Note: I am re-posting this from Nov. 13, 2013 since I feel it still applies quite well and helps many of my newer athletes understand the training a bit better. -Chris

Many athletes might think that this means the same format year after year. But as most of my long term athletes can tell you – my coaching plans and training approach never repeats itself. The concepts of adaptation and stimulus might, but not the specific training needed to bring about the adaptation. Every year is different, but the road map rarely changes.

Let me remind you of my core mission as a coach to you: I am looking to coach you with a plan that allows you to train effectively enough (time available) to stimulate the appropriate adaptation (progression applicable to you towards your goals). Key words: enough and appropriate

Important is to also understand that this is a very general road map, but it allows me to time your season properly, stay within the phases, and build mini training plans within each phase. It also allows me to take your feedback, races and testing data and keep them in line with our timing towards that ‘A’ race. Sometimes its too late to address a specific need, so we place that need into the next syllabus…

The Road Map: We basically need 25 weeks. If you had all the flexibility of time without work, family, personal life as well as health and recovery getting in the way: 25 weeks is ideal. It follows a simple pyramid growth:

a. 8 weeks to apply the correct Z2 platform of aerobic base with 2 recovery weeks built in
b. 6 weeks to start incorporating Z3 and tempo work with 2 recovery weeks built in
c. 4 weeks for race specific steady state and race pace interval work with 1 recovery week built in
d. 2 weeks to taper and sharpen the blade

Looks quite simple right? Lets break it down a bit more:

Z2 platform: important is to come in with a solid base and the proper testing to truly apply 8 great weeks in a very tight range of watts/HR in order to maximize the Z2 aerobic platform. This is the first piece where individuality comes in: some need more weeks than others PRIOR to these 8 weeks. Those of you working with me for a season or two usually hit this within 4 weeks. Newer athletes usually require 6 weeks just to shift their energy systems to feel and understand Z2 aerobic work. Its hard to give me the feedback needed in the logs without knowing what Z2 aerobic training actually should feel like. Again: 8 weeks of aerobic Z2 work in order to stimulate the appropriate adaptation. What is enough coming in varies for all of you.

Z3 and tempo: Here is where things really become individual: The testing validates how much Z3/tempo work we will want to sprinkle in and your personal limiters help determine which discipline requires some extra attention: swimming, biking or running? Where to focus more time – what is our limiter in races? How much Z3 work, what format (cadence vs. muscular power?) – what is your appropriate adaptation – do you historically respond better to quality or quantity? The syllabus calls for about 60% still Z2 aerobic work in this phase – and 40% at Z3 tempo. So on a 16hr training week, that means 6.5 hrs of your week are Z3 tempo intervals or paces! Solid training!

Race Specific steady state and race pace intervals: even more individual training plans here: IM, HIM? Oly distance? Ultra running? Race course dynamics or profile? Temperatures (6-8 weeks out is when you want to start heat or altitude work etc.) – Depending on distance and limiters – now the ratios also change: 50% Z2? 50% Z3+ Z4? Or still 60/40? Or for IM, maybe 70/30 but the testing and your fitness gains make the aerobic work quite hard due to volume etc.

And finally resting/tapering: what works for you? How do you absorb the last phase as well as can you hold form until race day? How do we keep you sharp yet not tired?

As you can see – as your season advances, your plan becomes so much more individual and specific to you. Yet the most important ingredient for this entire syllabus is missing: your input and feedback. As we move through the season, your insights, observations, feedback, notes, and complaints are vital to make this plan effective. In order to train effectively enough to stimulate the appropriate adaptation, I need to hear from you, I need to validate our training with testing, and we need to apply in the real world of racing. This constant exchange of coaching and feedback keeps the syllabus applicable to you and allows for true progression: am I better today than yesterday? Why? Because the coach/athlete feedback loop is constantly being applied to tomorrows training plan.

And finally – what makes this syllabus change year over year, from athlete to athlete, is what I call Wedge Weeks. If we follow the weeks listed in the syllabus above, then the season starts about 30 weeks out from the A race (4-5 weeks to enter with the right platform plus the 25 weeks listed). Wedge weeks are what makes this training plan a realistic one: Wedge weeks are weeks inserted into those 30 weeks at any point in time due to injury, sickness, extra rest needed or life/family events. Any one of these reasons might require the plan to be delayed for a week or two. Work travel or a project overwhelming? Wedge Week…Sickness? Wedge Week. Family overwhelmed or Holidays? Wedge Week. Friend getting married in Bora Bora? Wedge Week.

Most of us went Pro in something other than the sport were are training for, which means we have plenty of Wedge Weeks (Pros have Wedge Weeks too!). On average, I see about 6 a season…Now, the plan is 36 weeks…That means if you start this next week, your ‘A’ race is the first week of August…

Ready…?

After the mini camp this past weekend, I wanted to take an opportunity to go into more depth about Z2 aerobic training and how it might help if I showed you my data.  This might provide some color and clarity on how to do it – why we do it – why it is so important and how, if done right – it will make you fitter, stronger and faster than ever before.

This past weekend we did an approx. 100 mile ride in Napa.  While it is quite flat by our standards in NorCal – it still had 3500ft of climbing and a bit of a nasty headwind on the last 15 miles.  So an honest 99.5 miles.  Temps reached mid 90s.

Below you see the attached ride I did.  Plenty of details in here that I will go over but first some insight:

• It was a solid Z2 ride for me.  Not in my zone, but on steady cadence and aero position.  This is the type of ride I like to do weekly, or maybe every 10 days to remain efficient in my cycling form and work on my relaxed aero position.
• You might think based on zones and threshold this ride was too easy for me, but it matches almost identical to this ride I did 10 days out of IM Texas.  Last 15 miles are the same watts, same cadence, same conditions of temps and wind too.  I’ll take this on the back end of a 100, and relaxed focus aero riding.  I am not looking for POWER or SPEED – I am looking to be relaxed – efficient and economical because I have a 7 mile run off the bike in a few minutes.
• We (I) came in with 17hrs of training already this week.  I had done my quality on intervals in classes (on the trainer) and was looking for a steady, energy efficient and balanced ride.  I think you can see mission accomplished.  I averaged 5 watts more on the front 50 miles than the back
• I had a 7 mile run after.  It was based on feel, no interest in taking Garmin with me.  But I wanted to feel light and relaxed (listened to Germany vs. Ghana 2^nd half, was not as relaxed as I wanted!).  Mission was accomplished since now, 22hrs into the week, I ran a comfortable 7.20 pace (I know the distances there all by vineyards) – avg HR 133

Now that you know how it was for me – lets look at the data.  Below are three charts.  Then entire ride on watts only, the first half of ride with watts and HR, and finally, the 2^nd half of ride with watts and HR although I sent this to show my HR monitor went screwy – not to hide what my HR did the 2^nd half.

Chart 1: The entire ride, watts only

Chart 2: First half of ride, watts and HR

Chart 3: Second half of ride, watts and HR

1. My T1 (aerobic threshold) is 300w, my threshold (LT – T2) is only 330w (goes to show how little time I spend in Z4!)
2. This ride averaged 205 but normalized 220w.  NOTE:  that is 25-30% BELOW my T1
3. My HR the first 50 miles never leaves 120.  Almost a flat line.  No decoupling from the watts – which means they stay very aligned throughout.
4. There is one bigger climb in this ride – yet it is quite hard to see/find AND I never leave my Zone 2 (220-260w)
5. Cadence is steady in the 80s throughout.

Why am a writing you all this?  Here goes:

Aerobic platform training is about letting go, about using watts, HR and pace as a secondary means of seeing what you are doing.  The main driver is your ability to train the volume efficiently and repetitively.  My ability to do this training day, again, and again, and again…in the following days, is set up by doing this day correctly.  Could I have gone harder?  Absolutely.  But for what?  I have plenty of training ahead that I want to layer upon this day and many days ahead.

This ride was 25% below my T1 – and also below my Zone 2 watts.  Those of you that have tested – think about your T1, and take 25-30% off that number – how often have you done 100 mile rides that relaxed and easy?

I did not care about my avg watts for this ride – nor do I care for avg speed.  Its all USELESS if not relaxed, efficient and economical for the run after as well as training days after.

I receive emails and texts frequently after workouts – but also from those doing this ride:  They feel great a few days later:  YOU SHOULD!  If you went the right effort, every day is like this!  It should not tax you for more than a good nights sleep and some fluids and fueling can’t rebuild.

People in the community of triathlon also call me a ‘volume coach’.  Yes I am – but it is a crazy effective volume IF DONE right.  As you can imagine, a day like this – relative to your watts, HR and pace – will leave you ready to do it again, and again and again.  IF you ride a tick too hard, and keep questioning, pushing the Z2 effort, you WILL be flat, tired, and quite often, injured.  The volume only works in a delicate balance.

Many of you are in the heart of your training for the A races coming up.  The key to all this is your ability to stay fit, healthy and absorbing the training throughout.  Remember – what I base my ENTIRE coaching on:

Your ability to train effectively enough to stimulate the appropriate adaptation

This ride for me hit all that:  Effective enough because I can compare it to previous rides and IM prep and see I am dead on where I want to be.  Effective enough because I had a solid run after as well as a good training day Sunday and another 5 hr bike with some work yesterday.  Effective because I am not shelled, injury free.  It stimulated the appropriate adaptation since I am 16 weeks from Kona and want to gradually build my fitness past where I was for IM Texas.

Does this all apply to your training?  Are you looking for numbers, wattages, avg speed and running paces?  The more you force it, the longer it will take.  The more you force it, the more frustrating it becomes.  The more you force it, you play on a delicate edge of injury or fatigue.

Example:  I could have ridden that at 220-260w and had my HR sit a bit higher.  Still Z2 – but more forced into numbers and at a greater cost.  I know my training days ahead.  So what was the appropriate adaptation for me?  After 17 hrs of training so far that week?  It was this ride.  I relaxed – spun steady – and still rode an efficient 100 miles in under 5 hrs.  I let it come to me.

As you are training – and see your week ahead, days ahead, consider your approach.  How are you setting up a successful week.  YOUR training, not what someone else is doing.  YOUR best week.  YOUR best adaptation.  Not past numbers, not wattages or running paces. YOUR adaptation.

Also – please keep in mind – this ride and training is effective because I nailed the intensity workouts correctly too.  In this past week I hit all the workouts as designed in the following format of STRESS:

S – Strength – hills on bike and run as well as in classes on intervals.

T– Technique – plenty of that in this ride – in classes and running with relaxed form and focus.

R – Recovery – sleep – eat and an easy day or two with active recovery swimming only or OFF

E – endurance – did this here in Napa and the day prior with a 5 hr bike and 30 min run.

S – Speed – intervals in class and tempo intervals running

Specific – This day was about as specific as I can get for IM – 100 miles + 7 mile run – all steady aerobic at same HR.

There should be plenty of conversation with me about this – please send me any of your thoughts.

*I do this ride 1x a month until IM.  It is a way for me to measure how – in a relaxed, but NOT RESTED, state I can ride a clean 100 and run 7-10 miles off the bike.  It is important for me to have bad days on this ride – mentally challenging ones.  That way I know to relax – just focus on pedal circles and let go of any data (KEY is to continue to fuel and hydrate well).  If properly tired and mentally taxed, that section of bad sensations and focused only on feel will net me a wattage.  That is my ‘bad day’ wattage.  I also want that to go up over the next 16 weeks.  Why?  Because then I know at IM, that even on a bad day, I can hold THAT number.  And THAT number becomes my floor.  By then I’ll have done it plenty – so I’ll feel good about THAT number being a realistic floor.