T-Max...Torture to the Max

This has been one of the best training weeks I've had in a long time. Why is that, you ask? Well, for starters I got in my all my hours. Second, I got in some good intensity work with 3 successfully completed interval sessions. One of those interval sessions was something new called T-Max intervals. What are T-Max intervals, and what is so special about them?

What makes these intervals different is that they are tailored to your ability...from the wattage number you do the interval at, to the length of the interval.
Here's the lowdown...

First, you've got to find out what your peak power output, or T-Max, is. To do this you do a graded type of test. You start out at 100 watts and then add 30 watts every minute until you collapse. Whatever your wattage was at the moment you stopped is your PPO (peak power output). After a day or two, go out and ride as long as you can at your PPO. For those of us who are mortal that will be between 4-6 minutes. We're almost done here. The last step in setting up your new interval is to multiply the amount of time you could ride at your PPO by 60% (0.6). That figure is your T-Max work interval. For example, if you rode for 5 minutes, your work interval would be 3 minutes. Double your work interval, and that number is your recovery interval. Using the above example... 3 minutes on, 6 minutes off.
Now all you have to do is go out and put yourself in the pain cave and do the work. The ultimate goal is to do 8 efforts, but don't feel bad if you can only do 3-4 for a while. From what I've read these are some of the most painful and hardest training sessions you'll ever do.
Now why should you bother with these particular intervals? They'll make you fast and fit...and in a hurry. Significant changes in fitness were observed within 4-6 weeks. I only just started doing them so I can't tell you much from personal experience. I will tell you this though, they hurt like a mofo. I completed 3 efforts and went for a fourth, and about a minute and a half into the fourth effort I collapsed... spectacularly.

Between the T-Max intervals, and 2 lactate clearance sessions, I was in the hurt locker this week. It's all good though. That's the thing about doing intervals/high intensity efforts. They hurt like hell while you're doing them, but afterwards you almost feel good about having pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone.

I leave for Las Vegas on Wed, and even though I'm gonna take my road bike out there, I'm gonna try and get as much riding in here as possible. I'd like to think I could get in 4hrs by Tuesday. That will give me almost half my hours in before I leave. I'm gonna ride with a buddy while I'm there, and I don't doubt that there are plenty of places to ride and accumulate some hours, but I'm not gonna take any chances. When I come back I'll only have a few days before my race in Tallahassee.