Buying a training plan is just the beginning of a lasting relationship between me and my client. Whether to get to know your new training plan better to help you plan your next competition, if you need me for any reason, I recommend you write to info@eduardbarcelo.com or hire the consultation service. Meanwhile, here you can find a list of frequently asked questions, with some useful answers.
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What is TrainingPeaks?
TrainingPeaks is the multiplatform application (computer, tablet, phone,...) that we will use to manage your training, with your personal data and performance data. The account that I have created for you is exclusive to you and will help you both to see the training that you have to do and that I have programmed for you, as well as to download the application that you use with your heart rate monitor (Garmin Connect, Movescount Suunto, Polar Flow and others). ) your training sessions and see what you have actually ended up doing, being able to analyze your performance and your progression. -
How to link my device app with TrainingPeaks?
We have already done this work in the initial interview but if you change the device or for any reason it becomes unlinked, you only have to go to the website of TrainingPeaks (computer, not app), go to the screen where you have the training calendar and click the UPLOAD icon in the upper left, next to your name. Once you click there, press LEARN MORE and in the window that opens, click on the brand of your heart rate monitor. Then follow the instructions based on the model you have. -
How do I know the workouts I have to do each day?
In TrainingPeaks you have a calendar with the sessions you have to do every day to achieve your goal. To know what you have to do each day, you just have to look at the calendar and display the training you have on the day you are on. In the plan you have cardiovascular sessions where you will find the different training phases described as well as physical preparation sessions to be carried out in the gym. These can be seen by clicking on the file name.
There are devices that can be configured in such a way that they "sing" the various phases of the training, but in general, you will only need to memorize it or write it down on a small piece of paper to see what you have to do at each moment.
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How do I set up training zones?
We have already done this work in the initial interview and with the tests that you are doing, but if you change your device or for any reason it is misconfigured, you have to go to the application of your device and adjust it correctly to the values that you have within TrainingPeaks. You will find them by clicking on your name, Settings and Zones. It is very important that you do it correctly, since otherwise you would be working above or below your possibilities/needs. -
What perception of effort should I notice in each training zone?
ZoneHRW CyclingW RunningRunning PaceSensationsz 165-75% HRMax<55% FTP{{{wpml_tag_25}}} {{{wpml_tag_26}}}{{{wpml_tag_112}}}128% FTP{{{wpml_tag_113}}} {{{wpml_tag_114}}}>90% FTPMaximum Speed/PowerZoneHRW CyclingW Runningz 165-75% HRMax<55% FTP{{{wpml_tag_142}}} {{{wpml_tag_143}}}{{{wpml_tag_202}}}150% FTP{{{wpml_tag_203}}} {{{wpml_tag_204}}}>128% FTPZoneRunning PaceSensationsz 1<129% FTP{{{wpml_tag_226}}} {{{wpml_tag_227}}}Ritmo de recuperación{{{wpml_tag_228}}} {{{wpml_tag_229}}} {{{wpml_tag_230}}} {{{wpml_tag_231}}}z 2{{{wpml_tag_232}}} {{{wpml_tag_233}}}114-129% FTP{{{wpml_tag_234}}} {{{wpml_tag_235}}}Ritmo medio{{{wpml_tag_236}}} {{{wpml_tag_237}}} {{{wpml_tag_238}}} {{{wpml_tag_239}}}z 3{{{wpml_tag_240}}} {{{wpml_tag_241}}}106-113% FTP{{{wpml_tag_242}}} {{{wpml_tag_243}}}Ritmo alto{{{wpml_tag_244}}} {{{wpml_tag_245}}} {{{wpml_tag_246}}} {{{wpml_tag_247}}}z 4{{{wpml_tag_248}}} {{{wpml_tag_249}}}99-105% FTP{{{wpml_tag_250}}} {{{wpml_tag_251}}}Ritmo muy alto{{{wpml_tag_252}}} {{{wpml_tag_253}}} {{{wpml_tag_254}}} {{{wpml_tag_255}}}z 5{{{wpml_tag_256}}} {{{wpml_tag_257}}}97-100% FTP{{{wpml_tag_258}}} {{{wpml_tag_259}}}Ritmo máximo{{{wpml_tag_260}}} {{{wpml_tag_261}}} {{{wpml_tag_262}}} {{{wpml_tag_263}}}z 6{{{wpml_tag_264}}} {{{wpml_tag_265}}}90-96% FTP{{{wpml_tag_266}}} {{{wpml_tag_267}}}Velocidad/Potencia submáxima{{{wpml_tag_268}}} {{{wpml_tag_269}}} {{{wpml_tag_270}}} {{{wpml_tag_271}}}z 7{{{wpml_tag_272}}} {{{wpml_tag_273}}}>90% FTPMaximum Speed/Power -
When does the set or recovery time start, when am I in the desired zone or when have I changed my pace to get there?
The set and recovery start when you change pace or slow down to do the recovery. The problem is that when you work with HR, the heart's inertia is slow and it's hard to go up or down, so it's not immediate. The power and rhythm, on the other hand, is immediate and it is better to be able to work on changes of rhythm. -
Which is better, use relative values or absolute values?
This is up to you. It's the same. The advantage is that using the relative performance values allows you to compare how you are doing compared to your training partners (as long as they have the values correctly configured). -
Why do I need to know the perception of effort in each work area?
To ensure that you are working correctly and that the target value of the heart rate monitor matches your feeling of effort in each and every one of the 7 intensity zones. -
What is the HRMax?
HRMax is the maximum heart rate of your heart. It is a value that is variable depending on the activity you are doing, the time of day, the ambient temperature, motivation,... It is an indirect value of the effort you are making and its variability makes it not entirely reliable. When we don't have a potentiometer or we do activities without any other reference, it's better than nothing. -
How do I obtain the HRMax?
With the tests that we are doing with the plan, we already have a fairly reliable value to work with and calculate the load of each training session. If you see that the sensations do not quite match up with the zones, you can try a specific max HR test again to find out if the value is correctly configured.
The stair test is the best method to find out. Find some stairs that are about 3' long and go up them at full speed without dosing yourself from top to bottom. The value you obtain from HRMax is the most reliable reference value.
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Why can’t zone 7 and 6 be referenced to HRMax?
The work done in these two zones is speed and power and the scheduled series are too short to give the heart time to raise its pulse rate and guide our intensity. Therefore, one must be guided by sensations and not by objective external elements. Do not worry, since it is easy to know if you work in zone 7 or 6, since the first corresponds to the maximum speed and the second to a sustained submaximal speed. -
What is FTP?
FTP is the acronym for the English term: Functional Treshold Power/Pace. It is the power or pace you can sustain for 1 hour at your peak performance. It is a very reliable term to determine the level of training stress. -
How do I get the FTP?
In a race that lasts approximately 1 hour in which you go to the top and you are fully motivated and rested or with an FTP test in which you go to the maximum for 20' (psychologically it is less hard). Starting from the average value obtained during the 20', it is multiplied by 0.95 in the case of power or by 1.05 in the case of rhythm and the result is the FTP value. -
How do I configure the screens and data fields of my device?
Depending on the training we do, we will need to look at the clock more or less frequently to know if we are within the required parameters. The recommendation is to see which are the variables that you need in each training so that they are all present on the same screen and you do not have to press any button to see one value or another depending on what the training marks you. In the following link you can see recommended screen configurations. -
What happens if I miss a training day?
If it's a specific day, nothing happens. If you anticipate it beforehand, you can use the weekly rest day for the day that you will not be able to train and thus you will not skip it. If it is not an exception but a rule, ask yourself if the target competition motivates you enough or if you have chosen a bad time to train. In any case, don't make up missed workouts by training twice in one day. -
Is it important to respect the weekly order of the training sessions?
Yes, it is important, since for certain training sessions you have to arrive rested. In the event of an exchange, you could not place them correctly and accumulate excessive fatigue that would not allow you to successfully complete a training session and take full advantage of the plan's potential. -
Can I change the order of training days?
Knowing that it is important to respect the order of training but you have no choice but to do it for logistical, family or other reasons, you can do it but as long as you keep in mind that for quality training you have to be rested, otherwise you would not arrive to the requested areas. -
Can I move training sessions on the TrainingPeaks calendar?
If you have the Premium profile ($120 per year paid to TrainingPeaks directly) you can do it without any limitations. If you don't have it, you can only do it retroactively, that is, from today backwards but never ahead. -
What is the difference between the RUN and TRAIL activities?
RUN refers to workouts carried out on flat terrain with gentle slopes that allow us to run throughout the entire workout and do not break our rhythm or force us to significantly slow down to keep the intensity constant.
TRAIL refers to training on rougher terrain, with steep slopes that even force us to walk despite going at high intensities.
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Can I do other sports activities of any kind (tennis, futsal, paddle tennis,…) while I do the training plan?
It is not the most recommended, since the ideal is to give the body room to regenerate after each training. In addition, there is a risk of significant injury. -
Can I extend the training sessions?
Yes, as long as it's at a comfortable intensity and you don't condition the training of the following days because you accumulate too much fatigue. -
Can I increase the number of quality training sets?
Yes, but only in the training sessions in which you work in zone 5, 6 and 7 and as long as you are within the values that I ask of you in the first series with which you have not had enough. The moment you work an area below, do not continue! -
Can I increase the intensity of the training sessions?
No. Take advantage of the range that each zone gives you to work in the upper or lower part depending on your level of fatigue, but do not skip a zone in order to increase the intensity of a training session. -
What do I do if I have physical discomfort or get injured?
Do not force and try to solve them with your trusted physicist. Before stopping completely, you can look for alternative activities that allow you to continue training while you recover from the discomfort. If things become chronic or worse, send me an email and we'll make a consultation to solve it and make the necessary modifications. -
What do I do if I get sick?
NEVER train with a fever. Rest without regrets and wait for your body to heal before you start training again. When you feel good, go out for a couple of days to recover sensations and then return to training on the day you are, without recovering training not done from the previous days. -
What do I do if it rains?
Training is not incompatible with rain, although it is true that they are not the best conditions to be able to train. If the activity is running, put on a raincoat and go out anyway. If the activity is by bicycle and it is not raining too much, you can do it with the appropriate waterproof clothing on the flat so as not to catch cold on the descents, change the session for a spinning class or do the session on the rollers to save the day. -
What does the orange, yellow or green color of past sessions on the TrainingPeaks calendar mean?
It is the degree of compliance with the session that was prescribed. Orange means that the degree of compliance has been less than or greater than 20% of the total scheduled time, yellow means less than or greater than 10%, and green means that you have done well. -
Why, if I have done a workout as marked but I have gone a little over time, does it not turn green?
The degree of compliance can be either excess or defect. If you have done much more than you had programmed, it is normal for it to come out red in the worst case or yellow if you have not gone too far. -
Why does some training come out red and the training activity I have done does not identify me so that it overlaps with the programmed one?
This happens when the activity that is scheduled and the activity that you have done do not coincide. For example, it could be that I had programmed cycling and you have been mountain biking and you have used the profile of this sport on your device. To avoid this, always choose the activity profile that you have prescribed in TrainingPeaks training even if you can do a slightly different activity afterwards (cycling/mountain biking, cross-country skiing/ski touring, cross-country skiing/roller skiing, swimming/open waters,...). -
What is the TSS?
The TSS is the acronym of the English concept: Training Stress Score. This is the rating factor of the hardness of the training you have done taking into account the duration and intensity of the session. Its calculation is based on the threshold values of HR, power or functional rhythm, which is what you can sustain for 1 hour going to the maximum. -
What is the difference between TSS, hrTSS and rTSS?
TSS is when the calculation is based on power values (they are the most reliable for doing so), hrTSS is when it is calculated based on heart rate, and rTSS is when it is calculated based on pace or speed. -
Why is it that when I run in the mountains, my rTSS is very low even though the session has been long, hard and intense?
The program, in the absence of a potentiometer, calculates the TSS according to the speed of your training. Uphill it may be that you can go at a high intensity but the speed is low. Therefore, the TSS comes out low. The recommendation is that you go into TrainingPeaks with your computer and change the calculation method from rTSS to hrTSS and always do it for all training. In this way, the performance graph will be more reliable and we will be able to better analyze your progress. -
What is the RPE of the tests scheduled in the plan?
RPE is the acronym for Perceived Exertion Ratio and is a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is the lowest intensity level and 10 is the highest.