Sharing my data - Microbursts

I often prescribe a workout to my criterium and cyclocross racers called Microburst Intervals. A Microburst interval consists of short repeated efforts with short recoveries. An example would be a 10 minute block made up of 15 second On and Off intervals. Basically, go as hard as you can for 15 seconds, pedal easy for 15 seconds, and repeat for 10 minutes. It starts off feeling moderate and manageable. By the time you are 8 and 9 minutes in, you are feeling the repeated efforts.

A typical prescribed intensity for the On interval is 150% FTP. When these are done while remaining in the saddle, 150% FTP is a max effort. Conversely, the Off period is 50% FTP or equal to Zone 1-Active recovery.

Obviously, the On interval is going to be the hard part. That is where you train the body to handle the exertion of repeated quick acceleration. The Off period is equally important as you are trying to teach the body to recovery quickly. These types of effort would be seen towards the end of a criterium as racers are jockeying for position and then getting in a good draft. Also the CX racers have to punch it out of corners but then settle down behind someone as the prepare for the next corner.

Here is an example of the 15 sec Microbursts. Short Microbursts In this workout, I did two blocks of 10 min Microbursts. Then I followed up with 10 minutes at 100% FTP. For such short microburst intervals, I create a Garmin Workout that beeps to indicated when to begin each interval. It is a very cool feature of the Garmin devices but a pain to create or program. I would find this workout of such short intervals to be difficult without an audible beep to tell me when to begin. When/If Microbursts appear on your calendar, let me know if you'd like some help using your Garmin.

I also prescribe a second Microburst workout. In this one, you do blocks of 30 seconds On and 30 seconds Off. For these, you get out of the saddle at the beginning of each On interval. Put in a 10-12 second Form Sprint. Then sit in the saddle and continue pushing as hard as you can. These are noticeably harder as the On interval consists of a sprint and is longer. A block of 30 sec Microburst is often just 5 minutes but could be longer for more advanced athletes.

Here is a workout I did with 30 second Microburst intervals. Long Microbursts Yeah, I'm on the towpath again. This was during a storm of mixed precip. The roads were not safe and the towpath was my only option to get this workout in. When doing these longer intervals I do not program the Garmin to beep. I just hit the Lap button and begin a new interval every 30 seconds. You can see the spike in power as I jump out of the saddle at the beginning of each On interval. Then I sit and push through the remaining time. Trying not to let my speed drop. Ouch!!! During the Off segment, I will coast for 5-10 seconds, allowing myself to return to a normal speed, then pedal easy to recover and keep the legs moving.

Microburst prepare you to respond to race situations quickly. Allowing you to react with instincts as the race unfolds. See that racer go by and want to jump on his wheel and follow? The guy you need to watch just launched an attack? Need to make a quick pass in the CX race as the next turn approaches? These little bursts are crucial. Because of the rapid nature of the intervals, people often mess these up the first couple times. They miss the start of an interval or lose track of how much time is left in the block. Be patient and keep at it. Reach out to me for help beforehand if you have questions.

Thanks for reading.