Entry 4: Training Plan Part 2, Deliberate Practice

In her 2016 book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”, University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Angela Duckworth modifies the theory popularized by Malcolm Gladwell that achieving world class expertise and/or success in a particular field requires 10,000 hours of repetition in that field.  While she does not disagree with the volume of repetitions required, Ms. Duckworth adds as an additional necessary condition the need for deliberate, high quality practice, i.e. practice with purposeful knowledge of the specific goals and objectives of each session.  While I leave it to my readers to decide on the scientific validity of these theories, my anecdotal experience from Ironman training suggests that deliberate practice is useful for maximizing the productivity of one’s individual sessions and critical to breaking through the inevitable performance plateau as one progresses deeper into the diminishing return curve.  TLDR: practice makes permanent, not perfect!

Training Metrics:

Before we dive into the purpose of the individual training sessions outlined in my previous post, an introduction to the basics of exercise science and training methodologies is in order.  In the realm of endurance sports, two metrics are generally regarded as the strongest predictors of performance:

• VO2Max: Expressed in mL/kg/min, VO2Max measures the maximum amount of oxygen that one can utilize during intense exercise.  In laymen’s terms, this can be thought of as the size of one’s “aerobic engine” (for car buffs out there, think of this as similar to the difference between a 5.0L V8 vs. a 3.0L V6 engine).  The below table provides benchmark VO2Max values based on age and gender.  For example, for the general population of 30 year old males, the average VO2Max value is generally around 44mL/kg/min. 

Professional endurance athletes typically exhibit numbers far beyond these benchmarks, the highest recorded values of which are provided in the accompanying table.  By comparison, typical values for Kona-qualifying age-group athletes range in the 65-70 range. 

VO2Max has traditionally been considered to be a largely static number, the strongest determinants being one’s genetics, age, gender, and whether or not one smokes (smoking results in a permanent reduction in VO2Max!).  However, more recent research suggests that this metric is trainable, with improvements as high as 40% over several years seen in some cases.  One can have one’s VO2Max tested at many full-service gyms and medical facilities, which involves donning a gas exchange mask (affectionately dubbed the “Bane” or “Darth Vader” mask by technicians) and either running or cycling at a progressively harder intensity until failure.  Those having completed the VO2Max test in the past would likely describe it as one of their more dreaded experiences.  As a point of reference, my most recent running VO2Max test in February 2018 yielded a value of 70mL/kg/min at a heart rate of approximately 185bpm. 

• Lactate Threshold: Going back to the car analogy, if one thinks of VO2Max as the size of one’s aerobic engine, lactate threshold measures how many cylinders in that engine can be utilized over extended periods of time.  As one increases the intensity of exercise, the body derives proportionally more energy from sugar instead of fat via a process known as aerobic respiration.  Two of the byproducts of aerobic respiration are hydrogen ions and lactate, the former of which causes one’s blood to become more acidic, resulting in the unpleasant, “burning” sensation one experiences under intense load.  Eventually, the intensity of exercise becomes so great that it overwhelms the body’s ability to clear these byproducts, forcing the body to slow down.  This inflection point is known as the lactate threshold, beyond which one’s ability to maintain a certain intensity level drops rapidly from hours to minutes.  For this reason, lactate threshold is often viewed as the key limiting factor to performance in endurance sports, the goal being to increase one’s ability to operate at faster paces before one’s effort level hits lactate threshold.  Depending on the sport, lactate threshold is traditionally measured as the heart rate / pacing / power that one can maintain for an hour (multiple measurement protocols lasting far less than an hour exist but are beyond the scope of this post).  As a point of reference, my lactate threshold figures in the lead-up to Ironman Wisconsin last year were 1:30 minutes per 100M in the swim, 290 watts / 165bpm on the bike, and 6:15 minutes per mile / 175bpm on the run. 

Training Zones:

Once one has determined one’s VO2Max and lactate threshold figures, it is possible to establish training “zones”, which are typically expressed as a percentage of the aforementioned metrics.  For this reason, these zones are highly personalized to each individual and their current fitness level.  A summary of these zones is provided below based on the most commonly used 7-zone model developed by Dr. Andrew Coggan. 

• Zone 1 (Active Recovery): In terms of perceived effort level, one can effectively continue to operate at this pace indefinitely.  Often prescribed by coaches between hard intervals or as standalone workouts, spending time in Zone 1 allows the body to clear out metabolic byproducts generated from previous strenuous efforts more quickly than if one simply did nothing. 
• Zone 2 (Endurance): Often described as an easy, conversational, nose-breathing pace, this is the intensity level at which most Ironman distance athletes operate on race-day.  Commonly referred to as the “fat burning zone”, Zone 2 training promotes the metabolization of fat for energy, which unlike sugar is effectively an infinite resource for a single day race.  This allows one to spare sugar stores for “surge” efforts.  Training in Zone 2 also promotes the development of a greater mitochondria count (the “powerhouses of the cell” per high school biology) in one’s muscle cells, which in turn allows the body to process more oxygen and boost one’s VO2Max.  Spending long periods of time at this zone also builds resistance to fatigue (the tendency for output to fall for a given effort or effort to rise for a given output) across all effort levels. 
• Zone 3 (Tempo): At this pace, conversation begins to get difficult and one often experiences an involuntary shift to a faster breathing pattern.  Zone 3 is the pace at which most Olympic and half-Ironman distance athletes spend their time in on race-day.  Often demonized as the “grey zone” or the “Zone 3 trap”, this is the effort level that many new athletes subconsciously default to if they are not disciplined enough to stay in Zone 2 or too tired to maintain Zone 4-5.  This can often lead to performance plateaus given that Zone 3 provides the benefits of Zones 2, 4, and 5 but at a reduced level relative to the amount of fatigue it generates.  Nevertheless, training specific points of Zone 3 can be used strategically.  For example, training right at the boundary between Zone 2-3 can be extremely beneficial to pushing back the transition point between fat and sugar metabolization.  Similarly, training right at the boundary between Zone 3-4 (sometimes referred to as “sweet spot” training) can help push one’s lactate threshold upward without the shellshock typically experienced by training in pure Zone 4. 
• Zone 4 (Threshold): Mental concentration becomes required just to maintain this pace and conversation becomes very difficult.  One will feel a burning sensation in one’s muscles as time continues and the perceived effort level gradually increases from hard to excruciating if maintained over the course of an hour as lactate levels reach critical levels.  Training at lactate threshold helps to promote both mental tolerance and the body’s ability to clear hydrogen ions and lactate from the system, leading to direct gains in performance at lactate threshold itself. 
• Zone 5 (VO2Max): This is a lung-busting effort level that one typically encounters at many HIIT studios such as Barry’s and Crossfit and can be typically maintained for only 3-8 minutes without rest.  While training in Zone 2 increases VO2Max by increasing one’s mitochondria count, actually training at VO2Max increases the efficiency of each one of those mitochondria, providing further enhancements to one’s aerobic ceiling and allowing for further room for gains in lactate threshold. 
• Zone 6 (Anaerobic): Best described as a “long-distance” sprint effort, training in Zone 6 promotes the body’s ability to operate at and quickly recover from anaerobic efforts, i.e. beyond its ability to utilize oxygen.  This is useful in shorter races such as criteriums, which often involve multiple short, sharp surges to bridge gaps in the field. 
• Zone 7 (Neuromuscular): Often described as an all-out sprint effort, training in Zone 7 is similar to heavy weight training in that it promotes the recruitment of previously untapped muscle fibers. 

Zone Distribution:

Once an athlete has established his/her training zones, the question then becomes how much time one should spend in each zone given a finite budget of training hours.   Over the years, a large number of coaching models have been developed, the most popular of which are summarized below. 

• Traditional: Sometimes referred to as “pyramidal” training, this methodology involves spending the majority of training hours at or below Zone 2, and progressively less volume at higher intensity zones.  The rationale of this model is that the benefits of higher intensities are maximized when one has established a strong fitness base (e.g. increasing mitochondrial efficiency via Zone 5 training is more effective if there are more mitochondria to begin with via Zone 2 training).  While successfully utilized by many coaches and athletes, this methodology does require a large time commitment in order to accumulate the necessary training volume in Zone 2. 

• Threshold: Also known as “sweet spot” training, this methodology involves spending the majority of training hours at the boundary between Zones 3 and 4.  This is often prescribed by coaches to time-crunched athletes, as training at this intensity is believed to provide the most “bang for buck”, i.e. most of the benefits of Zones 2, 4, and 5 while still being maintainable at a lower training volume.  However, these benefits are not as scalable at higher training volume levels.    

• High Intensity Interval Training (“HIIT”): Popularized by Emil Zatopek, a long-distance runner who won gold medals in the 5K, 10K, and marathon distance at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, HIIT training involves spending the majority of one’s time training at Zone 4 or harder.  Based on the reasoning that “in order to race fast, one needs to train fast”, this methodology was later dropped by subsequent generations of endurance athletes who found that it made them more prone to injuries at higher training volumes.  HIIT has nevertheless enjoyed a resurgence in recent years amongst fitness studios (e.g. Barry’s and Crossfit) due to the immense weight-loss benefits it provides by increasing both insulin and leptin (anti-hunger hormone) sensitivity. 

• Polarized: Touted as the latest development in the endurance coaching world, polarized training involves spending the vast majority (~80%) of one’s training time in Zone 2 and the remainder (~20%) in Zone 5 or higher.  This model has been spearheaded by Dr. Stephen Seiler, whose research suggests that most elite endurance athletes utilize this distribution.  More so than the traditional method, this methodology requires a very large time commitment not only to accumulate the necessary amount of time in Zone 2, but also to allow sufficient recovery from the higher intensity sessions it prescribes. 

Kona Training Plan Revisited:

With the underlying sports metrics and science established, we can now more thoroughly examine the purpose of the individual training sessions outlined in my previous post.  Overall, the plan that I’ve laid out for myself follows the traditional model, i.e. the majority of training hours are spent at or below Zone 2, and progressively less volume is spent at higher intensity zones. 

Cycling: My weekly bike regimen is comprised of the following 4 rides:

• Long, easy zone 2 (65-75% threshold) ride:  Over the course of the season, this will steadily increase from 2.5 hours to 6 hours in 15 minute increments on a roughly monthly basis.  In addition to the aforementioned metabolic, mitochondrial, and fatigue resistance benefits described above, this workout is critical to building the mental stamina to “go the distance” and allowing the body to adapt to the aero position. 
• Continuous high-zone 2 / low-zone 3 (80-85% threshold) brick ride: Over the course of the season, this will increase from 1.25 hours to 2 hours on a quarterly basis.  Training right at the boundary between Zone 2-3 helps to push back the transition point between fat and sugar metabolization.  Running immediately after (known as a brick session) assists the body in adapting to the unpleasant “dead-leg” sensation of activating a different set of muscles when transitioning from bike to run. 
• Sweet spot (88-94% threshold) interval ride: Over the course of the season, this will increase from 3×12 minutes over 1 hour to 6×15 minutes over 2 hours on a monthly basis.  Training at the boundary between zone 3-4 helps to push one’s lactate threshold upward.  While pure zone-4 intervals would certainly be more potent for this purpose, my historical experience has been that such sessions have left me too tired to successfully execute subsequent workouts. 
• Super-threshold interval ride: Over the course of the season, this evolves from sets of maximal 20 second sprints to promote additional muscle recruitment to eventually 6×3 minutes at VO2Max (~120% threshold) to push aerobic capacity higher and allow more room for further improvements in performance at lactate threshold. 

As mentioned in my 2^nd post, my goal for the bike is to be able to generate a lactate threshold power of 300 watts by race day.  Rather than periodically assess lactate threshold with a lab test (expensive and inconvenient), my approach has been to bump up my threshold power benchmark by 1-2 watts when the following criteria are met:

• Long ride executed at a heart rate less than 147bpm and with less than a 6% upward drift in heart rate over the course of the workout                   
• Continuous high-zone 2 / low-zone 3 ride executed at a heart rate of less than 150bpm
• Sweet spot ride executed at a heart rate of less than 160bpm
• Super-threshold ride successfully completed at prescribed power

Running: My weekly run regimen is comprised of the following 4 sessions:

• Long zone 2 run: Over the course of the season, this will increase from 1.5 to 3 hours in 5 minute increments on a roughly weekly basis.  Due to running’s high impact, unlike with cycling and swimming, the limiting factor to run performance is not cardiovascular but rather the durability of one’s tendons and ligaments.  As such, one of the most common mistakes made by new runners is getting injured (e.g. runner’s knee or shin splints) because they increased their mileage too quickly.  For this reason, most coaches generally recommend that one increases run mileage by no more than 10% per week.  A properly ramped long-run session greatly assists in developing the necessary durability to last the distance. 
• Super-threshold interval run: Over the course of the season, this will progress from 2×20 second maximal sprints to promote additional muscle recruitment to eventually 6×4 minutes at VO2Max (~120% threshold) to push aerobic capacity higher.
• Zone 2 brick run: Over the course of the season, this will increase from 20 minutes to 1 hour.  In addition to accumulating additional mileage, running immediately after a bike ride assists the body in adapting to the unpleasant “dead-leg” sensation of activating a different set of muscles. 
• Zone 1-2 recovery run: Over the course of the season, this will increase from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. This is meant to be a very easy run to accumulate additional mileage as well as allow the body to clear out metabolic byproducts generated from previous strenuous efforts.

Similar to the bike, rather than periodically assess lactate threshold with a lab test, my approach has been to bump up my threshold pacing when I am able to complete my long run at a heart rate below 157bpm, the goal being to be able to eventually execute that session at 6:52 minutes per mile. 

Swimming: Because of their shorter duration and low impact, coaches tend to prescribe swim sessions with a mix of elements (e.g. technique drills, long endurance intervals, and short speedwork) in order to target multiple adaptations.  That being said, my weekly swim regimen is comprised of 3 sessions that tend to have a specific emphasis:

• Technique-focused swim:  This swim is mostly comprised of drills that target specific elements of the front crawl stroke as well as some longer endurance work.  This swim will typically range between 2,500 to 3,000m.  On a monthly basis, I substitute this workout with a swim lesson with video analysis.  These lessons take place in an endless pool (think a treadmill for swimming) with 360 degree video coverage and underwater mirrors to allow athletes to observe their own stroke.  I have found these sessions to be incredibly helpful in that they provide immediate feedback on the discrepancy between what I think vs. what I am actually doing underwater.  Illustration below:

• Two endurance / speedwork swims: These sessions are primarily comprised of long endurance intervals (200m+) but also incorporate some sprint intervals to promote a faster cadence and arm turnover.  Over the course of the season, these swims will slowly progress from 2,500 to over 5,000m.  As the weather improves in the spring and summer, one of these sessions will be substituted with an open water swim to provide an opportunity to train more race specific techniques (e.g. sighting/navigation, choppy conditions, etc.)

In my next post, I will dive into an oft-overlooked part of Ironman training: rest and recovery.  In the meantime, for those of you who would like to follow my training progress, most of my sets can be found on my Strava account at: https://www.strava.com/athletes/15134014.

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