Substituting workouts, switching things around, and contingency planning in general.

We all miss workouts.  Life presents us with issues that often derail our well-laid plans for swimming, cycling, and running.  Sickness, travel, work and injury are just some of the "hiccups" that we need to be prepared to face during the course of a training season.


I often get the question:  "What do I do if I can't do my ride this Wednesday? Do you want me to substitute it for a run?"


The answer is simple.  Or is it?


As we all know, running is more jarring than cycling and is more likely to sideline an athlete with injuries from overuse or overtraining.  Due to its stress placed on the body, it is unwise to increase the Running Training Stress Score (rTSS) more than 10% each week.  We can sometimes replace a cycling activity with running (or vice versa), but there is more to it than "just throwing an equivalent amount of training stress" at the athlete and hoping for the best.

rTSS Graph from WKO+

In the graph above, we have a representation of our chronic run training stress load (CTL - blue line) and the acute training stress load (ATL - magenta line).  CTL looks back 42 days to at our average TSS/day, but averages in the last 7 days of stress more heavily.  To put it another way - the workout you did 42 days ago is still affecting your fitness today, but the workout you did 2 days ago affects your fitness today even more heavily.  

The acute run training stress load (ATL - magenta line) averages our training stress over the last 7 days, divides by 7, and shows us an average of our current "short term" training stress.  You will notice that the yellow line (Training Stress Balance, or TSB) always acts in opposition to the magenta line.  TSB is a representation of how well-rested we are (or how "fresh" we are).  If our ATL goes up due to increased workouts, our TSB will go down.  In other words, a high ATL and low TSB tells us we're tired.  Conversely, if we're extremely well-rested due to a high TSB and low ATL, we will most likely have de-conditioned.

My grandmother is in her 80's, does not work out, and therefore has a very high TSB.  However, due to her low ATL from never working out, it is unlikely that she will win any time trials anytime soon.

This is exactly what the yellow line represents:

Our freshness.

Therefore, we must find a balance between how well rested we are, and how much training stress we're accumulating if we want to perform well at a given event.  By using this chart, we can keep an eye out for things like overtraining, plateauing, and under-training.  It is also a great way to help avoid injury by adding in too much stress too quickly.

8 Month Illustration of Fitness, Freshness, and Form via the PMC on WKO+

So what on earth does all of this have to do with swapping workouts around?


This introduction to acute training load, chronic training load, and training stress balance are to provide you with some insight about the stress your body receives from a given workout.  Before we consider adding in a bike or run workout to the schedule, we have to look at the following issues:


1.  Are we well rested? - If we have a test or race coming up for which we'd like to perform well, adding in extra training stress during a taper week will compromise our freshness for that test and will inhibit our performance.  If we've missed sleep lately and are feeling tired, it might be best to take the day off.


2.  Do we have any lingering soreness that could lead to injury? - A lingering pain that doesn't seem to go away or a tender area in a muscle or tendon is often a cry from our bodies for rest.  If we are considering adding in extra running to maintain fitness but are likely to injure ourselves by doing so, it would be best to just get in some extra rest.


3.  Where am I with regard to TSS, ATL, and TSB? - If we blindly throw in additional running or cycling without considering its effect on our TSS, we are likely to dig ourselves a hole that could compromise the next several workouts or injure us.  The Nice Tri training program is not just a manipulation of total training time, it is a modification of all training variables (frequency, intensity and duration).  In other words, if we add duration and maintain frequency, we must keep a close eye on intensity to avoid adding too much ATL too soon.  If we add intensity to the training plan, we may shorten duration or adjust frequency for the same reason.  We will never add duration, intensity and frequency all at once.


4.  Is this an anomaly or is this a chronic issue? - If we are routinely missing a workout due to travel, it would be best to adjust the schedule to prevent this.  If traveling for your job is rare and missed workouts are seldom an issue, it is often best to just miss that workout and "Charlie Mike" (if you don't know, Google it).  It is rare that anyone in the Nice Tri program need more training.  In fact, an extra rest day might be exactly what your body needed.


5.  Am I adding in a run workout or a bike workout? - It is very unlikely to be injured by riding your bike for an extra hour for the week if you've been professionally fit.  Injuries on the bike are extremely rare.  However, run injuries are common when we ignore the 10% rule.  Does 10% mean TSS?  Mileage?  Vdot?


Yes! 


We must keep an eye on the TSS and TSB before adding in any running stress.  When we do add in additional running, it is best if we do not add more than 10% TSS or 10% mileage to the total load.  We must also consider what type of training follows the run workout, its intensity and duration, and then plan accordingly.


If we substitute a workout occasionally, it is unlikely that we will experience problems.  However, it is always best to consult with your coach for guidance on what to do, when to do it, and the appropriate intensity.  Try to notify your coach well in advance as this may affect subsequent training sessions.


If you're considering adding in "extra" workouts to your schedule or making them faster in order to get in better shape, this is highly discouraged.  Make sure to have a discussion with your coach about your concerns and goals before moving forward on your own.


Remember - the number one rule in increased physical performance is consistency, and the best way to ensure consistency is to remain injury-free.  If you're missing a workout or two per month, the added rest will not affect your conditioning and it may even be a welcome treat.


However, if you find that you're consistently missing a workout due to a change in schedule, advise your coach for an amended training plan.


That's what one-on-one coaching is all about!


Train Hard.  Race Easy.