Even though L3 / Threshold training is our priority this time of year we still want to 'touch' on L4 every 10-14 days in July and August. Increasing to 3-4 L4 interval sessions per month in Septemper and October. This can be done naturally through a local running race, bike race, or local TT. OR through some structured L4 intervals.
If you have not done any L4 training in a while it can be easy to go to hard too quickly during a L4 session which can decrease the quality of the final intervals. This bounding sessions is designed to guide atheltes in a way that allows for a steady build throughout the workout.
Session:
1 x 5 mins L3, 1 x 4 min L4B, 2 – 3 x 4 mins L4
3 minutes recovery (or more)
Terrain: All uphill bounding. Uphill trail or dirt road.
Hill repetition (start every interval in the same place)
Warm Up:
20 minutes easy
5 minutes L2
5 minutes easy with accelerations
5 minutes dynamic stretching
When we execute this session with the BSF group (video above) I have everyone do the first 5-minute L3 interval on their own at their own pace. It can be fun for athletes to mark a line on the ground to indicate how far they go up the hill on the first interval. The goal is to go as far on the last L4 interval as you did on the first 5-minute L3 interval.
Our goal with this session is to have a steady build. By starting each interval at the same place we are not prioritizing recovery time. If jogging easy down the hill takes more than 4 minutes, it’s totally fine. We want to focus on quality interval time rather than forcing a fast recovery this time of year.
We recommend the first 4-minute interval at a L4B pace. If you are not familiar with this term or pace don’t worry. A L4B interval pace is just a heartbeat or two above lactate threshold. This workout is designed to have a skier’s heart rate increase just a few beats each interval. We want to start below Lactate Threshold for the first 5-minute interval, be just above for the first 4-minute interval, and then continue to increase the max heart rate of each additional interval.
Goal:
Our goal is to log some quality L4 training and let the heart rate naturally elevate toward 95% max levels. These intervals do not need to be all out. In fact, if the session is done well it should only feel really hard by the last interval. We add this pacing structure to ensure that athletes do not start some intervals too quickly and compromise the rest of the session. If folks are feeling good by the last interval see if they are welcome to push it and see if they can reach the mark from the first 5-minute effort!
