Help put the S in LSD

Triathlon Forum
1

I had a great long slow brick yesterday. About 1:45 spinning, than another 2:00 running (are more accurately wogging). My first where I really tried to go S L O W.

My AT from last year was 168. I kept my HR under 140 on the spin and under 150 on the run.

When I finished, I was not ravenous like I usually am after higher paced workouts, and my joints/muscles felt much better - obviously the point of the long/slow approach.

So, how slow is slow enough for these types of workouts? Seems like the point is to go longer rather than slightly faster. It seems like you should go as slow as possible, while still getting maximum benefit from the base building.

So, how slow can I go and still get the majority of benefit out of a LSD workout?

2

I believe the “slow” in LSD is a bit of a misnomer. The “s” really stands for “steady.” I believe you don’t want to intentionally go slow unless it’s a true recovery workout. You do not want to go “as slow as possible.” That’s a mistake.

3

check out this thread:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2180731;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

for more debate on this topic than you could ever want or need
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4

for this type of workout, is it better to go higher in zone 3 (closer to AT) for a shorter amount of time, or longer in zone 2?

at some point, you trade speed for distance (or time) - what i am wondering is how slow (heart rate zone) i can go and still get maximal benefit out of the workout.

it seems to me (and i am still a beginner) that there is some benefit for going longer and slower rather than a little faster and shorter. so if i can figure out what that best HR is for this type of workout, i can optimize accordingly.

i guess what i am trying to get out of these workouts is #1 - fat burning - i could/should drop 4 or 5 pounds, #2 - base building, #3 - as much running as my crappy biomechanics will allow with minimal damage and pain - i need to save my ankles/knees for the faster workouts.

5

I think you’re overthinking all of this. It’s actually quite simple. If you’re a beginner, just go out and train. If you’re tired, go a bit slower. If you feel good, go a bit harder. Rest when really tired. Keep this up for 6 months and you’ll most likely improve.

6

I believe the “slow” in LSD is a bit of a misnomer. The “s” really stands for “steady.” I believe you don’t want to intentionally go slow unless it’s a true recovery workout. You do not want to go “as slow as possible.” That’s a mistake.
x2