How to plan an endurance season in blocks
Split your season into base, build, specific and taper blocks. A practical guide for runners, cyclists and triathletes.
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Train smart
Short articles on planning, training load, zones, trail running and the craft of coaching, for runners, cyclists, triathletes and their coaches.
Leer en españolLinear, reverse and block periodization: the differences
What training periodization is, how the linear, reverse and block models differ, and which one suits you.
ReadRecovery week: when and how to do it
The recovery week is where you absorb your training. When to schedule it, how much to cut and which mistakes to avoid.
ReadTapering: how to arrive fresh on race day
Tapering reduces fatigue without losing fitness. How long it lasts, how much to cut volume and what to do in the final week.
ReadPolarized or pyramidal training: how to distribute intensity
The 80/20 rule, the polarized model and the pyramidal model. How to split your time between easy, threshold and high intensity.
ReadHow many days a week should you train for a marathon?
Between three and six days: how many sessions you need to prepare a marathon depending on your level, and how to organise them.
ReadTraining with little time: work, family and endurance
How to plan endurance training around a busy schedule: priorities, key sessions and flexibility.
ReadTwo goal races in one season: how to fit them in
How to prepare two important races in the same year: minimum gap, recovery and A, B and C priorities.
ReadTriathlon: how to balance swim, bike and run training
How much time to give each discipline in triathlon, how to combine them in the week and why total load matters more than each sport.
ReadWhat to do in preseason to start on the right foot
Preseason prepares your body for the volume ahead: aerobic base, strength, technique and habits. How to make the most of it.
ReadWhat is TSS and how is it calculated?
TSS measures the load of each workout by combining duration and intensity. What it means, how it is calculated and what it is for.
ReadCTL, ATL and TSB explained simply
Fitness, fatigue and form: what CTL, ATL and TSB are, how they come from TSS and how to read them without overthinking.
ReadHow much to increase your training load each week
Ramp rate measures how fast your fitness rises per week. Which values are safe and when you are progressing too fast.
ReadTraining load for running: rTSS
How to measure the load of your running workouts using pace: what rTSS is and why threshold pace is the key.
ReadTraining load in trail running: why elevation counts
In the mountains, pace is misleading. How to measure trail running load taking climbing and descending into account.
ReadRate of perceived exertion (RPE): why you should log it
The 1 to 10 perceived effort scale, how to use it and why it complements heart rate, pace and power.
ReadWhat form (TSB) to aim for on race day
How much your form should rise before racing: rough TSB values by distance and how to plan the load reduction.
ReadLactate threshold: what it is and how to estimate it
What lactate threshold is, why it is the key reference for your zones and how to estimate it without a lab.
ReadHow to calculate your heart rate zones properly
Heart rate zones based on threshold rather than age: how to calculate them, how many to use and what each one is for.
ReadRunning pace zones: how to use them
How to define pace zones from threshold pace, when to use them instead of heart rate and how to adjust them on hills.
ReadWhat is FTP in cycling and how to measure it
FTP is the power you can sustain for about an hour. How to measure it with a test, how often to repeat it and what it is for.
ReadFirst and second thresholds (VT1 and VT2) explained
The two ventilatory thresholds split intensity into three domains. What they mean, how to feel them and how to use them in training.
ReadThreshold test: 20 or 30 minutes?
How to do a threshold test running or cycling, the difference between the 20 and 30-minute versions and how to read the result.
ReadWhy the 220 minus age formula fails
Maximum heart rate estimated from age can be off by 10-12 beats. Why that happens and what to use instead.
ReadVO2max intervals: how to structure them
VO2max intervals raise your aerobic ceiling. Duration, recovery and sample sessions for running and cycling.
ReadEasy runs: the base you don’t see
Why most of your training should be easy, how to tell whether it really is, and what you gain from it.
ReadThreshold and tempo training: key sessions
Threshold sessions raise the pace you can hold for a long time. Types, examples and how not to overdo it.
ReadHill training: types and benefits
Short, medium and long hills: what each one brings, sample sessions and why they help road runners too.
ReadThe long run: how long and how fast
The most important session when preparing a marathon or a trail race. Duration, pace, variations and how to fuel during it.
ReadFartlek: what it is and how to do it
Fartlek mixes pace changes within a continuous run. What it is, structured and free examples, and when to include it in your plan.
ReadStructured workouts on your watch: benefits and how to use them
Why train with the session loaded on your watch: steps, targets and alerts. How to write good structured workouts.
ReadWalk or run uphill: when walking pays off
In trail running, walking steep ramps is often more efficient than running. From what gradient it pays off and how to train it.
ReadVertical speed in trail running: what it is and how to improve it
Metres of climb per hour are the key mountain metric. What vertical speed is, rough values and how to train it.
ReadHow to estimate your finish time in a trail race
In trail running, distance alone does not predict time. How to factor in elevation, terrain and your vertical speed.
ReadHow to train technical descents in trail running
Descending well saves time and legs. Technique, drills and how to prepare your quads for the eccentric work of downhills.
ReadCadence in trail running: what your steps tell you
Cadence tells running from walking. What it adds in the mountains, how to read it and what it reveals about your fatigue.
ReadHow to prepare your first ultra trail
From mountain marathon to ultra: how long to prepare, what a typical week looks like and what to care for beyond the miles.
ReadStrength training for trail runners: key exercises
Climbs, descents and rough ground demand strong legs. The most useful strength exercises for trail running and how to fit them into your week.
ReadHow to manage multiple athletes as a coach
When you go from one athlete to many, time becomes the key resource. Routines and tools so no one slips through the cracks.
ReadCoach-athlete communication: feedback that works
How to give and ask for useful feedback on every session, what to ask your athlete and how to keep communication from getting lost on your phone.
ReadHow to spot fatigue in your athletes early
Signals in the data and in how athletes feel that warn you someone is overloaded, before injury or a slump arrives.
ReadWhen athletes don’t follow the plan: what to do
Measure plan compliance, understand why it is not being followed and adjust training instead of insisting on the same thing.
ReadHow to start as an online endurance coach
First steps to coach runners, cyclists or triathletes remotely: education, tools, pricing and organisation.
ReadWorkout library: save hours of planning
How to organise a workout library by sport and training type to plan faster and more consistently.
ReadHow to choose a training platform for coaches
What an endurance coaching platform should have: calendar, watch sync, metrics, mobile, language and pricing.
ReadSleep and performance in endurance sports
Sleep is part of training. How much you need, how it affects recovery and simple habits to sleep better.
ReadCarbs per hour in long sessions and races
How many grams of carbohydrate to take per hour depending on duration, how to train your gut and common mistakes.
ReadSigns of overtraining and how to avoid it
The difference between normal tiredness, overreaching and overtraining. Warning signs and how to prevent it through planning.
ReadStrength training for runners: where to start
Why strength improves running economy and prevents injury, plus a basic two-day routine to get started.
ReadTraining and racing in the heat
How heat affects performance, how to acclimatise and what to adjust in pace, hydration and timing.
ReadPut this into practice with Traincontrol
Plan sessions that reach your watch, track your load, form and fatigue, and analyse every workout. Free during the launch.