Training Intensity And Training Zones
This might sound obvious, but to make our training as effective as it can be, we want a training programme that makes us train at different intensities. Some easy work, some moderate efforts and some fast stuff.
If you’re anything like me when I started, although I came from a swim background and had a good grasp of pacing and working at different intensities, when I started running it was all one paced – no variation in intensity. All too hard, yet not hard enough.
Back In The Day …
Going back in time here, but when I started running, I picked a loop – about 4k – and I would run this loop at the same pace each time, each run trying to go quicker than the last time! It was exhausting, frustrating, even a little boring.
Now, most of you will know that this is not the best approach.
Why Wouldn’t This Approach Work?
Firstly, I wasn’t running fast enough to make significant improvements in run pace. I was running at the best pace I could for 4k – so gradually got better at running at 4k pace. By better, I mean I felt better doing it. My pace didn’t change significantly.
Putting some numbers to this, let’s assume my 4k run took 20 minutes, so 5 minutes per kilometre. If I wanted to improve that 4k pace, I should have been doing some shorter, higher intensity work at a quicker pace in some of these sessions. So, a set of 1 or 2 minute efforts at 4.30 min/k pace (for example) – with some easy running / walking between each interval. This way, I would learn to run faster and my body would adapt to this change in training stimulus.
The second reason this approach didn’t work was that I didn’t do enough training to make improvements in running. After 4k I was exhausted, so went home. If I had run a little bit slower – at 5.30 min/k (for example) – I would have been able to run for longer, clocking up a bigger volume of running, and making some improvements. If I had run a little slower, I would also have been able to run more frequently (increasing weekly run volume), as …
- I wouldn’t have had DOMS.
- I wouldn’t have been too fatigued the next day to get out the door.
- I wouldn’t have had to sum up mental reserves to face yet another painful run.
Using my crude example above, we can see some of the benefits and the reasons we might want to vary the intensity of our sessions.
The same applies to our cycling or our swimming.
With me so far?
Training Zones
In our training programmes, we use ‘Training Zones’ to manage intensity and make sure we are not doing everything ‘too hard, but not hard enough’.
One of the first things we will do with any athlete is set our training zones. We do this through testing.
There are many ways to test and then set training zones.
Zones Based On Threshold Pace / Power / Heart Rate
When we test, we want to identify our ‘threshold’. In theory, our threshold pace / power / heart rate is the fastest pace, highest power and heart rate we can manage for an hour. So, if we ran for one hour at our best effort, we would look at the average pace and average heart rate for that effort and that would be our ‘threshold’.
Fortunately, we don’t need to kill ourselves for an hour in each discipline every time we want to check on our thresholds. We can use other measures, other tests, and apply a formula to approximate our thresholds. For example, many of us are used to a 20 minute Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test on the bike. 20 minutes at our best effort. Our threshold (FTP) is 95% of the average power we can produce during that FTP test. We might do the same on a run. A best effort 5k run. In swimming, we can do a long swim, such as 1000m or 1500m, or even a 400m/200m swim, and get our approximate threshold values.
As you would expect in this often over-complicated sport, there are other ways of measuring thresholds and setting zones. Ramp tests on the bike and interval-based sets in the pool are both becoming more popular. You could also include a more scientific measure, and take a trip to the Sports Science lab, to get some precise numbers.
We can also use races. A Parkrun, a 10k run or a bike time trial are all great ways of gathering your data.
Once we have our threshold numbers, we can set out our Training Zones.
Training Zone Models
As with everything, there are multiple ways of determining training zones. There are three zone models, five zone models, seven zone models. Personally, I tend to use the five zone model. In this model, our threshold numbers sit in Zone 4. The different zones are based on percentages of our threshold e.g. our Zone 2 run pace might be around 80-85% of our run threshold pace.
In simple terms, this is how I would describe the zones.
Zone 1 – Super Easy
Zone 2 – Feels Comfortable
Zone 3 – Starting To Put Effort In
Zone 4 – Working Hard
Zone 5 – Pushing Close To The Limit
When I’m planning training, this is how I would use the zones …
Zone 1 is used for warm ups, recovery sessions & for recovery during interval sessions.
Zone 2 is used for our longer endurance sessions and lighter sessions.
Zone 3 is often our tempo or race pace zone (for marathons and Ironman 70.3)
Zone 4 is used for harder interval work, usually for intervals up to 10 minutes or so.
Zone 5 is used for short, sharp work.
When training, we can decide whether to base our intensity on our heart rate zones or our pace / power zones. To complicate it further, we can even manage intensity on our perceived exertion e.g. I can often be heard saying “swim these 100’s at a 7/10 effort.”
The Point?
So, what’s the point of this post?
I guess it is firstly to make sure you understand that there is a better way of training than just day in, day out same-effort sessions. Just because it feels hard, doesn’t mean it is the best approach or doing you any good! Don’t make the mistake I made 20+ years ago.
Secondly, it is to make you aware that there are different ways of judging and managing intensity. Heart rate, pace, power, perceived exertion or ‘feel’. Some athletes have a preference, some coaches insist on specific measurements – but know that there are different ways to manage our intensity.
Thirdly, it is to encourage you to find your five zones in swimming, cycling or running. I hear “I only have pace” a lot. It is in your interest to have at least five different paces / effort levels!
I hope the post is useful and gives you an overview of intensity levels and training zones. There is much more I could talk about here – perhaps for another post or two. If you have any questions, or want more detailed or more specific information, please get in touch (bryan@triathlonswimsquad.com).
Discover more from Triathlon Swim Squad
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.