Cascade Elite
Reaping the rewards of Cascade Intervals
When & Why?
Cascade Intervals are good for simulating race pace efforts
and the sustained surges that take place when someone's trying to break
the elastic. Use them in the run up to the start of the season or
during the season for your pre-event build ups.
Where?
Can be done on the road, although a little difficult
here in Jersey because the roads aren't long enough! A good solid
turbo effort that allows you to develop form, technique and pacing
strategies.
How?
Gear choice is free but try to remain in the same
gear for the duration of each individual effort. You can obviously
change gear for the recovery period and select a different gear for the
individual efforts, just don't change gear mid-effort.
Also, there are no "intensity of effort settings" for these intervals. It's all up to you to judge the pace to ensure you remain consistent and get to the end.
Try to monitor your power or speed in the first intervals and get as close to them as you can for the back end intervals of the same duration.
To start, hit the first four minutes at a pace you believe you could still just sustain for the last four minutes of the session.
Take a three minute recovery, then go for three minutes effort at a higher tempo than you just did for the four minute effort. At the end of three minutes take a two minute recovery followed by a two minute effort, one minute recovery, one minute effort then a four minute recovery. You then reverse the order to go back up the scale!
The duration gets shorter but the intensity rises for each interval, just as it does come the end of a race when the attacks start.
The Warm Up Warning
All interval sessions require a thorough and proper warm up...
Once thoroughly warmed up and
at "race pace" readiness, undertake the following session.
