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Posted: 28 Feb 2009, 7:43am
by rogerzilla
I imagine reading all those top-shelf magazines addles the brain
We live in a rural area, so the top-shelf magazines in our shop are things like Horse and Hound and Tractor Enthusiast
Re: Is interval training any good?
Posted: 28 Feb 2009, 9:47am
by ferrit worrier
I was advised to try time interval training about two weeks ago. My commute in the morning takes an average of 18mins, but, I have to negotiate 14 junctions, so I picked the point where the distance is greatest and use that stretch of road. I think I must have been a bit lazey over the winter as I can feel the diference now. Even snapped the chain week last thursday but in all honesty that was metal fatigue as there were two fractured side plates (shimano chain)
Malc
Re:
Posted: 2 Mar 2009, 1:28pm
by minkie
Dave Ross wrote:I'm an avid supporter of the curiously named 'fartlek' training. Basically this is interval training and helps develop both aerobic and anerobic capacities - So is good for both long distance and sprints, ideally suited to racing, but will certainly benefit anyone.
Mines a pretty basic routine - using roadsigns
I tend to warm up and then go at a reasonably fast pace for approx 10 miles, then I will sprint between a set of roadsigns, have a rest until the next one, sprint again, etc.... Repeated until I can't keep it up any longer. Then simply warm down on the journey back home. i tend to do about 30 miles in total.
I've certainly noticed the improvements in my sprinting speed over the Winter with this. It's easy to adapt it to suit your needs.
Good luck with it
Dave.
I'd never heard of this, but it sounds like fun, which is more than you can say for structured intervals. I've unwittingly been doing very limited bits of fartlek for ages without realising it, so I probably just need to consiously built it in, do more of it and push harder.
I'm going to give it a shot -
not sure if family will understand when I don my lycra undergarment, my woollen vest and my pervy rainlegs and announce I'm off out for an evening's fartleking. I'll just have to explain to them that I am what I am and have to be true to myself
At least I don't shave my legs yet
Re:
Posted: 2 Mar 2009, 1:52pm
by Martin_Edney
Dave Ross wrote:I'm an avid supporter of the curiously named 'fartlek' training.
When I was keener orienteer than I am now, members of my orienteering club told me that "fartlek" is Swedish for speed-play - and I remember it being a good mixture of speed and play. (For those of you who don't know, orienteering is a sport that was invented in Sweden, and so it has a few bits of terminology and equipment that reveal its Swedish origins).
Re: Is interval training any good?
Posted: 2 Mar 2009, 1:55pm
by GeoffA
I'm a big fan off Fartlek.
I picked it up when training for a marathon and I think it's still mostly used by runners, but it works equally as well on a bike.
It translates as "speed play" and I tend to go until I'm warmed up and then keep doing sprints of various lengths from 100m up to a mile. I then rest until my heart rate comes down and then do another sprint. If you live somewhere hilly you can just go for it on the uphills and take it easy on the downhills to have the same effect.