We'll do this workout in ERG mode.
Welcome to our first Hour-of-Power-style workout!
1. We warm up with the typical fast pedals. As a reminder, don't force the leg speed but allow your cadence to get progressively faster with each fast pedal. Spin fast, faster, and fastest for your body.
Don't forget to incorporate breathing into the warmup; start in Gear 1 and shift to Gear 2 as needed.
2. We follow the warmup with an extended section of aerobic endurance. We'll use this time to feel Endurance pace and practice Gear 1 breathing. It might not be possible to stay in Gear 1 for the entire segment, but continue to try it as you work through the first 11 minutes.
3. We start with a low-cadence power surge and then.....
4. ...settle immediately into Tempo power. We'll repeat the low-cadence surge every 5 minutes, each time doing our best to go directly back to Tempo power. Practice your breathing techniques here.
The surges are controlled and not max power, so you should be fine managing the power, the lactate, and the change in rhythm. The surge requires force to generate the power and will increase muscle activation. This will be more fatiguing late, so be patient with the power early.
Lactate management preview: We'll dive deeper in the second half of the season, but in each surge we generate a small dose of lactate. This will stimulate our bodies to begin making the enzymes necessary to manage it, and then we will also have to manage it under the load of Tempo power, which helps with adaptation.
5. Cool down.