W	T	F (X:Y)	S	S
Month 1	off	10:60	E 120	R 60	5:15	E 150	Bunch
Month 2	off	10:45	E 120	R 60	5:10	E 160	Bunch
Month 3	off	10:20	E 140	R 80	5:5	E 180	Bunch

 

TT

Some riders are naturally talented time trial competitors while others definitely are not. Yet all racers benefit from the ability to sustain a high velocity. The TT-type effort often comes up in a road race and handicaps are effectively a teams time trial where the team members begin working with each other and eventually decide to work against each other (and/or swap teams) mid-race.

Cycle	M	T (X:Y)	W	T	F	S	S (X:Y)
Month 1	off	300:300	E 120	R 60	CR	E 120	300:120
Month 2	off	400:300	E 120	R 80	CR	E 140	360:120
Month 3	off	400:200	E 120	R 90	CR	E 160	420:120

Climbing

Unless one lives in a flat place and never travels, to be a successful bike racer requires an ability to climb hills at roughly the pace of the bunch (for most people the ability to go up to a higher grade reflects an ability to climb at a higher pace).

Cycle	M	T (X:Y)	W	T	F	S	S
Month 1	off	60:180	E 90	R 60	CI	E 120	Hilly
Month 2	off	60:150	E 100	R 80	CI	E 150	Hilly
Month 3	off	60:120	E 120	R 90	CI	E 180	Hilly

Drill definitions

Bunch – local bunch ride. Select a feisty bunch ride and stir things up.

CI – climbing interval. Small gear, medium hill, seated effort. Cadence should be 90-100 rpm. Ride up the hill as fast as you can for 4:45 and note that point on the hill. Descend and keep riding until total off phase is five minutes. Repeat the climb, timing how long it takes to get back to that point on the hill established the first time up. Keep repeating until it takes more than 5:00 to hit that point.

CR – climbing repeat. Large gear, medium hill, seated effort. Cadence should be around 60 rpm. A good hill is about 10-12 minutes long. Ride as fast as you can at the prescribed cadence while seated. At the top, turn around and descend back to do another one. Novices do two, most people do three, experienced riders may do up to six.

E – endurance ride with duration in minutes. Meant to be ridden at a steady but not too hard a pace. Heart rate should sit above recovery zone and below 80% of max.

Hilly – a solo or bunch ride on hilly terrain. Make sure you attack some of the hills and get a solid workout.

HS – hill start. After a warm-up find a gentle slope to ride up. From a standing start (with feet  clipped in, either get a holder or just stop for a moment before starting again), in a high enough gear that it is still a push at the end without shifting in the middle, attack the climb for 12-15 pedal strokes. Ride around gently for about ten minutes before repeating.

Off – rest day

R – recovery ride with duration in minutes. This is a session promoting recovery through good blood flow and taking it easy. Heart rate should sit below 60% of max.

X:Y – interval set where X is ‘on’ phase in seconds and Y is ‘off’ phase in seconds. After warming up, repeat until quality of on phase deteriorates. If you have a power meter use a 10% drop in mean power as your threshold.

There are four programs presented here. Each lasts three months. Put together they cover one year and also cover four critical aspects of bike racing. If you have never tried specific training, following this program over the next 12 months would be an interesting experiment for you. On the other hand, if you want to address a specific weakness you could pick one program and follow it for the next three months.

Even if you do not try these specific programs, I hope they help you understand the ideas I have been trying to get across in this and the previous article. Intervals are an important part of training, but only if you do the right ones in the correct way. Otherwise you are just getting tired for no good reason.