One-Hour Workout: Big Gear Hill Climbs
This session is specifically suited for half- and full-Iron distance athletes who need to cram a high-intensity ride into their week.
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This week’s bike workout comes from coach Dan Frost of MP Multisport in Fort Collins, Colo. Coach Frost is a USAT Level I and ASCA Masters Level II coach, and also serves as a technical official for ITU and USAT. Frost says this one-hour workout is designed to be done outside, and that it is good for athletes racing any distance—however, it is specifically suited for half- and full-iron distance athletes who need to cram a high-intensity ride into their week. “This is a combined power building and tempo ride for the athlete preparing for a triathlon on a rolling or hilly course,” Frost adds.
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Warm-up
20 min ride to a hill (or if no hill available, ride to a flat, open area)
Main Set
3x(3min big gear/60–70 RPM/100–105% of threshold + U-turn and easy spin back to starting point)
10 min tempo effort, 80–90% of threshold
Cool-down
10 min very easy