FAQ ~ Blitzer's Adaptation
James Falshaw Blitzing the Nove Colli
I'm curious to understand why in your Base Build
Programme the Blitzer's are rated as a 5 ~ VO2max. But in the
FTP Development Programme they are rated 4 ~ Lactate Threshold.
Is this correct?
Carlos Hartman ~ Argentina
The Blitzer's, due to it's versatility, appears in a few of our programmes. It covers a wide spectrum of physiological responses and is as good a bang for your buck as any of the training sessions we have.
Above is the session's red/grey profile of effort and rest. Below we have the Power Zone Distribution chart which shows (on the right hand side) how it straddles the top end of the physiological layers.
At the start of a rider's training development (Base Build) the levels of effort put in are pretty much the same as that of a "well developed" rider, but the physiological response would be different.
Remember, the pain descriptors for all sessions give the physiological response to the session, not the level at which it should be ridden.
For a rider with a solid foundation, and many miles in their legs (as they would have mid-season when doing the FTP programme), the effort might appear to be relatively "the same" as previous early-season undertakings, but the physiological response will be slightly different.
It is possible to flip from one adaptation to the other.
As you get fitter, you have to go harder to provoke the same (or improved) required response and adaptation. As the legendary saying goes, "it never hurts any less, you just go faster". A tempo wattage in winter will more than likely fall in to the endurance bucket in the summer.
Likewise, the same "perceived effort" in February will stress your body in a slightly different way than it will if doing the same session in July.
This is one of the reasons I'm forever saying, "ride to your ability, not the numbers".
The numbers are only of importance after the session, not during it. If you've ridden the best you can, the the numbers, whatever they are, will be right. A small mindset change that can make a huge difference!
As with all our sessions, do the best you can on the day of the session and you might just surprise yourself with how strong you are.
Carlos Hartman tackling the legendary 2015 Majorca 312
