The Tuesday SST session is rarely a fun time. But it is a necessity.
Prior to the ride today I was considering varying things up. Maybe looking for another SST session but one in a different format, just for a bit of variety.
However, I didn’t have a huge amount of time to be mucking about, so ended up on the usual 4 blocks SST session. No big deal.
I figured though, I’d try to answer the question I had these last few weeks. In that: does the gradient of a route impact the workout?
It should not do.
And my test today was not scientific.
I picked a route with lots of ups and downs, mostly flat but with a good amount of climbing to test the theory. Then off I went.
My test was simple: close my eyes, pedal along, and try to tell when the gradient changes.
Hey, a man’s got to find a way to pass the time.
It turns out I was wrong. Every single time. I was so wrong that at one point I thought things had got tough and when I looked up, I was on a descent. So in conclusion, I think my issues on the previous ride where I struggled were unrelated to Zwift. If I had to guess now, I would say it was me meddling with the head unit mid ride.
Anyway, after that I wasn’t much in to the ride. I think I still had 6 of the 8 intervals to see out.
I needed another distraction.
Then I had a Eureka moment. Chris, you genesis (sic).
I figured, hey, let’s try and work on the low cadence stuff. I struggle mostly on the bigger rides, whether a longer climb or longer race, where I fade off from the high cadence and end up dropping a gear or two and grinding for a bit.
Anything around the 75-85rpm mark and I’m in trouble.
So I figured why not deliberately work at 70rpm during my 230w / on blocks today?
Well, initially I figured I’d do that next time.
Then I thought so more and figured why wait? So I put that into practice for the second half of today’s ride. Doing the 230w’s at 70rpm was insanely hard. So I let myself off and put that up to 75rpm. Even then I kept creeping up a bit. It took a concerted effort to stay low.
Did it pay off?
No idea. But it pained off, that’s for sure. Man, my legs are not used to that. At all.
For the off blocks, I jumped right back to my comfortable 95rpm and span out the prior misery. Fortunately I only had two blocks of that today. Four might have finished me off good and proper. It’s always tough in that final on-block, but today was extra spicy.
Still, it might have been worthwhile. Who knows?
Anyway, that’s the SST done for this week. I do feel ready for a much easier ride tomorrow.
