OUTSIDE BETS
Upgrade your lunchtime ride outdoors to enjoy maximum gains in minimum time
45-min power e orts
Even if you only have 45 minutes for an outdoor ride, you can still make top-end cardio gains. “The aim of this session is to work into high anaerobic or VO2 max power zones [the maximum rate at which your body can utilise oxygen], which will help you on steep climbs and in breaks and sprints,” explains coach Phil Paterson. After a 10 min warm-up, do 4x1 min hard e!orts at 115-125% FTP with a 2 min recovery after each e!ort. Then take an extra 6 min recovery in zone 1 (below 55% FTP), and do another 12 min block of e!orts, followed by a 5 min easy warm-down. “For consistency, complete the e!orts with minimal fluctuation,” says Paterson. You’ll enjoy a serious spike in power and fitness in less time than it takes to do your weekly food shop.
1-hour threshold session
The humble lunch hour is the perfect time for a targeted ‘threshold’ session. That’s because a threshold e!ort involves riding at the maximum power you can sustain for 60 minutes – the typical length of a UK lunch break. “Lactate ‘threshold’ is the percentage of VO2 max that you can sustain for this given period without fatiguing,” explains coach Connor Murphy. Start at a power you know you can maintain and nudge it up as the weeks go by. “The higher your threshold grows, the more power you’ll be able to produce – whether that’s on a long climb, in a time trial or just dropping a fellow commuter on the way to work.”
2-hour lowcadence e orts
Make the most of a longer lunch so you don’t have to overload on training at weekends. “The advantage is that you can fit quality training in during the daylight hours,” says Murphy. “A really good session is 3x20 min zone 3 [76-90% FTP] low-cadence e!orts.” Low-cadence e!orts (a big gear at 70rpm) will boost your stamina, strength endurance and climbing performance. After a 20 min warm-up, perform 3x20 min low-cadence e!orts in zone 3, with a 10 min recovery between e!orts, then finish with a 10 min cool-down. “This will bank lots of time in zone 3 so it is a super-e"cient use of your lunch break.”