I’m looking at the new workouts for Sustained Power Build - Low volume, and there are 2 VO2 max workouts with a long period after the intervals. Saddle Mountain and Dollar Law.
Being time conscious, what’s the benefit of this longer 20 minute cool down? Maybe it’s adjusting to these newer workouts, but I would think there’s time to do something more productive in those last 20 minutes or just cut them to short.
In my book, all time on the bike is good time, and even just time doing a light spin can be beneficial looking at the bigger picture.
Basically Z2 time contributes to peripheral adaptations to your VO2 max. In the context of you doing a LV plan though, a one-off 20 minute bout probably doesn’t make any difference. However adding an hour or 2 regularly would be great.
Adds to overall TSS and also helps spin out any fatigue from the workout. I like the Z2 stretch at the end, it gives me some easy riding to look forward to when I’m done drilling myself
No real info on those workouts yet so it’s not clear of the objective during this phase of training. My gut would approach it from another direction and think about increasing power, but that is in isolation without thinking about the overall plan/progression.
The purpose of extending the VO2max workouts with additional z2 work is to increase the weekly amount of aerobic training. You can cut the workout short and do the prescribed z2 training in conjunction with another endurance workout if you like, but an extended cool down can aid in removing accumulated lactate from your hard training.
Aren’t they just there to add an easier VOtwo workout (apparently I can’t write a numeral two without my phone submitting the post) at the start of the progression?
I just did Saddle Mountain, first VOtwo workout in the build for me, and the intervals themselves were pretty easy but I really hate twenty minute steady state intervals… I’d rather they rolled up and down by a % every few minutes, or even just divided it into a few minute chunks… there’s something about a twenty min interval even at 50% which is annoying (I always sub in Pettit etc for Colosseum etc too…)