Hi all,
Apologies in advance for quite a long post.
So I am a new, but decent cyclist, who specialises in 70.3 triathlon. Last year I averaged 20 hours training a week, about 12-14 of which was on the bike. This year I’ve dropped it down to 16-18 hours a week, with higher intensity, and about 10 hours on the bike.
I don’t use a power meter, or use any metrics other than HR and MHR, for which I use a chest strap. I realize this is not ideal but please bare with me. My MHR is 200, I’m 36 years old.
On a road bike with clipons, on a fairly hilly course (800-900m gain) I have most recently done a 2:25 90km (avg 37.5kmph) bike split. This was at 80% MHR (160bpm). I suspect I can actually ride at about 165bpm, and have recently picked up a TT bike, so presently it’s looking like I can hit closer to 2:15 for 90km. (~40kmph).
In cycling I struggle, even for 4min intervals, to get my HR over 155 (~77% MHR). Some of the most painful, soul destroying workouts I have done have been 12 x 5min intervals with 2min rest, with steady 160bpm for the intervals, this is only 80% MHR. My quads burn, pain is 10/10 and sheer willpower gets me through, but it’s altogether extremely unpleasant and not something I get excited about repeating, which is at odds to the general enjoyment of doing hard things, central to me.
Now compare that to running, which I’m also reasonable at, 1:20 - 1:23 during my 70.3 events. Running, I can relatively easily complete intervals, tempo, threshold, vo2 max etc sessions, where HR is anywhere from 160 - 190 depending on which session you’re looking at. Regardless of accumulated training fatigue I can go out and avg 160bpm for an hour on the run quite happily. If you asked me to do the same on the bike. I’d probabaly break down and cry - I was being quite serious when I said those 12x5 intervals were soul destroying, and amongst the most un-enjoyable things I’ve ever done.
This inability to do higher HR work on the bike is an issue! Especially when I’m trying to build more cycling intensity into my program, ie weekly interval, tempo, and fortnightly vo2 max sessions.
I’m hoping the brain trust here might have some idea of what’s happening, why, and how I can improve it.
In your replies please keep in mind I don’t know biking or training terminology, lingo, or acronyms, so layman’s terms please 🥰
Thanks in advance.