Interval Training

Special note on Interval Training. I have the most evil interval programmes on offer. I can target any ability and sharpen it up within weeks.

The cost of intervals is that they are the fastest way to overtrain (had a cold or flu recently?). Aerobic Capacity training is the real key to success in endurance sport. Not Long Slow Distance but the ability to ride at your maximum aerobic pace for race distance (as U17 50-70km).

In 2000 the German Teams Pursuit squad did 3 weeks of track training (intervals). All the rest was long fast aerobic rides and very hard hilly stage races. 14 days out from Sydney they finished a 7 day road tour in Germany and headed to Sydney. Their track training was 8 sessions. 3 of these were technique, the other four were a mix of technique 4X5km at 80% of max pace and 2 X 2km at WR pace. That's all the speed work they did.

At Sydney they became the first team to break 4 min for 4000m and Bartko won the Individual Pursuit.French did the same in 1996 where 2 of the winning Teams Pursuit were two weeks out of the Tour de France and the other two came from hard French Road Racing.

Food for thought.

Hamish