Am I improving?
That is a great question to ask yourself.
Training response is the name of the game when it comes to improvement. You need to respond to the inputs to improve and get the most out of your athletic experience. Response to a given input can vary widely across athletes and even within yourself at different points in a year.
That is why finding a way to benchmark your progress is an important part of your program. You want some proof of concept.
Testing in a lab or with fancy equipment is the gold standard, but not always accessible.
But have no fear. There are plenty of low-barrier-to-entry ways to put your training to the test with a simple GPS watch and accurate heart rate monitor and/or cycling power meter.
Reliable and repeatable test protocol
If you are going to test your limits, you are going to want to make certain you are comparing apples to apples.
It does not matter if you are doing a 20’ bike test, a 5K run, or a hill climb segment. There are hundreds of test types available and each test type has advantages and disadvantages.
It DOES matter that you remain consistent with your protocol. If you choose a 20’ bike test and then choose a different test a few weeks down the line, you are not comparing apples to apples. Pick a test that suits your goals and stick with it. Cultivate your individual standard.
I am working with an athlete currently where we have implemented this idea well within the training. A test should not be so demanding that you need to rest excessively before and after like you may do for a race.
In the first month of working with this athlete, I had him perform a 5K run with the following directions:
1 mile Moderate
1 mile Hard
1 mile Very hard
0.1 miles “finish the job”
It was never my intention to have this be a regular test within his program. The initial goal was to learn how to pace a hard effort.
We both gathered valuable objective and subjective data, and it made sense to turn this into a regular event. Now this is simply known as the “5K progression test”. It features in his training week every 6-9 weeks; an example of:
Picking one test and sticking with it.
Blending testing into training
Developing his individual standard
Submaximal
A best-effort test is not always required. Submaximal testing can give you insight into how your aerobic durability is coming along. I’ll use running as a way to illustrate, but the same principles apply across all sports.
A simple example of employing this type of benchmarking is to watch your HR vs pace on your standard easy sessions. Pick a familiar route each time and if you are becoming fitter, you’ll either run
Faster for the same HR
The same pace at a lower HR
Both indicate improvement and it does not require a massive construct of a test.
Another example is to watch how your heart rate and pace react to longer duration. If you start to decouple1 after 10 km on a run, but then 4 weeks later that decoupling does not occur until 12 km, you have improved in efficiency. This is especially important for those athletes looking to go long in their A-race.
Low-stakes racing
If you have the funds and the time, racing regularly can be a nice option. It’s hard to sign up for a race and not have a bump in motivation.
Some guidelines I like for low-stakes racing:
It does not require a taper
The event duration is short enough that you can get back to normal training soon after
You have a clear goal to accomplish via “practicing” your racing craft
If you have built up a nice aerobic base, these races will not be much more demanding than a hard workout. They can serve as a hard workout for the week and you can measure where you are at.
An example for a triathlete would be to have a sprint distance race placed 6-8 weeks before an Olympic distance or a Half-iron distance race. A fun way to get a stimulus and perhaps get practice with the logistics of race morning.
You do not have to wait for race day to find out if your hard work is worth it.
Pick and stick
Consider submaximal data
Get familiar with the racing vibe
Start checking your work today
This is a term used to describe a continual increase in heart rate despite holding the same pace, or sometimes even a slower pace. Heart rate is a measure of internal stress and if you lose control of it at the end of a long session, that gives you insight into where you want to improve or where your current limit lies. With a good training program, you may still decouple, but will quickly adapt so that it is not a regular occurrence. Decoupling may also occur due to weather conditions or nutritional status in which case you should still pay attention.