GSSNS

My zen of training

I always liked structuring information, thoughts and thought processes, often into lists. Probably more often than I should have, the information I share with people I work with contains lists explaining my “train of thought” or the points I want to make. Although in some situation structuring information like this might be (or seem) artificial, I personally like the clarity of it. The best discussions or other displays of reasoning in natural language are like a mathematical proof, where a very clear thought process eventually leads to a “QED”.

To be able to do this in both written and spoken text, I like working with rules and guidelines that help me through these processes and take decisions. One very good example of this is the “Zen of Python” as defined by Tim Peters.

For (endurance) training I have maintained a similar “zen”. It’s based on countless conversations with friends, classmates, fellow athletes and people I work with. Most recently, via my work for Entalpi, my zen has been heavily influenced by Olav Aleksander Bu.

Below I will explain the current version of my zen. It can (and will!) change over time and I’ll update this post accordingly.

Zen of training

  1. Motivation leads to consistency
  2. More is better (unless it is over budget)
  3. Specificity is key
  4. The laws of physics are universal and unavoidable
  5. Training planning starts by setting a goal. Any goal.
  6. Optimize what is important. Ignore the rest.
  7. Train, test, rinse, repeat.

Motivation leads to consistency

Being motivated to train is the most important way to keep training. Sometimes that means skipping a workout because you don’t feel like it, sometimes it means changing the workout slightly, and sometimes it means doing something that is not optimal in itself or in the short term. Consistency is the most important way to accumulate the most training load over time.

More is better (unless it is over budget)

More training, while acknowledging specificity, correlates with better performance. However, there is an upper limit on your budget, whether that’s defined by your Maximum Sustainable Exercise Effort (MSEE), your weak left knee, or the amount of hours you want to spend with your family. Failing to train because you are over budget does more harm than the training stimulus does good: Supercompensation works, but only if load and rest are in balance.

Specificity is key

To get better at a specific task, you need to do more of that task. This applies to training intensity and volume, but also environment and equipment. A seemingly logical conclusion from this principle is that you should always train as you (plan to) race, but this is of course not the way to go. Sometimes you go slow, sometimes you go fast, and sometimes even faster. A varied training distribution is necessary to make room for improvement as also referenced by Skiba’s “lift the ceiling”.

The laws of physics are universal and unavoidable

Without energy, there is no power, and without power, there is no speed. Minimize losses in between.

Some things are very simple. Physics is not always simple, but it is very clear. There is a very clear relationship between energy, power and speed. Use this knowledge to find out where you can improve.

Training planning starts by setting a goal. Any goal.

“Just getting fit” only motivates you to some level. To really improve your performance, you need to have a clear goal. That goal can be “just finish this race” or “finish this race under 2 hours.” This goal will help you define your training. Training is the process of going from your current state to the goal state.

Optimize what is important. Ignore the rest.

Time to finish is the ultimate performance metric in most endurance sports. Only optimize metrics that increase performance. There’s no point in “maximizing lactate shuttle” if you don’t know if it leads to increased performance. Similarly, there’s no point in increasing your 5-minute power on the bike if you can only do that in your most unaerodynamic position. The highest VO2max or the highest power doesn’t win races, the fastest time to finish does.

Train, test, rinse, repeat.

Athletes train to improve. If you don’t know if and by how much you’re improving, there’s no point in training. Make sure that testing is part of your routine training schedule. But keep in mind: Training and testing are not pissing contests. They have a very specific purpose and are not a source of bragging rights.

Similar work

Without trying to put myself at the level of Stephen Seiler, my zen has had a similar purpose as the pyramid that he described in his “Seiler’s Hierarchy of Endurance Training Needs.” presentation. His pyramid is much more about physiology but there are more than a few similarities, especially in the way it can be used to take decisions around training planning.