Hi. I’m new here and to Athletica. Be curious to understand why my training load is so low when it comes to running workouts, like 50% at completion. I have focused at keeping HR inline with what is prescribed. I am using a long duathlon plan as I train for a marathon and some cycling events.
A few notes:
Cycling training load is coming in very close to prescribed when I follow workout by HR, power is on the low end of the prescribed amount
I was running outdoors, but am pretty much on the treadmill exclusively until March when the temperatures stop fluctuating (it’s -30C today here, I’m not running outdoors right now)
My pace is faster outdoors running by HR than indoors on the treadmill
While I am hitting the HR targets of the runs, my pace is very slow versus what’s prescribed
I have yet to do the FTP test or the 5K test, which is upcoming this week. I’ve never really run seriously before and and am average cyclist who happened upon Athletica through searching for Duathlon training plans after unintentionally overtraining in December, so I am looking for feedback.
As far as overall training load management, should I be increasing my running workout lengths to hit the load target, or don’t worry that the load is like 50% of the prescribed amount when I run and just focus on training by the HRs listed in the assigned task and I should still experience fitness gains and pace will improve at the assigned HR ranges?
I’m curious if the data in Garmin over HR and pace of my previous running activities from Garmin (outdoors) is suggesting a lower load because my pace is lower on the treadmill, but I honestly have no idea here. Maybe it’ll adjust load numbers and pace numbers after the 5K test?
Thanks in advance for any feedback, I’m excited to get through the test week and get to work! The MAF tests were certainly eye openers to what I was training before as “zone2” workouts.
Hi, another newbie here but I thought the same when I started. My test week plan was about right for swimming and cycling power but my running pace was incredibly slow.
Luckily I’ve done 5k races within the last year, once I amended my 5k TT time to be correct the plan amended my training zones as well to be very accurate.
Hopefully once you do your 5km TT it will adjust properly.
As @jockefc23 alluded to, your running zones may not be accurate without a recent 5k TT time. Once you’ve completed your run later this week, your zones will be updated and the training load should be accurate.
Let us know if that doesn’t happen for future workouts!
Couple of points to your running on treadmill. The newer Garmin watches are getting the pace close to correct, but expect the pace on your Garmin watch to be a little bit slower than it is. This could affect your Load in Athletica. In this case, I would go by prescribed duration, and by Heart rate as you suggest. I found a Stryd foot pod be helpful when I was stuck on the treadmill as it seemed to measure the speed more accurately. I would hook it up with my Garmin watch and adjust the treadmill based on what Stryd was suggesting my pace was. If you enjoy zwifting, you can run on a treadmill when you have power connected through a foot pod as well
When it comes to overall load management, start with whatever Athletica is prescribing, and if after a few weeks you think the runs are too short, then add a bit of time where you see fit your plan and schedule. My experience is that frequency matters more than running long sessions 3 times a week. Again, your context matters the most! Circle back here after your 5K TT!
Thought I would circle back now that I’ve done my 5TT. Seems like the load is now inline with prescribed amounts now that Athletica understands I am slow. That’s okay, I’ll get faster
When I go on the treadmill I can save and calibrate on my watch so the proper KMs are tracked, as there is a disconnect from what my treadmill says and what the watch says. My treadmill actually direct connects to Zwift, but oddly enough it won’t connect to new laptop well, whereas it had no issues connecting to my old iPad (that’s so old Zwift won’t work on now).
Excited to see what the next few months result in.
I mentioned this, maybe on slow twitch, but I found it odd that you can preload your cycling FTP when you sign up, but I don’t recall anything anything about running (I did duathlon until I can get back to the pool).
I ended up just ignoring any speed recommendations until I took the 5k and then the rest of the runs fixed themselves.
In the profile you can set your threshold HR for running and your 5k time if you know it, but I cannot remember if it prompts you or not for that information.
One of best mindsets I’ve adopted for training is to let go of ego, and make your enjoyment the process, not the outcome. If we were all naturally fast we wouldn’t need to train. What matters is what are you capable of right now, and does the Athletica AI understand what that is, so it can progress you.
It helps athletica to give you a starting point for your running pace and the recalibrates when you do your test week, or anytime you log in harder 5 k.
Oh yeah, I know I will progress and I’m excited to take part in this journey. I remember when I started riding a couple of years ago and how that journey went. When I say I am slow I didn’t mean that to be negative. I’ll be more selective in my wording.
The MAF tests were certainly eye openers to what I was training before as “zone2” workouts.
