This is ride four in my four-part profile series designed to build aerobic and muscular endurance – the perfect combination for improving riding performance indoors or outdoors.
This profile maintains the goal of longer Zone 2 efforts to build endurance, but adds progressions into Zone 3 (sort of hard) efforts and gets riders out of the saddle more than the previous profiles. I take advantage of the rhythm of Song 4 “Beautiful Silence” and coach pedal stroke emphasizing each quadrant of the circle for :30 each leg. Describe which muscles riders will feel activate during each change in quadrant and ask them if they feel it – it’s a great way to increase skill, create awareness and interaction, and get a few raised eyebrows, like “Oh, I should feel my hamstrings on the upstroke? Who knew?”
These rides are surprisingly challenging for riders. If you haven’t checked out the previous three in this series – Longer, Stronger; Lighter, Longer; Endurance Strength Intervals – take a look and consider using at least two of them back to back. It’s the perfect opportunity to help advance your rider’s fitness, skill and knowledge and remind them of why they trust you with their fitness goals!
How to read the shorthand: Z=Zone; Up arrow with an R = increase resistance; OOS HP3 = out of
the saddle hand position 3.
The profile is on page 2 of the download – enjoy!