YOU HAVE TO SLOW DOWN IF YOU WANT TO GET FASTER!
This is something I really struggled to get my head around.
I used to always approach every training session with the more is better mentality. I used to think that if it wasn’t hard, it wasn’t productive.
I WAS WRONG.
Admittedly I got good results initially, but they were shortlived. This approach was not sustainable – particularly as I got older. Hard sessions were losing their quality as I was knackered all the time, and I ended up doing more and more junk miles in nomansland. I started picking up recurring injuries, which meant training consistency was lost, so performance started dropping. I was becoming increasingly frustrated and miserable. Hours spent flogging my poor body were getting me nowhere.
THE SOLUTION
SLOW DOWN!
75-80% of your training volume should be in the BASE ZONE.
The aim of this zone is to improve your oxygen transport system making the body as efficient as it can be.
For this to happen, set a heart rate cap of 80% max.
If you see your HR creep above this, slow down! Power is irrelevant as this session is all about physiology.
Initially I struggled to get my head around training like this – I hated slowing down and I didn’t get the same buzz after a hard session. BUT I trusted the process, I was patient and slowly I noticed improvements. I was having to slow down less to keep my HR in check, then not at all, and eventually the power I was able to hold at the same heart rate was starting to increase.
It meant my body was becoming more efficient at utilizing oxygen. When I started building the intensity, I noticed that I was able to hold efforts for longer – I wasn’t running out of oxygen as quickly as before.
Going slow did make me faster! I wasn’t feeling burned out all the time – so the quality of my training improved. And the recurring injuries started to disappear – I felt more confident in my body again. If you want to get faster, you have to learn to slow down!
If you would like to work with me online coaching is available. Contact me to book a complimentary call.
I also run a free Facebook group for mature female cyclists where I share lots of tips for improving on hills, endurance, speed, power, health, strength and hormones. Here’s the link if you’d like to join:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/agewithoutlimits
Or if you’d like to see more info about the Online Cycling Transformation Program for Mature Females, where we transform your health, performance, enjoyment and longevity on and off the bike, here is that link: