Zone 2 training: the supposed holy grail of endurance athletes. Now, Ive seen some of you out there obsessing over hours and hours of zone 2 riding, meticulously tracking your HR and power output, and rallying around the idea that more is better. But lets get real here - how is spending hours in zone 2 actually benefiting you? Is it truly doing more for your fitness than, say, watching grass grow?
Think about it - watching grass grow requires zero physical exertion and zero mental focus. You just sit there, staring blankly at the ground, waiting for something to happen. Its the ultimate low-intensity activity. And yet, Id wager that the physiological benefits of watching grass grow are remarkably similar to those of zone 2 training. Youre not building explosive power, youre not increasing your anaerobic capacity, and youre definitely not getting any faster.
Now, before you all jump down my throat with your meticulously crafted zone 2 training plans and your but what about the science? arguments, just hear me out. Is zone 2 training really the game-changer that everyone makes it out to be? Or is it just a placebo effect - a way to make ourselves feel like were actually doing something, when in reality were just pedaling our way to nowhere? And if thats the case, then why not just save ourselves the trouble and sit on the couch, watching grass grow? At least that way, well have something nice to look at while were wasting our time.
So, lets get into it - what are the actual benefits of zone 2 training, and are they really worth the hours and hours of monotony that come with it? And more importantly, can we really say that zone 2 training is doing anything more for our fitness than watching grass grow?