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Hunter Allens
Eight-Week Spring Power Training Plan

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

Greetings!

HUNTER ALLEN
Hunter Allen is internationally known
as one of the top experts in power
meter coaching. He founded Peaks
Coaching Group (PCG) in 1996 to focus

Hi, I am Hunter Allen and your coach for the next eight weeks.
I built this plan using all of the same power training principles
and coaching philosophies that I use with my personal clients.
I have spent years coaching riders at every level and have
worked with thousands of clients in over 15 countries. I have
developed TrainingPeaks WKO+ software, written books on
training with power, and taught over 500 coaches the secrets of
power training and data analysis. Along the way, I have
learned many things about success in cycling.
I have
discovered that you can produce more watts by blending
science, data analysis, and a power meter. Combining those
secrets with my own personal coaching philosophies can raise
your wattage output even more. Follow this guide with a clear
conviction, continual focus, and dogged determination, and I
know you will become faster, stronger, and more powerful.

on developing the artful science of

efficient power training for which PCG

Prepare to succeed!

is still known today.

As a former professional cyclist, power

Hunter Allen

coach, co-author of the book Training

and Racing with a Power Meter, and

Introduction

co-developer of Training Peaks WKO+

Welcome to your eight-week training plan designed to improve

your functional threshold power, enhance your endurance, and
prepare you for weekend races, group rides, and even gran
fondos. This plan is made for the rider who has 6-12 hours a
week to train, has a power meter, and is ready to improve his or
her threshold power. This plan will be challenging yet realistic.
It is built to give you just the right amount of work when you
can handle it, along with rest so that you can adapt and
improve. Make sure you have a solid foundation of training
before you embark on this plan. Rest weeks come every fourth
week, but feel free to take a rest week sooner if you need to.
Keep in mind that it is ideal to complete the workouts in the
planned order, but that it is OK to move them around.

software,

Hunter

has

been

deeply

involved in all aspects of data-based

training,
builder

from
to

user

educator.

to
He

application
has

now

coached over 400 athletes, and learns

SPECIAL THANKS to Dr. Andy Coggan for generously allowing us to incorporate some of his articles and
tables.

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something new from each one.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

What is training with power, and why should I train with a power meter?
Training with power means using the most advanced tool in the cycling industry to maximize
your athletic potential. A power meter is a device that measures the amount of wattage you
produce while pedaling your bicycle. Power meters can measure watts using the hub of the
rear wheel, the spider of the crank arm, the axle of the bottom bracket, or even the tension of
the bicycle chain. A power meter looks just like a larger, more complex bicycle speedometer
and records every few seconds while you ride. It records many different metrics, including
power, heart rate, speed, cadence, torque, and distance. You can then download the data to a
computer and perform some simple analysis to determine your best training or racing plan.

1. Training with a power meter gives you a complete record of your effort. A
power meter records your effort on a cardiovascular level (heart rate) and on a muscular
level (watts). Know how much time you've spent in your training zones. Highlight key
data segmentshills, sprints, attacksfor review by you, your coach, or even your
teammates!

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Why should I train with a power meter?

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

2. Add real meaning to your heart rate monitoring. Heart r a t e alone does not tell
you how your actual performance is improving; it just tells you how hard your heart is
working. A power meter measures your rate of work (power) and analyzes your
efficiency by allowing you to compare heart rate, power, cadence, and speed.
3. Track your fitness changes. Know with certainty if your fitness is improving and
when you have reached a peak. Avoid over-reaching and over-training by tracking your
TSS and IF levels (see Appendix for details on TSS and IF). With these metrics, you can
easily see and track your changes in fitness.
4. Analyze your race. Want an objective gauge of your e n e r g y use in a race? A
power meter can help you better analyze your race efforts. You can easily see when you
burned a match and if you used too much energy in parts of the race that weren't
decisive. Did you make a tactical error but didn't realize it? By reviewing the data, you
can replay the race in your head and see exactly what it would have taken to make the
winning break or the decisive split. If you got shelled, you can see where you need to
focus next time.
5. Pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. Do you get dropped when your cadence
drops below 80rpm? Are you a cat. 1 in your five-minute power, but cat. 4 in your 20minute power? Do you get popped if you have to do 105% of your threshold power for
more than three minutes? With a power meter, you can analyze your performance and
training to identify your natural talents. Then, by using Coggans Power Profiling, you
can quantify those talents and easily see where you need improvement.
6. Improve your interaction with your coach. A power meter brings you and your coach
closer together. By reading your power files, your coach can track training habits that he
or she would not otherwise be able to observe. Your coach can then use your data to
improve your training plan and instantly see what you are doing in races or training
rides. A power meter doesnt lie!
7. Achieve your physical potential. When you train with a power meter, you can
concentrate on your workload and experience extra motivation to complete your efforts.
For example, if you are doing a five-minute effort and see your average watts dropping
near the end, you'll know to pick it up just another notch in order to achieve your fiveminute power goal.

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8. Test your position and aerodynamics. Your body position is the single greatest factor
in determining your speed while riding at a specific power output. Why risk the
disadvantage of a poor position when you can measure your aerodynamics and discover
your fastest position?
9. Pace your efforts. A power meter allows you to pace your efforts better in all of your
interval workouts, hill climbs, and time trials. When you know your threshold power,

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

you will know that you went as hard as you could possibly go without blowing up. Also
use your power meter in breakaways to know if you are going too hard and risk getting
dropped.
10. Test in your own mobile lab. Test your power on a monthly basis to see exactly where
you have improved and where you still need work. By testing regularly, you can better
avoid over-training and understand your potential for improvement.
11. Enhance your indoor training. Use your indoor trainer effectively by focusing your
intervals exactly in your desired power zones. Indoor training gains new meaning when
you can compare your intensity to efforts on the road.
12. Calibrate your sports nutrition for your best performance. Knowing how much
work (in kJ) you expend in training allows you to plan your post-exercise meals to the
kcal. You will recover faster and be able to train harder sooner. You will also be able to
work toward your ideal physique by eating enough to supplement or maintain your
muscle mass. Look online for numerous calculators to help you convert from kJ to
calories.

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13. PLAN, CONTROL, AND EXECUTE your training like the pros. Train efficiently
so that your fitness peaks at your goal events. Every top cycling performance has been
aided by power meter training technology, including Tour de France wins, hour records,
and track records.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

Getting Started with Training with Power

Now you have bought one of these fancy training devices, installed it ever so carefully on your bike,
loaded your TrainingPeaks WKO+, and figured out how to toggle between two buttons and four screens
while riding one-handed at 25mph. But what the heck do you actually do with it!?
The short answer is lots of things. Lets break down each aspect of training with power so you can get the
biggest bang for your buck.
First and foremost, you need to perform some formal tests. The very first test you should do is one to
establish your baseline fitness. This involves three easy steps:
1. Test FUNCTIONALTHRESHOLD POWER (FTP)
2. Establish training zones
3. Follow the included plan

STEP 1: - Test Functional Threshold Power

How do you go about determining your functional threshold power (FTP)? One way is with laboratory
testing and invasive blood sampling, but few people have access to such testing on a regular basis. In
addition, power at lactate threshold determined in this manner is often significantly below what athletes
and coaches tend to think of as a threshold. A more convenient and probably more accurate way of
determining your FTP is to simply rely on data collected using your power meter in the field. There are
different ways of doing so, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages, but all of which provide
very similar estimates of threshold power.
FTP is your best one-hour average power, which is difficult to test directly on a regular basis. One hour is
a long time when you are on the limit, and in many places it might be difficult to find an uninterrupted
section of road thats long enough. With this in mind, the test that I give my athletes is the 20-minute test,
which is a great proxy for the hour test if you subtract 5% from your 20-minute average. The resulting
number will be close to your FTP for an hour, and a 20-minute test is infinitely more doable than an hour
test! Alternatively, if you already have a good amount of power data, you can find your FTP in the data.
Below I outline four methods to find your FTP. Use whichever is best for you right now.

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1. Monthly 20-Minute Test

The monthly 20-minute test does not have to be done monthly as the name implies. However, you
should definitely test at least every six weeks. The test is a great workout in and of itself, so dont
think that you are losing anything by completing it.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

Begin with a 20-minute warm-up, and then do three fast pedaling efforts of 100rpm for one minute
each and with one minute between each effort. These are to help open up the legs and finish
warming up the muscles. After the fast pedaling, ride for three minutes easy at under 150 watts.
The next effort is a test of your anaerobic capacity: Do two one-minute efforts with five minutes
between each. Start out of the saddle and accelerate hard up to speed, really pushing until you
explode at the end of the minute. This is a great test to see what your peak one-minute power is, so
that when you repeat this later in the plan, youll have a reference point. Its also meant to prefatigue your anaerobic system so that your average power at the end of your 20-minute test will be
closer to your one-hour power. After the one-minute efforts, ride easy for 10 minutes or until fully
recovered.
Finally, its time for a 20-minute time trial! Again, remember that your goal is to produce the best
average power you can for the entire 20 minutes, so dont start out too hard and blow up in the
first five minutes. Its important that you really give it your all. Focus and push hard! If possible,
do this on a climb or on a flat road. Its hard to get a good average on a rolling road, because your
power tends to drop on the descents. Traffic can also interrupt your test, so it might be best to do
the test indoors if you live in a highly populated area. Just make sure you are always being
consistent with your test and use the same location for the next one.
After the 20-minute time trial, cool down for 15-30 minutes of easy pedaling.

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2. Review Past Power Data

You can often get a good estimate of your functional threshold power by simply uploading all of
your training data into TrainingPeaks WKO+ and then examining the power frequency
distribution on your Athlete Home Page. Because exercising above threshold power is quite
strenuous and there is a limit to how long you can do it, there will often be a rather noticeable
drop-off above this point in this graph. This same approach works even better for identifying your
spontaneously-achieved maximum heart rate, thus reducing or even eliminating the need for
formal testing! Of course, this method works best if the time period being examined includes some
high-intensity training and/or racing, which serves to clarify the distinction between sub-threshold
and supra-threshold efforts. Also, sometimes the drop-off in time spent above threshold power is
more apparent when the width of each power bin is reduced from the default of 20W to a
smaller value like 5W or 10W. TrainingPeaks WKO+ has been specifically designed with
customizable graphs to make this analysis possible.
3. Review Normalized Power Data from a Race
Perhaps an even more precise way of determining your threshold power, yet one that still doesnt
require any formal testing, is to examine your normalized power from hard mass-start races that
are approximately an hour long. Because TrainingPeaks WKO+ automatically calculates
normalized power even if you havent yet entered a value for your threshold power, using the
program to analyze several race files may be the quickest way to get a good estimate of your
threshold power.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

4. Full FTP Testing

By definition, the best measure of performance is performance itself. Therefore, the most direct
estimate of your threshold power is to simply do a one-hour time trial. By examining the
horizontal graph of the data from such a TT in TrainingPeaks WKO+ (perhaps with a little
smoothing applied), you will be able to quickly tell whether your effort was well paced, or if
perhaps you started out too hard and then later faded, resulting in an average power somewhat
lower than your true threshold power. Entering a local 40k time trial is a great way to get a clean
number (make sure you ride the event on your road bike, because TT Bikes can reduce power
output).

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Since one goal of any training program is to increase power at threshold, you should periodically reassess
the FTP value you have entered into TrainingPeaks WKO+ to ensure that it is still accurate. (In particular,
an intensity factor of more than 1.05meaning that normalized power is more than 5% greater than
threshold powerduring a one-hour mass-start race is often evidence that threshold power is greater than
the value entered into the program.) How often threshold power will change depends in part on a cyclists
training history and habits. For example, someone who is just beginning or returning to cycling may see
large and rapid changes in threshold power, whereas an experienced rider who has been training for many
years and/or maintains a high level of conditioning year-round will probably experience much less
variation. In general, though, it is sufficient to assess threshold power a few times per year (near the start
of training as a baseline, partway through the pre-competition period to track improvement, and during
the season to determine when peak fitness is achieved).

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

STEP 2: Establish Training Zones

With more and more cyclists using power meters, there is more demand for power-based training
programs like those used with heart rate monitors. To help meet this demand, a series of power-based
training levels, or zones, are built directly into TrainingPeaks WKO+ software. These training levels,
described below, were developed using principles of exercise physiology and extensive lab and field
testing.
Basis for system/number of levels:
Power at lactate threshold (LT) is the most important physiological determinant of endurance cycling
performance, because it integrates VO2 max, the percentage of VO2 max that can be sustained for a given
duration, and cycling efficiency. Therefore, it is ideal to define training zones according to an athletes
threshold power. Seven different levels represent the full range of physiological responses to power
exertion and adequately describe the different types of training required for competitive cycling. The table
below lists the primary physiological adaptations expected to result from training at each level, although
these will obviously be influenced by initial fitness, the duration of each workout, and time off between
each interval.

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POWER TRAINING LEVELS FOR CYCLISTS

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POWER TRAINING LEVEL FOR TRIATHLETES

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Table 1 - Power Based Training Levels (Coggan Power Zones)

Level

Name

Average
Power

Average
HR

Perceived
Exertion

Description

Active
Recovery

<55%

<68

<2

"Easy spinning" or "light pedal pressure", i.e., very low level exercise, too
low in and of itself to induce significant physiological adaptations. Minimal
sensation of leg effort/fatigue. Requires no concentration to maintain
pace, and continuous conversation possible. Typically used for active
recovery after strenuous training days (or races), between interval efforts,
or for socializing.

Endurance

56-75%

69-83%

2-3

"All day" pace, or classic long slow distance (LSD) training. Sensation of
leg effort/fatigue generally low, but may rise periodically to higher levels
(e.g., when climbing). Concentration generally required to maintain effort
only at highest end of range and/or during longer training sessions.
Breathing is more regular than at level 1, but continuous conversation still
possible. Frequent (daily) training sessions of moderate duration (e.g., 2
h) at level 2 possible (provided dietary carbohydrate intake is adequate),
but complete recovery from very long workouts may take more than 24
hs.

Tempo

76-90%

84-94%

3-4

Typical intensity of fartlek workout, 'spirited' group ride, or briskly moving

paceline. More frequent/greater sensation of leg effort/fatigue than at
level 2. Requires concentration to maintain alone, especially at upper end
of range, to prevent effort from falling back to level 2. Breathing deeper
and more rhythmic than level 2, such that any conversation must be
somewhat halting, but not as difficult as at level 4. Recovery from level 3
training sessions more difficult than after level 2 workouts, but
consecutive days of level 3 training still possible if duration is not
excessive and dietary carbohydrate intake is adequate.

Lactate
Threshold

91-105%

95105%(may
not be
achieved
during
initial
phases of
effort(s))

4-5

Just below to just above TT effort, taking into account duration, current
fitness, environmental conditions, etc. Essentially continuous sensation of
moderate or even greater leg effort/fatigue. Continuous conversation
difficult at best, due to depth/frequency of breathing. Effort sufficiently
high that sustained exercise at this level is mentally very taxing therefore typically performed in training as multiple 'repeats', 'modules', or
'blocks' of 10-30 min duration. Consecutive days of training at level 4
possible, but such workouts generally only performed when sufficiently
rested/recovered from prior training so as to be able to maintain intensity.

VO2 Max

106120%

>106%

6-7

Typical intensity of longer (3-8 min) intervals intended to increase

VO2max. Strong to severe sensations of leg effort/fatigue, such that
completion of more than 30-40 min total training time is difficult at best.
Conversation not possible due to often 'ragged' breathing. Should
generally be attempted only when adequately recovered from prior
training - consecutive days of level 5 work not necessarily desirable even
if possible.

Anaerobic
Capacity

>121%

N/A

>7

Short (30 s to 3 min), high intensity intervals designed to increase

anaerobic capacity. Heart rate generally not useful as guide to intensity
due to non-steady-state nature of effort. Severe sensation of leg
effort/fatigue, and conversation impossible. Consecutive days of
extended level 6 training usually not attempted.

Neuromuscular
Power

N/A

N/A

*
(Maximal)

Very short, very high intensity efforts (e.g., jumps, standing starts, short
sprints) that generally place greater stress on musculoskeletal rather than
metabolic systems. Power useful as guide, but only in reference to prior
similar efforts, not TT pace.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

Table 2 - Expected physiological/performance adaptations resulting from training at levels 1-7:

1

Increased plasma volume

Increased muscle mitochondrial
enzymes
Increased lactate threshold
Increased muscle glycogen
storage
Hypertrophy of slow twitch muscle
fibers
Increased muscle capillarization
Interconversion of fast twitch
muscle fibers (type IIb -> type IIa)
Increased stroke volume/maximal
cardiac output
Increased VO2 Max
Increased muscle high engergy
phosphate (ATP/PCR) Stores
Increased anaerobic capacity
(lactate tolerance)
Hypertrophy of fast twitch fibers

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Increased neuromuscular power

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

EIGHT-WEEK SPRING POWER TRAINING

PLAN

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By Hunter Allen

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 1

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Hunter Allen Tips:

Welcome to your first week! This week is designed to give you some intensity early on and then
enhance your endurance this weekend. Make sure you are getting in some stretching on a regular basis.
Yoga classes or DVDs work great!

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 2

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Hunter Allen Tips:

This is a much more intense week with focus on your FTP, with some solid neuromuscular power work
and then more great endurance riding. Be sure you follow the workout on Friday to the letter, so that
youll get the benefit of the big-gear intervals.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 3

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Hunter Allen Tips:

Two hard days in a row is important to challenge your cardiovascular system and also your muscular
system. Be sure to finish all the work on Thursday. This workout will begin to teach you some great
pacing skills. Recover on Friday and youll be ready for a strong weekend.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 4

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Hunter Allen Tips:

This is a rest week! Note that you need ride only three of the seven days. This will really give you a
break and make sure that you are ready for the hard training coming in the next three weeks. Get in
plenty of stretching and catch up on chores so you are ready to get back at it next week.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 5

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Hunter Allen Tips:

This big week starts out with two hard days. Monday is a short, intense effort focusing on your
anaerobic capacity. Tuesday pushes your FTP a little longer, and if you can think you can do three 15minute efforts, push for a third one. Thursday is a great day to get in some sprints while riding at tempo
pace (an excellent race simulation). Strive for 15 sprints! On Saturday, If you have the time, go for 4.5
hours and spend the extra hour at your tempo pace (80-85% of FTP).

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 6

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Hunter Allen Tips:

Tuesday is your first shot at VO2 max intervals. Give these everything youve got for the full three
minutes. If you are feeling strong that day, do an additional three efforts for a total of six, but make sure
you have the time. The sprints on Wednesday are key to developing your short game, so make sure
you get those in, as well. Lastly, youll want to push hard on the Thursday hill intervals to make it a great
week of training. Do two extra hills on Thursday for bonus points!

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 7

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Hunter Allen Tips:

Your fitness is improving! I know you can feel it! Your FTP and endurance efforts should both feel like
they are getting easier and easier. You might have to bump up the watts a little this week in order to still
feel like you are working hard. On Tuesday, strive again for three 15-minute intervals; a little extra this
week will be good for you. Also, your Saturday ride is key. Really go for it! I want you to finish tired!

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

WEEK 8
Hunter Allen Tips:
Congrats! You have made it through the eight weeks! This week is a rest week. I recommend re-testing
yourself on either Saturday or Sunday. Just repeat the FTP test that I described earlier in the document.
That will let you know exactly how much you have improved! Again, it is very important that you rest
this week. Then youll be both fit and rested for your target race!

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Whats next? Hiring a coach is the best way to get to the next level! Not ready for a coach? Have a look
at my other pre-built training plans on www.TrainingPeaks.com/hunter. Shoot me an email if you have
any questions and Ill be glad to help ([email protected]). Way to go!

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

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APPENDIX

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

Normalized Power (NP), Intensity Factor (IF), and Training Stress Score
(TSS)*
*Normalized PowerTM (NP), Intesity FactorTM (IF), and Training Stress ScoreTM (TSS) are trademark metrics of
TrainingPeaks.
By Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D

One of the first things that catches the attention of any new power meter user is how variable, or jumpy,
power output tends to be. This is largely due to the constantly changing resistances (like small changes in
elevation and gusts of wind) that must be overcome when cycling outdoors. Because of this variability,
training with a power meter is not directly comparable to training with a heart rate monitor. In particular,
it is very difficult and counterproductive to try to keep power constant within a certain range, or zone, at
all times during a training session. Power variability means that the overall average power for a ride or
part of a ride is often a poor indicator of the actual intensity of the effort. This is especially true in races,
where power can vary dramatically from one moment to the next (for example, if a rider first tries to
conserve energy and then attacks).
To account for power variability, TrainingPeaks WKO+ uses a special algorithm to calculate an adjusted
or normalized power for each ride or segment of a ride (longer than 30 seconds). This algorithm is
somewhat complicated, but the important point is that it accounts for two physiological phenomena: 1)
the physiological responses to rapid changes in exercise intensity are not instantaneous, but follow a
predictable time course; 2) many critical physiological responses (for example, glycogen utilization,
lactate production, and stress hormone levels) change curvilinearly rather than linearly. By taking these
factors into account, normalized power provides a better measure of the true demands of a given training
session than raw power. In essence, it is an estimate of the power that you could have maintained for the
same physiological cost if your power output had been perfectly constant (as on a stationary cycle
ergometer).

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Keeping track of normalized power is therefore a more accurate way of quantifying the actual intensity of
your training sessions or races. For example, it is common for average power to be lower during
criteriums than during road races that feel equally difficult because of the time spent soft-pedaling or
coasting through sharp turns. Assuming that they are about the same duration, however, the normalized
power for both types of events will generally be very similar, reflecting their equivalent intensity. In fact,
normalized power during a hard hour-long criterium or road race will often be similar to what a rider can
average when pedaling continuously in a flat 40k time trial. The normalized power from mass-start races
can therefore often be used to provide an initial estimate of a riders threshold power (see below).
Although normalized power is a better measure of training intensity than average power, it does not
account for differences in fitness within or between individuals. TrainingPeaks WKO+ therefore also
calculates an intensity factor (IF) for every workout or time range analyzed. IF is simply the ratio of
normalized power as described above to your threshold power (entered under Athlete Settings on your
Athlete Home page). For example, if your normalized power for a long training ride early in the year is
210W and your threshold power at that time is 280W, then the IF for that workout would be 0.75.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS

However, if you did that same exact ride later in the year after your threshold power had risen to 300W,
then the IF would be lower, say, around 0.70. IF therefore provides a valid and convenient way of
comparing the relative intensity of training sessions or races either over time or between riders,
accounting for changes or differences in threshold power. Typical IF values for various training sessions
or races are as follows:

Recovery rides: less than 0.75

Endurance-paced training rides: 0.75-0.85
Tempo rides, aerobic and anaerobic interval workouts (work and rest periods combined),
longer road races (at least 2.5 hours): 0.85-0.95
Lactate threshold intervals (work period only), shorter road races (under 2.5 hours): 0.95-1.05
Shorter TTs (around 15km), track points races: 1.05-1.15
Prologue TT, track pursuit, track miss-and-out: 1.15

Note that one particularly useful application of IF is to check for changes in threshold power.
Specifically, an IF of more than 1.05 for a race that is approximately one hour long is often a sign
that the rider's threshold power is actually greater than that presently entered into the program.
Thus, by simply examining a riders IF for various events during the course of a season, increases or
decreases in threshold power are often observable without the need for frequent formal testing.
While exercise intensity is clearly an important factor in determining the type and magnitude of
physiological adaptations to training, exercise frequency and durationwhich together determine overall
training volumeare important factors, as well. However, there is obviously an interaction between
training intensity and volume: at some point, as intensity goes up volume must come down and vice versa,
or else you will become over-trained. To quantify your overall training load and hopefully help avoid
such a situation, TrainingPeaks WKO+ uses your power data to calculate a training stress score (TSS) for
every workout and provides a graphical summary of your recent TSS on your Athlete Home Page. TSS,
which is modeled after Dr. Eric Bannisters heart rate-based training impulse (TRIMPS), takes into
account both the intensity (IF) and the duration of each training session, and serves as a predictor of the
amount of glycogen used in each workout. Thus, a very high TSS resulting from a single race or training
session indicates that one or more rest days should be scheduled. Although athletes with different training
backgrounds and natural abilities can tolerate different amounts of training, the scale below is an
approximate translation of TSS into perceived fatigue:

Cumulative TSS per week or per month can also be used help identify the maximum intensity and volume
of training that still leads to improvements rather than to overtraining.

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Less than 150: low fatigue (recovery generally complete by following day)
150-300: medium fatigue (some residual fatigue may be present the next day, but gone by
second day)
300-450: high fatigue (some residual fatigue may be present even after two days)
Greater than 450: very high fatigue (residual fatigue lasting several days is likely)

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By allowing convenient tracking of normalized power, IF, and TSS for each workout and over time,
TrainingPeaks WKO+ provides both individual athletes and coaches with a powerful tool for analyzing
the enormous amount of data you can record with a power meter. The results of such analyses can serve
as the springboard for improvements in training and, ultimately, race performance.

POWERFUL TRAINING, POWERFUL RESULTS