For short intervals like VO2max work, you’re better off dialing down intensity such that you can maintain the load through the entire interval. Backpedals are better for longer intervals. That said, if you’re struggling to get through 110% of FTP for 3 minutes after three intervals, it’s likely your FTP is set too high, assuming adequate recovery between intervals. There’s nothing wrong with dialing down intensity until you find that repeatable power, but if you find that to be less than ~110% of FTP, you’re not going to get the intended benefit of the workout.
Remember too that math changes things… 90% of 120% is 108%, not 110%. So a 10% reduction in workout intensity is the absolute maximum I would do for one of the 120% repeat workouts before changing something else up… adding recovery between intervals, or changing workouts.
It might be a good idea to pace yourself some and not push the HR to close to max. Jan Helgerud and Jan Hoff suggests a HR during VO2max intervals of more than 90% HRmax and less than 95%. The reason, as I understand it, is that the stroke volume starts to decline near max. Another reason is that it takes longer to recover from efforts of that intensity. Helgerud and Hoff made 4 x 4 min intervals popular some years ago and suggested the could be performed every day (!) at the suggested intensity with a rewarding 0.5% improvement per session. Stephen Seiler has since showed that 8 min intervals is even better, but the HR-target remains.
Close to death, you can touch it…almost going into blackness and in the last second you pull away only to go back down the deep black dark hole again, and again…
Try the Seiler approach and see if it feels different from your current intervals. You can set your trainer in standard mode and attempt a particular training session with the goal of driving your heart rate to 90% of max during the work periods and then sustaining that HR level for the remainder of the work periods. If you are not fully recovered beforehand, you may find that your power output drops during the later intervals at the same heart rate. If your power output drops >10% or if you cannot sustain the >90% of max HR, stop the session.
You can use this power data to re-baseline your VO2 efforts and gain a better sense of what it feels like.
Pre-workout: A sense of anticipation and dread. Some butterflies, a touch of anxiety, and a slight feeling of nausea.
During workout: Pain. Questioning whether or not being fast is really worth it. I find that in longer intervals (> 2 min), a sense of panic sets in about halfway through. Someone else likened this to feeling like you are drowning.
Post workout: A real sense of accomplishment knowing that I just did the hardest thing I will have to do that day. Everything that comes after (work, life stress) seems much more manageable.
When I am at my optimum a VO2 max effort feels smooth, strong and sustainable. Then I stop/ recover and bang, its like I’m being shot in the chest; I’m suddenly gasping for air. A few more intervals and then it no longer feels smooth and strong as the legs go
This is what gets me - I get a mild panic attack immediately after stopping the interval. It feels so hard to breath that I can actually feel panic and fear. It’s truly horrible to experience and generally when I get to that point at the end of a set there is no way I’m doing any more and self preservation overrules my desire to train…its really why I hate vo2 work and have not done enough over the years. I can die a thousand lactate burning deaths on long threshold intervals but the panic felt after going a little too hard on vo2 work is my nemesis…
Truly hoping that perfecting lots of time at 90-95% max HR will deliver close to the same benefits over time, as I can pace these more easily and suffer through them more successfully avoiding the fear of dying!
So glad I read these, I thought I was odd (well, more odd than I am anyway). I’ve completely freaked out during VO2Max intervals on the trainer, lose my composure & jump off the bike, pacing until I get my breath back. That’s not the worst, though. I’ve been mountain biking & totally lost it on climbs. Full on panic set in & the next thing I know, I’m off the bike, helmet sailing into the woods, gloves flung off & jersey on the ground. Yeah… quite embarrassing. My excuse is that I got trapped underneath a motorcycle in a swamp once & it seems to have left me with some serious PTSD when I feel confined.
I did 9x2.5min@120min as the first workout after 10W FTP increase today. The feeling at the very end was so unpleasant but just the thought of completing this workout without bailing out was motivating enough. At some point I forgot how to breath, but everything was forgotten after I got off the bike and went back to work after lunch break.
