Zwift Tri Academy & Baseline Events Approach

 

Another year comes around, and we approach an all-new Zwift Tri Academy in 2021. And this one’s bigger and better than ever before, with some exciting new additions and new workouts to be completed. Whether you have aspirations to make the Zwift Tri Team or are looking to boost your training, we’re confident that the 5 bike and 5 run workouts in this year’s Zwift Academy Tri will do just that.

So let’s go through some of the new features and workouts included in this year’s Zwift Tri Academy. But before doing so, let’s discuss some of the background of why I (Coach Dr. Dan Plews) built these sessions from a training and physiology perspective.

The Key Aspects Of Long Distance Triathlon Performance

In any sport, be it running, rowing, or football, there are specific physiological requirements to do well in a particular event. For example, having a high peak speed is more advantageous for a 400m runner than a Full Distance triathlete. Conversely, while having a good aerobic capacity is beneficial for Full Distance Triathlon, this won’t necessarily have you winning a 400m race.

When it comes to triathlon specifically, we can look at training by first beginning to understand the critical determinants of success at an event. Moreover, these determinants change according to the distance of the triathlon event. However, as we’re focused mainly on longer-distance triathlon at the Zwift Tri Academy, it becomes simple to build the correctly optimized key sessions.

Building Specific Workouts

In training prescription, coaches mark intensities by specific physiological thresholds. These are the “Aerobic Threshold” and the more commonly known “Anaerobic Threshold”, AKA Functional Threshold Power (FTP). We can begin to establish specific training intensities from these thresholds, and therefore, workouts by which we can target our training outcomes.

For example, think of your aerobic threshold as your “all day” pace and comfortable in terms of perceived exertion, versus your anaerobic threshold (FTP) as something you can sustain for only around 1 hour. There will always be a slight variation from person to person with their thresholds as well as the ability to sustain them.

By understanding those thresholds, we can define exercise intensity. Within the Zwift Tri Academy, we have a variety of workouts designed to improve each. This allows for a balanced and holistic overall training structure.  Below is a typical blood lactate curve of increasing intensity. The aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are clearly marked. You can also see where the 5 bike and 5 run Zwift Tri Academy workouts sit regarding their intensity on this curve and in relation to each threshold.

Depiction of the exponential relationship between training intensity and physiological strain. Aerobic and Anaerobic thresholds are shown according to the 5 bike and 5 running workouts in the 2021 Zwift Tri Academy.

Zwift Tri Academy Bike Workouts

All of the Zwift Tri Bike workouts are 60 minutes in duration. I always recommend doing as many of these sessions as possible in one of the scheduled group rides. Remember to take your time going through these sessions. It is not a race to see who can finish all the workouts as fast as possible!

Having an accurate FTP and 10km running time entered into Zwift is of the utmost importance. This ensures you’re doing each session at the appropriate intensity.

With all that said, let’s look at each bike and run workout in more detail.

Bike Workout 1 – Full Distance Specific

This session is designed to improve the aerobic threshold, which for most people is around Ironman pace. However, to make this session as specific to long-distance triathlon as possible, some specific 30-second bursts induce extra fatigue before settling back into Ironman pace. This variable intensity has been proven to be effective at pushing thresholds up. This session also allows you to become more proficient at removing lactate and using it as fuel during the lower intensity efforts.

The main part of this session consists of 4 x 8-minute reps at 78% of with the first 30 seconds, middle 30 seconds, and last 30 seconds at 100% of FTP.

Bike Workout 2 – Strength Endurance/Threshold Combo

The combination of strength-endurance and threshold riding makes this session very challenging; the cadence changes between the sets give this session a unique context. This session is great to work on specific strength and threshold power, with the changes in torque through the sessions helping to push up your FTP. This session is great to be done in ERG mode. The main set consists of:

2 x 5 minutes at 80% of FTP and 60 rpm (2 minutes recovery)
1 x 2 minutes at 100% of FTP and 90 rpm (1-minute recovery)
1 x 3 minutes at 100% of FTP and 90 rpm (1.5-minute recovery)
1 x 4 minutes at 100% of FTP and 90 rpm (2-minute recovery)
1 x 3 minutes at 100% of FTP and 90 rpm (1.5-minute recovery)
1 x 2 minutes at 100% of FTP and 90 rpm (1-minute recovery)
2 x 5 minutes at 80% of FTP and 60 rpm (2 minutes recovery)

Bike Workout 3 – 70.3 Development

This has to be one of my personal all-time favorite sessions! Bike workout 3 is typically known as an up and under session. You perform periods slightly over and then slightly under 70.3 race pace power. This is a great way to get more comfortable at your 70.3 pace and improve the number.

Here, you will be doing 8 minutes reps as two rounds of 2 minutes above (90% FTP) and 2 minutes below (80% FTP) 70.3 race power. The main set for this session consists of 5 x 8 min as 2 rounds of 2 minutes at 90% of FTP, and 2 minutes at 80% of FTP (2-minute recovery between reps).

Bike Workout 4 – Short VO2max Intervals

Short intervals are great sessions to adapt the anaerobic and aerobic systems, and they also have a high neuromuscular component. Moreover, by explicitly manipulating the work to rest ratios, we can specifically target these three factors to a differing extent. This session includes all the classic short intervals going from 30/30 to 30/15 to 40/20, gradually shifting toward a more aerobic component.

These sessions are great for improving your VO2max and anaerobic capacity. Therefore, there are great to include in the early part of your training season. The main portion of this session consists of 10 x 40 seconds at 110% of FTP/20 seconds recovery, 5 minutes easy, 10 x 30 seconds at 112% of FTP/15 seconds recovery, 5 minutes easy, 10 x 30 seconds at 112% of FTP/30 seconds recovery. Personally, I prefer to do these sorts of sessions not in ERG mode, using my gears to get the correct power. It’s a little easier and more controllable with the short recovery periods.

Bike Workout 5 – Long VO2max Intervals

By this stage in the Zwift Tri Academy, you should have already been through the short VO2max intervals. Now, we are getting into long VO2max intervals. Typically, long intervals include anything where the reps are greater than 1 minute in duration. Compared to short VO2max intervals, although the intensity is still higher than FTP, it isn’t typically as high. In such intervals, the neuromuscular system is targeted to a lesser extent, with more focus being on anaerobic and particularly aerobic systems. These are the sessions you should be included in your main preparatory block before a competition. You’re going to want to make sure you have fresh legs and are ready to go for this one.

For this session, the main body of work consists of 3 x 2 min at 107% FTP with 2 min recovery, 2 x 3 min at 105% FTP with 2 min recovery,1 x 4 min at 102% FTP with 2 min recovery, 2 x 3 min at 105% FTP with 2 min recovery, 3 x 2 min at 107% FTP with 2 min recovery. As you can see, lots of time above your FTP!

Zwift Tri Academy Run Workouts

For the first time this year in the Zwift Tri Academy program, we have two running options, longer (40 minutes total duration) and shorter (25-35 minutes total duration). Both sessions follow a similar structure, but the main portion of work is reduced for the shorter sessions. This gives a variety of options, allowing the run workouts to be more achievable to various levels.

Run Workout 1: Strength Endurance

Just like in cycling, working on specific strength in running is a great way to improve your running off the bike, specifically in long-distance triathlons. This session is long in duration, working around the aerobic threshold. Still, by altering the gradient of the treadmill, the emphasis changes to include strength endurance. Running on gradients brings many benefits to the triathlete, including improved leg-muscle strength and faster stride rate.

The main portion of the longer 40-minute version of this workout consists of a continuous 30 minutes running at 88% of threshold pace but changing the gradient every 1 minute. This means 6 rounds of 1 minute at 1% gradient, 1 minute at 0% gradient, 1 minute at 4% gradient, 1 minute at 5% gradient and finally 1 minute at 0% gradient. Conversely, the shorter 25-minute version consists of just 3 rounds.

Run Workout 2: Full Distance Specific & VO2max

This workout focuses on running at around long-distance triathlon pace, with fatigue. However, this is also a great chance to see how much the middle portion of the workout fatigues you. During the last part of this session, you get the opportunity to go back to faster running after the long-distance pace effort. This is a great session to hone in on this pace, building your efficiency and economy which is critical for long-distance triathlon success.

The main portion of the longer version of this workout consists of 1 x 3 minutes at 102% of threshold pace (2 minutes recovery), 1 x 3 minutes at 98% of threshold pace (2 minutes recovery), 1 x 6 minutes at 85% of threshold pace (2 minutes recovery), 1 x 3 minutes at 98% of threshold pace (2 minutes recovery), 1 x 3 minutes at 102% of threshold pace (2 minutes recovery). However, the shorter version removes the second set of 3-minute repetitions at 98 and 102% threshold pace.

Run Workout 3: Progressive Tempo

As we get more tired when running, one of the first things to deteriorate is running form. A great skill to train is to maintain form at high running speeds with some fatigue. This session is designed to help train this same skill. This is a descending pace tempo session, which aims to progressively increase the pace every 6 minutes to just above the threshold pace. Efficient and fluid running is vital during this session. You increase pace from 95% to 101% of threshold speed over 30 minutes, changing pace every 6 minutes.

I love this type of session personally, and it’s a favorite of the pro athletes I coach as well. This is a great one to be done off the bike too. The main portion of work for this workout consists of a continuous 30-minute build as follows (no recovery between all the 6-minute reps): 6 min at 93% of threshold pace, 6 min at 95% of threshold pace, 6 min at 97% of threshold pace, 6 min at 99% of threshold pace, 6 min at 101% of threshold pace. This workout’s shorter 25-minute version takes on the same running intensities, with 3 minutes rather than 6 minutes at each intensity.

Run Workout 4 – Speed Booster

This session allows you to build top-end speed, with some fast 60-second reps, surrounded by endurance-based 90-second reps. This faster-paced running is excellent for improving your neuromuscular coordination and mechanics. This one is a great session to be done on the treadmill, as you start your faster running from a quicker baseline speed. This means you don’t waste any valuable time getting your treadmill up to those faster speeds!

This workout’s main body of work consists of 4 x 4 minutes reps as 90 seconds at 88% of threshold pace, 60 seconds at 105% of thresholds pace, and 90 seconds at 88% of threshold pace (2-minute recovery). The shorter version takes in 2 rather than 4, 4-minute reps.

Run Workout 4 – Threshold

This session aims to develop your threshold running longer repetitions of 8, 4, 3, 2 and 1 minute. However, the pace gradually gets faster going from just below to just above threshold pace. This further stresses your physiology and pushes up your threshold speed. This is also a great session to do off the bike. From a physiological perspective, threshold pace is when the powerhouse of the muscle cell (mitochondria) can no longer produce energy (ATP) aerobically. As such, threshold training is performed at a high intensity, somewhere around 7/8 out of 10 in terms of perceived intensity. The main set for the more extended version of the workout consists of:

1 x 8 minutes at 97% of thresholds pace (2 minutes recovery)
1 x 4 minutes at 98% of thresholds pace (2 minutes recovery)
1 x 2 minutes at 99% of thresholds pace (2 minutes recovery)
1 x 4 minutes at 101% of thresholds pace (1.5 minutes recovery)
1 x 3 minutes at 102% of thresholds pace (1.5 minutes recovery)
1 x 2 minutes at 103% of thresholds pace (1 minutes recovery)
1 x 1 minutes at 104% of thresholds pace (1 minutes recovery)

Conversely, the shorter 35-minute version consists of:

1 x 3 minutes at 97% of thresholds pace (2 minutes recovery)
1 x 2 minutes at 98% of thresholds pace (2 minutes recovery)
1 x 1 minutes at 99% of thresholds pace (2 minutes recovery)
1 x 3 minutes at 101% of thresholds pace (1.5 minutes recovery)
1 x 2 minutes at 102% of thresholds pace (1.5 minutes recovery)
1 x 1 minutes at 104% of thresholds pace (1 minutes recovery)

Be sure to have good legs before getting stuck into this session!

Pre (Baseline) and Post (Finish Line) Zwift Tri Academy Time Trials

This year we have baseline bike and run workouts at the start of the program. You don’t need to be fit to do these, but it’s a good idea to make sure you’re well-rested before completing them. These time trials are designed so you can see your improvement throughout the ZA program. After all, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure”. The baseline time trials consist of a 20km or 40km bike time trial and either a 5km or 10km running race. For these baseline tests, don’t be too concerned with the result here. It’s all about drawing a line in the sand to monitor your progression. It’s a great way to see how you’ve improved from all the hard work you put in during the academy program.

To graduate from the academy, you have to put it all on the line and show us what you’ve got. Therefore, you have to toe the line, and complete in your finish line efforts the same time trials you completed during the baseline trials. So let’s see what you’ve got!

For all these time trials efforts, the pacing is critical. Don’t set out too fast. Be controlled at the start and build into it. Schedule your race in the Companion app, line up, and give it your all!

To allow for good pre/post comparisons with your cycling and running time trials, try to approach each one in the same way. This means ensuring you are fresh, recovered, and well-fueled before each time trial.

Putting the Zwift Tri Academy Workouts in a Training Program

Organizing the 5 bike and 5 run workouts around a training schedule can be a daunting experience. The correct order and approaching each workout with the appropriate freshness to perform is essential. On top of that, tapering before the final time trials is also vital. This is your time to shine!

And let’s face it, making the Zwift Tri Team is a lucrative position. So it needs to be taken seriously. That’s why Zwift and Endure IQ have teamed up to bring to you 6, 7, 8 and 9-week training programs for all levels of triathletes. These programs are designed to incorporate all the Zwift Tri Workouts (5 bikes and 5 runs) and the baseline and finish line time trials. The written programs ensure the best session order progression of the Zwift Tri workouts, optimal swim bike and run workouts in-between, and tapers leading into each critical time trial performance. Basically, these training programs are designed to give you the best chance to make the Zwift Triathlon Team 2021! And best of all, it’s totally free for all 2021 Zwift Tri Academy participants.

To learn more and get involved in the whole program, jump over to Endure IQ here.

Happy training, and I look forward to joining you for a Zwift Tri Academy Group ride in Watopia.