THE AZ OF TRAINING JARGON
AEROBIC
Definition: Effort relying principally on energy generated by the body’s aerobic (with oxygen) system.
Usage example: “I’m going to build my aerobic base this winter.”
How useful it is: The majority of your cycling will take place in the aerobic ‘zones’ (more on zones later). Improving your body’s ability to generate energy using oxygen will leave you with a rocksolid aerobic base, and is just as key for a club rider as it is for a rider in the professional peloton.
Usefulness rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
ANAEROBIC
Definition: High-intensity effort relying principally on energy generated by the breakdown of glucose anaerobically (without oxygen).
Usage example: “Those anaerobic intervals killed me.”
How useful it is: The yin to aerobic’s yang, this energy system is used for those short, sharp efforts of less than a minute – either when sprinting for the line or trying to not get dropped from the break. Improving your anaerobic capacity (the amount of work you can sustain above your lactate threshold) with high-intensity interval training boosts your lactate tolerance and drags your aerobic base up with it too.
Usefulness rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
AVERAGE POWER
Definition: Literally the average watts from your entire ride.
Usage example: “How do Tour de France riders average 300 watts for four hours straight?!”
How useful it is: Unlike normalised power, average power includes any time spent coasting, so it doesn’t always accurately show how hard you rode.
Usefulness rating: ⋆⋆
BONK
Definition: No sniggering at the back. This informal term describes the feeling of being past your limit and unable to go on. It’s backed up scientifically too, with most research suggesting it’s the moment you run out of glycogen stores, when the body is forced to convert other, less efficient sources (fat, protein) into energy.
Usage example: “I bonked hard on my first 100-miler.”
Bonking is a sign that you haven’t taken your nutrition seriously enough. A rule of thumb is to carb-load with eight to 10g carbs per kilo of bodyweight per day up to 48 hours before a demanding ride of longer than 75 minutes, and consume 30-90g of
