How to train intuitively? For years, I was glued to my computer’s data readings until I realized I had lost touch with what made cycling truly enjoyable. This realization led me to embrace intuitive training, where I shifted my focus from metrics to self-awareness. I abandoned the power meter and used my computer solely for recording purposes.

Today, we have access to many data points while riding: heart rate, cadence, power. However, we should not forget that the ultimate goal of training is to use these to refine our intuition. Unfortunately, for many of us, this information overload has distracted us from the real pleasure of cycling. While we can use this information, it’s important to engage with it consciously—fully aware of the pros and cons. Let’s explore a few strategies I use to train better.

Feeling Your Thresholds

A great way to know which zone you are riding in is to feel where you are relative to your thresholds. How do we know our thresholds? By using our breath. When we are exercising below the first threshold, it feels easy, and you could maintain a conversation; you are in the green zone. As you transition to the yellow zone, you’ll notice a shift. Over that point, breathing becomes significantly stronger, though still controlled. When you pass the second threshold and enter the red zone, you notice another shift in your breathing. It becomes more uncontrolled. Below that point, perceived exertion doesn’t increase much over time, at least initially. Above it, however, every minute can feel harder than the last. Come back to your body and feel the changes.

Rating Your Effort

I really use this a lot for intervals. Sometimes, in the middle of an interval, I just do a quick check-up with myself: “How hard have I ridden so far in this interval?” With that data, I can adjust the pace. If I target a 6/10 but a few minutes in, I realize I’ve averaged a 7, I’ll slow down slightly. The more you practice this, the less you need to test. You understand the purpose of the workout, and your body figures out the right pace. It’s the ultimate connection with your body.

Evaluating Sustainability

For medium and high-intensity sessions, you can ask yourself this great question: “How long can I sustain this pace?” For tempo workouts, aim for a pace that you could maintain for 90 minutes until exhaustion—a great target. For threshold efforts, aim for 60 minutes but mostly stay below the second threshold. Feel that line, caress it! Especially for these steady efforts in the middle zone, it’s easy to get carried away and regret it later. For these, time is still king, as with endurance rides. Power will increase naturally over time, another reason why RPE trumps everything else.

Knowing When It’s Enough

Training should be challenging, though not draining. If you find yourself wolfing down your plate and dozing off right after you come home from your sessions most of the time, you are training too hard! I recommend targeting a 6 to 8 out of 10 for most of your workouts. This rating encompasses both volume and intensity. It’s also exponential, meaning the step from a 9 to a 10 is huge. You generally want to go to a point where RPE/heart rate and output decouple—meaning RPE and heart rate increase for the same output. To summarize, just do some good quality work and be done with it. If you’ve been used to overtraining, you might feel like you are not doing enough at the beginning. Let that fear go. Trust your gut.

Workouts

Below, I list a few workouts to try, always including a warm-up and cool-down. You can also add more easy volume to intense rides, especially as you become more advanced in the sport:

• Endurance Ride: The bread and butter ride, ride easy, focus on volume rather than intensity. Spend the vast majority of time at RPE 4 and below.
• Tempo Intervals: In this steady yellow zone workout, perform several steady-state efforts of 15 minutes or longer at RPE 6.
• Over/unders: A mixed workout, do 2 to 4 minutes at RPE 6, then move the intensity up to RPE 9 for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• 40/20s: A high-intensity session, do a 6-minute block where you do 40 seconds at RPE 9 followed by 20 seconds at RPE 3-4.

This is basically where I am in terms of training philosophy after more than 20 years of practicing this sport. Don’t be a technology slave. I hope this helps you in your own training. Apply these strategies and see how your enjoyment and progression are positively influenced. Share your experiences with intuitive training in the comments below or contact me for tailored advice. Your feedback helps refine these methods and can benefit the whole community.