Q: I train by HR on the bike, and use gears + cadence as a measure of 'power'. On the Squad workouts there is both power & HR limits listed and I usually aim towards the higher HR for each rep / session. 

Should I ramp up the power / higher gear to bring the HR up quickly & then taper off, both for each individual rep, and also as the overall workout progress ? Or should I maintain a cadence and gear and let my HR drift up ?

Same question for the run - do I go out hard and get the HR up, and then ease back on the pace or maintain the pace and let my heart catch up ? The question of pace v's HR for the run is more relevant at the start of a race. 

A: Thanks for the great question! We do not want you to chase a quick HR spike. Instead, choose the effort that you think heart rate will eventually respond to. This is a challenge for intervals 2 min or under. So you have to get familiar with rate of perceived exertion or RPE for that given “heart rate” as it likely won’t reach that HR response until 85% done with the interval or once the interval is over. That is ok!