Determining Run Training Zones
In running we want to know our heart rate training zones as well. To make this as easy as possible, we will use a standard 30 minute TT. From this TT we will be able to determine the correct training zones. This is best if done on a flat uninterrupted path or trail.

Run test protocol:
After a 15 minute warm-up of easy running, finish with a few quick 20 seconds bursts to get your heart rate in the correct training zone.

• The 30 minute TT begins.
• At 10 minutes into the test, hit the 'Lap' button on your heart rate monitor, to get the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes of the test.
• The average for the final 20 minutes is your Lactate Threshold or LT.
• You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.
• 15 minutes easy cool down.

Bike and run training efforts are based on heart rate zones and perceived exertion. For swimming we will use pacing, as it is difficult to determine heart rate zones in a pool.

Determining Swimming Pace
In swimming we want to find out what our 'average pace per 100 (meter or yards)' is. In order to determine this number we can do a number of tests. The simplest test, in my opinion, is the 1,000 yard (or meter) Time Trial (TT). In the TT your goal is to swim a fairly hard effort for the entire distance. The key is to not slow down in the second half of the swim. It's best to start out at an effort that you can maintain by the end, but you must also be able to push yourself the whole way. You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.

Swim test protocol:

• 300-500 yd warm up.
• 6-8 x 50 yds on 10 seconds rest.
• 1,000 yd TT300 easy cool down.

As you can see there are many of variables and many workouts we can derive from that TT. It is recommended that you re-test your TT every 4-6 weeks.

What if I train indoors during the winter on a trainer? Does it require a different LT test?
The best way to do a test for LT is to do the same as outside, unless you have a Compu trainer and then the test would be different. The key is to get a good warm up, do some sprints to get the HR up, and really work up a sweat before starting. Personally, I don't use a fan on the trainer either, and usually wear a long sleeve shirt. This helps me stay warm and get the HR up into the right zones.

Once you have the results, these are the HR numbers you'll use in your indoor workouts. I firmly believe in having an indoor and outdoor LT for both the bike and run.

RPE/HR Zone Chart

RPE Zone	HR Zone	Description
0	Z1	Complete Rest
1	Z1	Very easy; light walking
2	Z1	Very easy; light walking
3	Z1	Very easy; walking
4	Z1	Still easy, maybe starting to sweat
5	Z2	Starting to work just a little and you can feel your HR rise
6	Z2 Upper	Working but sustainable, able to talk in full sentences
7	Z3	Strong effort; breathing labored, but can still maintain pace for some minutes without slowing
8	Z4	Olympic Distance Race Pace for MOP to FOP
9	Z5	10k effort – very hard
10	Z5+	Z5+ = 5k effort and Z5++ = cannot hold effort for more than a minute or two. (almost maximal effort)

MOP = Middle of the Pack
FOP = Front of the Pack

I hope this helps you understand a little better about HR training and how its important to get accurate heart rate zones for your training. Otherwise you could become very frustrated by training too hard or too easy and not seeing results. Get on a plan, calculate your HR zones based on my recommendations above, and start training smart!

Coach Mike Ricci is a USAT Expert Level III Certified Coach and can be reached for personal coaching at: Mike@d3multisport.com

Boosting Fitness for that late Season Running Race:
A few of key workouts to sharpen up your fall racing

For many triathletes, fall is a transition period. Shifting from a routine of daily double workouts and weekend races to a less rigid schedule with fewer specific goals can be both a healthy freedom and a frustrating feeling at the same time. For me, this fall break is a chance to concentrate on my primary love, running. Whether running is a strength or weakness, fall is an excellent time to pick a 10k or half marathon to train for before the less runner-friendly roads of winter appear. Why not mix up your training this fall and try a routine you haven’t used in the past. Just as students regularly have to learn new test taking strategies, athletes ought to experiment with different patterns of training. If you always follow the same routine, how will you know if you can improve or if the plans you follow are indeed ideal? Regardless of the training plan you choose, the key workouts of speed, endurance, and strength should remain staples throughout the plan.

Endurance
We all know that endurance workouts are the foundation for one’s training. According to Jack Daniel’s Running Formula, each week’s long run should be about 25-30% of one’s weekly mileage. If you are training for a 10k, your longest run will be no longer than 70 minutes. A half-marathon racer will probably go no longer than 10 minutes longer than their anticipated goal time. While long runs are a great opportunity to catch up with a friend and “zone out”, we should not become so distracted from what our feet our doing as to forget our cadence. Take time during your long run to focus on being light, “running over the ground”… “not into it”, Daniels says in his Running Formula. Ideally you want to be running 185 steps per minute. Don’t forget to include an occasional 20-30 minute tempo run at the end of your long run. This teaches you to run fast when you are tired, similar to the end of a race. Of course one would want to build up this tempo addition gradually. For example, imagine you are scheduled for a 90 minute zone one run. Make the last 10 minutes a run at tempo pace (zone 3). Give yourself a week or two before, moving up to 15 minutes of tempo.

Strength
Running a variety of hill repeats are a great way to build strength which helps to ward off injuries. Hills are speed work in disguise. One can vary the following workout by running different hills and playing with the intensity by changing the length of the repeat and the recovery time. Make note of how far you get on each repeat. As you gain strength, you will be able to see improvements. Have fun with these by recruiting friends to form relays. The recovery time becomes however long it takes for your partner at the bottom to reach the top. Practice running fast both up hill and downhill.

Try running 4 x (3 x 2 minutes), where the first hill is aerobic with a form focus and a fast run downhill. The second hill is at tempo pace, and the third is at race effort. Don’t neglect your form! Focus on leaning forward, lifting your knees high, bringing your heel to your butt, and driving your elbows back. Recovery time for the second and third is jogging back down. If you decrease the number of repeats above you can add 4 x 30 seconds surging up hill at a faster pace.

Speed
Yes, despite the popular belief to wait until the end of one’s training program to add speed, you should be incorporating increments of speed workouts at the beginning of your program. Keep the fast twitch muscles awake! They don’t have to be fully revved, just percolating/alert enough to turn on when asked. While some athletes have more than others, we all have fast twitch muscles and should not neglect them or the conditioning attention they deserve. A basic speed workout would be to do 100 meter or 200 meter repeats. According to Daniel’s Running Formula, these repeats should be at a pace six seconds faster per 400 than a quarter run at 98-100% of maximum heart rate (zone 5). You should provide yourself with full active recovery time in between repeats. This may mean recovering for as much as two to four times as long as the work interval. The goal is to perform these repeats with efficient form so as to expend minimal energy. They will not only improve your speed but more importantly engage the muscle fibers to improve your running economy.

Try the following 100 meter repeat workout. After a thorough warm up and stretching, run for 20 minutes on the track where you are surging on the straight aways and jogging the curves. You can mimic this on a flat course in which you are surging for about 25 seconds and jogging for 35.

Now it’s time to start creating! Seek variety in this fall’s training program but don’t forget to base your workouts on the three staples of endurance, strength and speed. They should be the building blocks of your plan.

Coach Amanda McCracken is a USAT Certified Coaches and can be reached for personal coaching at: Amanda@d3multisport.com