Endurance Ride Workout
Allow me to be your personal cycling coach for this loop ride. You should not feel out of breath at any point; if you do, pull back on your resistance or slow down your cadence (rate of revolution around the pedal stroke). Work within the recommended effort level, adjusting your resistance or cadence as necessary.
You will stay seated for the duration. Relax your shoulders away from your ears, keep your back straight, and maintain a slight bend in your elbows and an easy grip on the handlebars.
| Minutes | Effort | Description |
| 1 to 5 | 65 percent MHR/easy | Warm-up: Pedal at an easy pace with little resistance. No rush—you're waking up your muscles and easing in. |
| 6 to 10 | 70 percent MHR/moderate | Smooth flat: Add a small amount of resistance and speed up to a slightly faster cadence. Focus on smooth circles as the pedals turn. |
| 11 to 15 | 75 percent MHR/comfortably hard | Windy stretch: Keeping your cadence the same, add a small amount of resistance for 20 seconds, then reduce resistance for 40 seconds. Repeat for entire section. |
| 16 to 20 | 75 percent MHR/ comfortably hard | Moderate hill: Add resistance and slow down your cadence as you climb. |
| 21 to 25 | 70 percent MHR/moderate | Smooth flat: Reduce the resistance back to a flat with a slight amount of resistance. Speed up your cadence. |
| 26 to 30 | 75 percent MHR/comfortably hard | Windy stretch: Keeping your cadence the same, add a small amount of resistance for 20 seconds, then reduce resistance for 40 seconds. Repeat for entire section. |
| 31 to 34 | 75 to 80 percent MHR/ comfortably hard to hard | Last hill: Add resistance and slow down your cadence as you climb. If you want to push harder, add more resistance—the choice is yours. |
| 35 to 40 | 65 percent MHR/ easy | Cooldown: Slow down the pedals and reduce resistance back to a flat road. Let your breathing relax as your heart rate comes down slowly. Feel free to stay here longer if it feels good. |
Make sure you take time to stretch both your upper and lower body off the bike, lengthening the muscles you just worked. Congratulations on a job well done.
We could all use a dial-back in the intensity department once in a while. Find your fitness sweet spot by including a bit of endurance for good measure.
More: How Beginning Runners Can Increase Endurance Without Injury
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