RIDE SLOW TO GET FAST

Knowing how slow to go is crucial if you want to benefit from harder sessions

High intensity workouts are great for getting fit in a short space of time, but if you really want to make long-term improvements, you’re also going to need to slow down. The concept of polarised training isn’t new — do the majority of your training at a slow pace then, when it’s time, you go hard. You go really hard.

Sounds great, but in reality, most of us ride at the same pace all the time, so we never force our bodies to adapt. Worse still, we try to ride full-gas all of the time and simply burn out.

The benefits of going on longer, slower rides are well understood. These include improved fat burning for fuel, so you’re less likely to bonk or need a snack every 45 minutes, which in turn reduces oxidative stress and leads to improved endurance and health. Yes, riding slower is boring, but with the days getting longer now’s the perfect time to get out and take it easy.

Steady state cardio – this is what we are referring to when we say ride slow, it isn’t necessarily referring to the speed at which you ride, more the physical effort you are putting in to ensure you aren’t pushing yourself too hard.

THE COACH