Give me the wisdom on fartlek training for the bike. I know we preach the 2x20 workouts, but there are days I can’t make myself suffer like that.
For running, the benefit is higher intensity work without as much potential for injury. And, any running is better than no running because it trains for impact and leg turnover.
What about biking? I like to play the game “stay above 21 mph as long as possible.” Sometimes that’s 30 seconds, sometimes that’s 10 minutes. OR, I’ll climb several of the steepest hills (8% and above, often 20%) just to explore where it takes me. Coast back down to the next street over, and repeat.
Assume I’m doing this in a 90-minute outdoor ride.
Will this benefit my overall cycling, or only my ability to hammer between traffic lights and moderate-size rollers?
riding your bike hard and often will see the most gains…
That being said… you should focus on efforts that mimic race simulation for best results (specificity)
If you’re doing a 1-2 hour race… 5x2 minute efforts doesn’t carry as much weight as 2x10 or 1x20…
Teach your body to be comfortable while hurting and this will see the biggest results.
Adding intensity to any ride that would lack it otherwise will certainly help your fitness. That said, if you’re training for triathlon it may program you to ride in a vastly more variable way than is ideal. I find that many of the triathletes who ride with roadies on a regular basis are programmed to jam every hill and exit of every turn. Great skills for road racing not so much for keeping a low VI in a time trial.