Deeply Anaerobic

Any pro racer will tell you that the only real training is done at racing pace. For myself, when I got back into serious riding four years ago I followed the advice in a terrific book on bike training to the letter and got into very good shape. I determined what my HR zones were, did intervals based on all the research and got my ass handed to me in races until I began participating in various group rides and club races. After only a few weeks of racing and race simulation my resting HR plunged and my ability to work through pain exploded. The effort you generate to avoid getting dropped by the pack is way different than that which is prodded by a beeping heart rate monitor. My advice is that HRMs are better at diagnostics than they are at coaching.