Sharing my data - Sometimes things work out perfectly.

Some of you have big goals in the early season. For you, I may prescribe two workouts for each day of the weekend. One is longer and to be done outside. Another, I refer to as a "Trainer Alternate" workout to ensure you have something to do indoors if the winter weather is nasty. There may be blowing snow outside. That doesn't mean you can take the day off. Each weekend can be critical for someone whose goals are rapidly approaching.

I've been feeling good lately. Last Friday, we had some excellent weather. I decided to combine my two workouts and really maximize my time. On my calendar, I had a 3-hour Endurance ride with a long Tempo interval. My Alternate workout called for a series of sprint efforts followed by 5 VO2 Max intervals. Oh this is going to be a tough ride.  Ride Data 

I did a familiar loop from my house. After warming up, I started with the Sprint efforts. You can see the spikes in the graph. The rest intervals vary as I deal with conditions out on the road. I can't start a 30-sec sprint when I'm only 10 seconds from a stop sign or traffic light. I get all of those efforts done. Actually, I think I did extra as I lost count.

After crossing a highway, I know I have a long distance with fewer interruptions. That is where I begin a 50-min Tempo interval. My route is undulating and I will encounter an occasional stop sign or signal. I intentionally keep my power at the high end of the prescribed range. This allows me to deal with some uncertainty and remain within my target zone. I had to stop momentarily for a light and a pothole crew.

Near the end of that interval, I changed course in order to avoid crossing a busy intersection before the interval ended. I just delayed my arrival to the intersection until the Tempo interval was complete. You can see around mile 30 that I made an otherwise unnecessary series of turns. I rode easy through Princeton. Far too many cars and stops to do any structured intervals there.

I cross Rt 1 again towards home and begin the VO2 Max intervals. 5x5min at 106%-120%. OUCH!!! Again, I altered the recovery time to ensure I could complete each interval without interruption. I nailed all of those intervals and left myself a short recovery spin before home.

Some of you are forced to do your intervals going back and forth on the same stretch of road. I know that is less than entertaining. I do it too. This is why I've shared numerous workouts that I've done on the towpath. I need to minimize the distractions and will sacrifice some scenery or entertainment to ensure I can get my workouts done correctly.

This workout is about as perfect as I could hope for out on the open road. I choose my roads carefully. An entertaining and bike friendly route with minimal distraction. That is not easy to accomplish. I plan the start of my intervals so I can complete each one properly. In our densely populated areas, this takes some significant knowledge and planning. Occasionally, things work out perfectly and you have one of those breakthrough days. This workout was one of them.

Thanks for reading.