You've come a long way...baby

Interval training is hard. Plain and simple. The key for all interval training as well as any extended wattage/heart rate specific intervals is to pace yourself to make sure you at least hit the minimum of your zone for the "average". There is no real physiological difference between the bottom of your zone & the top of your zone, or even the middle. There IS a difference BETWEEN the zones though. For example, say your LT zone is 250-290. You can train anywhere WITHIN that zone to hit the physiological effects of the training. That can be an average of 250, 258, 275, etc. You get the picture. However, if you hit 291, then, you're somewhere else getting different physiological responses.

When I first started working with Frank and my SRM, I was able to have instantaneous feedback on my efforts for wattage-specific training. However, being a rookie, I didn't bother looking at the powercontrol display and use the feedback to pace myself. Rather, I'd go as hard as I could from start to finish, without pacing myself to get through the interval. Sure, one could argue that my average might be somewhere within the zone when all is said and done, but, not pacing yourself for an interval session that may last 6 reps long, will result in a strong performance early in the workout, vs the last 1 or 2, where, the power is most critical. To keep your average up in the final few intervals allows an even better physiological response because you've already hit the first 3-4. It's almost a built in incremental TSS concept. Like, if you were to do a long base mileage ride with tempo-ish intervals at the end. The time (say, 5hrs) of the workout provides the TSS points, and, then couple that with the time in tempo at the end and you've got good stuff. Where am I going with this? Not really sure, but, I was perusing through some of my earliest SRM files just for kicks, and could see how I got better over time with pacing myself. Most of it came from Frank's tutelage, instructing me on how to do intervals.instructing me on how to do intervals He has some great training tips over all, but whether or not I'm the result of him writing this article..who knows :-). Now granted, there are going to be some basic things about keeping that power line "flat" like grade/elevation changes/etc, but, for the most part, you want it flatt"ish".

Anyway, here's what I saw...

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NEW


Now, these workouts were not the same in format (i.e. zone/etc), but, the concepts are still applicable.