Long slow cycling workouts during the race season will not get you stronger or faster on the bike. Training slowly guarantees that you’ll be racing slowly. Most of us know that sinking feeling when a competitor passes us and we can’t respond to their pace. Don’t let that be you!

For athletes racing all distances, it’s important to mix in a few higher intensity workouts in the weeks and months leading up to your “A” race. Doing so will build strength and stimulate fast twitch muscle fibers, providing you with that extra gear when you need it during the event.

This Workout Wednesday powered by Bioastin will make you a stronger overall rider and will help you conquer hills, answer competitors’ surges and  achieve your next PR.

Try this interval session once per week for seven weeks leading up to your most important race.

The standing segments should not be an energy drain. When you practice riding out of the saddle, note your power, speed, heart rate or perceived exertion. If you’re economical, quite often when you go back to a seated position, your legs will feel refreshed (mine always did). I used riding out of the saddle as an important tactic whenever I raced.

Also, the mixed gearing prescribed in this workout helps improve cycling economy at all levels. Practicing these subtle gear changes in training helps prepare your body for when you race.

If you do this workout during race week, be sure to reduce the segments in the main set to just 90 sec and complete the session no closer than four days before your event.

Give this workout a try and let me know how it went. Get in touch with me on Facebook or Twitter.

Dave

Fast and Furious Bike Intervals
Total workout time: 80 to 90 min

Warm Up

15 min

1st Set  

8 x 1 min moderately hard or just below your threshold (or your 1 hour time trial pace).

For the first 15 sec of each interval, stand in your choice gear, then move to a lower (easier) gear for 30 sec holding 100 rpm, and finish the last 15 sec standing in one larger (harder) gear than the opening 15 sec.

Rest Interval (RI) 1 min easy.


Main Set  

These intervals should be done at a hard effort. During the standing segments you may notice your watts increase 8-12% more than your seated segments. That’s okay.

5 x 4 min FAST

The 4 min blocks are as follows:

Odd repeats: Intervals 1, 3 and 5 are 20 sec standing and 40 sec seated. Repeat this 4 times throughout the 4 min interval

Even repeats: Intervals 2 and 4 are 1 min seated in Time Trial aero position + 20 sec standing in one cog higher (harder) than the standing segments of the odd repeats.

Each 4 min interval is followed by 1 min RI at aerobic speed (or watts if you’re using a power meter) plus 3 min very very easy.

Repeat this 3 times.

Cool Down

7 to 10 min

#WorkoutWednesday is powered by BioAstin, one of my top 5 recommended supplements.  BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that supports cardiovascular health and muscle recovery… perfect for athletes who are training hard.