Spinning class: Trailblazer

Time to start catching up and post the rides I was leading before I went on holiday - seems like an eternity ago! This one I call Trailblazer because I used a track by that name from Podrunner - free hour-long tracks with a constant rhythm to which I listen while running, useful for keeping a set cadence throughout.

The aim behind this ride is to experience aerobic intervals - rather than going "all-out" for short periods of time (anaerobic), the idea is to find a level of effort that could, if necessary, be sustained for the entire ride. By breaking it up into chunks, I allow riders to push a little beyond their comfort zone to find a level that challenges them but yet is within their control. The "on" periods become shorter to allow for tiring legs, unsustainable effort levels, etc.

The "on" periods are where resistance is at the higher end; "off" is at the lower end. How high and how low depends on the individual - either work very hard during the "on" and recover during the "off" periods or work a little more comfortably but without needing a recovery. In terms of RPE, that would mean either 8 on / 3 off or 6 on / 5 off. As you can see from the HR graph, I chose the latter on this occasion.

Warm up - 3 mins
First Set - 5 mins on / 1 min off, repeat three times
Second Set - 4 mins on / 1 min off, repeat three times

For a 45-min ride, add another 4 min "on" period before proceeding to the cool down. Otherwise, for an hour-long ride, continue thus:

Third Set - 3 mins on / 30 secs off, repeat three times
Fourth Set - 2 mins on / 30 secs off, repeat three times
Final Set - 1 min on
Cool down - 5 mins

HR Profile:

You should be able to pick out the rising curves of the various sets (3x5min, 3x4min, 3x3min, 3x2min, 1min)

Playlist:
Past - Sub Sub
Trailblazer - DJ Steveboy
Nyah and Ethan - Hans Zimmer