Wondering about something… my training (80/20 70.3 Level 2) is almost always broken up into intervals with intensity and then recovery then repeat. But conventional wisdom is that a race is a steady state uncomfortable effort the whole thing. So for a 56 mile bike that’s going at it uncomfortably for around 2-3 hours. I wondered if athlete or coach here had any success with instead defining the race plan as a series of uncomfortable intervals and then short recovery periods of a reduced effort. While slowing down in a race may seem counterintuitive, perhaps the upside would be the mental focus and ability to increase the effort in the harder intervals, and having a reset/refresh periodically. Maybe hard for 20-30 mins, then 1-2 mins back off, then repeat?
I’ve considered the same thing for my next upcoming Ironman. If for no other reason than to break it up. It is of course, pretty course dependent, and situational dependent with the groups around you on the road. My approach was comparing it to the Jeff Galloway run/walk method and the claim that an amateur could run a marathon faster using his interval method than running the entire time.
I think in cycling, there’s enough of an aerodynamic benefit from drafting, even when spaced out, that you don’t want those 1 minute rests to pop you off the back, only to fight back to get into the same position again 20 minutes later.
So my plan is to race the race, then do pretty much what you suggest, have a 15 minute effort, followed by a 1 minute lighter spin recovery provided there’s no course/tactical reason to do otherwise.
For me, those 15 minute “breaks” will be my nutrition intervals anyway so it just gives me a moment to regroup and get my position settled in again for the next round.
I’ve done when running a half marathon. Run moderate for half mile, then easy 0.25. I think it helped more with my mental engagement than anything else.
I have never done that as a plan but it’s almost always the way my bike split goes since I’m a good swimmer. I pedal goal watts, recover as a train comes past me and i am falling back, pedal my watts, recover as the next train comes past and i fall back, repeating the entire bike, lol. I seem to run good off that.
Intervals in training is to stimulate adaptation to a higher stress. Don’t confuse it with race pacing strategy.
Your HIM bike ride will be much easier than the threshold intervals you are doing in the plan. If you are doing HIM intervals in the plan it’s likely because it’s assuming you are not completely tapered before doing the workout like you will be for the race.
Harder on uphills easier on downhills