The plan was 2:30 on the trainer with 2:10 @ 135-140 HR, followed by an easy run. I ended up doing 2:10 portion of the ride at an average HR of 139 bpm, which was moderately easy. I still have to keep an eye on my HR, or else it will either drop to 130 if I'm in too easy a gear or pop up to 145 if I'm in too hard of a gear. The difference in perceived exertion is pretty subtle between 130-145 bpm, as my breathing doesn't begin to get heavy until around 145 bpm. If I don't look at my watch consistently, I could ride for a few minutes before realizing my effort level isn't where it's supposed to be. Still, at 1:45 into the main set my legs could feel the effort. The toughest part about assessing the difficulty of a trainer ride is that just sitting on the trainer for two hours takes a toll.
After the ride, I ate a snack and relaxed for 20-30 minutes before going for a run. There was about 6" of snow on the ground, and the snow was still falling steadily, when I began the run. The snow essentially made the run very cushioned. My legs felt fresh despite having just ridden 2:30. My avg. HR ended up being 143 bpm, and I covered 4.6 miles at a blistering 9:41 per mile (keeping the HR low in 6" of snow does not result in PR pacing).
My legs are a bit tired 30 minutes post workout, but I they'll be ready to go tomorrow.
"The toughest part about assessing the difficulty of a trainer ride is that just sitting on the trainer for two hours takes a toll."
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Now you know why I live in California! Don't hesitate to pop in a good movie and only look at your HR every few minutes. We don't want to drive you insane!