Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

12-03.-2008, 02:59 AM	#1
wiredued Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 1,123	Describe Your Best L6 Intervals I am a little rusty at these in the past I did 7x2s based on RPE alone. I am now wondering what my average power should be in a percent of FTP and any details on how to approach them. I currently break the 2 minute interval up into three 40 second segments that increase in intensity the third is an all out effort. Is this in the ball park for an L6 workout? Thanks __________________ Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. http://www.earnharts.com/html/reala...ecific.asp?id=3

12-03.-2008, 09:12 AM	#2
strader Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 123	Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals I do 1 minute intervals and try to hold it above 500 watts for the entire duration. I have tried going all out from the start but power falls off very quickly after the first 20 seconds or so, and I end up finishing at around 400 watts with a lower average wattage for the interval. I also get fried after a few intervals if I go all out from the start.

13-03.-2008, 12:19 AM	#3
Spunout Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 623	Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals Both! Try some 45s or 1m30s intervals all-out from the start. Also, try some shorter 30s or 2m intervals at target power from the beginning. In racing, responding to an attack is usually a hard accelleration followed by a period of intense effort.

14-03.-2008, 03:28 AM	#4
wiredued Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 1,123	Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals Thanks for the advice I am also thinking of adding a 2 minute jump start to my second or third 20 minute L4 interval so I never completely lose my acceleration. Is that a good place to blend it in with the usual L4 workout? I suppose there would be an L3 low point following that effort then back up to L4 when the energy is right. __________________ Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. http://www.earnharts.com/html/reala...ecific.asp?id=3

14-03.-2008, 05:06 AM

swampy1970

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredued

Thanks for the advice I am also thinking of adding a 2 minute jump start to my second or third 20 minute L4 interval so I never completely lose my acceleration. Is that a good place to blend it in with the usual L4 workout? I suppose there would be an L3 low point following that effort then back up to L4 when the energy is right.

It's impossible to go all out for a minute.

Ask any good Kilo rider. If you really want to watch someone suffer "a thousand deaths" on the bike, head down to the track and watch people ride that event. A couple will pace it right, the rest....... *ouch*

14-03.-2008, 06:53 AM

DennistheMennis

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampy1970

Amen! The 1-minutes are the hardest workout I've ever done. Whether on a track or not. I get light-headed, dizzy and even slightly nauseous!

I believe that true "all-out" is only possible for 8-10 seconds. But I suppose you could say that there's an "all-out" for any interval length, as "FTP" would be your "all-out" for 1 hour. Pacing yourself for the kilo would be at your roughly 1-minute "all-out". (My kilo is more like 1:17, so it would be my 1:17 "all-out"!)

To get back to the OP's topic: I like to do my L6 intervals on a fairly steep hill. I start at the level section just before the base, smoothly power up to the hill, and hammer for 1 minute. Puke and repeat 10 times, once a week for a few weeks before your peak. Ugh.

14-03.-2008, 07:48 AM

Alex Simmons

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampy1970

Actually the most successful kilo racers use an all out pacing strategy. There's also some research to support the approach taken by top riders.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/e...%20time%20trial

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...ed_Discovery_RA

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14-03.-2008, 10:20 AM

postal_bag

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampy1970

It's impossible to go all out for a minute.

"all-out" refers to RPE, in this situation. So, although your power output will fall drastically, you continue to go "all-out" until the interval is over.

14-03.-2008, 02:39 PM

swampy1970

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Simmons

I guess "all out" doesn't mean absolutely everything you have anymore. Pacing implies that moderation had to be given in some way shape or form.

In an age where "everyone is a winner" and "it's taking part that counts" I shouldn't have expected anything less.

LOL

15-03.-2008, 06:11 AM

#10

Steve_B

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampy1970

I guess "all out" doesn't mean absolutely everything you have anymore. Pacing implies that moderation had to be given in some way shape or form.

At the effort level involved in the kilo or, closer to home for me, a 1-minute L6 power test, I really doubt that you have very precise pacing control except to say that you start out with an effort level "slightly less than a standing-start max effort sprint"* and then try to hold that level of exertion for the duration. I think that's about as precise as you can be in a practical sense and to try to get any finer is splitting hairs.

Quite frankly, when I get done with one of these, I'm usually either in danger of blacking-out and falling onto the road or of losing control of my bladder and sometimes both. To say that this isn't "all out" seems a bit strange to me.

*That's how I get the best average power out of myself when I do 60-second tests.

15-03.-2008, 07:19 AM

#11

Spunout

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_B

Agree on the 1 minute, my power output always sloped downwards. Some of the best ones steeper.

15-03.-2008, 01:04 PM

#12

acoggan

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_B

Ditto!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_B

Quite frankly, when I get done with one of these, I'm usually either in danger of blacking-out and falling onto the road or of losing control of my bladder

Heh - glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has that sensation! I chalk it up to a massive parasympathetic discharge as soon as the effort ceases, which not only causes your heart rate to slow, but also your bladder to contract...

15-03.-2008, 04:14 PM	#13
vladav Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 66	Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals My best L6 workout is the one that I skip... MOMMMMY!!!

18-03.-2008, 04:27 PM

#14

Steve_B

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by acoggan

Heh - glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has that sensation!

It's not something that I'm really proud to admit but I figure it's like one of those more "socially accepted" things that happen under duress: vomitting, blacking out, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by acoggan

I chalk it up to a massive parasympathetic discharge as soon as the effort ceases, which not only causes your heart rate to slow, but also your bladder to contract...

If you say so. You would know better than I would.

I guess if we had a head-to-head kilo race, it could turn into a real "pissing contest".

18-03.-2008, 05:29 PM

#15

Steve_B

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Re: Describe Your Best L6 Intervals

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredued

I am a little rusty at these in the past I did 7x2s based on RPE alone. I am now wondering what my average power should be in a percent of FTP and any details on how to approach them. I currently break the 2 minute interval up into three 40 second segments that increase in intensity the third is an all out effort. Is this in the ball park for an L6 workout? Thanks

Here's one that I did last year. 8 x 30sec with 90 sec recovery. I do these on a short hill that has a flatter section in the middle, as you can detect from the image.. Not that it's my choice to have the flat section, just that it's a convenient hill. I did the last 7 of the 8 at around 650 Watts, which was about 225% of my FTP at the time.

Note that 90sec is a decent recovery period, IMO. You can shorten the recovery periods and that will have the effect of probably lowering the peak powers that you obtain but also making the entire block (all work + all recoveries periods) more aerobic in nature, forcing your aerobic system to work harder to replenish the oxygen debt.

Take the short recovery to an extreme perhaps, and you've got something some people call "Tabata intervals".

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