Episode 44: Triathlon Only Has Two Zones
One of the issues with the established training zone systems out there is that, very often, there are more zones than we need, particularly for multisport training and racing. When zones were first established, most of the data came from road cyclists, who have more dynamic events and different demands placed upon them while competing.
In a triathlon—even a short course triathlon—the goal is a steady, moderately-hard effort that you can hold for a long time. In this monologue episode of The Infirmary, I make the case that triathletes need just two training ranges: endurance and speed. I talk about how training actually works — oxygen delivery, blood volume, capillary density, mitochondrial function, muscle fiber recruitment, metabolic efficiency — and show why the moderate and heavy exercise domains can and should be collapsed into a single endurance range for multisport athletes.
I also address why a seven-zone system can actually hurt your training as a triathlete, why "anaerobic threshold" is a misleading term, and why your threshold intervals shouldn't be killing you—they are part of the endurance side of things, NOT intensity. We wrap things up with a practical breakdown of how to apply perceived exertion and training intensity distribution across a season.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Jesse Dukes' one-day "How to Get Good Tape" Los Angeles Workshop: https://jessedukes.com/good-tape-how-to-get-it-2/
Book a free training consultation: https://tinyurl.com/mu8d8tux
Join the Campfire Discord community: https://discord.gg/3Uq989QFX4