Aerobic Training Range

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The Steady Run

This training zone stretches from slow jogging up to 70% of your VO2max power. This is where you should spend most of your training time. Particularly for 1/2 marathon, marathon and Ironman training. Zone 1 training should make up 80-90% of your total training time.

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This pace may seem slower than you usually like to train for most people it is! Do not make the mistake of running all your runs in the threshold range. This leads to slow running and injuries. Train aerobically.

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When training with power be careful running uphills to slow down more than you expect.

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When training with power be careful running downhills. It is difficult to produce sufficient power when running down steep hills because of the large effect gravity. There are large forces on your legs running downhills so be sure to run only as fast as you can comfortably manage regardless of power output.

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Threshold Training Range

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The Threshold Run

Run for between 20 and 40 minutes in your threshold training range. Try to keep vPOWER steady during your run. The example to the right shows a hard threshold run.

Total time 20- 40 minutes. 

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The "PIGG" Run

Piggs are a run based on a bike work out first used by world champion triathlete Mike Pigg. After a 5 minutes easy warm up you alternate running at threshold pace for 1 minute and jogging for one minute to recover. Repeat 10 to 20 times. Cool down for 5 minutes.

Total time 30-50 minutes.

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Moderate Hill Repeats

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Hill repeats are your fastest way to running strength. With a power meter they before easy. Find a hill or a series of hills with a gradient of between 4% and 6% gradient (moderate/easy hills) run up the hill for between 2 and 6 minutes maintaining your running vPOWER in the threshold range or above. Jog down to recover and repeat. Run hill repeats until you can no longer maintain your target vPOWER. Speed is a poor indicator of effort on hills always use vPOWER!

Total time 40-60 minutes.

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Down Hill Repeats

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Yes with power you can train on downhills!  Down hill running recruits different muscles groups than uphill running. Find a hill with a gentle downward slope 2-3% run overspeed down this hill for 2-4 minutes at your threshold vPOWER. Repeat 4-6 times. This workout forces you to run at speeds higher than your usual running speeds this increases impact forces and improves your efficiency at faster running speeds. This workout is also only for experienced runners. Be careful it is hard on your legs!

Total time 20-40 minutes

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VO2 max Training Range

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The Track Workout

Run your favorite track workout 10x200s 8x400's, 5x800's or pyramids and nail your VO2max vPOWER level every time. Be sure to use track mode for enhanced accuracy.

Total time 40-60 minutes. 

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The "No Track" Track Workout

vPOWER frees you to run your track workout on any terrain. Want to run VO2max power up that steep trail just match your power output to your VO2max power zone and repeat. For example 8x400's on the track at your VO2max vPOWER is equivalent to 8x 1 minute up that steep trail.

Total time 40-60 minutes. 

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30/30's

Another great bike workout that you can now do anywhere with vPOWER. Simply warm up and then run 20 x 30 seconds at VO2max vPOWER and alternate with 30 seconds easy jog. Go ahead run it anywhere.

Total time 40-60 minutes. 

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Alternative Workout's

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10x10x10 

Triathletes this is the run workout to do when you have no time for running. Start with an easy 10 minute warm up building to aerobic training vPOWER. Run 1 minutes at threshold power alternating with 1 minutes at aerobic vPOWER 10 times. Run 10 minutes at aerobic pace run 10 sets of 30 seconds at VO2 max pace with 30 seconds of aerobic vPOWER running. Cool down with 10 minutes of aerobic vPOWER running.

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10 minutes at highest aerobic power with 1 minute recovery jog

10x 1 minutes at threshold vPOWER alternating with 1 minute recovery jog 

10x 30 seconds at VO2max vPOWER alternating with 30 seconds at aerobic power)

10 minutes easy cool down.

Total time 60 minutes. 

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The Critical Power Test

Critical power is close to the maximum power a runner can output for a 20 minute run. For running mortals thats close to the average power output for a 5k run.  To find your Critical Power simply add the following two quality efforts to any run. See this example;

Warm up

Walk recovery

1x 30 seconds all out effort.....

Walk recovery

1x 3 minutes all out effort.....

Walk recovery

Cool down

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Upload to GoldenCheetah and use a 3 parameter fit model on your CP graph to see your current Critical Power with Anaerobic settings need to be set at 10 to 160 seconds and Aerobic settings at 160-3600 seconds. Be sure to enter your new critical power under GoldenCheetah/preferences/athlete/power zones.

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