We are testing this week!
It’s that time of the season when we need to retest or test for the first time if you did not aat the beginning of the year.
If you are not assessing, you are guessing, and testing eliminates the guesswork of knowing how hard to train in your intervals and races.
All of this makes you faster- which is what we all want, RIGHT?
This is how it should work.
1. Train for a minimum fitness level to avoid injury while taking your tests. This is typically a 4-6 week base/ build training program that focuses on technique, lots of drill work, and zone 1, 2, and 3 training- which means keeping intensity lower to help you build an aerobic base. If you already have a base, you can test you right away.
2. After a recovery week, perform your swim, bike, and run tests. There are many options for different types of tests, but it is key to keep as many of the parameters the same every time.
For example, if you perform a 1-mile run test as your type of test for the run. AIm to have the same breakfast, perform the test at the same location on the same day and in the same conditions as the previous test.
It’s impossible to have everything the same, but as much as possible. Be sure to wear your heart rate monitor and Garmin watch for the run and swim tests, and use a calibrated bike computer for bike test to record the total time for the tests and collect all your data -the power, pace, and rpms all yield important information.
3. Create your training zones based on your tests. Most athletes don’t know how to do this, but I can help. This is the most important step because, without training zones, you are training blind.
If you only have three speeds—easy, medium, and fast—you are leaving a lot of guesswork in your training.
With precise training zones based on your test performance, you create specificity in your training, yielding repeatable performances for the distance of the race you are training for. It’s quite simple, but most athletes just wing it! I think it is a huge waste of time and energy when you can get the information so simply and then train accordingly.
This is how I help the FC athletes get faster race after race.
Are you ready to get serious about your training, stop wasting time, and start training like a pro?
5 spots are available each month. Space is limited.
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