Kids and Turbo

I knew it was going to be tough getting out for a ride last weekend. The kids had a chock-a-block sports schedule that fully booked the Bill's taxi service, and the BBC had predicted snow for sunday which meant no-go. But with training going better i didn't want to take time off, so that meant doing a couple of Turbo sessions. Basically i've been doing the same session for 10 years: 40 mins, gradient 2pct, wind resistance ON and going the fastest i can. By doing the same session it makes it easy to compare fitness levels and strength, basically I look at distance travelled and average HR. Its the only time i use the ipod on a bike as every mental distraction is welcome since the thought of stopping short of the 40 mins hits me every few minutes. My max HR, i think, is 184 and within the first 5 mins of the session my HR is up to 150 and then it slowly climbed to some painful level. On Saturday it reached 175 with 5 mins left, I’m in trouble at this point, because 5 mins at 95% is not going to be pleasant and the golden rule of the Turbo is never slow down, never ease off, I’m paying for my hubris at 30 mins. I manage to finish, HR hits a peak of 177 as I slump over the handle bars to the gentle sounds of Steely Dan telling me Losers want to be called Deacon Blues. It’s may be 40 mins of pure pain - but it feels great when i stop!

Sessions details
Distance travelled 17.21 miles
Average HR 164