Openers L3 L5

[Frank Van Engelenhoven]

Hi question,

With the L5 block. Is it allowed to give more or maximum power. It felt quite easy. Or do you need to stay in de power zone. ?

Thanks.

[Dave]

Hi Frank,

Real L5 work is hard – if you’re at L5 power for 4 minutes and it still feels easy either your FTP is set too low or your power meter is reading high. I’d track that down first. If you’re confident in both your FTP setting and accuracy of your power meter, the session should feel like you could maybe do one more after your last one…but you sure don’t want to! So, yes, if it still feels easy raise the effort. L5 trains VO2max, and to do that you should be breathing quite hard. Ride hard enough to breathe hard, that should kick in about 90 seconds in and sooner in the later intervals. Don’t go hard enough that you have significant power fade – finish strong.

Coach Dave

[Frank Van Engelenhoven]

Hi Dave. Thanks. The openers in the Masters 40 + plan are only 3x 1 minute effort with 3 minutes recovery each. So What I think it is more an warm up for the next day after (race day). I will keep it in L5 then finish strong and not give too much power so the tank would not be completely empty.

Regards, Frank

[Dave]

Oh I see. One minute openers are definitely not the same as L5 work. One minute is not enough time for perceived exertion to catch up with effort, so they would feel relatively easy. That is by design.

[Author]

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