This just in: Thirties

Submitted by Mark EWERS on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 7:36am
Mark EWERS's picture

Last night I initiated a new phase in my training. I did my first honest-to-goodness 30 minute intervals of the season.

Now, I've done 30 minute "intervals" before but not the raise your FTP kind. Those were the base building or maintenance kind.

Last night's set of 2x30 intervals were specifically designed to raise functional threshold power. They're hard. They last for freakin' ever. Worse, they're uncomfortable as all hell.

Thirty straight minutes grinding away in the saddle serves up a nice heaping helping of personal hell. Legs burn. Sweat drips. Back aches. Mentally exhausting.

Hard work y'all. Gritty. Get to it.

Unit's picture

Words fail

Unit wrote 3 years 9 weeks ago

I have never been able to get that across to other athletes. When I used to do 3x20s (via trainer/power meter) I understood suffering.

I often heard people proclaim how hard they were going in a race or on a training ride when I was there to witness the effort.

Perhaps some are better able to conceal pain than I. I thought I did (and do) a pretty good job of *not* allowing you guys see me hurt. That said, when I did FTP intervals, anyone that cared to be present near the end of the session would have clearly seen a shell of an athlete whimpering like mortally wounded animal on the roadside.

There is no hiding pain like that. When you accomplish that sort of workout you KNOW you reached deep. To say "gritty" or "personal hell" seems to significantly understate the effort.

2x30 is intense. Respect!

This just in: Thirties

Colin Griffiths (not verified) wrote 3 years 9 weeks ago

Mark, were those at 95-100%, indoors or out? I cope outdoors pretty well with them, in fact I enjoy it! I have little mental strategies to break up the time. But indoors, never!

Mark EWERS's picture

Still an indoor show

Mark EWERS wrote 3 years 9 weeks ago

For me it's still an indoor show here. The weather has not been very cooperative lately and I'm not very high on long, intense efforts in full winter kit.

Besides, I'm pretty awful at producing decently paced long intervals outdoors.

-- Mark

Boz's picture

good work

Boz wrote 3 years 9 weeks ago

You're going to be very ready for Hermann. I, on the other hand, will be merely the carrot all who follow. Nice work!