Understanding Key Workout Types for Endurance Training

Each workout in your plan plays a key role in building endurance, speed, strength, and race-day performance. Use this guide to understand what each session is designed to achieve.

Aerobic Endurance

• Focus: Build cardiovascular fitness and stamina

• What it involves: Steady, easy-effort (Zone 2) sessions and longer-duration workouts

Aerobic Speed Endurance

• Focus: Combine aerobic fitness with speed

• What it involves: Faster intervals paired with aerobic recovery

Brick Sessions

• Focus: Prepare for sport-to-sport transitions

• What it involves: Back-to-back disciplines (e.g., bike → run) to simulate triathlon transitions

Build Sustained Pace

• Focus: Hold a strong pace for longer

• What it involves: Gradually increasing time spent at fast, sustainable paces

Endurance Ride with Sub-threshold Efforts

• Focus: Build cycling endurance

• What it involves: Long rides with intervals just below threshold intensity

Fitness Tests

• Focus: Measure current fitness and update training zones

• What it involves: Structured tests (e.g., time trials) to set accurate thresholds

Open Water Swim

• Focus: Prepare for real race conditions

• What it involves: Swimming outdoors to practise sighting, navigation, and adapting to conditions

Progression Run

• Focus: Get comfortable running faster over time

• What it involves: Runs where pace gradually increases from start to finish

Race Pace Efforts

• Focus: Rehearse race intensity and pacing

• What it involves: Endurance sessions including intervals at your target race pace

Recovery

• Focus: Allow the body to rest and repair

• What it involves: Low-intensity workouts or complete rest days

Run Off Bike

• Focus: Adapt to running after cycling

• What it involves: Standard brick session (bike → run) to mimic triathlon fatigue

Run Off Bike – Faster at First

• Focus: Simulate race-day intensity

• What it involves: Starting the run at a quicker pace to practise early-race demands

Speed Intervals

• Focus: Boost speed and anaerobic capacity

• What it involves: Short, fast efforts with recovery intervals

Strength Endurance

• Focus: Build muscular endurance and power

• What it involves: Hill reps or high-resistance sessions targeting key muscles

Swim Technique

• Focus: Improve stroke efficiency

• What it involves: Drills focused on form, technique, and swimming economy

Tempo

• Focus: Maintain a strong pace without fatigue

• What it involves: Moderate-intensity efforts just below threshold

Threshold Efforts

• Focus: Improve sustained high-intensity performance

• What it involves: Training at or near lactate threshold to delay fatigue

Torque Session

• Focus: Develop cycling power and muscular endurance

• What it involves: High-resistance, low-cadence work to build leg strength

Need Help or Have Questions?

If you have any questions about the workouts in your plan or need further clarification, don’t hesitate to contact us at the MyProCoach Help Center.