How to incorporate training into your commute

Do you commute to work or school? If your commute is a reasonable ride—say, over half an hour—you can use it to complement or replace your regular rides before or after work. The good news is that no matter what, you’re getting in some miles. Adding some intensity—whether through spontaneous efforts or structured intervals—is a great way to make the most of your commute.

Using your commute as training can be simpler on the brain too, as it doesn’t necessarily need to be as structured as regular workouts. You’re riding your bike anyway, so why not throw in some efforts along the way? Even if you have a second bike for commuting—a beater version, say, compared to your regular bike—you can still use it to give ‘er. And when you do ride your nicer bike, how much nicer will it feel? Think about how baseball players warm up with weighted donuts on their bats. When they go to the plate, that lumber must sure feel light!

Proper intervals during your commute

TrainingPeaks has several good workouts that you can integrate into your commute. It’s key, of course, to make sure you are well-rested before intensity, and limit it to only a few days a week to make the most gains. Coach Jason Short recommends a few different ones, depending on the length of your ride.

How to stay cool while commuting in the heat

For your commute, you can vary your tempo intervals based on your readiness. Start with a 1 x 10-minute tempo interval (77-91 per cent of threshold power or 86-94 per cent of threshold HR) on the way to and from work. If that feels too easy but you’re not ready for longer intervals, try 2 x 10-minute tempo intervals with a 10-minute recovery between intervals. For those ready for longer efforts, aim for a 1 x 20-minute tempo interval on each leg of your commute. Short says that tempo intervals work the upper end of the aerobic system and the lower end of the glycolytic system (the energy system that fuels short, high-intensity efforts).

Just get KOMs

This is a more fun way to get some intensity in your ride. If you’re doing the same route every day, why not pick certain segments and try to break some records? You can check out the Strava KOMs before and pick whichever you want to use as your workout. If you feel like working on your sprints, pick several short 30-second segments. If you’re looking for a longer interval, pick a few but be sure there is adequate rest in between. Although a structured workout usually involves doing…