TRAIN HARD, RACE FAST

QWhat is threshold training? And how does it benefit performance?

Keith Wallace

AThere can be confusion between the terms and it’s understandable as they sound similar and both relate to training/racing at a predetermined intensity.

Firstly, an athlete must undergo a time-trial-style session to ascertain their ‘threshold’ limits in each discipline.

Let’s use cycling as the example. The athlete cycles as hard as they can sustain for a 20min period and the resulting average heart rate/pace/power would be their threshold figures, meaning they’re on the limit of their capabilities for that period of time.

In order to calculate the ‘functional threshold’ values, it’s widely acknowledged that you would subtract 5% from the threshold value. This is the heart rate/pace/power you should be able to sustain for a 1hr period.

Important for the athlete to decide is firstly which metric they’re going to focus on – i.e. heart rate, pace or power – and how they’ll implement this into their training and racing. For instance, an age-group sprint-distance athlete may focus their training at 85-100% of functional threshold power (FTP) whereas an Ironman debutant may target their training at 65-80% of FTP.

Regardless of chosen race distance or existing fitness levels, it’s strongly advised that you should include training sessions that stress you at below, at, and above your threshold values. In order to get faster and stronger you must take yourself above current threshold. A favourite session of many triathletes is known as ‘Unders/Overs’ where you spend set periods of time under and over threshold. Dermott Hayes