Intervals

There’s no doubt that whatever sportive you have in mind there will be several times when you have to nudge yourself above and beyond your comfort zone, be it on an alpine ascent or holding on to a fast moving group in a valley. Simulating such exertions on a regular basis in the weeks leading up to your event will ensure that your body is ready to take on these demands and has prior experience of what to expect.

Typically longer interval sessions are favourable since for most of us it’s the long exertions needed on the climbs that we really need to focus on. Efforts like this can be done on the road but it’s often easier to simulate very precise efforts using a turbo trainer so you have absolutely no distraction and can really put all your attention into the job in hand.