Pace

Did some MSP intervals today.
3x12 mins on 6 off.

I've noticed on rides that my steady state seems good, but my ability to go in the red isn't. I would think it would be better after the trip given the technical sections and redline there. Though I also 4hrs of steady state w/o any redline.

In this MSP training, Dave warns that the legs will feel flat. This is the last phase before developing an in season plan that includes lots of races or race simulations that will bring back the life in the legs.

These MSP things hurt in a different sort of way. No tounge out, eyes popping vomitron kind of thing like the SMSP short intervals. Rather a dull achey pain that starts slow and builds. My cadence would drop from 100-low 80s through the course of the interval. And I just wanted to stop.

Did them at 270W and the last on I had to drop to 260W the last half cause I knew I wasn't going to make it.

I'm also trying to pay close attention to what these things feel like from a pacing perspective. Been thinking a lot about how to approach racing in terms of pacing vs. that racing mindset of redline , pin-it all the time sort of thing.

12min power output is certainly a lot higher than 2hr power output. Which is what I need to be running the races at. In MTB racing there is lots of riding outside of that steady state 2hr power for things like technical sections, passing, short hills, accelerating out of corners, etc. But I need to be very vigilant and judicious as to how often I go outside of the green zone and into the red. Each time I do that it is a match burned. Every match burned brings me closer and closer to the leg cramps which will shut me down.

I have to ask myself how much will I gain by burning this match now. Is it worth it?

There is an entrenched philosophy with racing. About going balls out, pinning it, redline, etc. And my biggest fear is leaving too much out there when I cross the line. But I am thinking that the reality of pace is that it feels like you aren't working as hard as you should. Which goes counter to the race mentality.

Obviously, I need to keep working on my ability to go into the red and recover back to the race pace. And I'm also working on increasing what that sustainable power output is. The hard part is gauging what the intensity should be and getting a good feel for it.