On the 51-mile out and back ride I do as a way to keep the
belly fat in check, I have sections I ride through that the fitness gurus call
“intervals.”
In a perfect world, intervals are sections of the ride to
rip it up and pedal into a sprint to improve cardio and stamina. They’re the
sections that mountain bikers get all the time when they have to hit the granny
gear and pedal fast just to get up a steep section of trail. Road cyclists
usually pace themselves on their climbs because, as is the case on mountain
roads, they can go on for long, nasty stretches.
So on my interval sections, which vary in distance and are
flat and variously sloped, I force myself to ride as fast as I can. This is a
relative thing. The biggest obstacles to getting up to speed can be depleted
energy from riding mucho miles, heavy legs from logging a lot of miles in
consecutive days and headwinds or sidewinds.
These intervals help spark energy when I’m slowing down on
my regular ride. But they pay off, and bring mental toughness and long-ride
stamina. If you do a regular ride, throw some intervals into it. That is, if
you like pain! But there is gain to be had.
Here’s a play-by-play of the ones I do. I figure it’s
therapeutic to share my high-speed pain caves. Hope you can relate!
No. 1: This comes
at the approach of a bridge about five miles into the ride. I usually have
plenty of energy to tap into here. As I ride onto the upslope of the bridge I
pedal hard, looking to hit 20 mph. Some days I do it without much problem.
Other days it seems like I’m pedaling concrete blocks to hit that speed.
No. 2: This comes
at the end of my first split, which is 14.5 miles of mainly flat riding, with a
few hills and rollers thrown in. It’s about 100 yards. It starts with a sharp
left, and then continues straight and flat to the end. I gear up to the highest
gear on the approach, then stand on it to build cadence. This is usually not
too tough because it’s such a short stretch. Thankfully, it’s over pretty fast.
No. 3: This is a
flat half-mile stretch along a lake that comes after an easy climb along a
bridge and a fast descent. And it’s almost always in a strong wind. I try to
get to 20 mph as soon as I can on this stretch, but if there’s a headwind, and
there often is, I usually don’t get going that fast until the end. It can be a
serious slog to get up to speed. I do the same on the return. Love it when
there’s a tailwind either way, since then, making 20 isn’t too tough at all.
That’s how I get a quick read of a tailwind. If I’m suddenly flying along with
the greatest of ease, I’m thinking, “Hey, my legs are strong! Oh wait…tailwind.”
No. 4: This is stretch
is a bear. It comes after a fast descent and is a mile of absolutely flat
riding, with cliffs on one side and a lake on the other. Here the wind is
almost always in your face or at your back. So if you get a tough headwind
going in, you get the tailwind coming back. The wind giveth, and the wind
taketh away. But it’s always different. I try to stay as close to 20 mph or
higher as I can, but with the mile length and headwind, before long it’s a
grunt-fest. I usually start off at the 20-22 mph speed, then it becomes a
challenge to see how long I can maintain it. I’ll shift down to keep the
cadence high as I tire, but wow, it feels like someone slowly closing off your
windpipe. And it finishes with a gradual climb, which is the very next, ugh,
interval.
No. 5: In some
ways this is the hardest interval of them all. It’s about 100 yards of upslope
that isn’t steep, but after pedaling hard against the wind for a mile, sucking
air and filling the legs with lactic acid, it’s waiting to finish you off. I
shift down into high cadence as it starts to rise and let it rip, with the goal
of hitting 19-20 mph. But, wow, that’s a tall order. Hitting 14 mph is hard
enough, but to get up to 19 or 20 is a high plateau which I only hit when
there’s a tailwind. Usually I get to 16 or 17, and am close to oxygen debt at
the top. Ah, good times!
No. 6: This comes
close to the finish of the first half of the ride, and is about 100 yards of
very gradual climb. In a low gear it’s fairly easy to get up to 20-22 mph at
the end of it, and continue on to more gradual climbing. I do it, because it’s
a section where it’s easy to be lulled into a slowed down pace that bogs down
the overall time.
No. 7: This is
the last steep pitch, about 50 yards at the end of the first half, which is
preceded by a long gradual climb over about three fourths of a mile. Here, I
stand on it in the second lowest gear and try to power through. It’s a hard pull,
since it comes after 25 miles of interval-laced riding. I don’t look at my
speed, just try to make it with a strong cadence. Now, need food!
Heading back after a rest and food, it’s a lot of fast descending,
with challenging return intervals on the Nos. 4 and 3 sections. I don’t do a
reverse sprint on the No. 2 interval, which comes when I’m recovering from
finishing a 9-mile, mostly downhill split. I try to get a strong approach to
the bridge on the reverse of the No. 1 split, but at that point I’m usually
sucking wind and grabbing for my water bottle. Any reasonable pace is what I’m
trying for. If it’s 14 mph, I’m doing OK, still moving forward!
No. 8: The last
100 yards of the return 14.5 mile split is an all out grunt sprint, and I
usually get to 20-22 mph there. After that, there’s an easy does it ride with heavy
traffic for the final two miles home.
Ahh, didn’t that ride feel great?
Mountain biker’s
revenge
Let me just say that
I used to ride on the nearby paved bike trail – which is best suited for road
cyclists – on a mountain bike. So I was used to being passed by roadies all the
time. So the other day, I’m trying to ride fast through a stiff headwind on a
flat, and I’m working hard, all out. I suddenly hear a high-pitched whine that
is a completely unfamiliar sound on this trail. Before I know it, a guy on a motorized mountain bike passes me. What?
This guy figured out a surefire way how not to be passed by roadies or anybody else on this trail. He just
hits the gas, and can pass any roadie, even the dudes in the pro peloton. Just
wish I had the steam to grab his rear wheel. Not a chance!
Thanks Tom
Tom, riding on a nice Felt bike, stopped to check if I was
OK recently when my rear tire flatted. I had all I needed, including my hard
won knowledge on how to put in a new tube without puncturing it. But Tom hung
out and chatted as I got the tire back in shape. And hey, it was nice! Thanks
Tom and to all the several other riders who offered help.
Til next time, remember to strap on a helmet every time you
get on the bike. Then keep the rubber side down, ride safely and have a blast.
-- Mark Eric Larson
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