First "Carmichael"
Trainer Ride: Carmichael
Miles: 11.1
Time: 45 min.
Ave Speed: 14.8 mph
2018/19 Indoor Miles: 29.1
2018 Season Outdoor Miles: 1,188
The Story
It came early this year, my first "Carmichael" 45-minute workout on the old Klein set up on my trainer inside.
I'll repeat the story of this winter-time workout and then post the deets (as the kids say) just this once so you can try it if you want.
I ran across this workout in an old issue of Bicycling Magazine from years ago, you remember, back when Chris Carmichael was helping train Lance Armstrong years before LA would admit to being a cheater and a liar.
When Chris Carmichael's book on fitness and training came out I interviewed him in person on the radio. When he walked into the studio I jokingly said, "Geez, it looks like you've put on weight." Of course I was kidding, and he got a kick out of it AFTER a few seconds of tense!
Anyway, I cut the 45-minute hotel workout article out of the magazine and still have it next to the bike on my trainer, calling it my Carmichael workout.
Got 45 minutes to get a sweat on? Try this.
Think of three levels of effort:
-easy
-medium
-hard
Start in the easiest gear you are going to use, and shift into a harder gear for each level of effort you go up.
Keeping that in mind, here is the breakdown;
8:00 warmup--EASY
1:00 fast spin--EASY, but a quicker rpm without a gear change
:30 recovery--EASY
1:00 fast spin again, same as above
:30 recovery--EASY
2:00 medium effort
1:00 hard effort
2:00 medium effort
1:00 hard effort
2:00 medium effort
1:00 hard effort
(You're now at the 20:00 mark total)
6:00 EASY recovery in easiest gear you started in
(At 26:00 total in now)
2:00 medium effort
1:00 hard effort
2:00 medium effort
1:00 hard effort
2:00 medium effort
1:00 hard effort
(At 35:00 total now)
10:00 EASY effort
To break up this last 10 minutes I usually go down to EASY effort for half of that, then throw in a medium effort for a couple of minutes before the final cool down.
And that's the Carmichael.
I try to do one or two of these a week as my heavier workout days. It has served me well for being in pretty good shape once the spring outdoor riding season comes calling.