The ride starts promptly at 6 AM from a little turn out just past the south entrance to the Uni off of Cedar Hill Cross Rd. In days past if you showed at 6:04 you were too late!!
We ride in groups of 4 or 5. Three sets of five laps of the circle at a high temp in a nice tight formation with short quick pulls. We try desperately to keep ahead of the group behind us!
The following is an early post by Lister (posted Jan 18, 2014) that describes what this ride is all about:
The ride has been added to the list of official club activities with Cycling BC for insurance purposes. So it's on starting this week.
Please note a major change from Peter's original post; the meeting place is at UVic at 6:00 am, at the pullout just east of the Henderson entrance to the ring road. Where the map was. This is because the ring starts to get busier at 6:45 or 7, so we can get the intervals done with less traffic, then cruise to coffee.
The A's and more experienced B's can probably figure out their own teams etc; they do this in their jams most weeks. For others not sure about riding a short pace line at a higher intensity for 15-20 minutes, I will be available to help out if needed.
Mostly its about 4 like-minded individuals agreeing to show up together, roll out and do short turns, waiting a lap or so to really feel the effort. Then adjust length of pulls from 5 -30 seconds to maintain the speed, leaving enough to get back on the back. Intensity should be hard, but so that you can recover just before you start your next turn.
When the TS teams did this to train for the BC TTT champs last summer, stuff we noticed for newer riders was learning to gauge the higher pace on the front. Its windier on the front at this pace than our normal rides, so you have to push harder, but not so hard you lift the pace and cook your team mates. Too high a gear, and you'll not be able to match the subtle speed changes on the rises. Too low, and you'll accelerate too easily, or not be able to keep the speed. Also, swing off before you're cooked; your turn's not over until you get on the back.
The best coaching is from your team mates: only you know if your team mates pulls are working for you. Tell them 'good pull' if they've got it right, 'steady' if its too fast, 'we're good' if they need to lift the pace or shorten their pulls.
Logistics and safety: some thoughts from the exec meeting:
Do the intervals on the left side of the ring road, single file except when changing. Change to right.
Unless there's very strong cross wind, then switch sides to pull off into the wind each half lap
Watch ahead for pedestrian crossings, deer
When completing an interval, stay single file so traffic can pass, then stop at the pullout to discuss how it went.
Do intervals by time; doing them by laps will lead to significantly different times for different teams, and we won't be able to ride to coffee together.
Coffee is at Cook st mocha after to allow a cruisey warm down
Who should do this?
Anyone who wants to lift their threshold power, i.e. the intensity where you tt or ride in a breakaway. Its harder than typical TS pacelines, but you have to touch the ceiling to lift it, right?
Anyone who wants to improve their paceline skills. You don't know if you've really got it until you do it when you're on the edge of blowing up. Most people can ride for hours in a chatty double line; but can you gauge your pulls to make that break stick? Or tow a flat victim back to the pack? Get home in time for the babysitter when the ride has gone long? Hold onto a bunch of people who are stronger than you on a group ride?
_________________
Lister
And this is from Rolf:
I'm very happy with this addition to our rides. More ride day options are always a good thing!
I did a few mornings like this last Spring with Lister, Sig, Martin, Mike L. and others in the lead-up to the Dallas Rd. TT. They were a lot of fun. And like doing Wednesday hills, after only two or three such sessions I noticed an improvement in my overall conditioning.
In addition to increased strength and endurance, these rides offer two unique aspects in contrast to the other regular TS rides:
1. The increased concentration required to hold your line, mete out your effort and generally be aware of your three buddies—where they are and how they're doing—makes the workout positively zip by. There is a lot less going on mentally on our typical rides, which instead have long cruisy spells punctuated by short bits of higher effort and concentration.
2. Endorphin production is proven to be higher when people exert towards a common goal alongside each other. L'esprit de corps is a biological reality. Here, your "team" is smaller, but you're much more aware of and involved in each other's workout. Positioning and effort are all executed with reference to each other, in a much more acute way than pulling at the front of a group of 20. Therefore, the sense at coffee that you've been part of a mutual struggle, that you've accomplished something as a valued and necessary member of a team, is sharper, deeper, and more satisfying.[/list]
It's no coincidence that a fireteam of four soldiers is the primary unit on which most British, American and Canadian infantry organizations are based.
