Thoughts on How "Hard" you Should Train
Many athletes have a hard time with
regard to intensity. We all work hard in
our daily lives, and it’s only natural to
want to work hard at being a better
athlete. Working hard at doing the right
things is far different then working too
hard in an aerobic sense. How hard should
you train on a daily basis? Of course this
depend on what time of year it is, what
distance you are training for, and of
course what your coach has on your
schedule.When I write a workout and I give an athlete a ‘Zone1-2’ workout, I expect the athlete to find the happy medium and train at a pace they could sustain all day. What I usually get when I check over a log is “..I went out too hard, and well I bonked...” or “..I was much faster on the first hour of my ride and then I kind of faded...”.
Run Pacing
My solution is to do a better job of explaining ‘exactly’ what I want from my athletes. To provide you with a frame of reference, my LTHR (lactate threshold heart rate) on the run is about 168- 171. My Zone 1 ends at about 155 bpm (beats per minute).
When I run train in a Zone 1-2, I am running ‘easy’ which is like a ‘guilty pace’, I am around 140 bpm. That would put me close to the top of my Zone 1. When I am running ‘Steady’ (which I also call my Aerobic Threshold or AeT) I am usually around 148-150 which puts me about the middle of my Zone 2. With the exception of running tempo runs, I don’t run over 155 in training. Sometimes I may see 160 on a steep hill, but I quickly get my HR back down by walking. Most of my ‘Steady’ running is done at 150 bpm, so for me that 150 bpm is my AeT or ‘Steady’. More...
D3 Tips for the Off-Season - Setting Goals
Coach,
I have hit a plateau with my swimming and I am not able to swim at T Pace – 5 seconds. I can swim a 41 second 50 all day with short rest but I am having trouble swimming a 1:27 for a 100 yards so what do you think my limiter is? Joe
Joe,
We all hit plateaus along the way, its common nature. The people
who break through are the ones who figure out a way around the
plateau or they blast right through them. The limiter could be your
swim form, it could be power, speed, many things. If you can swim
the 50s in 41 then holding it together may just be a matter of
focus. Why don’t you try swimming 45” for the first 50, then 43” or
42” for the second 50? Let’s see how that works for you.
This is a good question and it's good to see that you are pushing
yourself. The other option Joe is to do a swim focus month where
we say ‘ok - go out and swim 50,000 yards this month’. That could
create some changes in your physiology as well. Sometimes a little
over distance will do the trick.
For more on swimming faster read my Swim Pacing article this
month:
Swimming Sets Correctly - How to get Faster
in the water!
When swimming a particular workout, remember that every swim
set has a distinct purpose. Swimming is different then biking or
running in that you can hammer every day without tearing up you
ligaments and joints. Since you don't feel the same type of soreness
as in running and biking, swimming leads many of us to think that
we didn't swim hard enough. Beware! Swimming hard hard every
day eventually will wear you down and something is going to give;
like your shoulder, back, or your motivation. Swim with a plan: Each
time you get in the water the swim set should have a set purpose.
More...