During ski season my training goals are measured in
aerobic hours per week. As the snow
melts those hours turn into kilometers on the road. I have tried to be fairly disciplined about
my training as I point toward the five day stage race known as the Oregon Trail
Gravel Grinder in June.
This has meant some long rides under grey skies and
spending more time on an indoor trainer than a guy would like. As the days FINALLY got longer and the long
winter tights have moved to the back of the drawer I am finding those solitary
sessions have laid a foundation for fitness.
I have been following the Polarized model of training.
This means some specific intervals but mostly logging lots of volume at low
intensity. Building that foundation is supposed to allow me to do harder while
generating less lactate thereby allowing me to go faster longer.
After more than a
month of three and four hour Saturday rides at low intensity I wanted to test
myself ahead of a gravel race next weekend.
I went back to back to back on Friday to Sunday. For my four hour ride Saturday instead of
living in mid Z2 and eating nothing, I rode in the middle of Z3 and ate
throughout the ride.
Not only was I faster, it felt easy. I felt like I had so much more in the
tank. When I finished I wasn’t starving,
nor was I really that tired. I didn’t
spend the afternoon on the couch, I spent it in the garage and putting around
the house. My legs knew they did
something, but I could have gone out and done it again on Sunday.
So I did. Not
another four hours, but the Coffee and Lies ride with the team in full force
and effect.
To be honest I strayed from my pure training model by
spending almost all of my time in the no man’s land of LT2, but I wanted to
know. I’m glad I did. More later.
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