Everyone else has given a ton of tips on this that hopefully help you get through this. Here’s my version:
I race TTs, normally fairly short 15-40 minute courses. These are all done over FTP. When I’m doing threshold intervals inside I tell myself - you have to be able to hold 110% for your next TT, or 105%, or whatever it might be. If I can’t do these intervals I’ll never be able to succeed on race day.
Having the concrete relationship between the event and the interval, and knowing how much harder the event is going to be gives me a ton of motivation to get through the comparatively easy intervals
I hate long intervals… I usually change these stuff to antelope +2 or frissell +1
I think I might even like over under than these… Because how it breaks it down to chunks at a time.
Suffice to say I do have this workout in couple of weeks, depend on how much I raised my FTP next week during my test… I might try it. Since long intervals are my krypronite.
I like doing this. It’s pretty helpful. As you may have gathered, the hardest part of these intervals is the monotony/effort continuum. What I like to do is queue up some cools cycling video (I’m partial to Peter Sagan highlight reels) and I’ll watch them for the first part of the interval. When I’m not longer able to focus on the video due to the effort (I have an ERG trainer, btw) I switch to music. I try and make it to 7-8 minutes on the video before switching. This helps break things up.
I’ve found that workouts with 10/15 minute blocks at FTP are much harder than those with the same blocks split into 2 minute rolling intervals.
For instance ‘Darwin’ is 4 x 10 FTP but the 10 min blocks are split in rolling 2 minute intervals; psychologically this seems easier than a full 10 min block (Lamarck). Completing Darwin last week gave me enough confidence to complete Lamarck this week.
As some others have mentioned above, I like to break each longer interval into chunks e.g 1.5 minutes of a 15 minute interval = 1/10 done. Each tenth gives me a better feeling of making progress through the interval.
I also play some head games with myself. When doing three intervals, I tell myself that even the guys that get dropped can do one; the pack fodder guys can do two; winners can do three.
I could have written this exact post. FTP increased from 266 to 294 (10.5%) after completing both the SS1 and SS2 and ramp test two days ago. Woke up to Mount Goode on the schedule this morning and was dreading it. I managed to get through all three, and by the end, gained some much needed confidence in my new FTP. What helped me…
Only focus on the interval you are on. With 8 minutes recovery between 15 minute intervals, it really was enough time to mentally separate the efforts and give your body time to reset. My HR came way down, and the mental fatigue along with it.
I broke the 15 minutes up into smaller, more manageable chunks. For example, the first was 5 minutes on hoods, 2 in drops, 4 on hoods, 1 in drops, 3 on hoods. May not seem like much, but even the tiny changes in hand/body position gave me a target.
Once I got through the first 15 and recovered for 2 minutes, I realized it was possible. Then it just became a matter of telling myself if I quit, it was just my lack of will power. I know there is some David Goggins quote about that, but can’t recall it now.
Used the breaks to fuel up a bit with some gel No clue if taking on the carbs at that point is going to have an impact, but it sure did in my head.
I also reminded myself a few times that to become a faster cyclist, this is just going to be the new norm.
Watching an old race and timing it so that it’ll end when your workout ends is great.
Things where someone is really flogging themselves in a breakaway is best! Classics or a GT mountain stage - anything where someone is really going for it
I got through the first interval just barely, but had to take a quick backspin two-thirds of the way in. Then I quit midway through the second. I’ll try to complete the first two intervals properly tomorrow.
I suspect the reason I had so much trouble was the heat. It’s tricky to control the heating in my room and I ended up drinking way too much water in the first 45 minutes. Like one liter.
I also didn’t have the mental fortitude, simple as that. My HR was as expected, but I gave up as soon as my legs started to scream. There’s more work to be done on the mental side, for sure, as things are definitely not getting easier in the future.
And I really have to do better in the smaller chunks of time thing. I can’t help but keep looking at the countdown all the time. To me that seems to be a recipe for failure.
If you barely can’t manage just the last interval, I think you are fine, you can get there with more training. But if you fail on the first or second one, you should consider dialing back the effort by, say, 10 % and see how that works. Especially in the beginning these efforts should feel easy/easier.
Well done. What sort of fan(s) are you using? Sounds like you aren’t getting enough cooling and this will impact on how hard you can go. Summer here in New Zealand so it’s pretty warm. I’m currently doing my workouts at 8.00 a.m. in the morning before it gets too warm. I’m using a Wahoo Headwind that I got for Christmas. This has made a big difference. I also have a free standing fan. Then I have all of the windows open and try to create a draught.
I set myself intervals of “climbing” at 85rpm and then “flat TT” at 95-97rpm, I find using the different muscle groups in different ways spreads the load physically and mentally.
I’ve found Strada Bianchi videos to be the best. Just seems like it is raced the entire time - whether going up or down the short climbs. So I just pretend I’m in the race, and tell myself to just keep going - don’t lose the group. Plus I play music on top of the video.
It’s really about the mind the legs can do it. Feel confident in the training ahead, if you talk yourself out of it before your on the bike you have no chance. When you first start, think about the legs and use the whole pedal stroke. If something starts to burn try to put emphasis on a different muscle group. Convince yourself you got this. Music and airflow is big for me, I have a few songs I listen to on tough intervals and it drives me to finish, ACDC Thunderstruck for one. Last imagine yourself in a race with the lead group and don’t let them get away.
At the risk of advocating for a competitor’s product, I find it really helps to complete long or hard intervals by doing the TrainerRoad workout while riding on Zwift. The visuals (other riders, the road, the terrain) really help keep me motivated and less likely to look at the countdown time, especially when on a KOM climb or something like that.
I know there are others who do this as well. As penance for “advertising” a competitor’s product on this forum, I put “TrainerRoad” after my name in Zwift to provide advertising for TrainerRoad while riding on Zwift .
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