Quickie Update: Interval Training

Just a quick update, mostly for personal record-keeping.

Today I did intervals for a total of 52 minutes at an average speed of 12.4 mph, going a total distance of 10.9 miles.

I tried doing 5 sets the last time I did intervals, but couldn't finish the last set. I ended up doing 11.4 miles in 57 minutes at an average speed of 12.0 mph.

Blech... I can't get anything out of this. Next time I do intervals, I need to write down what my time is after each set and not count the warm-up and cool-down rides. Looking at what I have from these 2 sessions, it's hard to see if I'm improving.

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Interval Training

I decided to add a new method to my training regimen. Basically, you have 40 seconds of intense, passionate, unbridled... pedaling... followed by 20 seconds of rest. Then, repeat 9 more times. After the tenth time, rest for 5 minutes. Repeat this whole process about 4 or 5 times, and that's a good hour. Have a victory lap to cool down, and you're done.

The first session was absolutely killer -- I really thought this was the most brutal thing I could do to myself. But then, it wasn't so bad. And after each rest, I actually felt myself able to crank those pedals even harder. It felt good; I feel great.

After the fourth set, I debated going just one more time. What would one more time hurt? But then, I began to think about yoga planks. What is a yoga plank, really? It's a push-up that forgot to lie down. The thing is, they burn while you do them, and then they don't feel like anything... until the next day. So, I'm willing to bet tomorrow is going to suck.

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