Interval training where there's no flat - ideas for Leeds?

[Richybones]

Hi All,

I'm a regular commuter and Sunday cyclist (up to around 90 miles), living in Leeds, about to start properly training (for the first time) for a Sportive.

Every training plan I've seen has interval training on the flat - and as I live near the centre of a hilly city I can't think of any way of doing a 5 to 8 minute interval without hitting traffic lights or a hill.

I don't really want to spend time spinning a turbo trainer - as basically, I hate em so much I gave mine to my brother in law.

So....
a) any ideas of flatish place in Leeds I could use? - (within 20 min warm up/down peddle of LS5)
b) what if I tret hills as intervals?
c) any other ideas?

Thanks for your advice
Rich

[Vorpal]

The idea of intervals is to work hard for some period, followed by an eaiser pace, then hard again.

IMO, hills are perfect for that.

[NUKe]

You have some great Hills perfect for training, Otley Ilkley out toward Bolton Abbey. What are your goals for the Sportive, this will largely determine what type of training. If just to get round in a respectable time. then just do a few routes around the Dales. the fact its not flat, is great training. Find short sharp hills and long climbs like the Chevin. Go off the beaten track toward Askwith and Blubber houses for some short sharp climbs. I was going to suggest Abbey road as fairly flat but then I saw that its no longer a quite road it has been a while since I moved away.

[rjb]

I used to use a short 3/4 mile slightly uphill road between 2 roundabouts. After a 15 min warm up I would sprint up the slope then take it easy back to the start. 1/2 an hour of this was enough to leave me knackered.

[PH]

Hills are great for a lot of training, but they don’t really lend themselves to intervals. The idea of which needs you to be in control, unless you find the perfect hill you might either be half way up it or already freewheeling down the other side at the end of the intensive part. But there’s no need to be too rigid in your training, adapt it to where you are rather than try and find the perfect training ground. If you are going to interval in the hills, make sure you have some really low gears for the recovery period. If you do go looking for somewhere flat, check out the local TT courses, though the roads might not be to your liking. BTW 8 min sounds a long interval? I don’t know what training plan you’re looking at but short ones work fine.

[PH]

I used to use a short 3/4 mile slightly uphill road between 2 roundabouts. After a 15 min warm up I would sprint up the slope then take it easy back to the start. 1/2 an hour of this was enough to leave me knackered.

Sound good, what's that about 2 min effort? Only trouble with these sort of repeats is getting enough recovery time. The recovery is usually longer than the effort, a bit hard when it's also downhill.

[rjb]

I used to use a short 3/4 mile slightly uphill road between 2 roundabouts. After a 15 min warm up I would sprint up the slope then take it easy back to the start. 1/2 an hour of this was enough to leave me knackered.

Sound good, what's that about 2 min effort? Only trouble with these sort of repeats is getting enough recovery time. The recovery is usually longer than the effort, a bit hard when it's also downhill.

Probably explains why I was totally spent after 30 mins.

[shadwellrhino]

Head east past the A1 towards York or Selby it's very flat.

[thirdcrank]

... any other ideas? ...

My first thought was "chaingang" but I am years out of date.

I found this which should help with more than just the fitness training.

http://albarosacc.com/rides/tuesday-night-chaingang/

I see they have something a bit faster on Thursdays. BTW, when I first read about interval training some years ago, I thought that in taking turns on the front, cyclists had been doing it since before it was invented.

[Richybones]

Thanks all for helpful advice

I'm planning to do the York - Leeds - York 100 mile - so mostly flat with a lumpy bit in the middle - aiming for middle of the pack (ish).

..NUKe - I've actually done most of those hills pretty often (but very, very slowly).

..I live on Abbey Road so it was high on my list - but I run into the traffic light problem

...York - Selby or out between Rothwell and Castleford seemed obvious choices but a bit far (no car) for a winter evening training ride.

Great advice on the length of the intervals (I was looking at a Strava plan which had 5 min intervals in week 1 and then 8 mins thereafter - presumably not at absolute killer pace).

I guess I'll go for a combination of some sprints up local hills (Kirkstall to Horsforth should work) and trying to get out to the flat lands towards York.

Cheers All