Supporting Documents
This page contains supporting documents for all of my ready-to-use training plans. If you would like a pdf version of the documents, send me a note and I'm happy to send you a pdf attachment.
Training Intensity and Interval Description
©2002 Gale Bernhardt
A heart rate monitor is an excellent tool to help athletes gauge exercise intensity. Heart rate is a good indicator of your conditioning; present level of rest; the amount of stress you're experiencing; the effects of heat, humidity and fatigue. If you have a heart rate monitor, you should wear it for most of your running and cycling workouts. Whether or not you wear it during a race depends on your experience level and the distance of the event. Experienced athletes are more skilled at judging intensity and pace; whether or not they wear a heart rate monitor during a race tends to be personal preference. Inexperienced athletes can use a heart rate monitor during a race to help them keep from going out too fast and “blowing up” before the end of an event. In general I suggest athletes, experienced or not, wear a heart rate monitor for half-Ironman and Ironman distance racing.
While heart rate is a valuable tool, the subjective measure “rating of perceived exertion” (RPE) is also very useful and no less important than heart rate. Many athletes using one of the training plans for the first time may be new to endurance sports and may not own a heart rate monitor. For them, honing in on RPE intensity is critical.
If you have a heart rate monitor and know your lactate threshold heart rate, you can use the “My Settings” to automatically determine your heart rate training zones. You can also use the table below to calculate the training zones yourself.
If you do not have a heart rate monitor or you are just beginning to use a monitor, use breathing and RPE to estimate the appropriate training zone. For example, when one of the training plans instructs you to swim, ride or run in “Zone 1” use RPE and your breathing to estimate intensity and speed. Note your heart rate, RPE and pace whenever possible so you can begin to correlate the relationship between the three measures.
Ten-minute Time Trial to Estimate Lactate Threshold for Beginners
After gaining some base fitness, you can conduct a short time trial to estimate your lactate threshold heart rate. Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes at RPE Zone 1 to 2. After the warm-up, you are going to run or ride for about 10 minutes, increasing your pace each minute. If you expect to go beyond the first minute, it is obvious you can not sprint. As you increase pace, notice your heart rate at the end of each minute. How do you feel? What is your breathing rate?
There will be a point during your test where your breathing becomes noticeably labored and some while later, a burning sensation begins to creep into your legs. Take note of your heart rate when you first notice that your breathing becomes labored. Use this heart rate as your lactate threshold, for now. Also take note of when you feel the burning sensation. That sensation is often several minutes after your change in breathing. If you use the “burning leg” sensation to estimate lactate threshold heart rate, you might be overestimating your threshold. Overestimating threshold overestimates all the training zones, which means you might be working anaerobically when you intended to work aerobically. The result could be overtraining and underdevelopment of your aerobic system.
As you gain more sport experience, your estimated lactate threshold number can be further refined.
Race or Individual Time Trial of 20 to 30 Minutes
A “beginner athlete” may not mean a “beginner” in endurance sports. Some athletes come to one sport such as triathlon with experience in another sport such as running or cycling. Athletes with experience running 5k or 10k races can estimate lactate threshold heart rate from a race. Some athletes take 30-minutes to complete a 5k race, while others can run a distance of 10k in that time. For this reason, I use race completion time rather than distance to estimate lactate threshold heart rate.
If you are an experienced runner, you can use the average heart rate you achieve during a running race that takes between 20 and 30 minutes to estimate lactate threshold heart rate. This is best accomplished by using a heart rate monitor that calculates average heart rate over a selected interval or period.
The average heart rate you achieve in an all-out 20- or 30-minute race is higher than what you can produce in a 60- to 90-minute all-out race. (Average heart rate produced in a 60- to 90-minute running or cycling event is often lactate threshold heart rate.) For this reason, divide your 20- to 30-minute average race heart rate by 1.04. In other words, this value is about 104 percent of your lactate threshold heart rate.
For example, assume you run a 5k race and it takes you 25 minutes to finish. Collect the average heart rate produced during the race, excluding warm-up and cool down heart rates, to find a value of 170 beats per minute. Your estimated lactate threshold heart rate is 170 divided by 1.04, or a value of 164.
Can you just do your own 20-minute time trial, without going to a race? Yes.
To conduct your own time trial, on the bike or running, find a flat course with no stoplights and minimal distractions. After a good warm-up, start your monitor and time trial as fast as possible for 20 minutes. This means metering your speed so you can produce the highest average, best effort for the full 20 minutes. (Read: Avoid a fast 5-minute effort then a slow fade.) Collect your heart rate average for the time trial and divide this value by 1.02. For example, if your average heart rate for the 20-minute time trial was 160, then threshold heart rate can be estimated by 160 divided by 1.02 or a value of 157.
Different Heart Rate Zones for Different Sports?
Once you’ve determined your threshold heart rate for cycling or running, you can use that heart rate to estimate the second sport. This typically works best for athletes that do not come from a single-sport history. For these athletes, running threshold heart rates tend to run five to 10 beats higher than cycling heart rates. Begin with a seven beat difference and adjust up or down as you gain more experience. For example, if your cycling threshold heart rate is 157, estimate your running threshold at 164.
Know that in some research, triathletes have heart threshold heart rates that were equal in cycling and running. Other athletes that came from a single-sport history could drive high LT heart rates in their primary sport, but not in the secondary sport.
You can use the tests as a starting place. As you get more experience, you may find that you need to fine-tune your training and racing zones.
Swimming
For swimming intensity, see the Swimming Instruction section.
Shorthand for Intervals
For many of the training plans, intervals are included. For example, the plan may note:
4-6 x 4 minutes Z3, (1:00 RI)
For the sample workout, after your warm-up proceed to the intervals. As soon as you increase speed, the interval time begins. Gently increase speed until heart rate is in Zone 3 (Z3), then hold heart rate in that zone until the end of the interval. During the interval, speed may increase or decrease, depending on course conditions, but try to hold a steady Zone 3 heart rate once it has been achieved. The rest intervals are designated like the swim sessions, where (1:00RI) means a one-minute rest interval. During the rest time, spin or jog easy and at a low rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Heart rate should drop into Zone 1 or below during the rest interval. After finishing all the work intervals, be sure to cool down.
As you progress through the training plans and become more focused on improving your time, pace and power workouts are scheduled. If a plan requires that you know your average pace for running a 10k, for example, the plan description lets you know. Power meters are becoming more common as a training tool for cycling. A few of the training plans give instructions for athletes owning a power meter. None of the training plans “require” a power meter.
For more detailed information on energy production and exercise intensity, see Chapter 2 of Training Plans for Multisport Athletes.
Reference Scale for Rating of Perceived Exertion and Training Zones
Gale Bernhardt©2003
Zone |
Swim Pace |
Percent of Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (Bike) |
Percent of Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (Run) |
Rating of Perceived Exertion or RPE—(Borg Scale) |
Breathing and Perception Using Running as the Example |
Purpose and Cross-reference of Terms Commonly Used To Describe Each Zone |
1 |
Work on form, no clock watching. |
80 and less |
84 and less |
6-9 |
Gentle rhythmic breathing. Pace is easy and relaxed. For running, intensity is a jog or trot. |
Easy, Aerobic, Recovery |
2 |
T-pace + 10 sec per 100 |
81-88 |
85-91 |
10-12 |
Breathing rate and pace increase slightly. Many notice a change with slightly deeper breathing, although still comfortable. Running pace remains comfortable and conversations possible. |
Aerobic, Extensive Endurance, Aerobic Threshold Endurance Ironman-distance race pace for beginners is typically within Zones 1and 2. |
3 |
T-Pace + 5 sec per 100 |
89-93 |
92-95 |
13-14 |
Aware of breathing a little harder, pace is moderate. It is more difficult to hold conversation. |
Tempo, Intensive Endurance Ironman-distance race pace for experienced athletes is typically within Zones 1 to 3 |
4 |
T-Pace |
94-99 |
96-99 |
15-16 |
Starting to breathe hard, pace is fast and beginning to get uncomfortable, approaching all-out one-hour run pace. |
Subthreshold, Muscular Endurance, Threshold-Endurance, Anaerobic Threshold Endurance |
5a |
T-Pace |
100-102 |
100-102 |
17 |
Breathing deep and forceful, many notice a second significant change in breathing pattern. Pace is all-out sustainable for one- to one-and-a-half hours. Mental focus required, moderately uncomfortable and conversation undesirable. |
Lactate Threshold Endurance, Anaerobic Threshold Endurance, Superthreshold, Muscular Endurance Olympic-distance race pace is typically Zones 4 to 5a for experienced athletes, Zones 1 to 3 for inexperienced athletes. |
5b |
T-Pace – 5 sec per 100 |
103-105 |
103-106 |
18-19 |
Heavy, labored breathing. Pace is noticeably challenging but sustainable for 15 to 30 minutes. Discomfort is high but manageable. |
Aerobic Capacity, Speed Endurance, Anaerobic Endurance Sprint-distance race pace is typically Zones 4-5b, with limited 5c for experienced athletes. |
5c |
As Fast as Possible |
106+ |
107+ |
20 |
Maximal exertion in breathing, pace is sprinting effort, high discomfort that is unsustainable for over one minute. |
Anaerobic Capacity, Power |
Swimming instructions in the training plans vary, depending on the plan. Some of the training plans have specific swim workouts for beginner swimmers, while others do not. (See Q and A below.) Most all of the training plans have swimming intensity instructions (review the Intensity Instructions document), to guide you during a masters swimming session. Included in this section are a few tips to help guide you through the swim workouts.
In general:
In all workouts where an optional main set is included, warm-up with your choice of mixed swimming, drills and kicks. For beginning swimmers this may total 200 to 400 yards. For experienced swimmers, more warm-up may be required.
After the main set, cool down with a few hundred yards of easy swimming.
E1 – Swim at an easy Zone 1 pace. If you are feeling tired, cut this workout down or eliminate it altogether and take the day off. Focus on drills and good form.
E2 – Swim anywhere in Zone 1 or 2. The goal is not to maximize Zone 2 time. If you feel great, more Zone 2 is fine.
E3 – Swim anywhere between Zone 1 and 3. Most often, the main set is intended to be done at Zone 3 intensity.
For the half-Ironman and Ironman plans:
Although "yards" may be used in the descriptions, if your pool is meters, just substitute "meters" in the text. Some swims are labeled E3 and include an optional main set. The main set of the numbered swims is intended to be Zone 3 pace, which is T-Pace to T-Pace plus 5 seconds per 100 yards. To determine your T-Pace (Threshold, Time Trial or Test Pace) conduct the test when you're rested and prior to beginning the plan. The test:
T-Pace – After a good warm-up lasting 10 to 20 minutes, swim 3 x 300s with 30 seconds rest between each 300. The goal of the set is to swim at the highest average speed possible. An accurate test is when all three 300s are within 15 seconds of each other. In other words, do not swim a fast, first 300 and have the third 300 be 20, or more, seconds slower. Watch the clock and get your time on each 300. Average the time for all three 300s and divide the average by three to establish a T-Pace, for a 100 yard distance. For example, if you swam a 4:05, 4:00 and 4:08 for each of the 300s, the average time 4:04. Divide that result by three to obtain a T-Pace of 1:21 for 100 yards. Divide by two to get the 50-yard T-Pace of 40 seconds.
In all workouts where an optional main set is included, warm-up with your choice of mixed swimming, drills and kicks totaling 800 to 1500 yards. After the main set, cool down with a few hundred yards of easy swimming. The symbol (RI) means rest interval, so (0:20RI) means a 20-second rest interval.
The numbered workouts are break through sessions (BT) and the major goal each workout is to swim even splits for each segment. For example, in Swim #1 of the “13 Weeks to a sub-13-Hour Ironman Distance Plan” reads:
5-7 x 200 (0:30RI) @ T-Pace, 1:00 RI, 5-7 x 100 (0:20RI) @ T-Pace
200 repeat times are within about 10 seconds of each other, followed by 100 repeats that are all within 5 seconds of each other. You're striving for a high average speed.
Q & A
Q – I see “Workouts in a Binder” mentioned on the swimming instructions preview, do I need to purchase that product to successfully complete the program?
A – Swimming is a bugger for several reasons. One is that some people prefer swimming with a masters group and do not want specific workouts for the swim portion of the plan. They want guidelines for what kind of intensity to hold during the masters workout. Others prefer suggested workouts, but they want to modify any suggestion to meet personal needs. (Because people with a swimming background can complete significantly more yards during a particular one-hour swim workout than a beginning swimmer can.)
For the reasons stated above, I did not bundle a purchase of “Workouts in a Binder” with the training plans; but left that product as an optional purchase, available at this link. This product is totally waterproof workouts designed with two levels for each workout. Those levels can also be modified to meet the needs of shorter workouts. This design was conceived to eliminate the frustration associated with printing workouts onto paper, putting them in a baggie, only to get mid-way through the set and find water leaked into the bag and destroyed the workout.
You can also look at the US Masters website for more workout ideas at http://www.usms.org/training/workouts.htm.
Warm-up and Cool Down
©2002 Gale Bernhardt
Although some workouts within the training plans specify a warm-up or cool down time, most do not. For each and every workout, include some warm-up and cool down time. How much time to include depends on your current level of fitness, the type of workout you are about to complete, length of workout and the intensity of the main set of the workout.
A good warm-up permits a gradual increase in metabolic processes and prevents premature accumulation of lactic acid. At low levels, lactic acid is not a problem. As you continue to increase your intensity, the body increases energy production, relying more heavily on anaerobic metabolism (energy produced without oxygen.) More reliance on anaerobic metabolism means the lactate level in your blood increases. When you sprint, you can feel your muscles flood with lactate and your muscles seem to burn from the intensity.
Athletes with higher levels of fitness require more warm-up than those with lower levels of fitness. For example, cyclists accustomed to riding three to four hours on a regular basis require more warm-up time than those accustomed to riding a total of one hour.
Cool down or a gradual decrease in intensity prevents blood from pooling in your extremities and an overly rapid drop in blood pressure. This reduces the likelihood of lightheadedness and fainting. A cool down helps prevent muscle spasms and cramping and speeds the recovery process. Cool down should be sufficient to reduce heart rate; but not so long as to delay recovery.
You also need to warm up and cool down at races. Events that are short, very intense and anaerobic require more warm-up than long, mostly aerobic (energy produced with oxygen) events.
If the training plan has a specific swim workout posted on the online system, typically the warm-up and cool down are not included in the description, only the main set is listed. It is up to the athlete to include a warm-up and cool down appropriate for his or her fitness level.
Some of you may swim with a masters program and that’s great. On several of the plans, a workout intensity is suggested for your masters session. If you swim on your own and need ideas for swim workouts, check out Workouts in a Binder for Triathletes.
Strength Training
©2002 Gale Bernhardt
Some of the training plans do not have strength training specified within the plan. If this is the case and you already have a strength training routine, you can continue to use your current program. Try to strength train on a day that is designated as a “day off” or on a day that has a less strenuous workout. If you find that your program makes you sore or leaves your legs or arms feeling “dead” for endurance workouts, you may want to reduce the sets and repetitions you are doing.
A number of the training plans have strength training days designated within the plan. You can continue to use your own routine or use the routine designated by the plan.
Before beginning your strength training workout, be sure to do a 10- to 30-minute aerobic workout as a warm-up. After each strength training session, an easy spin on a stationary bike for 5- to 10-minutes is a good cool down. Running as a cool down is not recommended.
Can you complete an aerobic workout (a scheduled swim, bike or run) before strength training and use that as the warm-up? Yes, however, doing a difficult aerobic session (hills or intervals) is not recommended before strength training.
If you want to implement a strength training routine, a list of exercises to consider follows:
Minimum Exercises
- Hip extension (squat, leg press or step-up)
- Standing bent-arm lat pull down (bent at the same angle as during freestyle swimming)
- Chest press or push ups
- Seated row
- Abdominal curls (core body work)
- Back extensions (core body work)
Recommended Additional Exercises (Depends on personal weaknesses, racing limiters, time and energy)
- Hip extension (select a different exercise than #1 above)
- Hamstring curl
- Knee extension
- Heel raise
- Adductors
- Abductors
- Additional core body work
The list of Minimal Exercises is for very busy athletes looking for efficiency. The Recommended Additional Exercises list is for athletes having more time to train or having personal weaknesses that limit race performance. The listed exercises are a start. Once you have an established routine, there are a number of strength training exercises that can be substituted to improve your sport and lifestyle strength. Those exercises are not covered in this document.
Each strength training phase is outlined below:
AA: Anatomical Adaptation: Complete 2 to 3 sets x 15 to 20 repetitions (reps) of exercises 1 through 6. Exercises 7 through 8 are optional.
MS: Maximum Strength: After the warm-up complete 4 to 6 sets of the bold-faced exercises. (Exercises 1 through 6 are the minimal exercise plan.) Begin with a light weight and 15 repetitions (reps), increase weight and 10 reps, increase and 8 reps, increase again and 1 to 3 sets of 3 to 6 reps. All other exercises, 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
ME: Muscular Endurance: Warm up aerobically, running or cycling for 10-20 minutes, then complete 2 to 4 sets x 40 to 50 reps of each hip extension, lat-pull down and seated row. All other exercises are 2 to 4 sets x 12 to 15 reps using a moderate weight.
PE: Power Endurance: Warm up cycling or running for 10 to 30 minutes. Do the same exercises you have been doing in MS, but reduce the weight and do 3 to 4 sets x 8 to 15 reps. The weight should feel “moderate” – not heavy and not light.
PE-Plyo: Power Endurance With Plyometrics: Warm up cycling or running 10 to 30 minutes. Complete the designated plyometric workout, then lift weights. Do the same exercises you have been doing in MS, but reduce the weight and do 3 to 4 sets x 8 to15 reps. The weight should feel “moderate” – not heavy and not light.
SM: Strength Maintenance: Warm up cycling or running 10 to 30 minutes. For your hip extension exercise complete 1 set of 20 reps at a light weight, increase the weight and do 1 to 2 sets x 12 reps (moderate weight), increase the weight and do 1 to 2 sets x 6-8 reps (difficult, but not gut-busting hard.) For the remaining exercises, complete 2-3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Decrease the sets and weight in heavy racing periods.
For photographs of the exercises, see the book Triathlon Training Basics
Exercise Fueling and Hydration
©2002 Gale Bernhardt
This information sheet is too short to get into much detail on nutrition so only the basics are covered. Good nutrition is simple: eat a large variety of minimally processed foods. This means you should consume fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. These foods are full of vitamins, minerals and phyotchemicals. Highly processed foods have limited nutritional value.
If you want more information on the nutrient breakdown in foods, there are a number of good reference books. One good reference is The NutriBase Nutrition Facts Desk Reference by Dr. Art Ulene.
In addition to high quality fuels, hydration is important. On a daily basis, drink enough water so that your urine is a very light yellow color. Dark yellow urine is one sign of dehydration. Another guideline is to drink when you are thirsty – which means you must pay attention to your body’s signals.
For long workouts (those over an hour) scheduled in any of the training plans, carry a sports drink – or water supplemented with a solid or semi-solid food. Examples of solid and semi-solid foods are bananas, homemade sandwiches, pretzels, gels and sport bars. Some athletes prefer solid foods, while others prefer energy drinks. The drink and solid foods can contain some protein, but try to keep the fat content minimized.
You are fueling with calories during longer workouts because the body can store enough glycogen to get you through about 90 minutes of exercise, plus or minus. The longer the race or workout, the more critical proper fueling becomes.
Practice your fueling and hydration techniques on a regular schedule, within a workout. For example, plan to fuel and hydrate each 15 to 20 minutes during a long or intense workout. Early and steady fueling prevents the dreaded “bonk.” Practicing your fueling and hydration during workouts pays dividends on race day.
Some experts recommend only drinking when you are thirsty and eating when hungry. My experience is that many athletes get behind on hydration and fueling using this strategy. I believe a combination of regular intervals tempered with how you feel is best.
For an event that is one to three hours long, most athletes are fine consuming 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate (120 to 240 calories) per hour. For races three hours and longer, athletes will range from 250 to 400 calories per hour.
Finding the right hydration and fueling formal is very individual. This is something you have to experiment with and determine what consumption rate is right for you and the workout or race conditions. Know that larger athletes need more calories than smaller athletes and a fast pace burns more calories than a slow pace.
For instructions on how to estimate daily caloric needs in addition to exercise needs, see Chapter 3 of Training Plans for Multisport Athletes.
Plan ahead and calculate what fluids and fuel you need during the race. Find out what fuels are offered by the race director. If the energy drink at the aid stations upsets your stomach, you may have to carry your own sports drink.
Athletes competing in Ironman distance events should have a written nutrition plan prior to race day. This nutrition plan should be rehearsed during long training sessions. Also, most long-distance athletes need to consume fuels with some balance of electrolytes (sodium, magnesium and potassium.) Fueling for an ironman distance race is critical.
It is important to know that you will need to adjust fueling and hydration rates to fit each situation. A few of the items that affect fueling and hydration rates include pace, the length of the race and the race conditions (hot, cold, humid, etc.)
What should you eat for breakfast on race day?
Great question. A good rule of thumb for breakfast is to consume one to four grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight (kilogram body weight is weight in pounds divided by 2.2), one to four hours prior to the race. The closer you eat prior to the race start, the fewer calories you should consume. This is particularly true for short, high intensity races.
What about after the race?
Post-long workouts or races, you need to focus on recovery. You can speed recovery by consuming liquid or solid fuel within 20 to 30 minutes after exercise. The fuel should contain some carbohydrate, protein and minimal fat. Approximately 1.5 to 1.6 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and 0.4 to 0.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is a good start. Don’t worry too much if the ratio of carbohydrate to protein isn’t exact.
Know there is some flexibility on the 20- to 30-minute window and it depends on how you’ve been fueling during the workout. Test different strategies in training to know what works best for you.
Recovery after a Race
©2002 Gale Bernhardt
At least once a week during race season I receive an email asking, “How long should it take me to recover from my race?” That’s a great question.
The first question I ask is, “What sport did you race?” In general, given the three sports of cycling, triathlon and running, people typically recover faster from a three-hour road race than they do from a three-hour running event. Triathlon recovery falls between cycling and running. While some people prefer to use miles logged in the race as the measuring stick, I use race time.
Recovery time does depend on many factors. Several of the factors are discussed later in the document. A starting point to estimate your recovery time is:
Bicycle Races: 1 to 3 days per hour of racing
Triathlon Races: 3 to 5 days per hour of racing
Running Races: 4 to 6 days per hour of racing
In the list above, I am referring to full recovery or the next time you can do a difficult or break through workout without that workout being compromised in any way by fatigue. You might feel good enough to do a moderate workout in half the time listed above, but you won’t be ready to do a hard session or another race.
I have found how fast an athlete recovers from an event depends on several factors before, during and after the race. These factors are “modifiers” and are relative to each sport and the individual athlete. A table of modifiers follows.
Ranking Value of Factors Affecting Post-Race Recovery.
The More Number 3 Rankings, The Slower The Recovery Rate.
Ranking Value |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Before the Race |
|
|
|
|
< 40 |
40-60 |
60+ |
|
High |
Medium |
Low |
|
Great |
Average |
Poor |
|
Great |
Average |
Poor |
|
>10 years |
5-10 years |
<5 years |
|
Low |
Medium |
High |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Race |
|
|
|
|
Cycling |
Triathlon |
Running |
|
Short |
Medium |
Long |
|
Using it as a training day |
Medium intensity |
All-out, highest average speed |
|
Great |
Average |
Poor |
|
Easy |
Moderate |
Difficult |
|
Perfect |
Okay |
Bad |
|
|
|
|
After the Race |
|
|
|
|
Great |
Average |
Poor |
|
Low |
Medium |
High |
|
Easy/Short |
Moderate |
Fast and/or Long |
To use an extreme example, an athlete completing a two-hour triathlon, with all factors in the number 1 column will likely recover in about six days. If that same athlete has all factors in the number 3 column, full recovery from the race may take as much as 10 days – assuming no injury or illness. Add illness or injury and recovery time is extended.
When heading into the next race, if you make a good effort to control some of the factors listed on the chart, you can expect a faster recovery.
Workout Codes
©2002 Gale Bernhardt
Throughout my training plans, you will notice several workout codes such as E, T, etc. Each letter defines a particular type of workout, intended to give you specific benefit:
E – Endurance: Workouts in this category are aerobic (with oxygen) in nature and are typically for recovery and building or maintaining endurance. The majority of the energy to complete an endurance workout comes from the body utilizing oxygen and fat as fuel. Some energy is provided by the anaerobic (without oxygen) system, but the majority of fuel is provided aerobically.
If Zone 3 (see the intensity section) is included in endurance workout, low-end lactate threshold work is accomplished and more fuel is provided by the anaerobic system.
M – Muscular Endurance: Workouts in this category are intended to work on lactate threshold speed and lactate tolerance.
A – Anaerobic Endurance: Workouts in this category work on speed-endurance or aerobic capacity. They are titled anaerobic (without oxygen) because a greater percentage of the energy comes from metabolic systems not utilizing oxygen and fat as the major sources of fuel. A good percentage of the energy comes from glycogen. The aerobic system is still working, but the percentage of work provided by the aerobic system is decreased, compared to an endurance workout.
S – Speed Skill: The workouts in this category are intended to work on sport economy. Improving economy means using less oxygen to travel at a given pace. These workouts typically work on sport form or higher speeds for very short periods of time such as 20 to 30 seconds.
T—Testing: This is a test workout to benchmark or measure your current level of fitness. One “bad” test does not mean you are failing in your training. Tests should be used in combination with other workout data to determine if you are making progress.
F – Force: Think of these workouts as sport-specific strength building. For swimming the workout utilizes paddles. For bicycling or running, hill work is often included to improve force.
P – Power: Power is the ability to apply relatively large forces for a given period of time. A sprinter needs huge power output for short periods of time. Athletes racing drafting-style events require large power capabilities to bridge a gap to the peloton. Power workouts are not prescribed for many of the prebuilt plans.
XT – Crosstraining: Suggestions for crosstraining activities include hiking, roller blading and cross-country skiing. Which cross training activities you chose depends on the goal you are trying to achieve.
R/W – Run/Walk: Some plans have training that alternates running and walking.
Weights: The codes for weights are in the Strength Training document.
You will notice the codes have numbers and letters as well, such as E2a. These numbers and secondary letters are a way to categorize the workouts so I can keep track of them. All the details you need for any given code are given within that particular workout so you don’t need to print lists of references for workouts.
Power Meters
©2009 Gale Bernhardt
Training with power is becoming more popular and that is good news because there are several power meter companies competing for your business. This means decreasing costs to the consumer.
You can blend the use of a power meter with the heart rate intervals given in the training plans, using the guidelines covered in the paragraphs that follow.
When you test for lactate threshold heart rate using the time trial outlined in the Intensity Document found in the document download section, use the 30-minute time frame. Using your power meter, collect the average power you produced during the 30-minute period, along with the average heart rate you produced.
To estimate lactate threshold power, take the average power produced during the 30-minute time trial and subtract five percent. For example, if your 30-minute time trial average power was 250 watts, your lactate threshold power is approximately 250 minus 250 multiplied by 0.05 or 238 watts. Use the table within this attachment to estimate the rest of your training zones, based on a threshold power of 238.
To use power-based intervals in the training plans, utilize the range of power in that zone. Begin with power in the low end of the zone and progress to power in the high end of the zone as you progress.
For example, if lactate threshold power is 238 watts, the interval power range for Zone 4 is 259 to 282 watts. If a workout calls for 4 x 6 minutes at Zone 4 intensity, instead of shooting for a heart rate, aim for 259 to 282 watts. It is best to begin on the low end of the wattage on the first interval and plan to finish strong on the last interval, producing average wattage at the high end of the zone.
When training with power, notice how your heart rate responds to the power-based intervals. Combining heart rate, power and RPE is the best of all worlds. You will notice that the three numbers may not match past performances for a given situation. If this happens, evaluate what is causing this to happen. Know that your fitness, life stresses, weather, course profile and current fatigue levels all affect the numbers.
Reference Scale for Rating of Perceived Exertion and Training Zones
Available in Training Plans for Cyclists, ©Gale Bernhardt, VeloPress, 2009.
Zone Zone |
Percent of Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (Bike) |
Rating of Perceived Exertion or RPE—(Original Borg Scale) |
Rating of Perceived Exertion or RPE—(New Borg Scale) |
Percent of Lactate Threshold Power |
Breathing and Perception Using Cycling as the Example |
Purpose and Cross-reference of Terms Commonly Used To Describe Each Zone |
1 |
80 and less |
6-9 |
1-2 |
55 and less |
Gentle rhythmic breathing. Pace is easy with legs feeling relaxed, minimal pressure on the pedals. Easy spinning. |
Easy, Aerobic, Recovery |
2 |
81-88 |
10-12 |
3-4 |
56-75 |
Breathing rate and pace increase slightly. Many notice a change with slightly deeper breathing, although still comfortable. Legs remain comfortable and conversations possible. |
Aerobic, Extensive Endurance, Aerobic Threshold Endurance (Note: Some coaches call this region Lactate Threshold. See text for details.)
|
3 |
89-93 |
13-14 |
4-5 |
76-90 |
Aware of breathing a little harder, pace is moderate. Legs begin to feel some stress and it is more difficult to hold conversation. |
Tempo, Intensive Endurance
|
4 |
94-99 |
15-16 |
6 |
91-99 |
Starting to breathe hard, pace is fast and beginning to get uncomfortable, approaching all-out one-hour ride pace. |
Subthreshold, Muscular Endurance, Threshold-Endurance, Anaerobic Threshold Endurance |
5a |
100-102 |
17 |
7 |
100-105 |
Breathing deep and forceful, many notice a second significant change in breathing pattern. Pace is all-out sustainable for one- to one-and-a-half hours. Mental focus required, legs are moderately uncomfortable and conversation is undesirable. |
Lactate Threshold Endurance, Anaerobic Threshold Endurance, Superthreshold, Muscular Endurance
|
5b |
103-105 |
18-19 |
8-9 |
106-120 |
Heavy, labored breathing. Pace is noticeably challenging but sustainable for 15 to 30 minutes. Leg discomfort is high but manageable. |
Aerobic Capacity, Speed Endurance, Anaerobic Endurance
|
5c |
106+ |
20 |
10 |
121+ |
Maximal exertion in breathing, pace is sprinting effort, legs experience high discomfort that is unsustainable for over one minute. |
Anaerobic Capacity, Power |
For athletes having access to multiple power systems, it is important to note that power output on System 1 is relative to System 1 and power output on System 2 is relative to System 2. Your power output from System 1 may not match System 2. Translated, it means that power output values from the two systems may not match.