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Training load focus for Cycling - pace vs. basis vs threshold

Dear all, maybe a question for ,

i would like to understand how the new training load focus is categorized for cycling activities.
Currently I do a HR-zone based training:

(1) Basic Endurance 1 in HR Zone 2 (55-70% of max HR)
(2) Basic Endurance 2 in HR Zone 3 (70-83% of max HR)
(3) Intervals for Threshold in HR Zone 4  (83-90% of max HR)
(4) Intervals for Anaerobic in HR Zone 5

HR Zones are configured based on a medical performance test. My measured lactate threshold at 173 bpms start at Zone 5, so it makes quite the sense.
Activities performed in (1), (3) (4) are (as expected) categorized with a Basic, Threshold (high aerobic), and anaerobic Training load focus.

However, I would like to understand how (2) is categorized: I did an hour long activity mainly HR Zone 3 which was categorized as "Pace" with a high aerobic effort (see https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3775849653)  but I have other activites (not long ones) in the same HR Zone (with actual higher average HR) that have been categorized as "basic", such as https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3769389247

What are the criteria for this categorization for cycling? is it strictly HR Based? If so, is the training load value also incorporated (e.g. higher load would then categorize the activity as "pace")? Are other values (e.g. cadence or power) incorporated as well.

Kind regards,
fjewl

Top Replies

  • Hi, I was on vacation for a few weeks and just saw this, but glad you are digging into this stuff. 

    You may have already spotted these, but just in case... here's our quick take on both Training Load…

All Replies

  • Hi, I was on vacation for a few weeks and just saw this, but glad you are digging into this stuff. 

    You may have already spotted these, but just in case... here's our quick take on both Training Load Balance/Load Focus and the Primary Benefit Labels. 

    https://www.firstbeat.com/en/consumer-feature/training-load-balance/

    https://www.firstbeat.com/en/consumer-feature/workout-labels/

    If you scroll down to the bottom of the Workout Labels page, you'll find a recipe book, of sorts, that will give you a sense of the types of workouts that produce the various labels.

    The key factors in labeling your workouts are essentially the overall impact of your activity (TL), what that means to you (TE), and the accumulation profile (essentially the degree to which aerobic and anaerobic efforts contributed to the whole). It looks to me like the workout that was labeled as Endurance that you linked was relatively moderate-intensity, steady-state activity and produced an Aerobic TE of 2.1. It was definitely primarily an aerobic activity that was harder than what is typically classified as a Recovery benefiting working, but didn't pose the type of significant challenge needed to stimulate the development of, say, fatigue resistance or total aerobic capacity. 

    Hope that helps. 

  • Great feedback @HermanB - the workout labels table explains this! Kind regards,

    Ludwig