Measuring Training Intensity Distribution

How do you actually measure TID? The basic idea is to divide and quantify training time or distance into different intensity zones, over time frames from single sessions, to a few weeks to years. TID can be measured in terms of power, speed, HR, lactate, oxygen uptake, perceived exertion.

There are three common approaches for quantifying TID. For an endurance training session based on heart-rate:

training intensity distribution

  1. Time in Zone (TIZ) The time in zone method uses the heart rate (solid blue line in the chart) as the basis for allocating time in different zones. For each heart rate measurement the zone is calculated and totalled. 35 minutes were spent in zone 3, 48 min in zone 1 and 5 min in zone 2.
  2. Session Goal (SG) This approach is based on the intensity during the core section of the session in combination. The example is a zone 3. Seiler & Kjerland proposed this method and argue that it gives a realistic picture of the total TID over the long term
  3. Mixed, Session Goal/Time in Zone (SG/TIZ) The modified session goal method uses the dotted line giving 39 minutes distributed in zone 3 and 49 minutes in zone 1. The zone 2 work at the start and end of an interval gets added to the Z3 bin and everything else is zone 1.

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