For many of you who have had the pleasure of attending the YPYG rides, you were introduced to the idea of doing intervals for training. For those of you who were not there, it is VERY important to understand the role intervals play in making you faster!

There used to be a saying that if you wanted to ride at 30mph, then you had to train at 30mph! A VERY simple way of explaining a very complex idea. Of course, like most old sayings there is some truth to this one.

A good place to start is with a 2 minute interval. These intervals are going to be INTENSE!! As HARD as you can go for two minutes. Spend the first minute getting up to speed and the last minute trying to maintain that effort. Your speed may vary some depending on wind and terrain, but you should be able to sustain the effort for at least 2 minutes, if you can’t, you are going to hard. Rest for two minutes and go again. Beginning riders should go at least three times, more experienced riders should try for five or more intervals.You should not do interval workouts of this intensity more than twice a week.

The same applies to intervals of up to 5 minutes. When you do intervals of more than 5 minutes…well we’ll talk about that later. Right now Team edge should mostly be doing shorter, more intense intervals in preparation for the upcoming race season!!

One of the most frustrating things about riding in a pack is following behind someone that is constantly speeding up and slowing down.  They’ll pedal for a few strokes, and then coast for fifteen or tweny seconds, then pedal for a few more strokes, then coast for a little longer.  This produces an accordion affect in the paceline and increases the workoad for everyone behind them.  Try and find a gear that allows you to pedal steadily with a minimum of effort.  This will increase the overall effectiveness of the draft effect and will make you look like a pro.