[GSPChilliwack]

Hi,
Just curious if you would you still reap the benefits of Zone 2 in the following situation:

Zone 2 ride of 60-90 min to the mountain.
Ride hard 30-45 mins (or longer?)
Zone 2 ride back home.

Thoughts?

 

[LMN]

Yes, you would still get the benefits of zone 2 and as a single training dose you would get more benifit then a zone 2 ride. The reason why people only do zone 2 rides is to have a really high training density. You can do zone 2 rides back, to back, to back. Start throwing intensity in there and it is hard to have the same training density. You might get a greater training effect from a single ride but are unable to do as many rides.

As a new dad facing a really limited riding schedule my zone 2 rides just about always some intensity in them. The funny thing is I am actually going pretty well right now. Knock a full minute off my PR on a 30 minute climb the other day.

 

[GSPChilliwack]

I'm looking to reclaim the significant amount of time lost with packing/unpacking and driving to a riding area. We have some nice gravel routes to incorporate into such a ride instead. And I'd rather have time in the saddle than time in traffic anyways.

 

[LMN]

I just about always ride my riding areas. Even if it is only a 10 minute drive, by time you load and unload you are probably losing 40 minutes of ride time by driving.

 

[J.B. Weld]

My training rides always start and end with z2 blocks, usually more like 20 minutes instead of 60 though.

 

[cal_len1]

If you look through most pro road riders' training, you will find that they do endurance rides, with "stuff". More specifically, Inigo San Milan's athletes (UAE Team Emirates), do lots of zone 2 with efforts in the middle. What those efforts are depends on the energy system that needs work, and where in the season they are, i.e sometimes shorter V02 work, and other times awful threshold work. In the ISM system, you are doing these rides 1-2 days per week during base season, and up to 3-4 during race season. These are pro roadies, so take what you will from that to adapt for yourself.

 

[canuck_tacoma]

2 benefits of Zone 2 training. First being that you train your body to be efficient at lower heart rates which in turn benefits your higher zones. The next benefit is volume that you can train at with Zone 2 is much higher as you need less recovery. This mentioned in an earlier reply. If you're going to get adequate rest then hammer your mid ride. If you plan to ride alot of days in a row, try to stay at Z2.

I love to ride to the trail head as well. Usually keep it in Z1,Z2 and then get my ass kicked by my buddies and ride home Z1,Z2. If I get overtrained then I do some full Z1 Z2 rides on the road bike or mtb.

 

[canuck_tacoma]

Also, if you're riding hard for 30-45 minutes in a Z2 ride....it's not a Z2 ride.

 

[GSPChilliwack]

Also, if you're riding hard for 30-45 minutes in a Z2 ride....it's not a Z2 ride.

I was thinking of it more as 3 rides: Z2 for 60-90 min; ride hard 45 min; Z2 for 60-90 min.

 

[canuck_tacoma]

I was thinking of it more as 3 rides: Z2 for 60-90 min; ride hard 45 min; Z2 for 60-90 min.

Totally fine and super beneficial to add in those Z2 times on your rides. If it was part of a training plan it would be considered your tempo/anaerobic day with a warm up and cool down.

Myself, I cycle my training. Beginning season do more Z1/Z2, roughly 80-90%. With one hard day of tempor/anaerobic. Later in the season i can reap the rewards of all that Base Z1/Z2 and do more fun hammer days. Idea is I'm now more fit and my body will take more abuse.