General Description of the Workouts
During your preparation, the training programs incorporate a wide spectrum of progressive training protocol leading up to your race. Development of your aerobic foundation is the fundamental backbone of all the programs. However, depending on your ability, and your program selection for your event, key markers set are implemented and will provide an assessment of your progress. These marker sets are integrated at regular intervals within each cycle. Recording your total distance, perceived exertion, heart rate, speed or power will give you several tools to evaluate and critic your progression.
There are also periodic tips inserted within your program. These include: biomechanics, nutrition, tapering, and overall race preparation.
Understanding the Workout Jargon
When you receive your daily workouts there will be a set design of the session. Each workout will begin with a prescribed warm up of 6 – 12 minutes. For the competitive athlete you may insert a warm up routine that has worked for you in the past. The second listing within the workout may be a progressive short set leading into the main set. The main set will indicate total time or distance along with the workout intensity. Additionally, if the main set is a series of repeats it will also indicate the rest interval (RI) between the repeats. In the longer sessions a second set will be included. I did not include a cool down session or time period at the end of the workout. Please include a 5 – 10 minute cool down.
Within each of the workouts there are notations for each discipline. Following are the specific abbreviations.
Heartrate (HR) – heartrate is implemented in the workouts to determine specific training workloads. For example, after the main set there may a notation that either indicates; aerobic (A), level 1 of your lactate threshold heartrate (L1), level 2 (L2) or level 3 (L3). Please see the attached heartrate information sheet for further descriptions.
Speed – speed is indicated on several marker sets to record your actual training pace or speed. For example, pace per mile in running, miles per hour in cycling, pace per 100 yards or meters in swimming. Perceived exertion (PE) measures an objective workload based on a 1 to 10 PE scale. I have included this in a separate attachment.
Power – measures average and peak wattage. Power meters can be integrated with HR, speed, PE, and overall time or distance.
Marker Sets (MS) – are test sets that will be included throughout your cycle. The sets allow you to evaluate your progress by comparing heartrates, workloads, sendoff, repeat times, speed, perceived exertion and power. The sets will vary from straight sets to repeat sets with an infinite variety of physical and metal inter-play. Marker sets are the true predictors of your potential race performance.
Main Set (M) – this indicates the key set of the session. All the variables indicating workload will be noted. The main set comprises 40-80% of the entire workout.
Second Set (SS) – is a shorter set typically following the main set. It may include specific details on workload and/or technique work.
Swim
Bands – circular rubber tubing (i.e. from a mountain bike tire) approximately 10-12 inches in diameter and 1-2 inches wide. This is placed around your ankles in a figure 8 to stop all kicking and forces the athlete to concentrate on the ‘front end’ of their free style. Bands keep the head and neck in a neutral position allowing the hips and feet to rise upwards. Additionally, using the bands requires a faster catch on the front end of the stroke ultimately teaching the athlete how to set their elbow properly.
Paddles (Pads) – enhance stroke technique by concentrating on subtle wrist flexion, setting the elbow, forearm pressure and hyperextension of the wrist at the finish of the stroke. Paddles also increase the muscular load throughout the stroke cycle.
Buoy - pull buoys are placed between the upper thighs allowing the feet to drag and simultaneously keeping the hips elevated. Triathletes love buoys because their hips ride high and require less exertion. I will recommend them occasionally.
B&B – band and buoy are worn together to provide slight hip elevation and increased drag.
R.I. – rest interval between repeats.
Send Off – some of the advanced sessions indicate a send off time. This includes the exercise time plus the rest interval and indicates when you will begin the next repeat. i.e. 6 x 50 on 1 minute. If you swim the 50 in 50 seconds, you will have 10 seconds R.I. before leaving on the 1 minute send off.
FR (freestyle) - the workouts will predominately be freestyle.
CH (choice stroke) – this is your choice of stroke inserted on select main sets.
BK (backstroke)
BR (breaststroke)
Fly (butterfly)
TB (tennis balls) – held in each hand during specific swim sets. The TB’s heighten the nerve endings on your palms. Returning to freestyle your hands will develop a better feel for the water.
BK Flutter – teaches the athlete to kick from the hips, extend the knee at the completion of each kick, and maximize the pressure on the surface of your foot. Proper form requires full arm extension with fingers interlaced or fingers holding a kick board with your thumbs on the surface.
Desc – descending the set or repeat. i.e. 6 x 50 desc. 1-3 & 4-6. Each 50 is progressively faster by 1-2 seconds. The 3rd and 6th are the fastest. Repeats 1 & 4 are the same speed,
2 & 5 same, 3 & 6 same.
Bike
VG – variable gearing enhances muscle recruitment by including workloads in the gears that you do not necessarily favor. Variable gear changes during a race allow your body a subtle change in workloads and ultimately result in improved economy. VG is implemented throughout your training program.
Variable Gearing includes 6 gear choices and the revolutions per minute.
- LG – low gear seated = 95-110 rpm
- LG standing = 80-86 rpm
- BG – big gear seated = 56-64 rpm
- BG standing = 60-68 rpm
- TTG – time trial gear seated = 86-96 rpm
- TTG standing = 68-76 rpm
Hill – The ideal grade is between 3-5% for developing and fitness athletes and 4-8% for competitor athletes. All hill sets will need to be adapted to your “hilly” terrain. Overpasses work fine!
Run and Bike
Pickups (PU) – are segments of 10 seconds to 1 minute. Run pickups are at 5K to 10K race pace or slightly faster.
Bike pick ups start in a lower gear (higher rpm) and shift up to your time trial gear as the segment progresses. For example, a run pickup of 6 X 30 seconds with a rest interval of 1 minute is done as follows:
Run for 30 seconds increasing your turnover throughout the 30 second segment. Jog lightly for 1 minute and repeat the effort. Leg turnover is the key element of these short sessions.
Bricks – there are two forms of bricks, run-bike-run, and bike-run-bike. These are included in the triathlon programs as a marker sets.