Turbo-ing Do I Love It or Do I Hate It ?

Do I Love It or Do I Hate It ?

Interval Session - Thu 12-02-15

I must confess the picture opposite is a bit of a fake. Well it's a complete fake actually, something the BBC would be proud of. You are not looking at a real session in action, I just wanted to get a picture of me on my turbo.

If the fake grimace doesn't give it away then maybe the trainers instead of cleats may or perhaps the fact I'm holding on to my i-phone in order to operate the Go-Pro taking the picture.

My approach to workouts on the turbo have tended to be literally aimless heretofore. I thought that so long as I got off a sweaty mess at the end then I must be doing some good and I guess to some extent that was true but I have recognised now that I could be getting a lot more out of my sweaty sessions than I have been.

By the way I do not profess to be an expert but like you dear reader I read articles on line and in magazines about using a turbo ( or indeed any cycling issue ) and process it in the following Donald Rumsfeld way :

1. I don't understand it so ignore it.
2. I think it is elitist bullshit so ignore it.
3. I do understand it but do not agree with it and do not implement it.
4. I do understand it, agree with it and implement it in full.
5. I do understand it, agree with it but cannot be arsed to implement it.
6. I do understand it, agree with it but implement my own simplistic half arsed version.

I don't think I have ever done No 4. The vast majority of what I do is No. 6. And so it is with turbo-ing.

To improve my cycling I need to improve my endurance/stamina and improve my ability to work hard for shorter periods ( say for going up a hill or hanging on for grim death on someone's wheel) and then be able to recover and do it again.

So my turbo sessions can be split into these 2 types of training, namely for endurance and pyramid interval sessions for working hard and recovering.

Thursday was an interval session. 10 minute warm up, 1 minute hard, 1 minute rest, 2minute hard, 2 minute rest...up to 4 minutes hard, 4 minute rest and then back down the pyramid to 1 minute hard followed by 10 minute cooldown. 50 minutes in total.

I did video it but when I watched it back I looked tired and grey and it was not attractive

So in conclusion do I love the turbo or hate it ? 


I love turbos because:

• When the weather is bad there is no excuse for not having a pedal
• If you are disciplined you can get a really tough workout 
• It can hurt a lot and get you acustomed to the pain

I hate turbos because:

• When the weather is bad there is no excuse for not having a pedal
• If you are disciplined you can get a really tough workout 
• It can hurt a lot and get you acustomed to the pain

nuff said.

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