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8x4?
No chance you can do 8x4 at a power rhats high enough to elicit vo2.Better off starring with 4x4 and if you hold the power then doing more u till it drops.
skinny-
Why not? I used to manage 8x4 at 115% when I was fit enough to do 2x20 at threshold.
It’s hard and you need to be mentally on the ball but it’s quite doable.
What I would say is that without a smart turbo in erg mode, it’s a challenge to keep your power steady at that point.
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Interesting.
My primary goal is to improve my threshold power because I judge this to be the best metric to fit with the races I predominantly do (a typical year will include a focus on a couple of half iron distance tris and a marathon, plus a smattering of 10-50mi TTs and some cx and xc(running) races which I do for either fun and/or an alternative to an interval session).
My training is largely polarised with 10-12hrs/week structured around 2 high intensity sessions (usually 1 run 1 bike, but can be 2 of either sport depending on proximate goals), with the remainder at low intensity. I also try to include a regular longer low intensity endurance session for both run and bike (2-3hr run and 3-4 hour ride). The remainder are all short easy intensity runs/rides, often commuting.
My run training is slightly different but for cycling, this year I am experimenting with starting with longer intervals and decreasing the interval duration and increasing the intensity throughout the season. Each block of intervals is conducted for about 2-3 months before moving onto the next block. This means I realistically only have 3 “types” of interval session: 2x20 (completed), 8x4 (starting) and then hard start 30/15 VO2Max intervals (https://sparecycles.blog/2019/03/13/comparing-30-15-vo2max-intervals/ which I’ll start around June).
I do the 8x4 intervals on the recommendation of Mark Jones (@mork on TTF). IIRC his original recommendation was to target 10mi TT effort (so ~105% FTP) with 90sec recoveries. When he recommended this session he cited this paper (http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Stepto-99-Effects-of-different-HIIT-on-TT.pdf) which has very low sample size but Mark said he had considerable success using this interval session with the athletes he coaches. As it happens, now that I read the paper it actually recommends targeting 85% peak power. Although their ramp test protocol is slightly different to mine this would be more like 113% FTP.
Either way, my “interval protocol” is always to aim for the hardest intensity that I can consistently maintain for the target duration. Or in other words I’m aiming to maximise my average power over the total duration of the “work” while minimising the variability both within and between intervals. For the 2x20s this has usually meant starting my interval block at nearer 95% FTP but as the block goes on (a) I hopefully improve and (b) I mentally adjust to the intervals and so this rises to nearer 100% FTP. It’s a while since I did the 8x4min intervals but I recall being able to complete them at 105% FTP but found it hard… I don’t think I could have done a 9th rep.
%~}
ewanmac
Another month another +8w FTP (+11w 1min peak power ramp test). Pretty pleased with how things are going. I think I could have done a fraction more today as I was spinning out in the last minute. Sadly it’s not because of my massive watts but my limit screw stopped me getting into the 11t, and I think the resistance on my poor old turbo is fading (is that a thing??) so need to sort things out before my next test.
My “hard” sessions for the past couple of months have all been 2x20min which seem to be working but moving on to 8x4min for a couple of months now so we’ll see how that goes.