One of my main reasons for training is to have fun on the Saturday morning group rides. Here in Wagga in summer, we get up to 60 riders meet at 6.30 for a nice noodle north for 30-odd kilometres, followed by a stop where we divide into groups according to ability. Then it's a full-on gallop home, which is just like being in a race, for about 26km. I'm sure you know the scenario, you start with up to 20 riders, then at the finish there's just 6 of you left.
It's taken a lot of work to be one of those last few riders left, and it's been done on a diet of SST, threshold and VO2 max work. I analysed my graph from this weekend's ride and I saw just how much of the effort was actually waaay into anaerobic zone. Now, I've not done any L6 work, save for one or two sprint sessions just for fun, but that's just 2 sessions in months of training.
I think it's testament to the efficiency of this type of training that I can maintain and recover from going way into the red and still come back for more.
However, the racing season looms, and here is my question. If I start doing some L6 work, maybe 1 or 2-minute efforts, I would imagine that I'll have even more fun on my Saturday rides. But is it too early? The first race I have pencilled in is mid-March, and there's a 2-day race around lumpy Canberra (need my 25 sprocket I reckon), so is now too early to fit in one L6 session a week?
I was thinking of doing one session a week, maybe up a local tester of a hill, but I'm seriously concerned that I'll be bringing myself on to a peak a little too early.
We've heard a lot about 2x20s and 5x5s, but what's the current thinking on the application of L6 efforts?
It's taken a lot of work to be one of those last few riders left, and it's been done on a diet of SST, threshold and VO2 max work. I analysed my graph from this weekend's ride and I saw just how much of the effort was actually waaay into anaerobic zone. Now, I've not done any L6 work, save for one or two sprint sessions just for fun, but that's just 2 sessions in months of training.
I think it's testament to the efficiency of this type of training that I can maintain and recover from going way into the red and still come back for more.
However, the racing season looms, and here is my question. If I start doing some L6 work, maybe 1 or 2-minute efforts, I would imagine that I'll have even more fun on my Saturday rides. But is it too early? The first race I have pencilled in is mid-March, and there's a 2-day race around lumpy Canberra (need my 25 sprocket I reckon), so is now too early to fit in one L6 session a week?
I was thinking of doing one session a week, maybe up a local tester of a hill, but I'm seriously concerned that I'll be bringing myself on to a peak a little too early.
We've heard a lot about 2x20s and 5x5s, but what's the current thinking on the application of L6 efforts?