V02max Short Intervals.
Workout number 3 on the bike: V02max intervals for me on Thursday evening. For this set several little things came together, so that it is worth a longer text. It all started with the preparation for the workout, because I also wanted to do the exciting Pro-Tour time trial warm-up ritual: Paper Towel in the nose with mint oil. And then I also played something on the light switches. Why this? Come here and read it on the blog: Have fun.
Pro-Tour-Warm-Up for Time Trials
But first I asked myself what this is good for and why do the pros do this “nose paper towel thing” before a time trial. My research result: They not only stick paper towels in their noses, they also smear some mint or menthol oil on it. The reason for this is that the breathing flow become clearer and more air and thus oxygen can be absorbed over the time trial. V02max therefore increased directly. And with which workout could I try that better than with V02max Short intervals. Seen, researched, organized mint oil and directly into my nose before training.
Even the light is optimized now
Second thing to optimize training: Since the training takes place very much in the red zone on Zwift and from my Neo (and its lamp), I thought that there could be more “red zone”. For the fun of it, I once bought a lighting system for my room that can take on different colors. And in the workout after warming up, the 200 IQ play was present: “Yes, cool, let the light turn red too. Then it feels even more like a sufferfest.” And as you can see in the picture: It was the Redzone in the room. The neighbors might also think that I am doing a different kind of game of suffering in the evening with the lighting and moaning at 420 watts.
Lift off: 50 40 30 Go
So the nose pads and the light were ready. For a very short time, there was the question of which route I should take on Zwift to unlock a badge. After the workout was only 1 hour long and I no longer have any routes in that area, the search takes a little longer. In the end I drove out for another 20 minutes and got the badge for “Big Loop”.
I left the nose-breathing optimization in there until after the warm-up intervals just until the real set started. So just under 10 minutes. Whether it did any good: I don’t know. Did it feel good: Yes, definitely. Will I do it again: I now have 59.5 milliliters left here, so very likely.
The workout itself consisted of 4x (2x (50 / 10.40 / 20.30 / 30)). So 4 times 6 minutes of power. There was a 4 minute break between each big set. For the first 6 minutes I set 100% and 405 watts. The legs (breathing and lights) were there. So then I drove laps 2 and 3 at 103% and 415 watts. And the “Zwift Academy is only once a year” (slightly changed lycrics from a German Party song): Suffering must also be included for high wattage values in the overall result: 104% and 420 watts for the last set. And in the lap, the legs got really heavy.
Great start into my Zwift 2021 season
All in all, it feels like I’m a lot fitter than in the academy last year. Both the run and the indoor training does go well and I can really kick what is asked by Zwift’s Coach Dan. And even more.
With that I say goodbye on day 4 of the academy: Today in the afternoon the first running workout is due: 4×4 minutes sweet spot or Tempo run. It is foggy and very cold. I would like to have the treadmill available today. But: I still want to test Zwift and intervals outside. That will be done directly today.
Have a wonderful, relaxed and sporty weekend
Tom