Workout Wednesday

Chris Carmichael's (Lance Armstrong's Coach) Tips on How to Handle Pace Changes

The ability to get into and maintain contact with a group can save you a tremendous amount of energy. When the group surges and a gap opens, you need the power to close it; when the pace picks up toward the top of a climb, you need to be able to keep up. Over Unders include periods above and below lactate threshold, so you develop the ability to ride steady, push, then ride steady again. Pedal for three minutes at 92 to 95 percent of your max sustainable heart rate. Then pick up the pace for two minutes. After the two minutes, back off to the initial intensity for three minutes, then surge for the final two minutes. Recovery between intervals is 15 minutes of easy spinning. Beginners should aim for two minute intervals; intermediate riders, three. Advanced riders can do three 12-minute intervals:2:00 steady /2:00 harder/2:00 steady/2:00 harder/2:00 steady/2:00 harder. Try incorperating these workouts into your plan once or twice a week in the six weeks before the big day.