Endurance Sports and Types of Workouts

Endurance sports encompass activities that require participants to cover extended distances as rapidly as possible. These sports include running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, ultradistance events, and more. Achieving and maintaining a strong pace in endurance events necessitates effective, dedicated training. This section delves into the strategies employed by endurance athletes to stress their bodies during workouts, how they should care for their bodies between training sessions, and the crucial factors for attaining optimal stamina in their chosen sport.

Types of Workouts

Traditionally, many endurance sports have emphasized completing as many miles and training hours as possible, often without regard for the quality of the workouts. In the process, athletes might have sacrificed quality for quantity. In today’s fast-paced world, endurance athletes need efficient training methods that allow for recovery and strength-building while making the most of their limited time and energy. The value of high-quality workouts far surpasses the benefits of simply increasing workout volume. As such, athletes should eliminate workouts that lack focus on quality.

In addition to the prevailing “more is better” mindset, athletes are often bombarded with a plethora of information and technologies related to training methods. While various complex training approaches and high-tech tools are available, the essence of endurance development boils down to executing workouts that subject athletes to challenges in covering extended distances as rapidly as possible. The key lies in adhering to simple workouts with clear objectives, allowing athletes to work diligently and enjoy their sport. This straightforward path leads to success and excellence.

To build endurance, athletes primarily employ three essential tools:

1. Long workouts: These workouts are highly specific to the athlete’s discipline, and as the training year progresses, they should approximate the distances of an athlete’s peak races. Long workouts also involve substantial portions executed at race intensity. Athletes cannot expect to perform in a race what they haven’t practiced in training. Long workouts prepare athletes for peak races by honing both physical and mental abilities. They also serve as an ideal opportunity to practice race nutrition and equipment outside of actual races.
2. Interval workouts: These are high-intensity workouts with moderate duration, generally lasting less than 1 hour and 30 minutes. Interval workouts are potentially the most potent but also impose the most stress on athletes. A systematic, progressive overload approach is crucial to prevent overtraining or underrecovery syndrome. Many experienced endurance coaches and athletes suggest that being slightly undertrained on race day is preferable to overtraining.
3. Aerobic workouts: These moderate-intensity, moderate-duration sessions aim to enhance endurance. They include an intensity cap that maintains the work almost exclusively in the aerobic zone. Although less effective in building endurance compared to interval workouts, aerobic workouts are easier to recover from. Combining the right balance of interval and aerobic workouts alongside long workouts is considered an art in the world of training.

Interval workouts are characterized by higher-intensity work segments interspersed with rest intervals. In the context of this section, interval workouts and intervals are often associated with high-intensity work, while aerobic workouts involve more moderate-intensity efforts. There are various subcategories of workouts within these three primary types of endurance training, with interval workouts featuring categories like hill workouts, fartlek workouts, and indoor trainer intervals, while aerobic workouts provide a variety of steady-paced options for moderate-intensity training, such as cycling, running, or swimming on a track or treadmill.

Long Workouts in Endurance Training

Long workouts hold a pivotal role in the training regimen of endurance athletes. These sessions are the most specific to an athlete’s discipline and serve as optimal preparation for races. Given the considerable time and energy they demand, athletes generally incorporate one to three long workouts into their weekly schedules. Triathletes may need to do one long workout for each discipline, while runners commonly schedule a single long run each week. Cyclists and mountain bike racers, on the other hand, can include two long workouts in their training: one being a competitive group ride and the other a long ride completed entirely at an aerobic intensity.

The essence of an effective long workout lies in the dual challenge it presents to athletes:

1. Learn to go longer: Athletes are required to extend their training distances to develop the physical capacity necessary for race endurance.
2. Learn to move at race intensity: Training without specific objectives is an inefficient approach for competitive athletes. Long workouts that emulate race intensity are far more productive. Expecting to run a marathon at 7 minutes per mile after training at 9 minutes per mile is unrealistic. These workouts that integrate segments at race intensity serve as ideal “tempo workouts” or “pace workouts.”

To ensure the effectiveness of long workouts, athletes should start well-rested. Scheduling lighter workouts or a rest day on the day prior to a long workout allows for optimal performance. Moreover, long workouts should closely mimic the course and conditions of the athlete’s upcoming race. These workouts function as practice races, enabling athletes to refine their race equipment, get comfortable with race gear such as wetsuits in swimming, and experiment with various equipment and cycling positions. Athletes are advised to test new gear and approaches during shorter workouts before incorporating them into long workouts.

Long workouts should progressively increase in distance as the training year advances. Each long run comprises portions to be run at aerobic intensity and portions at race intensity. For instance, in week 7 of the progression, the runner would complete a 10-mile run, with the first 5 miles at aerobic intensity and the last 5 miles at race intensity. Athletes should consistently tackle the aerobic miles before engaging in the race-intensity segments. This is especially crucial in weight-bearing activities like running, where fatigue from race intensity could hinder workout completion and potentially lead to injury. In contrast, this concept holds less significance in non-weight-bearing activities such as cycling or swimming.

The progression of long workouts takes two primary factors into account as they advance: an increase in distance and a greater emphasis on miles covered at race intensity. This gradual approach allows athletes to adapt and improve their ability to sustain race intensity over longer distances. Weeks 4 and 8 in the example offer rest weeks, providing a break from long runs. Following the 11-week progression, the athlete enters a taper phase lasting 2 to 3 weeks leading up to the race.

Interval Workouts in Endurance Training

Interval workouts serve as a fundamental component in the training arsenal of endurance athletes. These workouts, characterized by high workloads and moderate durations, are highly effective for enhancing endurance and overall performance. They typically last between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

A typical structure for interval workouts encompasses four main components:

1. Warm-up or drill sets: The warm-up’s objective is to prime the body for the higher-intensity work that follows in the workout. It begins at a low intensity and gradually progresses, allowing the body to physiologically prepare for the upcoming workout. Drill sets are often incorporated into the warm-up, providing athletes with the opportunity to improve specific skills or techniques relevant to their sport. Each sport-specific chapter, whether on running, swimming, or biking, provides suggested drills to integrate into training.
2. Sprint set (optional): Sprint sets, while optional, are generally reserved for experienced athletes looking to maximize their performance. These sets aim to enhance neuromuscular function, providing athletes with an understanding of what it feels like to move at very high speeds. Sprint sets consist of short intervals completed at extremely high intensity, with athletes encouraged to maintain these intensities without excessive physical fatigue. Although mentally demanding due to the required concentration, athletes should not overexert themselves during these sets.
3. Main sets (endurance sets): Main sets typically comprise 20 to 40 minutes of work intervals executed at anaerobic intensity, separated by rest intervals. For swimming, a distance of 1,000 to 2,000 yards is generally suitable for most athletes during the main set.
4. Cool-down: In contrast to the warm-up, the cool-down aims to reduce blood flow to working muscles, slow metabolic processes, and gradually return the body to a resting state. Low-intensity activities are commonly used to facilitate blood redistribution and the removal of metabolites from the muscles. The cool-down phase allows athletes to commence recovery from the training session.

Intensity levels, are used to measure work intensity in these workouts. The four intensity levels include easy intensity, aerobic intensity, anaerobic intensity, and race intensity, and they offer a straightforward method for assessing and controlling workout intensity without necessitating specialized equipment.

Sample workouts that illustrate the application of these intensity levels include:

• Cycling hill Workout: This workout, designed for cyclists or triathletes, involves a warm-up from easy to aerobic intensity over approximately 15 minutes. Athletes then engage in a set of 10 × 3-minute intervals, riding at anaerobic intensity up a hill. The rest interval entails coasting down the hill, practicing descending. The workout concludes with a 15-minute cool-down from aerobic to easy intensity.
• Cycling indoor trainer Workout: After a 5-minute warm-up building from easy to aerobic intensity, athletes may perform a set of drills followed by optional sprint sets. The main set involves 15 × 2-minute intervals at anaerobic intensity, with 1-minute rest intervals at easy intensity between each interval. The workout wraps up with a 10-minute cool-down, transitioning from aerobic to easy intensity.
• Running hill Workout: In this workout for runners or triathletes, the warm-up consists of a 15-minute run from easy to aerobic intensity. Athletes then perform a set of 12 × 2-minute intervals at anaerobic intensity, walking down the hill during rest intervals. To conclude, the athlete runs home from the hill, transitioning from aerobic to easy intensity during the cool-down.
• Running track Workout: This workout, designed for runners or triathletes, includes a 10-minute warm-up from easy to aerobic intensity, with running drills and optional sprints. The main set comprises 8 × 800 meters at anaerobic intensity, with 100-meter walks between intervals. The cool-down involves a 10-minute walk.
• Running Road Workout: Athletes choose a course that allows for an out-and-back run. The warm-up consists of a 10-minute run, transitioning from easy to aerobic intensity. The main set includes 6 × 4-minute intervals at aerobic intensity, with 1-minute walking rest intervals between each interval. After the third rest interval, athletes turn back toward the starting point for the remainder of the workout. The cool-down comprises a 10-minute run, transitioning from aerobic to easy intensity.
• Running Fartlek Workout: Completed on a course taking approximately an hour to run at an aerobic intensity, this workout begins with a warm-up at aerobic intensity. During the workout, athletes perform 10 intervals of 1 to 3 minutes at anaerobic intensity, each followed by running at least an equal amount of time at aerobic intensity. The workout structure includes 5 to 10 minutes of running at aerobic intensity at the beginning and end to facilitate a warm-up and cool-down.

Aerobic Workouts:

Aerobic workouts, characterized by moderate workloads and moderate durations, offer a straightforward and conservative approach to improving endurance in endurance sports. These workouts are among the simplest to implement, involving exercises like cycling or running for durations ranging from 45 to 90 minutes at aerobic intensity. The warm-up phase typically spans the first 5 to 10 minutes, with the athlete transitioning from easy to aerobic intensity, while the cool-down phase occupies the last 5 to 10 minutes, during which the athlete reverses this transition.

These workouts serve several key purposes in an athlete’s training regimen:

1. Suitable for Beginners: Aerobic workouts are particularly effective for individuals relatively new to endurance sports. They provide a foundation for building endurance and serve as an excellent starting point for novice athletes.
2. Balance and Recovery: In the early stages of the training year or when an athlete shows signs of heading toward underrecovery syndrome (characterized by consistent fatigue, poor workouts, reduced appetite, and moodiness), aerobic workouts can help maintain balance between workout stress and recovery. If the athlete has been pushing too hard with interval workouts, introducing aerobic workouts can act as a restorative element.

Training program design combines both scientific principles and an artistic touch that develops with experience. It’s essential to recognize that every athlete is unique, and individuals may respond differently to the same training regimen. Several factors should be considered in tailoring training programs, including an athlete’s years of training, current stress levels, and chronological age.

1. Years of Training: Athletes with consistent training experience tend to tolerate higher training loads. They can withstand a greater amount of training without experiencing adverse effects like overtraining or inadequate recovery. Experienced athletes can also handle higher intensities better. However, it’s essential to avoid excessive high-intensity training, as the majority of training, even for experienced athletes, should be aerobic. Too much high-intensity work can hinder recovery and lead to suboptimal performance.
2. Stress Levels: Stressors beyond training, such as family, work, relationships, and living situations, can significantly impact an athlete’s recovery and training outcomes. Athletes and coaches must acknowledge these external stressors and remain realistic about their influence on training responses. For example, an athlete who has recently started a new job, gotten married, or moved may respond differently to training compared to a young, single individual with fewer external responsibilities.
3. Chronological Age: Older athletes may require additional rest and recovery to achieve optimal training effects. They might have limitations due to previous injuries, age-related factors like arthritis, disc degeneration, and decreased strength. This doesn’t imply that older athletes can’t compete at high levels; it merely acknowledges that younger athletes might have faster recovery rates and more substantial training improvements.

Aerobic workouts provide a solid foundation for endurance development, making them suitable for beginners and a valuable tool for athletes seeking balance and recovery. Tailoring training programs to individual needs while considering factors like training experience, external stressors, and age is crucial for optimizing performance and minimizing the risk of overtraining.