How to train by feel

A lot of cyclists think you can't train seriously without a power meter. Wrong. The great champions of the '80s and '90s won Tours and Vueltas by reading their bodies, not a screen.

The 5-level effort scale

1. Very easy — you talk effortlessly, breathing is calm.
2. Easy — you can speak in long sentences, slight warmth.
3. Moderate — short sentences, you start to sweat.
4. Hard — only single words, heavy breathing.
5. Very hard — you can't talk, everything burns.

How to apply it to your week

• Long rides: stay at 2. If you finish wrecked, you slipped too far into 3-4.
• VO2max intervals: strict 4-5, with full recovery between reps.
• Recovery: 1-2, no exceptions. Even if you feel fresh.

The golden rule

If you can't repeat today's session tomorrow with the same quality, you overdid it. Training isn't about suffering more, it's about accumulating repeatable stimulus.

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