Warming Up

Why does it take me a good 40 minutes to get warmed up enough to feel like I can give a maximum effort and to take my heartrate into the 85% MHR range and sustain it? My first 2 X 20 feels like I am just getting the whole system up and running and is pure misery and the second 2 X 20 is fun and feels much easier. Should I extend the second one to a longer period of time?

How much time should be taken for warming up prior to all-out sprints of 1-2 minutes? I've also noticed the same situation when I try those.

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Jamis Aurora, Jamis Coda Comp

I think that if you were to do a 15 minute warm-up, followed by 2 five minute efforts at your 2x20's pace, it would acclimatise you to your 2x20's session. I also think that if your completeing the second '20' easily, either try doing a 3rd '20' at the same intensity, or raise the intensity of the 2x20's.

I think of all-out sprints as up to 30 seconds. Anything longer, for me, become anaerobic intervals. Preparing myself for sprints, I generally do high cadence work at low intensity to get my legs used to spinning, and build the intensity up from there.
With anaerobic intervals, I do 2-3 shorter bursts (30 secs) at the intensity I'm working at to prime myself, get my cadence right, then get stuck in.

Not sure of the answer, but its not just you. I usually ride early in the morning (starting 5:30 or 6), and at least for the first 20 minutes, the energy level is not there. Atter that, the body seems to wake up. problem is less acute if I ride starting at 10 AM.

Due to a prior engagement, the other day i was only able to do an hour long ride, the first half hour was spent getting up there, warming up. I was gunning it early on as much as I could cause of the time constraint. My body just didnt really feel up for it, i felt fatigued. I think i can tell when im good to go when i start breathing really deeply, and easily. Also after the painfull burn in the legs comes and passes.

BTw, sprints of 1-2 minutes? is it me or do those sound kind of long?

Yeah, my last interval I do a 10 second sprint, rest 50 seconds, then I do another, then, I do a 20 second sprint and take 40 seconds to rest. I want to get up to 1 minute. Can't do it. Good eye for BS!

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Jamis Aurora, Jamis Coda Comp