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The following comments were written by Carmen Monks, who refers to
himself as TOG, short for "the Original Grasshopper."  Carmen has 
been an All-American for several years now, every year that we have
worked together I believe, is a blue collar M2 shirt recipient, (read
about him under Athlete Recognition) and when he comes to race, he 
always leaves it all on the line.

His attention to detail in the workouts is one reason for this.  The
comments that he shares here are excellent.  One thing that I would
note, is that I prefer to warmup for 20-25' for all quality bike
workouts.

TOG's Keys to Successful M2 Bike Workouts:

1.  Pre-workout Understanding and Respect...

Take the time to read the workout carefully prior, instead of just 
"jumping" on the bike, with an eye for workout objectives and gearing 
yourself up mentally for the task at hand...knowledge is power re: M2
terminology, RPE's, HR's, Gearing and RI's

2.  Do a Proper Warm-Up...(vary the gearing)

One that is commensurate with the prescribed workout...thus providing 
yourself with the appropriate platform to "engage" the workout with 
it's specific goals immediately...vs. using the first several repeats
of the workout to warm-up...

In my experience, EA workouts might just require 10-15 minutes...while
the more intense P/S, or Strength workouts require at least 20 minutes 
minimum... 

3.  Total Concentration...

Most workouts require a dedicated level of concentration to attain 
the prescribed goals...They are not constructed so people can make 
personal arbitrary decisions (ie gearing, HR, or RI) due to lack of 
concentration b/c of the television, fluid replacement, towels, or 
pee-breaks...the closer you follow the plan, the quicker you will 
achieve the desired results...

4.  A Willingness to Endure Discomfort...

Sometimes I chuckle when people see me drinking beer or eating a 
chicken wing and coupled with my "not-so-athletic physique, assume 
that I have raised the level of my riding/running with a noticeably
cavalier training program...The fact is that achieving success and 
making contiued progress requires a desire to push through the mental 
barriers we all have and simply suck it up...M2 workouts are hard, and
in my history, that is the only recipe for progress...An athlete's 
mental commitment to success and willingness to "out-suffer" his peers
is the difference between getting the most out of your body, and 
simply relegating yourself to mediocrity... "middle management 
syndrome" I call it...

Is it hard to get up for a trainer workout when it's 90, sunny degrees 
outside and you live in a basement apt. with no natural lighting, the 
answer is clearly yes...But on a daily basis, that's what separates 
the men from the boys...