Endurance Training (centre of the LENS)

ENDURANCE TRAINING

Well planned endurance training is obviously an important ingredient if you want to excel in triathlon and/or open water swimming. 

Endurance training requires the motivation to adhere to a training plan.  The adherence to that training plan requires a balanced life supported by strength of body and mind and good nutrition.

The motivation required for endurance training is earned by the commitment to your plan.  A training plan, or even better, a coach, will hold you accountable.  If you train on the days you can’t be bothered it will make training on the days you can, so much better.

Endurance 'training' is simply structured exercise.  Exercise is vital for all healthy humans to have a healthy, balanced life.  Structure is motivation to eat well, be strong and physically and mentally healthy.  

On the flip side, endurance training also produces training stress.  When quantified,  training stress contributes all-encompassing life stress and could negatively affect a healthy balance too (see the blog on over training).    The correct dose of MAX effort sessions and low intensity (LIT) endurance sessions is crucial in your plan.

Endurance training could be categorised by these three qualities:

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- MAX

- LIT

- THRESHOLD 

You could make big gains by pushing harder in a MAX session but in return will accumulate significant training stress.  LIT sessions could counter your all-encompassing stress and will also take you further along the training plan, the journey towards you goal.  However, the longer you make these sessions - ‘endurance’ being the word before ‘training’ – the more all-encompassing stress you will accumulate.

In return for a well-balanced training plan, consisting roughly 20% MAX and 80% LIT sessions, you must rest.  It is during the recovery from endurance training that the body adapts and the gains are made.  Read more in my LENS blog on how endurance training takes the centre of our PeteWilbyTriathlOn LENS philosophy.