Goal: Today’s workout is a specificity workout.
Allows you to get used to how something feels. Gives your body a chance to figure out how to respond. This workout touches on several energy systems and it let’s us work in multiple systems and have a little fun.
Neuromuscular work going from high to low cadence-Practicing transitions helps you be a more efficient rider.
Threshold/VO2 mimics what is happening in the race-Toggling between thresholds and VO2
Then we settle in at anaerobic threshold.(tempo-sweetspot) for final 3 min of every interval. Teaches you to control your harder efforts.
Flanders is variable based on gradient, pack your riding in and the intensity of what's going on that day.
5 Interval sets..
Interval 1 is manageable and will give you a sense of how you should manage the subsequent intervals
3rd interval is the longest so adjust your intensity accordingly:
Dial in your effort based on how you are feeling.
Remember there is a six minute climb (The Koppenberg) in this interval.
You might start out of your seat but then sit back down to push through it. If you don’t have a power meter, this effort is about 8.5
Tips for a successful ride:
Just before each interval get into position, get to your favorite gear and cadencer so that you can get rolling…You know the climb is coming and you want to be ready for it. Think about it as a fight for position.
Adjust your hand position within each interval to maximize your position while working through each section of the interval.
Make sure there are significant changes in cadence and power output within each of the five intervals
During the recovery period get your heart rate settled, stay in control. (In Zwift they are 6 minutes, ours are 5 minutes so if you are using Zwift you will need to skip ahead one minute)
We have inserted fun video footage from Flanders so be sure to check it out during the ride.
Things to think about:
Once they open the events again, it is important to do specificity workouts that mimic your event at least one month prior to the event. Two months would be better if you are able.
It is very important to understand how hard the efforts are in the events you have planned. A coach can help you understand the power requirements for the event and plan the training accordingly. This workout was designed based off of my power files for my athletes to prepare for the Tour of Flanders.
Robbie did much of this workout on PE (due to the videos from Flanders playing on his screen). Each time he toggled back to the power screen, his power was slightly lower than he expected. This tells him that fatigue is setting in. He might need to check his recovery stats: sleep, heart rate, and notes in training peaks. He also might need to check his nutrition: eating well? Too much wine?