2x20 turbo sessions

[nammynake]

My main aims for this year are to complete the Fred Whitton and La Marmotte as fast as possible. I am looking at specific turbo sessions to compliment my long weekend rides from now until the events.

I've read good things about 2x20m sessions and the reasons for them (being able to maintain a certain effort for longer) but I am not sure what amount of effort should be put in. Should it be max effort during both blocks of 20, or maintaining a lower level which is tough but doesnt make you puke?

I've done a few sessions already and aim to finish each block of 20 without killing myself but also being quite tough (difficult to speak and really really wanting the 20m to end).

I have a heart rate monitor but not sure how to use that for these sessions.

[McFsC]

Work out your max heart rate ( 220-age is a general rule ) then do 80% of that for 20 minutes.

[nammynake]

I've not assessed my MHR but the following sources say around 185 on average - http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm

80% of 185 is 148. I've been maintaining nearer 155 in my 20m blocks which equates to around 84% so not a mile off.

That's assuming my MHR is 185.....I did a long steep climb at the weekend and peaked at 182bpm near the top, but I wasn't quite going full gas.

Edited by nammynake on Monday 18th February 21:15

[okgo]

How many sessions are you doing per week? The only reason not to do them
at full gas (that you can replicate in the 2nd 20 without dying) is so you can get more sessions in.

If you're only doing two of these per week and one ride at the weekend, sod sweetspot (which is more like 85-90% effort, 80 is tempo really, waste of time) and ride them at full tilt.

Of course whether this is the best thing for a 8 hour alpine assault I don't know. I doubt it.

[McFsC]

There's the man that can... I thought 40 minutes at 80% was OK really, obviously not though.

[okgo]

Sure it's OK but if you can do it at higher intensity you will gain more.

Doing 2x20 at sweet spot is intended to be something you can do daily pretty much. But if he has the time then going harder will be better. The fast guys out there that train on minimal hours are successful because the few hours they do have are spent at intensity.

[nammynake]

2 or 3 turbo sessions per week at the moment so I could definitely up the effort and recover by next session. I thought sweet spot was less than full effort but obviously not!

Once the evenings get lighter I plan to introduce 1 evening ride per week of around 2 hours too.

[okgo]

Sweet spot is less. But 3 sessions a week is not enough to warrant doing that. If you were doing 5-6 then that slightly lower effort will leave you in better shape to complete same workout the following day. If you're having a day off between them then go hard as you can sustain for the intervals.

All IMO of course. But as I said, for the rides you are planning I'd want to be doing a 5 hour ride each weekend as training. On top of the other stuff.

[nammynake]

okgo said:

Sweet spot is less. But 3 sessions a week is not enough to warrant doing that. If you were doing 5-6 then that slightly lower effort will leave you in better shape to complete same workout the following day. If you're having a day off between them then go hard as you can sustain for the intervals.

All IMO of course. But as I said, for the rides you are planning I'd want to be doing a 5 hour ride each weekend as training. On top of the other stuff.

I appreciate the tips. I need to start increasing my weekend ride. The last couple of months haven't been great with illness and st weather. I did 55 miles on Saturday at 15.5 mph average. Was reasonably hilly with 3700ft ascent. Was getting up to 90 miles before The Fred last year.