- We're on the Passo di Gardena, in Alta Badia,
and we're gonna do a progressive effort.
It's gonna be a good one, enjoy.
- Thank you very much James, hopefully we will.
Welcome to a GCN real time training session.
As James has said, we are riding up Passo Gardena.
It's 5.9 Kilometers long, an average gradient of 4%.
So it's gonna be a quick one, over and done with
in just 20 minutes.
So Chris, what is in store for us?
- So this is one of my favorite sessions,
that you can do early in the morning,
or before a race, or an event.
And it's kind of like a long warm up really,
because you'll start out real gentle,
like we are now, kind of walking pace.
So, if you're tired first thing in the morning,
this is brilliant.
And then we'll build right up towards
a max intensity effort, and that will
be really invigorating.
- Nice, I like it.
If you have a smart trainer, like we have,
Chris is on the Elite Drivo II, I'm on the Elite Direto,
You can actually set them up so they will
take you through a ramp scenario.
Whereby the intensity, and the resistance
increases in every 90 seconds.
But, I don't know about you, Chris, I'm going old school,
I'm gonna use my gears this time.
So, if you've got a normal trainer,
then you can do it in exactly the same fashion.
- You know what Simon, I'm doing the same.
It's just like being out on the road the, isn't it?
- Alrighty, so we've got 20 seconds
until we start to increase the intensity.
What's gonna be coming up first, Chris?
- [Chris] So we're going through 90 second ramp increases.
So every 90 seconds the intensity will increase
a little bit, and we'll take it up a notch.
To start with we're gonna wrap up our cadence,
in eight seconds, and that will increase
our breathing rate, and our exertion.
And we're going to be into an effort level of number two.
- [Simon] Okay, so here we go then 80RPM.
Just a small increase to start with.
So, a very, very gentle introduction, I quite like that.
- Yeah, this is great on tired legs,
or if you're not feeling particularly fresh
on any given day, it's a real good warm up.
And by the end of it, you actually feel
a lot better than when you start, guaranteed.
- [Simon] Nice, that's the kind of training that I like.
- [Chris] Or your money back.
(laughs)
- [Simon] Right then.
So, what kind of intensity should we be feeling?
Like heart rate, is that gonna be creeping up at all?
- [Chris] Well it will be throughout the session,
certainly as you increase your cadence.
Right now you should be feeling
like we're going for a steady walk.
The sort of intensity you could do all day,
even if you run out of food.
- [Simon] Alrighty.
As we 're on the lower slopes of the Gardena, now.
- [Chris] Just leaving town.
- [Simon] It's a beautiful climb, isn't it?
Absolutely fantastic, and what a day to do it on.
If you are joining us early in the morning,
then that is an inspiring sight
to set you up for the day, no mistake.
- [Chris] So just 30 seconds now,
until the first real increase in the ramp.
And we'll take it from an exertion level of one,
right up to two.
- I think I can manage two.
Now, even though this is just a 20 minute session,
remember to keep drinking as you go through it.
Because you will a sweat on, towards the end.
So you want to keep on top of your hydration.
(energetic music)
- There we go, cadence up to 85 now.
Probably keep it in a very similar gearing.
But, because we're pedaling a little bit faster,
on the same gear, you'll be trying a little bit harder,
and then you have an exertion level of two.
Which is, again, the sort of exertion you can keep up
for most of the day, if you had to.
The thing I like most about this session is,
it really eases you into it before
you have to try hard, towards the end.
But by the time you're finished trying hard,
and you recover, you'll be ready whatever event it is,
or what ever session you're gonna plan next.
Or just for the day ahead.
- [Simon] Yeah this is, as you said,
the ultimate warm up, isn't it?
So, if you've got a race that's gonna start fast,
like a time trial, or a crit, this is exactly
the kind of thing where, it gets your body working
really hard, without actually making
your legs hurt very much.
So it's a very gentle introduction,
to get your body working super hard.
So, off the back of this, you could just leave it there.
Or, indeed, you could do another training session as well,
and this will be the perfect warming.
- [Chris] Yeah, it's pretty much the warm up
I would have followed throughout my career because,
after five minutes of easy spinning, between the end of this
and the start of the event, it gives you enough time
to really breathe deep and get ready for what's ahead.
But, also, your legs are open, your lungs are open,
and you're just feeling really good.
- [Simon] Okay, we've got another ramp increase coming up
in just 10 seconds.
- And the best thing about the increase rate on this one is,
every 90 seconds you've got something new
to set as a target, and it really helps the time go quickly.
There we go, on to exertion level three now.
Same speed on the legs, same cadence.
You're trying a little bit harder.
And this is starting to feel like your outdoors ride now.
The sort of tempo you might hold for,
you know, a longer ride.
You start to hear the turbo trainer drone a little bit more.
As you can hear, there's more intensity
going through the fly wheel.
Quite a soothing noise, actually.
- Yeah.
Can feel my breathing just start to increase a little bit.
I can feel that I'm doing a bit of work now.
My core body temperature's starting to rise,
I feel like I'm just starting to open up.
- [Chris] And, my heart rate shot up for a hundred,
right up to 124, now 125.
So you can start to feel, it's really having an effect,
and your body's really starting to open up.
30 seconds left now.
(upbeat music)
But it's progressive, it's gentle,
it really eases you into it, and it really enables you
to adapt to each level before you push on
to the next one above.
- [Simon] Okay, 10 seconds now,
until the next increase on our ramp.
So get ready for it.
- And, up again.
So, cadence up to 90 this time.
This is the first time we're really starting
to pedal a little bit quicker,
and your exertion's gonna go up to a number four.
That's the sort of pace you're gonna hold
for a couple of hours, if you're out on the road.
And you really feel it in your breathing,
that you have to take deep breaths between each sentence.
- I think the temptation here is gonna be
to go too hard, too soon.
So just make sure you look at that effort level,
and make sure that you're not maxing out too soon.
This isn't about an all out 10 minute
pain session at the end.
This is, as Chris has said, a gentle introduction,
to open you up.
- You know, I'd almost describe this
as a real good feel good session because,
when you get off the turbo, you do feel better.
So if you're having a bad day, and you just need 20 minutes
to clear your mind, this is perfect for that,
because it's a good confidence boost, as you build up
to your max intensity, without shocking your body.
- [Simon] And that kind of session should not be underrated,
because there are days when you just feel tired,
and you feel like you should be training.
And, actually, this will just sort your head out
and make you feel good, and ready to go on the bike,
either later on, or the next day.
- Just eight seconds now,
before we take it up a notch again.
And my hear rate's 132 now, so you really seeing
the increase from the previous effort, into this one.
There we go, effort number five.
- I'm going to the big ring.
- What?
- The size of a key in, I reckon.
(upbeat music)
- [Chris] So this is the sort of effort that you can do
for a short endurance ride.
You really start to feel it on your legs,
you can start to feel the load on the turbo.
But, because you've got a nice light cadence,
it's not uncomfortable.
And you can still talk like this but,
again, you have to take that deep breath.
It is hard to distinguish between the intensity changes,
to start with, but by the end of the 90 seconds
you'll know that you've gone up a notch.
- It's also a great way of really
getting in tune with your body, isn't it?
- Yeah.
- Because you don't need your, power meter on this.
You don't need a heart rate monitor.
Every time you change gear, or increase your cadence,
if you really think about it, you can feel your body start
to work a little bit harder.
Listen to those tell tale signals.
Like your breathing rate increasing,
maybe feeling like you're just about to get a sweat on.
You can certainly hear that my breathing rate's increased.
(energetic music)
- It's a real morale boosting session.
It's the sort of session that you finish, and you want
to do something else, because you feel good for it.
And because it's so short, it's really easy to cram
into any sort of day, even if you're really busy.
Five seconds now, until the next ramp.
Here we go.
- He's in the big rig, I'm not there.
- [Chris] So my heart rate's just under 140, now,
so you can see that last 90 seconds has really pushed it up.
And we're going up towards the sort of power
you can do for 90 minutes, that sort of feeling.
So, you feel your legs a little bit now,
you know that they're pushing.
They're conscious of every pedal stroke,
but nothing's hurting yet.
- [Simon] You know where I will definitely
be using this session, Chris?
So, when we go away to a trade show, and we spend hours
every day walking a halls, scouring for new tech.
And you come back to the hotel in the evening,
and you want to ride your bike, but your legs are tired.
This will be perfect.
- [Chris] Yeah, it really would be.
- [Simon] Sat on a dodgy exercise bike, in a hotel gym.
Pedaling away the fatigue of a day on your feet,
and leaving yourself feeling good.
And reminding yourself that you are a bike rider.
Brilliant.
- [Chris] Yeah, and you really gain that connectivity back
with your legs again, because it's a solid 20 minutes
of ramped up progression.
And like you said before you don't need
any heart rate monitors, power rate monitors.
You can do it on anything.
- [Simon] Dodgy hotel exercise bikes.
- [Chris] Yeah, yeah.
- It's the way forward.
People always look a little bit scared when I'm in there,
sweating profusely in GCN cycling kit.
- And then you get on the bikes.
(laughs)
- Okay. - Right, there we go.
- [Chris] This is number seven now.
- [Simon] Alright.
- [Chris] Seven's getting quite serious.
Cadence at 95, so we can actually change gear then.
- As you can see, the timer is ticking down
consistently at the top.
Just nine minutes, and 10 seconds to go.
I can really feel like I'm starting to do some work now.
- [Chris] Yeah, my heart rate's 150 now,
which is the highest it's been so far.
And seven, you're really aware you're pedaling.
See if you've got, at all achy, tired legs
because you've been on the bike the last few days,
this is where you'll start to feel that, that fatigue.
But stay with it, because the more you warm up
the muscles, throughout this effort,
the better they'll feel.
Certainly when you ease off, after the final ramp,
I promise you'll feel good.
- [Simon] Yeah, and if your legs are hurting,
just take a look at that view.
If that doesn't numb the pain, then I don't know what does.
What an incredible place to ride your bike.
- 25 seconds now to the next ramp,
and then we'll up into the sort of intensity,
that you don't really maintain for that long,
out on the roads.
Maybe if you were to really to push on for an hour,
you'd be up around a level 8, on the perceived
exertion scale.
- So we're getting close to the threshold now then, I guess.
- Yeah, we're ramping right up.
So, I would say in reality, right now you're gonna be
around 80% of your threshold, so like,
high zone three, mid zone three.
And over the next three minutes
we'll certainly get right up towards threshold.
There we go, that was it then, we missed it, Si.
- 15 seconds to the next one.
- I was there mate, sorry.
Suffering away gently, next to you.
95RPM, that's fast feet for me.
- That's really good for that connectivity
on the legs, and the bike.
That'll help you feel really smooth
when you get back out on the road.
And that's a feeling that, actually,
you can underestimate how important it is.
That's the feeling that feels good
when you're out on the road, and you fee fast and fluid.
And that's what this session's really good for,
is getting that fluidity back.
The super legs, if you like.
40 seconds to go, I'm really sweating now.
- Yeah, I am too.
- Heart rate 155, so that's getting
up there as well.
- [Simon] I'm breathing hard.
Breathing deeply.
- [Chris] Just 25 seconds to go, now, until the next ramp.
This is where it starts to get serious.
- Yeah.
I can feel my legs a little bit.
They're a bit tired, coming in to today.
But it's not uncomfortable.
This is waking them up, isn't it?
Just reminding them what they're capable of doing,
without being too taxing.
- So, five seconds to go, now.
Heart rate 160.
Same cadence, but we're just trying
a little bit harder now, so another gear up.
This now is basically your FTP style effort.
Your, kind of 30 minute to 60 minute
torrential power, as it were.
Heart rate's really gonna climb now, as it gets warm.
Good time to turn your fan on, if you've got one.
- I'm having to really concentrate now, Chris.
- [Chris] Yeah, me too.
- Maintaining this kind of cadence,
at this kind of intensity.
- [Chris] Yeah, it's not necessarily
the most natural cadence for this effort, is it?
- Nope.
- But, because of it, because you are forced
to do something, and be conscious of that effort,
when you back down and start to ease off,
you really feel better for it.
Getting outside of your comfort zone
makes you more comfortable when you're back in it.
I can't even speak anymore.
- [Simon] No.
- [Chris] So, my heart rate's getting up to the 170's now.
There's another 30 seconds until the next ramp, 23 seconds.
- [Simon] And this will be our last ramp, right?
- [Chris] Potentially, I'm trying to run
a few in my head, Si.
This might be the night I have.
- Five seconds to go.
- This is where all the good work's done.
So, stick with it, really start to dig deep.
- Okay, here we go. - Here we go.
- 10 out of 10. - 10 out of 10.
- [Chris] So again, maintaining that same cadence,
shifting up a gear.
- [Simon] So, I'm over the threshold, now.
I'm gonna have to really break this interval down,
so I don't get daunted.
- Yeah, 30 second chunks, I find helps well.
- That's right.
- Because we're now a third of the way through.
- [Simon] Here we go, your next 30 seconds starts now.
- Really focus on your breathing.
Your heart and lungs will do their job,
but being conscious of how you breath,
and position yourself on the bike, will make this easier.
My heart rate's 180.
- Yeah, keep that core rock solid.
Resist the temptation to rock and roll.
You're nearly there, doing really well.
Okay, last 30 seconds.
Stay focused.
- [Chris] Don't let that cadence drop,
don't let that effort drop.
- Okay, 10 seconds to go now, nearly their.
- Oh, this it it.
You really want to squeeze over that threshold power, now.
Well over it for this final effort.
And this is the one where you're really gonna feel
the benefit from.
This is 10 plus really.
My heart rate's nearly 190, now.
So just 70 seconds to go.
Keep that cadence up at a hundred,
so same gear as before.
Oh, 190 heart rate there.
As soon as this one finishes, then it's time
to cool down completely.
50 seconds to go.
Just stick with it, trust in the process of this warm up.
A very thorough warm up.
40 seconds.
And if you don't feel alive by this point in the session,
you're probably not trying hard enough.
- [Simon] Or if you start to feel dead,
you might have gone too hard.
30 seconds to go.
- [Chris] If you're using a power meter,
120 passes of your FTP is what this is, roughly.
- Nearly there, everyone.
- 10 seconds.
Come on, hold that cadence up there.
191 heart rate.
Four, three, two, one.
- Oh. - Oh.
And enjoy.
Right back down to walking pace, 70RPM.
Yeah, I got 191 there.
- [Simon] That woke me up.
Man alive.
- [Chris] Dripping, sweating.
But, because you've not had to repeat those max efforts,
over the next few minutes you'll start
to feel your body recover.
- [Simon] Yeah.
- You'll feel more open.
It was really short, so it's not
completely exhaustive exercise.
- Yeah, now we've kept the warm down
deliberately short.
So if you do want to go straight into an interval session,
that is a perfect opportunity.
If you're ready to move into the rest of your day now,
then make sure you use all of the available time,
and possibly even a little bit more.
It's never a great idea to get off your trainer
whilst you're still out of breath.
If nothing else, when you jump in the shower
you'll still be sweating when you get out of it again.
- [Chris] You'll breath in water.
- Yeah.
So just take every opportunity.
Just enjoy the sensations in your legs, and in your lungs.
Think about the work you've done, you've just been riding.
- And, at some point within the next,
so if you're using this session as a warm up for an event,
you want to get yourself to the start line now,
somewhere within the next 10 minutes.
Because that's the ultimate window to be finishing
that last hard effort, and starting your event.
You know, you body will maintain
a good core temperature between now, and then.
And everything's open and ready to go,
because you've almost hit your peak heart rate.
- Yeah.
Now, if you're in the mood for another training session now,
you're completely warmed up, and all fatigue
has gone from your legs.
Then we've got a great one on screen for you now,
click through, and you'll go straight to it.
If you want more inspiration, beyond that one video,
we've got stacks on GCN for you.
So make sure you have a peruse of the library
to find exactly what you want.
- Which one do you fancy doing next?
- I think that might be me done, Chris.
- Big thumbs up if you enjoyed this video, as well.