Last day of test week, and the tests are over, so this workout should be easy. Nope.

This workout was my longest session on the trainer, ever. After a brisk warm up, there were four 30 minute intervals beginning at 65% and increasing 5% every 30 minutes ending at 30 minutes at 80%. The above graph reveals the following…

1) As the effort increased, my cadence decreased. In order to obtain the required output, and yet still keep my breathing under control, I had to shift up and slow my cadence.

2) My heart rate was near 150 bpm at the end of the workout. This is near or at my measured lactic threshold. I was working as hard as I could; I could do no more.

3) I was not meeting the intended level of effort on my fourth interval. I tried to keep my effort at the required 89%, but there were times I just could not do it. However, I buckled down for the last five minutes and finished strong.

4) I skipped the cool down. At the end of the fourth 30 minute effort, I was done. I tried to do the cool down, but my legs said “enough!”.

I have now finished three of the sixteen weeks of the training program. I expect that the suffering will only increase, but this program is making me ride the trainer more than I did last winter. In the last three weeks, I have been on the trainer twelve days. In addition, I have ridden outside (in the rain) on four occasions each at recovery pace. As such, I have been on the bike 16 of the last 21 days.

Yes, I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s rest day.