Everyone has limiters, but those of us who are willing to acknowledge and address them usually see the most success. As humans, we tend to devote more time to areas where we excel and avoid areas that need the most work, making it even more important to deliberately set aside time to focus on our limiters. 

This is the perfect time of year to focus on your limiters for each leg of the race, but be advised: Check your ego at the door!

Swimming Focus Areas: Form and Anaerobic Power 

Form & Technique 

Take time to identify and correct inefficiencies within your stroke. Video analysis (above water and underwater) or working with a qualified coach/instructor in person is often very helpful with this. Because interval times are not crucial for every workout right now, take a step back and break down your stroke to see if any glaring issues come to the surface. 

Anaerobic Power / Short Intervals 

Since the focus isn’t on building volume or longer tempo sets yet, it’s a great time to incorporate short bouts of high intensity with moderate rest (25-50 yd sprint intervals with adequate recovery) to improve your anaerobic power. Anaerobic means  “without oxygen,” so we use different energy systems within the body aside from the aerobic “with oxygen” system. Take the time to build this energy system now – you’ll be thankful you did come summer.

Cycling Focus Areas: Handling, Imbalances and Anaerobic Power 

Bike Handling & Balance 

If you have trouble accessing your water bottle while riding, it’s a good idea to start working on it now. While on the trainer, try riding with only one arm for short periods (10-20 seconds) at a time. Switch arms and notice any differences on either side. If you aren’t able to do this on the indoor trainer, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to replicate it outside on the road. 

Alternatively, if you find this easy, try riding without holding the handlebars at all. This is a great way to engage your core on the bike and improve your balance on the bike. Take note of any strengths/weaknesses on one side or the other.

Muscle Imbalances 

It’s extremely uncommon to be exactly even on both sides of your body. Usually, one leg is slightly stronger than the other, or perhaps your quadriceps dominate your hamstrings. 

What muscle groups are most fatigued when you finish a hard bike workout? If your answer is your quads, then you may be pushing too much and not pulling enough. If your answer is your hamstrings, the opposite would be true. 

Are you using your glutes enough? Maintaining consistent power into the pedals throughout the entire pedal stroke is key for efficient cycling. This requires using ALL leg muscles at the appropriate time. If you have trouble maintaining even power and cadence, identify where you feel imbalances. 

If you really want to go the extra mile (pun intended), give this at-home movement test a try to help you identify muscle imbalances: Identifying Movement Imbalances At Home

Anaerobic Power / Short Intervals

Similar to swimming, the focus during this time of year is not usually on building volume or long work sets. Athletes who’ve been working with me for a while know firsthand we incorporate high-intensity intervals on a regular basis (Z5-Z6 efforts). These sessions are typically about 45-60 minutes long and provide a great bang for your buck. You can really boost your neuromuscular capabilities while also tapping into different energy systems within the body.

Bike Fit

If your last bike fitting was more than two years ago, it’s probably wise to schedule one soon. This isn’t something you want to do during the racing season or even leading up to it. You usually need some time to get acclimated to any adjustments made during your bike fitting, which means winter is generally the most appropriate time for this to be done. 

Running Focus Areas: Form & Breathing 

Form & Technique 

If your running form could use some work, this is a great time to identify potential problem areas and work on modifications. A gait analysis is a great way to identify inefficiencies in your running form. 

On the other hand, if you have good running mechanics, focus on efficiency and strength instead. Improving cadence, hill running, and working on some drills after your runs will pay dividends come race season.

Breathing 

Are you a chest breather? If you’re not sure, then you probably are. Diaphragmatic breathing (basically, into the belly) is more efficient and controls heart rate better than traditional chest breathing. If you’ve never tried this breathing method before or have struggled to utilize it, this is a great time to practice. It’s best to try it on easy/recovery runs before attempting it during harder sessions. You can even work on it during easier cycling sessions first and then transition over to running when you feel more comfortable.  

Strength & Mobility Focus Areas 

Strength Training 

If you typically don’t include strength training in your program, start now. Try to complete two strength sessions per week. This can be total-body for both days or split up as upper body and lower body days. 

You don’t need to dedicate a lot of time to reap the benefits of strength training. A lot can be accomplished in only 30-45 minutes. If you have been strength training two times per week regularly, you may want to add an extra session during the winter months. If it doesn’t fit into your schedule, consider varying your routine instead. Different exercises, muscle group splits, sets/reps scheme, repetition speed, and varying weight/resistance can be very effective ways to improve your overall strength program.

For a few tips on how to get started, check out this article: Strength Training for Performance

Mobility & Flexibility

Perhaps the most neglected area of training, mobility and flexibility is paramount throughout the year (not just winter). Flexibility is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to lengthen passively through a range of motion, and mobility is the ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion. If you aren’t dedicating time to routinely work on this, then you need to start right now. 

For example, if your running warm-up is simply running slow at the beginning of the run, then you aren’t properly preparing your body for the session. While it’s not always crucial for short, easy recovery sessions, it can make a huge difference for your key workouts. Active and/or dynamic stretching is best used BEFORE training, whereas static stretching is appropriate AFTER. 

Dedicate the time now to explore ways in which your body feels the most recovered, whether it’s foam rolling, myofascial release, or massage. You might even consider giving one (or all) of the techniques mentioned here: 5 Methods for Faster Muscle Recovery

Whether it’s in the swim, bike, run, or general strength, there are several key areas you should focus on now. Devote the most time to your most significant limiter and work down from there. 

The winter and early spring months are the best time to turn your weaknesses into strengths. It won’t happen overnight, but with time and dedication, you’ll definitely notice a difference on race day.

The post Winter/Spring Triathlon Training: Key Areas of Focus appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

1. La importancia de ir cómodo sobre la bici.  

La comodidad es rendimiento, es así de sencillo. Un ciclista que va incómodo sobre su bici nunca va a conseguir optimizar su rendimiento. Cuando vamos incómodos sobre la bici, tarde o temprano, esa incomodidad se va a convertir en algún dolor. Si ese dolor se prolonga en el tiempo, puede convertirse en una lesión o en una sobrecarga que va a limitar el entrenamiento así como el rendimiento. Aparte del componente físico y funcional, ir incómodo también supone un lastre psicológico importante, ya que nuestra atención va a estar centrada en la molestia en vez de la tarea que estamos desarrollando. Veamos algunos ejemplos: si mi cabeza está pensando en que me duele el cuello, me voy a concentrar peor en mantener el ritmo, buscar la mejor trazada o elegir el mejor desarrollo. Para conseguir una posición cómoda y eficiente sobre la bici la mejor inversión es buscar un biomecánico de ciclismo con experiencia y buenas referencias para ayudarnos a ajustar la bici en función de nuestras características. Pequeños cambios en la configuración de nuestra bici pueden significar grandes diferencias con el paso de las horas y las miles de pedaladas. Conseguir una buena posición sobre la bici no es simplemente poner bien la altura del sillín, hay muchos más ajustes que deben ser optimizados.

2. Gestión del ritmo.  

En un deporte de resistencia como es el ciclismo, en cualquiera de sus modalidades, la gestión de la intensidad de pedaleo es un factor muy determinante a la hora de optimizar el rendimiento, más que nada porque la energía es finita y la fatiga es acumulativa. Por poner un símil automovilístico, nuestro depósito de gasolina (glucógeno muscular) es igual que el de un coche: según vamos pedaleando se va vaciando. Y cuanto más intenso pedaleemos, más rápido se va a agotar. ¿Verdad que no es lo mismo el consumo de un coche a 90 que a 150km/h? Pues en ciclismo pasa exactamente igual: cuanto más fuerte vayas, antes vas a consumir tu gasolina. Y lo que nunca queremos es quedarnos sin gasolina antes de llegar a la línea de meta. Es fácil de entender pero difícil de ejecutar. Los famosos calambres, normalmente son indicadores de que nuestra gestión del ritmo no ha sido la mejor y hemos llegado al final del depósito. En muchas ocasiones, el denominado “efecto dorsal” nos juega una mala pasada a la hora de gestionar nuestro ritmo, ya que nuestra motivación en el fragor de la batalla nos hace pedalear por encima de nuestras posibilidades. Aprender a elegir bien el ritmo es principalmente una cuestión de experiencia. Además de aprender a conocer nuestros límites, podemos usar la frecuencia cardiaca y/o el potenciómetro para ayudarnos a no pasar ciertos límites.

3. Análisis del recorrido.

En cualquier prueba que hagamos (MTB, carretera, triatlón) conocer las características del recorrido nos va ayudar a establecer una mejor estrategia para optimizar nuestro rendimiento. Por un lado tenemos el aspecto técnico, sobre todo en pruebas de MTB. Lo ideal sería tener la posibilidad de hacer el recorrido alguna vez para conocer las zonas más técnicas y así superarlas mejor el día de la competición. Incluso también en carretera. Así pues, cuando sea posible, es muy recomendable desplazarse al lugar de la prueba uno o dos días antes para tratar de reconocer el terreno. Una e-bike puede dar mucho juego en este sentido, ya que nos permite acceder a estos puntos clave del recorrido con menor esfuerzo, sobre todo en MTB. Además del componente técnico en las bajadas, es muy importante conocer como es la orografía de la prueba, es decir, cuántas subidas debemos superar así como las características de las mismas. La duración de cada subida va a determinar la intensidad óptima para superarla, y saber esto de antemano nos va a ser de mucha utilidad. No afrontamos igual una subida de 5 minutos que una subida de una hora. Un factor también a tener en cuenta es conocer el terreno que viene después de cada subida, ya que puede ser determinante a la hora de meterse, o no, en algún grupo. Por ejemplo: si después de una subida viene un terreno de bajada con poca pendiente y con poca dificultad técnica, quizá no tenga sentido escaparse del grupo en la subida, ya que es más que probable que en cuanto hagan unos cuantos relevos en la bajada nos cojan. Por el contrario, imaginemos que después de coronar hay una bajada técnica y después está la meta. En este caso, sí sería interesante atacar en la subida…Al final, es conocer el terreno para hacer una buena estrategia. La elección de los desarrollos también debe ir acorde a la orografía.

4. Comer, beber y guardar energía

En el argot ciclista, esto siempre se ha denominado “CBR”: comer, beber y a rueda. ¿A qué nos referimos con el concepto de ir a rueda? Nos referimos a tratar de ahorrar el máximo de energía a base de aprovechar el rebufo de otros ciclistas. Por si no lo sabes, la resistencia aerodinámica es la principal fuerza que debemos vencer cuando circulamos en llano. La fuerza de la gravedad (el peso) es la principal resistencia cuando vamos cuesta arriba. Sabemos que circular en llano detrás de otro ciclista supone un ahorro de energía en torno al 20-25%. Y puede llegar hasta el 50% si vamos dentro de un pelotón. Es importante aprovecharnos de esta circunstancia para ahorrar el máximo de energía para los momentos más importantes. Con esto no estamos incitando a ser el típico ciclista chuparruedas que se aprovecha de los demás. Siempre que en grupo haya colaboración tenemos la obligación de aportar nuestro granito de arena y tirar del grupo de forma equitativa. Pero es una estrategia más que debemos usar a nuestro favor siempre que podamos. Si hay ciclistas más fuertes o motivados para tirar del grupo dejémosles que trabajen para nosotros.

En cuanto a comer y beber, es otro de los grandes fallos que suelen cometer los ciclistas principiantes. Está más que demostrado que ir comiendo (sólido o líquido) de forma regular mientras pedaleamos es una de las mejores maneras de retrasar la fatiga y rendir mejor. A la hora de competir, debemos tener una estrategia de nutrición e hidratación definida de antemano teniendo en cuenta la duración y la orografía del terreno para ir gestionando cuando, que y cuanto voy a comer. Esto también debe practicarse durante los entrenamientos.

5. Optimizar la aerodinámica

A excepción de los triatletas de cierto nivel, la aerodinámica es la gran olvidada para muchos ciclistas y triatletas. Menos para el mountain bike, donde las velocidades medias son muy bajas, en el resto de especialidades apenas se tiene en cuenta la importancia de cuidar la aerodinámica. Optimizar algunos detalles nos va a dar una ventaja extra que siempre puede ser bienvenida. Una creencia es que la aerodinámica solo es importante a partir de 40km/h, lo cual es falso. A partir de 25km/h la aerodinámica empieza a contar. La mayor ventaja aerodinámica que podemos obtener es gratis, ya que consiste en aprender a rodar en una posición más baja sobre la bici. Es muy frecuente ver ciclistas que van en llano pedaleando con mucha fuerza con los brazos estirados y la cabeza alta sin ser conscientes de que tanta potencia no se está traduciendo en más velocidad puesto que la forma de su cuerpo está ofreciendo una resistencia extra al avance. En estos casos, hay una gran diferencia si poco a poco nos entrenamos para aprender a rodar con las manos en la parte delantera de las manetas, los codos más flexionados, la cabeza un poco más baja y los codos hacia dentro. Es fácil ahorrar entre 20 y 30w cuidando nuestra posición sobre la bici. Aparte, si sumamos ropa bien ceñida y un casco aerodinámico tendremos velocidad gratis. Incluso, hasta unos calcetines aerodinámicos, pueden suponer una pequeña ayuda extra que siempre puede ser bienvenida.

Click here to read this article in English.

The post Las 5 Cosas Más Importantes Para Rendir Sobre la Bici appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

Understanding Carbohydrate Transporters: SGLT1 and GLUT5

Our bodies have specific transporters for absorbing different types of sugars. One main way glucose is absorbed is through the SGLT1 transporter, while fructose utilizes the GLUT5 transporter. When you consume only glucose, the SGLT1 transporters can become saturated, limiting glucose absorption to about 60 grams per hour.

WorldTour cyclists who engage in high-intensity cycling often consume between 100-120 grams of carbohydrates per hour. This high intake is due to the intense demands of professional cycling, where maintaining high levels of glucose for muscular and cognitive function is crucial. The ability to absorb and utilize such high amounts of carbohydrates is often a result of specialized training and adaptation, allowing their bodies to efficiently process these carbohydrates during high-intensity efforts.

For broader endurance activities, an intake of 60-90 grams per hour should be sufficient for energy demands. The specific intensity that correlates with this range varies based on the sport and the athlete’s conditioning. Generally, this recommendation applies to moderate to high-intensity endurance activities. These activities are typically characterized by sustained effort that is not maximal but still requires a significant and continuous energy output.

Carbohydrate Needs Based on Event Duration

For events lasting 4-5 hours, a higher carbohydrate intake is often necessary to maintain optimal performance. This is because glycogen stores (the body’s stored form of carbohydrates) are limited and can be depleted during such durations of exercise. Athletes might aim for the higher end of the 60-120 grams per hour range, depending on their tolerance and the event’s intensity.

In ultra-endurance events, carbohydrate needs are complex and vary significantly. While high carbohydrate intake is still crucial, the intensity is often lower compared to shorter events, which can affect the rate of carbohydrate utilization. Additionally, gastrointestinal comfort and the ability to consume and digest food become more significant factors over longer durations. Athletes might consume lower rates of carbohydrates per hour compared to shorter events but focus more on continuous and consistent intake to prevent energy dips and maintain endurance.

3 Key Benefits of Mixing Glucose and Fructose

By including fructose, which uses a separate transporter than glucose, you can increase your total carbohydrate absorption, thus enhancing available energy. This mixed intake leads to greater total carbohydrate oxidation than consuming glucose alone. While your glucose transporters may be saturated, fructose can still be absorbed, allowing for additional carbohydrate uptake.

Mixing fructose and glucose offers three key benefits for endurance athletes:

1. Ensures a steady energy supply

During prolonged exercise, maintaining a high carbohydrate oxidation rate is crucial for sustaining high-intensity performance. The combined absorption of glucose and fructose ensures a steady energy supply.

2. Avoids possible GI Issues

Consuming high amounts of glucose alone can lead to gastrointestinal issues. By using both glucose and fructose, this risk is minimized, as fructose absorption doesn’t compete with glucose, thereby reducing gastrointestinal stress. 

3. Conserves Energy

The mix allows the body to maintain energy levels over longer periods, which is essential in endurance sports.

Supplementing Fructose and Glucose: Tips for Athletes

While about 60 grams of glucose can be absorbed per hour, adding fructose further enhances carbohydrate absorption. Ratios of 0.8:1 (fructose to glucose) are considered more beneficial for absorption. Such mixtures allow for higher carbohydrate intake with lower onset of gastrointestinal discomfort, which is critical in both high-intensity and long-duration activities.

Maximize your carbohydrate absorption during those long runs, rides, and/or swims by properly supplementing fructose and glucose: 

1. Start with a 0.8:1 fructose-to-glucose ratio and adjust based on your personal tolerance and performance needs.
2. Gradually increase your carbohydrate intake during training to adapt your digestive system.
3. Always pair your carbohydrate intake with adequate hydration and sodium to facilitate absorption and reduce gastrointestinal discomfort.
4. Practice your fueling strategy during training sessions to mimic race conditions.

If you’re struggling to find the perfect fructose/glucose concoction, consider giving RAW Nutrition’s endurance product, FUEL, a try. This new formula combines the perfect ratio of 0.8:1 (fructose to glucose) with 24g carbohydrates and 300 mg sodium per serving size, providing you with the optimal balance of sodium and carbohydrates.

Understanding how your body absorbs and utilizes carbohydrates can significantly impact your performance. By strategically combining glucose and fructose, you’ll enhance your energy levels, maintain high-intensity performance for longer durations, and minimize the risk of gastrointestinal distress. (Goodbye belly aches, hello new personal best!)

References

Beelen, M., et al. (2015). Performance enhancement by carbohydrate intake during sport: effects of carbohydrates during and after high-intensity exercise. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25970669/

Jeukendrup, A. (2014, May). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: Carbohydrate intake during exercise. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4008807/

Rowlands, D., et al. (2015, November). Fructose-Glucose Composite Carbohydrates and Endurance Performance: Critical Review and Future Perspectives. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26373645/

Urdampilleta, A. et al. (2020, July). Effects of 120 vs. 60 and 90 g/h Carbohydrate Intake during a Trail Marathon on Neuromuscular Function and High Intensity Run Capacity Recovery. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32679728/

Viribay, A. et al. (2020, May 11). Effects of 120 g/h of carbohydrates intake during a mountain marathon on exercise-induced muscle damage in elite runners. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32403259/

The post Fueling Strategy for Endurance Sports: Combining Glucose and Fructose appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

In our conversation, Joe takes us on a journey through his career: from opening the first triathlon store in the U.S. in the late 1980s to becoming a pioneering coach when the concept was still in its infancy. He shares the challenges and triumphs of building a coaching business, from charging a mere $5 for training plans to achieving his goal of having 70 clients.

We’ll break down Joe’s philosophy on integrating RPE and data, stressing the importance of experienced athletes tuning into their own bodies in conjunction with the objective metrics from technology.

Joe also provides insights into the evolution of triathlon coaching, his prolific writing career started by personal health challenges, and his peers’ concerns about sharing his knowledge too freely — a concern echoed in today’s discussions around technology and AI.

Standout Quotes

“The more you give away, which is really what’s doing in a book. You know? I wasn’t making much money off of these books. The more you give away, the more you get back. And so I was learning some very important lessons for my ongoing coaching business and even to what I do to this day.”

“You know, their data was becoming too important to them. I would have them put a piece of tape over their handlebar computer or over their wristwatch so they couldn’t see the data. And then do the workout, and then afterward, we compare their data with what they felt. Which is good feedback for the athlete because now they’re they’re learning what this feeling means in terms of the data that we’re looking at from a from a device. We need more of that. I think we need more of that.”

“The first book was the “Cyclist’s Training Bible.” I thought it’d sell a couple hundred copies, but, you know, at least I’ll know that I was able to write down and justify how I train athletes. That was kinda like the whole crux of the book. The first month, it sold something like 5,000 copies.

So I was like blown away. I didn’t think it’d sell that many in seven years, and I sold that in one month. And so the next thing I knew, they were asking me to write another book, so I wrote “The Mountain Biker’s Training Bible,” still staying with the cycling thread. Then I wrote a book about aging, “Cycling Past 50,” it was called. And then I wrote “The Triathletes Training Bible.” So that was the first few books. Those all took place in about a period of four years.”

“…I’d phone the people once a week or so, my athletes once a week, and talk with them. And back in those days, I didn’t necessarily ever see my clients. In fact, when I would eventually get a picture of them or something, it was kinda like amazing because you kinda get a vision of what the person looks like from talking to them. And the vision doesn’t always jive with what that person actually looks like.

But today, you know, being able to see somebody’s face while you’re talking to them, they may be on the other side of the world, but you’re talking through a meeting app. I see that as being a tremendous thing because the number one, the best way to coach an athlete, is face-to-face. And I mean, so you can actually touch the athlete. That’s that’s face-to-face coaching. So, if I was to coach an athlete, I met with them every morning, for example, at the track or at the pool or on a bike, work, whatever it may be. And I can see their face, see their body language, shake hands with them, ask them how they’re feeling, see how their face reacts when they talk about yesterday’s workout.

All these sorts of things that I couldn’t do at all on a telephone are now almost entirely possible. Not quite I can’t touch the person anymore and put my hand on their back and pat their back when they tell me they’re having a hard week or something like that. But I can now see their face online. That, for me, is like an amazing tool. I wish I’d had that back when I was coaching. But that’s a game changer right there.”

Joe Friel Online

Website
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Books
Training Plans

The post Exploring Joe Friel’s 40-Year Coaching Evolution appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

The Importance of Being Comfortable on the Bike 

Comfort is performance. It’s that simple. A cyclist who is uncomfortable on his bike will never be able to optimize his performance. When we are uncomfortable on the bike, sooner or later, that discomfort will turn into some pain. If this pain is prolonged over time, it can become an injury or an overload that will limit training and performance. Apart from the physical and functional components, being uncomfortable is also a significant psychological burden since our attention will be focused on the discomfort instead of the task at hand.

Let’s look at some examples: if my head is focused on my neck hurting, I will concentrate less on keeping the pace, looking for the best line or choosing the best gear. For a comfortable and efficient position on the bike, the best investment is to look for a cycling biomechanic with experience and good references to help us adjust the bike according to our characteristics. Small changes in the configuration of our bike can mean significant differences with the passing of hours and thousands of pedal strokes. Getting a good position on the bike is not simply about setting the saddle height right; many more settings need to be optimized.

Managing Pacing 

In an endurance sport such as cycling, in any of its modalities, the management of pedaling intensity is a determining factor when it comes to optimizing performance, mainly because energy is finite and fatigue is cumulative. To use a car analogy, our fuel tank (muscle glycogen) is the same as a car: as we pedal, our tank empties. And the more intense we pedal, the faster it will exhaust. A car’s fuel consumption at 90 km/h isn’t the same as at 150km/h, is it? Well, no. The harder you go, the sooner you’ll use up your gas. And we never want to run out of gas before we reach the finish line. It’s easy to understand but difficult to execute.

Getting stricken with cramps usually indicates that our pace management has not been the best and we have reached the bottom of the tank. On many occasions, the so-called “race number effect” plays tricks on us when it comes to managing our pace since our motivation in the heat of battle makes us pedal beyond our means and disregard any planning. Learning to choose your rhythm well is mostly a matter of experience. In addition to learning to know our limits, we can use heart rate and/or power to help us not exceed certain thresholds.

Course Analysis

In any event we do (mountain, road, triathlon), knowing the characteristics of the route will help us establish a better strategy to optimize our performance. On the one hand, we have the technical aspect, especially in mountain bike (MTB) events. Ideally, you should try to pre-ride the course at least once to get to know the most technical areas and help you find the best lines for speed on competition day —  on the road, too. So, going to the race location a day or two in advance is highly recommended to try to recognize the terrain. An e-bike can help as it allows us to access the key points of the route with less effort, especially in MTB races.

In addition to the technical component in the descents, it is essential to know what the orography of the race is like, that is, how many climbs we must overcome as well as the characteristics of them. The duration of each climb will determine the optimal intensity to overcome it, and knowing this in advance will be very useful. We don’t face a five-minute climb the same as a one-hour climb.

A factor to also take into account is to know the terrain that comes after each climb, as it can be a decisive moment that decides a race. For example, if a downhill section comes after a climb, with little technical difficulty or a downward slope, it may not make sense to get away from the group on the climb. Since it is more than likely that we will be caught as soon as they take a few turns together on the descent. On the contrary, let’s imagine there is a technical descent after reaching the top, and then there is the finish line. It could be an opportunity to attack on the climb.

In the end, it’s about knowing the terrain to make a good strategy. The topography will also determine gearing choice.

Eat, Drink and Save Energy.

In cycling slang, this has always been referred to as “EDD” — eating, drinking, and drafting. What do we mean by the concept of drafting? We’re talking about trying to save as much energy as possible by taking advantage of the slipstream of other cyclists. In case you don’t know, aerodynamic drag is the main force we must overcome when riding on the flats and above 25 km/h. The force of gravity (weight) is the main resistance when we go uphill. Riding on the flat behind another cyclist saves around 20-25% of our energy output. And it can go up to 50% if we are in a peloton. Taking advantage of this opportunity is important to save as much energy as possible for the most critical moments.

This is not to encourage you to be the typical wheel-sucker cyclist who takes advantage of others. Whenever there is collaboration in a group, we are somewhat obligated to do our share and pull in front of the group equitably. But it’s one more strategy we should use to our advantage whenever possible. If there are riders who are stronger or more motivated to ride at the front of the pack, let them work for you.

Beginner cyclists often make big mistakes in eating and drinking. It is more than proven that eating (solid or liquid) regularly while pedaling is one of the best ways to delay fatigue and perform better. When racing, we must have a nutrition and hydration strategy defined in advance. Consider the duration and topography of the terrain to manage when, what and how much you need to eat. Focusing on carbs per hour is probably the easiest approach and should be practiced during several workouts in training for the race.

Optimize Aerodynamics

Except for most experienced triathletes, aerodynamics is easily ignored by many cyclists and triathletes. Optimizing aero details will give us an extra advantage that can always be welcomed. One belief is that aerodynamics are only important above 40km/h, which is false. From 25km/h and faster, aerodynamics plays a major role in speed and output. The most significant aerodynamic advantage we can get is free, as it consists of learning how to ride in a lower position on the bike.

It is very common to see cyclists riding on flat terrain, generating and wasting many watts with their arms stretched out and their heads held high. Unaware that so much power is not generating more speed since the shape of their body provides extra resistance to the air. In these cases, there is a big difference if we gradually train ourselves to ride with our hands on the front of the grips, our elbows more flexed, our head a little lower, and our elbows turned inward. It’s easy to save between 20 and 30 watts by adjusting your bike position.

In addition, if we add well-fitting clothes and an aerodynamic helmet, we will have more free speed. Even aerodynamic socks can be a little extra help that can always be welcomed. The opportunity for improving aerodynamics in mountain biking, where the average speeds are very low, is minimal, if at all worthwhile.

The post 5 Important Things to Consider for On-Bike Performance appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

Hyrox stands out as an inclusive fitness race that caters to athletes of all levels. Some have dubbed it ‘CrossFit light,’ emphasizing its focus on approachable functional movements while omitting the high-level barbell and gymnastic work.

Success in Hyrox hinges on aerobic capacity and the ability to push through the eight distinct stages (see next section to learn more about these), interspersed with one-kilometer runs. There’s an open division (all levels), along with individual pro levels (involving heavier weights), doubles, and relay teams.

Where Hyrox distinguishes itself from CrossFit is in the simplicity of movements. Unlike CrossFit, which categorizes athletes based on elite skills, Hyrox events use movements that are natural and easy for most athletes to do. Movements like farmer’s carries and sled drags don’t need extensive practice to master.

Hyrox is versatile — perfect for the hybrid athlete. Any time spent in the gym is likely to yield progress, especially for beginners. Specific movements like running play a crucial role, since athletes need to complete eight stretches of running between various movements.

What Are the Hyrox Movements & Weights?

Hyrox has created a blend of strength and endurance movements that make it an excellent intro competition for hybrid athletes. You only need to practice a few strength training elements, like wall ball shots, farmer’s carries and sled pushing/pulling. This “grunt work” style training can be improved by working on just about any strength movements.

If you already have a solid endurance foundation, you’ll want to push to train the strength movements, and vice versa. 

Even at the professional level, the weights aren’t overly challenging. The competition weights are light enough that your own body mass helps move the sled before you exert significant effort.

Adapting Your Training

The majority of your training time should be dedicated to “energy system training” structured somewhat like this:

Zone 2 Aerobic Training

If you don’t already train heavily in Zone 2 (long, slower cardio sessions performed at an easy intensity allowing conversation), start with a minimum of 40 minutes, gradually increasing to an hour of Zone 2 work every few days. Rotate between rowing, SkiErg, and running to build aerobic capacity, making sure not to neglect your weaker areas. A well-rounded athlete will go far in competition.

Lactate Threshold and Stroke Volume

Prioritize stroke volume training to enhance your heart’s efficiency. Intervals of maximum effort with adequate rest periods improve heart rate variability (HRV), crucial for tackling each stage of the event. Hill sprints, rowing machines, and specific competition-related exercises like burpees or sled work are effective for this.

Lactate threshold improvement involves training to the point where lactic acid builds up in your muscle tissues. Lactate accumulates in the body when oxygen levels are low. The intensity varies based on experience, with fitter athletes requiring more effort to reach the threshold. Maintaining the “lactate zone” is an effective tactic for leveling up your performance.

Work on These Strength Movements

You’ll need to be efficient in the following strength movements in order to do well in a Hyrox competition: wall ball shots, sled pull/push, lunges, and farmer’s carries. These movements are generally low-skill enough that including them in your training just 2-3 times a week will net the right amount of stimulus to make you feel proficient. 

As always, when in doubt, record your movements and have them evaluated by a coach.

A Note on Nutrition and Recovery

Nutrition plays a vital role in supporting your training across different energy systems. Replenishing glycogen stores after intense anaerobic sessions is key. Aim for post-workout carbs and protein (around 30g) for recovery, and consume approximately 1.6-2g of protein per kg of body weight per day for training athletes. A balanced intake of fats, within a considered calorie range, helps prevent fatigue, injuries, burnout, and illness.

Go For It

Ultimately, the decision to compete is up to you. If you feel your strength and skill levels can hold up to a Hyrox competition, you don’t have anything to lose by trying it. You may even discover how much you enjoy mixing in new training goals to keep things fresh for your regular season.

The post Training for HYROX appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

A GAP analysis is performed in many other contexts, originating from the world of management science. But in the context of endurance sports, a GAP analysis refers to a comparison between an athlete’s current performance level and their desired or target performance level. “GAP” stands for “Goal, Assessment, and Plan,” and it can help athletes and coaches identify the gaps between where they are and where they want to be in terms of performance.

Coaches can use apps like TrainingPeaks to identify fitness gaps and track progress. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a GAP analysis, along with an example of how a coach might utilize TrianingPeaks in the process.

How to Conduct a GAP Analysis in Endurance Sports: 5 Steps 

1. Set Goals

The first step to conducting a GAP analysis is to have your athletes establish clear and realistic performance goals. These goals could be related to race times, distances, or specific velocity or power-related outputs. For example, a goal might be to hold 250W for an IRONMAN 70.3 bike leg or to run a marathon in under three hours.

2. Assess Current Abilities 

After establishing goals, your job as a coach is to then assess your athlete’s current abilities. This involves a thorough evaluation of various factors, including physiological testing, velocity profiling, or a classic FTP test. 

It’s sometimes unnecessary to perform performance tests to get an accurate assessment of an athlete’s current abilities. For example, coaches using WKO5 could use the athlete’s power curve to calculate an assessment of their current abilities without further testing.

3. Identify Gaps

Once the goals and current abilities are known, you can then identify gaps between your athlete’s current state and their desired performance level. This involves identifying specific areas that need improvement. For example, your athlete’s power-duration goal might require a higher threshold or VO2 max. 

4. Develop a Plan

Now time for the fun part! (And where you earn your money!) Once you’ve identified the gaps, use your expertise to create a plan that addresses and improves the areas that need development. 

5. Monitor Progress

Tracking your athlete’s performance improvements and adjusting the training plan accordingly is key. This iterative process ensures that the training is effective and aligned with the overall goals. Monitoring can be done in many ways, but using an app like TrainingPeaks can be incredibly helpful. For example, it allows you to look at lap-by-lap data for an interval session.

No specialist training is required to perform a GAP analysis. Many coaches likely already do an informal version of this as part of an end-of-season review. These reviews can be just as effective – performing a GAP analysis is just one of many valid approaches to assessing your athlete’s training and progress.

Example GAP Analysis: Improving Off-Season FTP 

The Goal: Improve FTP By 26W

Let’s take a rider who has set an off-season goal of being able to pedal 300W for 20 minutes. This rider has a current 20-minute power PB of 274W, requiring a 26W improvement to meet their goal. This goal is specific and realistic given the rider’s fairly limited training history. 

The Assessment:

The first port of call for assessment is the athlete’s power duration curve. This athlete wants to do 300W for 20 minutes, and we can see from the power duration curve that their 5-, 10-, and 20-minute powers are currently 324W, 294W, and 274W. We can see the current gap between 10 minutes and 20 minutes is 20W.

We can see this athlete’s one-minute power (545W) relative to their other capacities is quite good, which is a strong indication of a large glycolytic contribution to energy production at lower intensities. This means doing work to improve the athlete’s ability to clear lactate (aka Zone 2 training) and increasing their oxidative capacity might form part of the plan. It may also be the case that the athlete’s five-minute power needs further assessment; therefore, a coach might prescribe a five-minute test in this situation. 

Gap Identification:

The obvious gap is the 26W difference between the athlete’s current 20-minute power and their goal 20-minute power. The less obvious gap, identified from analysis, is that this athlete’s oxidative energy system underperforms relative to their glycolytic energy system. 

Plan Development:

This is an athlete who might benefit from traditional “base training.” A long block of Zone 2-focused training (perhaps 6-8 weeks) before a re-assessment of their power or metabolic profile might be a good course of action.

This is an example of what that base block might look like. We see a steady progression of volume, weekly TSS, and the athlete’s CTL. A recovery week might follow this three-week cycle before it’s repeated and a test is done. This training block is designed to follow an offseason for a rider with a relatively extensive training history. For many riders, starting immediately on 15 hours a week is way too much, while for others, it’s not enough. Context is very important when viewing any portion of a training plan. 

In this context, a Zone 2 ride would take place just under LT1, which for this rider is a range of around 175-195W. A recovery ride would be completed in Zone 1 at around 130W. This athlete may or may not incorporate strength training during this phase of training, but for this specific goal, we will focus on their “on the bike” work. 

Progress Monitoring:

For some athletes, a 20-minute test might be quite daunting; however, we established a relationship between this athlete’s 10-minute and 20-minute power. In this instance, I would have the athlete do a 10-minute test at regular intervals to assess progress, perhaps after each 3-week cycle. Also, we know psychology plays a role when it comes to maximal efforts, so having the athlete expose themselves to maximal efforts regularly not only gives us a means of monitoring progress but also progresses their performance from a mental aspect. 

The other thing we could incorporate to monitor progress is physiological testing, such as a lactate threshold test and/or a VO2 max test. Improvements in the athlete’s submaximal lactate profile are likely to lead to improvements in their power-duration curve (and different points on the lactate curve likely correlate to different points on the power duration curve, but a rising tide tends to raise all ships). 

This approach to monitoring progress has two advantages: one, it’s objective (lactate values are likely to be less dependent on an athlete’s psychology than the result of a maximal power test) and two, it doesn’t require a maximal effort. This is very draining for some athletes, though it depends on the athlete of course – some love going full gas! 

The Value of GAP Analyses for Coaches

Remember that progress monitoring and adjustments should be continuous during training. While an athlete’s goals might be relatively static and there isn’t often time for comprehensive assessments, using an app such as TrainingPeaks allows coaches to continuously monitor an athlete’s training sessions and adjust planned training on a day-by-day basis. 

In our example, we might find that our athlete improves a bit for two or three cycles of base training and then plateaus – at which point we might want to implement a different stimulus into their training week. This could take the form of threshold work, VO2 max work, strength training, or whatever the coach feels would best address the issues that are limiting the athlete’s performance. 

A GAP analysis is one way that a coach can give an athlete more direction in their training. It’s very important to continuously monitor the athlete’s progress and adjust the plan on a regular basis. This is where a coach can provide much more value than simply buying a training plan. 

In the case above, the GAP analysis allowed us to identify that we have an athlete whose 20-minute power can be improved by placing more emphasis on improving their oxidative metabolism, though this may not be the case for all athletes. For example, we could have a more “slow-twitch” athlete of the same level in terms of 20-minute power who might be better served with a VO2 max/HIIT training block. (For more information on how to determine where your athlete is speed or endurance-dominant, check out this blog: Speed v. Endurance: How to Maximize Your Athletes’ Strengths)

In any sense, a GAP analysis provides a coach with the necessary information to monitor and adjust an athlete’s progress and training plan.

References

Gonçalves, B. (2023, January 9). Q&A on season planning, goal setting, and limiters | EP#372. Retrieved from https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts372/ 

Howell-Jones, J. (2019, June 19). Why riding slower makes you faster: the secrets of zone 2 training. Retrieved from https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/lifestyle/interviews/why-riding-slower-makes-you-faster-the-secrets-of-zone-2-training 

Kim, S., & Ji, Y. (2018, August). Gap Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327879112_Gap_Analysis

Midgley, A., et al. (2012, October 2). Criteria for Determination of Maximal Oxygen Uptake. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200737120-00002

The post How Coaches Can Use GAP Analyses to Guide Training appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

Before we jump into the broader issue at hand, let’s take a closer look at Justin Snair’s story. A military veteran turned expert in health security and a leader, he lives just down the road from me in Evergreen, Colorado. When he isn’t envisioning and developing AI tools through his startup, Preppr.ai, Snair is a prolific ultra trail runner. And even he isn’t immune to the post-race blues.

Justin Snair’s Story

“I’d gone from being so badly injured that I had to relearn how to walk again to completing one of the hardest trail runs in the world,” said mountain athlete Justin Snair. “But when I crossed the finish line, I didn’t feel what I expected — satisfaction. Instead, I felt empty.” 

The 62-mile Canyons Endurance Run by UTMB is a demanding ultra race in its own right. It’s also a qualifier for the UTMB World Series Finals at Mont-Blanc, Switzerland. As the 2022 iteration of the race approached, Snair was ready. Or so he thought. He’d felt tenderness along his ankle during a short shake-out run the day before but figured he could race. All was going well in the early stages, and he was moving steadily up the field. 

Then mile 41 happened. Suddenly, Snair rolled his ankle, and something in his lower leg snapped. He couldn’t run or even lift his leg without stabbing pain. He already passed the final aid station that allowed crew assistance a few miles earlier, so he pushed through the searing pain. He limped his way through 20 miles to the finish, swearing at trees in frustration along the way. 

From Comeback to Post-Race Letdown

Snair soon found out that his injury was worse than he thought. He had completely snapped his peroneal tendon, requiring surgery to regain normalcy. “A surgeon at the Steadman Clinic told me that without surgery, I’d probably be able to run again at about 90 to 95 percent function, fine for most running hobbyists but not good enough for the highly competitive running I’ve done for nearly 30 years,” Snair said. With surgery, the doctors believed Snair could be stronger than ever. But it would cost him almost 10 months away from racing, and he’d have to learn to walk and then run again. 

While debating whether or not to go under the knife, Snair said he asked himself two questions: 

“What’s five to 10 percent of function worth to me?” Everything, he said.

“Am I ready for my racing career to be over?” No, he wasn’t.

So he had the surgeons stitch him back together.

He began a grueling rehab, and one year later, he overcame the original injury and movement compensations that altered his gait in the first place. He was on his way to Chamonix, France, raring to go at the 56k OCC course in the UTMB World Series Finals. He objectively did well in the Alps, placing 150^th out of 1,749 racers. But something felt off.

“If this was a Disney movie, I would’ve got hurt in Canyons, hobbled the 20 miles to finish anyway, rehabbed my leg, and then shot across the finish line of OCC with a Chariots of Fire expression of triumph,” Snair said. “That’s what I expected, so it came as a surprise when I felt totally disappointed in that moment.” Then he spent the next few days feeling profoundly glum, contemplating retirement.

Rather than spending time considering what he liked most about running, Snair’s answer was to sign up for three more (albeit shorter) races to finish out the year. At 41 years old, he figured a go at the national master’s championship title in the trail half marathon would make him happy. So he continued training for several more months. 

“After such a long struggle to race competitively again, I felt as though I should honor the privilege,” he said. “But I wasn’t enjoying the idea of another big race.” 

But just two weeks out from the national championship, struggling with motivation and nagging aches, Snair stopped. What was going on? A classic case of post-race blues, or something more serious?

Staring Down the Arrival Fallacy

In the book Happier, psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar explained that the “arrival fallacy” is at the heart of a post-performance emotional slump. And it can happen to anyone: a triathlete following a race, an actor after an awards ceremony, or an employee once they earn a big promotion. It’s what happens when “this illusion that once we make it, once we attain our goal or reach our destination, we will reach lasting happiness,” he told The New York Times. 

Ben-Shahar experienced this letdown firsthand when he was a competitive squash player. “I thought if I win this tournament, then I’ll be happy,” he said. “And I won, and I was happy. And then the same stress and pressure and emptiness returned.” Sound familiar?

He suggests that if we put all our competitive eggs in one basket, we will inevitably feel deflated afterward, regardless of the outcome. This isn’t to say that goal setting is bad, and Ben-Shahar believes it’s an antidote for settling for mediocrity. Rather, he recommends setting several concurrent goals for sports, life, and other interests at any one time. He also advocates for trying to derive satisfaction from the community that we can become a part of while chasing our goals.

Find Your Community

This approach is also advocated by coaches like Mary Johnson, who guides cohorts of athletes looking to achieve specific race goals, such as women hoping to break three hours in the marathon. 

“Breaking 3 isn’t just about finishing the Boston, New York, or London marathons in less than three hours,” she told me. “Most of the joy comes from the journey we take together to get there. It’s also in meeting up with everyone in the group a couple of days before the race and spending the weekend together. We become a family. So if anyone either falls short of their goal or experiences post-race blues afterward, they’ve at least met a lot of new friends and feel like they belong.”

Are Post-Race Blues Normal?

Perhaps the post-race emptiness Snair experienced is one of the main factors that prompts many Olympians to quit after competing in only one Games. Sure, it feels great to represent your country at the highest level, and the years of dedication and hard work are unquestionably noble. But whether they win a medal, make the final, or don’t make it past the heats, the slump on the other side is so profound that many athletes often don’t have the wherewithal to keep going. So they quit and move on to a new challenge, whether it’s in another career or other non-Olympic competitions. 

Seeing that even Olympic athletes aren’t immune, it’s unsurprising that the rest of us sometimes let post-race blues drag us down. But rather than catastrophizing this sensation, perhaps we simply need to reframe it.

“Post-race blues aren’t something to fear or be ashamed of,” said sports psychologist Jim Afremow, author of The Champion’s Mind. “It’s perfectly natural to get on the other side of a goal – whether you achieved it or fell short of your own expectations – and feel like you’re in a slump. Much like pre-race nerves, it’s just part of a normal racing experience.”

Redefine Success and Know Your “Why”

Afremow suggests journaling your feelings throughout your next race journey, including the days after the event. Honestly record your emotions and perspectives, and then try to put them in context. On a practical level, he also recommends giving yourself a little grace if you didn’t quite hit the mark. Likewise, permit yourself to celebrate the achievement if you hit your goal. 

“There’s nothing wrong with being goal-oriented, but if you turn something into a live or die moment, you’re setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if things don’t go your way,” Afremow said. “Whereas if you come to embrace and enjoy the process and are grateful for the opportunity and the people who helped you get to the start line – like your coach, family, and friends – then you’ll come out a winner no matter what. And you might even banish the post-race blues.”

This is similar to the mindset that Snair has put into practice since feeling down after his race in Switzerland. Rather than making one event the be-all and end-all, he has deliberately looked for satisfaction and self-actualization along the way.

“Being surprised by feeling so empty after that race prompted me to reexamine why I run in the first place,” he said. “I’ve come to realize that I love the sensation of being out in the trees on a mountainside, and I’m thankful for living in a beautiful place that I’d pay to come train or race in. By taking more time to reflect, I’ve become self-aware to the point that racing is no longer the point – it’s just one outcome. I love the training, the process of self-improvement, and being outside every day. So now it won’t matter how I feel after a race because it’s just another step on the path.” 

References

Afremow, James. (2015, May 12). The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive. Retrieved from https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-champions-mind-jim-afremow/1115568924

Ben-Shahar, T. (2007, May 31). Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. Retrieved from Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment

Morgan, K. (2018, February 23). After the Olympics, Some Olympians Will Just Give Up. Retrieved from https://www.thecut.com/2018/02/after-the-olympics-some-athletes-will-just-give-up.html

Shilton, A. (2019, May 28). You Accomplished Something Great. So Now What?. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/smarter-living/you-accomplished-something-great-so-now-what.html

Stickland, A. (2016, August 22). After the Olympics: The next paths for elite athletes. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/19/health/what-happens-to-athletes-after-olympics/index.html

The post Post-Race Blues: Why It Happens & What to Do About It appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

Functional threshold power (FTP) is a metric gaining traction when it comes to training and load monitoring in cycling and triathlon. Typically calculated as 95% of an athlete’s best-effort power over 20 min, FTP is used to estimate the second physiological threshold, which defines the transition from steady-state to non-steady-state physiological responses to exercise. Above this second threshold (commonly referred to as the anaerobic threshold), physiological variables such as oxygen consumption, circulating lactate concentrations, and muscle and blood acidity cannot stabilise, causing fatigue to progressively develop.Whilst knowledge of this second threshold is definitely of significance to endurance athletes, we argue that the first physiological threshold – often referred to as the “aerobic threshold” or “lactate threshold” – is of greater significance to long-distance triathletes. In this blog, we are going to briefly describe what this first threshold is, why it is useful, and how you can find your individual lactate threshold.

What Is the First Threshold?

The first threshold (aka lactate threshold) defines the boundary between moderate and heavy exercise intensities. Below this threshold, blood lactate concentrations are stable and almost equal to baseline. Above it, blood lactate concentration may stabilise, but at concentrations above baseline. This physiological phenomenon is why many refer to the first threshold as “lactate threshold.”

What Training at Lactate Threshold Feels Like

When exercising at or below your lactate threshold, rapid energy systems (the energy systems used for short bursts of energy) aren’t really used, meaning that there isn’t much acidity built up in the muscles and blood. Lactate threshold is sometimes referred to as “conversation pace,” meaning you should be going easy enough to hold a conversation without undue effort. 

The Value of Lactate Threshold in Training

Training above your lactate threshold requires considerably more recovery time. Thus, when you include ample training at or below your lactate threshold, you can achieve higher volume. That is why many elite endurance athletes adhere to a pyramidal or polarised training intensity distribution, with upwards of ~75-80% of total training time accumulated at intensities below their lactate threshold. 

This isn’t to say that all of your training should take place below the lactate threshold; just that you want to be very specific about when and how you go above it so that you can adequately recover.

How to Find Your Lactate Threshold 

The most accurate way to find your lactate threshold is by getting it tested in a lab. This involves exercising at progressively increasing workloads and measuring your heart rate and blood lactate concentration throughout the session. Pricking your finger or earlobe is often required.

When you test in a lab, you’ll receive a report that shows your speed and heart rate at your lactate threshold. Knowing what your heart rate is at lactate threshold can be very useful for ensuring your training intensity remains easy for more than two hours into a session. 

In reality, few people have access to laboratory testing. But there are some ways you can estimate your threshold on your own, though.

The MAF Method

Phil Maffetone has proposed the Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) estimate of lactate threshold heart rate as 180 minus your age in years, with some adjustment for training status. The accuracy of this method has not been tested empirically, and the possibility of meaningful error at an individual level can’t be overlooked. 

The Karoven Formula

Legendary physiologist Martti Karvonen also tried to estimate heart rates that should be used for different training intensities as far back as 1957 with his Karvonen formula. This formula uses percentages of the heart rate reserve (your maximum minus resting heart rate). This theory proposes that ~40-60% of your heart rate reserve is moderate-intensity, though it doesn’t consider other physiological responses. So, for example, if you had a maximum heart rate of 185 bpm and a resting heart rate of 40 bpm, your calculated heart rate reserve (185-40) would be 145 bpm. The Karvonen formula suggests taking 40-60% of this number and then adding your resting heart rate. In this case, 60% of 145 bpm = 87 bpm; 87 bpm + 40 RHR = 127 bpm. This would be the suggested upper end of moderate-intensity exercise. In our experience having tested numerous athletes in the lab using metabolic and lactate data, this number appears much lower than an expected aerobic threshold in athletes.

The Talk Test

Another method that has seen some attention in the literature relates to exercise below the lactate threshold being conversational. The “Talk Test” is a method where your lactate threshold is identified as the workload at which you can no longer comfortably talk. 

The effectiveness of this test for identifying lactate threshold power and heart rate was examined in a cohort of 18 well-trained cyclists back in 2013. In this study, the cyclists performed an incremental test in the laboratory to estimate the lactate threshold on two occasions: once with physiological measures, and once with a talk test. In the latter test, participants were asked to read a paragraph (38 words) aloud at the end of each stage, with the lactate threshold identified when the participants could not talk comfortably. There were no significant, systematic differences between lactate threshold power or heart rate estimates using the physiological data or the talk test, with strong correlations observed between the two measures. Therefore, this test could easily be done at home, and it may provide a useful means of estimating the all-important lactate threshold. 

How to Perform Your Own Talk Test

The talk test doesn’t require any lab equipment but provides results very close to those found in the lab. This makes it one of the best and easiest ways to find your lactate threshold at home. Here is one way you could perform your own cycling-based talk test:

• Choose a 30-40 word paragraph you are familiar with (like the words to your national anthem or your favourite poem)

• Put on your heart rate monitor

• After a 10-min warm-up, start the test at a very easy power output
• Increase your power output by 20 W every four minutes (you could either program this using ergometer mode or just do it manually)

• Read the passage aloud during the last 30 seconds of each stage

• Stop the test when you can no longer comfortably read the passage aloud (when you have to breathe heavily after every few words)

• Use the power output of the last stage that you could read comfortably in as your lactate threshold power estimate, and take the heart rate from 3:00-3:30 of that stage as your lactate threshold heart rate estimate (reading the passage may interfere with your heart rate, so don’t use the last 30-seconds while you were reading!)

Finding your lactate threshold is crucial when it comes to off-season training. At EndureIQ offers off-season training for athletes at every level within TrainingPeaks. You can check the plans out here.

References

Clark I., Vanhatalo A, Bailey J., Wylie L., Kirby B., Wilkins B., & Jones A. (2018, August). Effects of two hours of heavy-intensity exercise on the power–duration relationship. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29521722/.

Clark I., Vanhatalo A, Thompson C., Joseph C., Black M., Blackwell J., Wylie L., Tan R., Bailey S., Wilkins B., Kirby B., & Jones AM. (2019, September). Dynamics of the power-duration relationship during prolonged endurance exercise and influence of carbohydrate ingestion. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31295069/.

Clark I., Vanhatalo A., Thompson C., Wylie L., Bailey S., Kirby B., Wilkins B., & Jones A. (2019, July). Changes in the power-duration relationship following prolonged exercise: estimation using conventional and all-out protocols and relationship with muscle glycogen. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30995104/. 

Jones A. & Vanhatalo A. (2017, March). The ‘critical power’ concept: Applications to sports performance with a focus on intermittent high-intensity exercise. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28332113/. 

Jones A., Wilkerson D., DiMenna F., Fulford J., & Poole D. (2007, December 5). Muscle metabolic responses to exercise above and below the “critical power” assessed using 31P-MRS. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18056980/

Karvonen M., Kentala E., & Mustala O. (1957) The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/13470504/ 

Maffetone P. & Laursen P. (2020, April 2). Maximum aerobic function: Clinical relevance, physiological underpinnings, and practical application. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7142223/ 

Poole D., Ward S., Gardner G., & Whipp B. (1988, September). Metabolic and respiratory profile of the upper limit for prolonged exercise in man. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3191904/

Rodríguez-Marroyo J., Villa J., García-López J., & Foster C. (2013, July). Relationship between the talk test and ventilatory thresholds in well-trained cyclists. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23007491/ 

Seiler K. & Kjerland G. (2006, February). Quantifying training intensity distribution in elite endurance athletes: Is there evidence for an “optimal” distribution? Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16430681/ 

Seiler S., Haugen O., & Kuffel E. (2007, August). Autonomic recovery after exercise in trained athletes: Intensity and duration effects. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17762370/ 

Seiler S & Tønnessen E. (2009, January). Intervals, thresholds, and long slow distance: The role of intensity and duration in endurance training. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233855836_Intervals_Thresholds_and_Long_Slow_Distance_the_Role_of_Intensity_and_Duration_in_Endurance_Training 

Stöggl T. & Sperlich B. (2014, February). Polarized training has greater impact on key endurance variables than threshold, high intensity, or high volume training. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24550842/ 
Sylta Ø., Tonnessen E., & Seiler S. (2014, January). From heart-rate data to training quantification: A comparison of 3 methods of training-intensity analysis. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24408353/

The post The Importance of Lactate Threshold and How to Find Yours appeared first on TrainingPeaks.

• *NEW* Create custom zones with unique names and threshold percentages.  
• See previous year’s race performances at a glance with a Race Report Chart on the Dashboard.
• Keep athletes on track through travel or injury with sport-specific Limited
  Availability.
• *UPDATED* Spot trends and get ahead of problems by tracking athlete metrics (like heart rate variability and resting heart rate) using custom Dashboard charts.
• Shorten your planning time by grouping similar athletes with Athlete Groups and Group Calendar Planning.
• Avoid duplicating your work with Bulk Copy and Paste calendar functions. 
• Keep your athletes motivated between events by setting ongoing or weekly goals.

1. Personalize Training With Custom Zones

As a TrainingPeaks coach, you can create and store your own Custom Zones using your preferred methodology, which you can then select to apply to any of your TrainingPeaks Premium Athletes.

Each zone and methodology can have a custom name, and you can assign a zone range for a percentage of FTP. This is a great option if you want fewer zones (easy, medium, hard) or more specific zones than are available in the default options. 

For a guide on how to create custom zones, click here.

2. Save Time With the Race Report Chart

TrainingPeaks has several different charts in the Dashboard charts library. One of the most useful but underutilized charts is Race Reports. 

Using the Race Reports chart to view your athlete’s event results can save you time by not having to go through an athlete’s calendar to find results.

On the Dashboard tab of your desktop app, it’s easy to add a Race Reports chart. Setting this to show the previous year’s races can help with goal setting for the upcoming season and a quick reference guide for PRs in previous events. This may sound simple, but this one chart is just another way TrainingPeaks simplifies how you help athletes reach their goals.

Step-by-step instructions on how to use Race Report Charts can be found here.

3. Streamline Communication With Limited Availability

As a coach, you know how much athletes rely on their TrainingPeaks calendar – many of them check it more often than they check their work or personal calendars! But when it comes to travel or other training constraints, coaches often end up juggling a mix of texts, emails, and phone calls from athletes.

This is where the Limited Availability feature comes in. Your premium athletes can tell you right in their calendars when they have specific time or equipment constraints. This is particularly useful when an athlete is traveling without a bike, for example, or has a medical procedure that keeps them out of the pool. 

A quick glance at the TrainingPeaks calendar shows the sports your athlete has marked as available so you can adjust their training accordingly. No more double-checking your various communication channels!

4. Track Athlete Recovery Metrics in the Dashboard

Your athletes with Garmin devices can now automatically sync resting heart rate and heart rate variability directly into TrainingPeaks, allowing you to keep track of an athlete’s training and health metrics all in one place. 

Of course, with or without a Garmin device, you can ask your athletes to add a metrics card to their calendar each day. TrainingPeaks offers a multitude of options for metrics, including weight, sleep quality, soreness, menstruation, fatigue, and sleep. 

As you probably know, tracking any of these metrics over time is particularly useful, and there’s also a solution for this in TrainingPeaks. In the Dashboard tab on the desktop app, add a metrics chart from the Charts Library. You can select a primary and secondary metric to track and compare them over time (like HRV and sleep) to help your athlete understand how their recovery might affect their performance.

5. Plan Workouts Seamlessly With Group Calendar Planning

You likely coach athletes who are similar to each other or are training for the same races. Athlete Groups and Group Calendar Planning are two features that allow you to view more athletes on one screen. It seamlessly allows you to plan workouts for similar athletes at once.

When you create a group and load similar athletes into the group, you’ll be able to view one week of training for each athlete in the group on one screen. You can then drag a workout from your Workout Library to one specific athlete, or you can apply it to the entire group by dragging it to the date bar on the top of the calendar. 

This is also helpful if you have in-person sessions available to athletes, such as master’s swim or track workouts that a group of athletes regularly attend. Grouping athletes helps you save time and knock out programming for multiple athletes with fewer clicks and less hassle.

An in-depth guide with graphics and videos can be found here. 

6. Make the Most of Your Time With Bulk Copy and Paste

Time, thought, and effort should be spent on building training plans, not applying them to your athletes. The Bulk Copy and Paste functionality lets you select a range of dates on an athlete’s calendar, copy all of the workouts on those dates, and apply them to another athlete or set of dates. 

This is a great option for the first few weeks of a new athlete’s training, or for testing weeks if you apply a similar testing protocol to an athlete each year. It can also be used to give you a baseline set or workouts to make weekly incremental adjustments for distance and duration more convenient.

Here’s a quick and easy how-to video on how ot use Bulk Copy and Paste. 

7. Set Goals Beyond Races & Performance

You’ve probably used events and races in TrainingPeaks to set goals, but did you know you can set goals for your athletes that are separate from their events?

This may be the most under-the-radar feature in TrainingPeaks. This feature helps your athletes build better habits with weekly or even daily process goals alongside their structured workouts. Hydration, sleep, nutrition, mobility, meditation – whatever you want your athlete to focus on can be highlighted in this feature.

You can add goals to the calendar the same way you add any workout: just create a new workout and look for “goal” at the bottom of the menu. You can add anything you like to the checklist. Like workouts, goals get a compliance color when an item gets checked. We all know how great it feels to turn those boxes green!

8. Sell Training Plans for Additional Income

If you’ve created multiple training plans, you may want to consider selling them in the TrainingPeaks marketplace. Training plans are a great way to give potential clients a taste of your coaching and make some passive income without adding to your workload. 

Once you’ve created a plan, selling it in the Training Plan Store is easy! Just make sure you use the Structured Workout Builder for at least 60 percent of the workouts in your plan, and that it has seven or more workouts. As part of the plan publishing process, we’ll walk you through a few questions to help athletes search for and find your plan (sport type, difficulty level, and description). 

For a detailed guide, look here: How to Sell Your Training Plans in the TrainingPeaks Store

More TrainingPeaks Tips to Grow Your Business

TrainingPeaks has so many features that even after years of use, you may still be finding new ways to use it. If you learned something here, just remember that we’re just scratching the surface of what TrainingPeaks has to offer. 

If you want to know even more about how top coaches reach more athletes, save time, and coach more effectively, TrainingPeaks University (TPU) has what you need. TPU workshops and online courses are your path to using our tools like a pro.

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