FOR: SAMPLE
If you would like to participate in this program, enter your info on the Training Plan page and forward a link to your plan to Mike McGuirk. He will set up a Microsoft Web Apps spreadsheet using your parameters, portions of which will be displayed on a private web page like this one.
1. Your program was created with the following parameters...
2. Here is an overview of your entire schedule...
3. The tables above specify a target pace range. In order to give you a more precise target for each HR zone, experiment with the following. NOTE: To make your changes permanent you must make them in the spreadsheet which generates the data you see on this web page and then reload this page to update the weekly schedule below.
To access the spreadsheet, click on the "view full-size worksheet" icon (the right-most icon in the Excel Web App footer below). That will open the underlying file in Web Apps. Click "Edit in Browser". Go to the "Create schedule" sheet (look at the tabs along the bottom of the workbook for sheet names), re-enter the desired change, close the spreadsheet and reload this page.
4. Here is your weekly schedule. Enter the desired week number. To print (see instructions below).
To print the weekly schedule, click "view full-size worksheet" icon (the right-most icon in the Excel Web App footer above) to open the underlying file in Web Apps. Click "Edit in Browser". Then go to the "Follow" sheet (look at the tabs along the bottom of the workbook for sheet names), re-enter the desired week then highlight the schedule and click "File" on the menu, "Print", then "Print" again, then select "Current selection". Hint: fold up the weekly schedule accordion-like and place it in front of you while erging.
5. Next, your logbook... you will note that there are rows in the weekly schedule for "best pace" and "best SPI" (stroke power index). These will normally be blank but, if you record your daily workout results on the Logbook page of your training plan spreadsheet, the program will display that information. Your logbook is partially shown below. To move around and display more, use the scroll bars. To move quickly to the bottom, click anywhere in the database and hit Ctrl-End. To enter a new workout, see instructions below.
Sort and Filter your logbook to zero in on specific workouts, e.g. all your 3x10' UT1 workouts. Notice the small icons in the top row of the database. Click on the icon in the Workout column and select "Text filters" then "Begins with" and type "3x10'" (without the quotes). Notice that all your 3x10' workouts appear. Now click the icon in the "Zone" column, click "Filter..." and deselect all but UT1.
To enter a new workout click on the "view full-size worksheet" link to display the spreadsheet as a Web App. Click "Edit in Browser". Then insert a new row just above the legend row (Date, Week, Session, etc. at the bottom of the database). Copy the last workout, the entire row, and paste it into the new row then enter your numbers for the new workout in the cells with a blue font (please don't mess with the other cells).
Some thoughts about this plan...
C2UK workouts have two variables: a pace range and a HR range. To monitor performance, specific targets must be set for both. The target pace is set by choosing a percent of the range of 2K power (e.g. 50% is the midpoint of the range, 60% is a little faster) which is then converted to a pace based on the athlete's 2K pace. Target HRR% is always the top of the HR range for the zone. The spreadsheet monitors performance relative to these targets and calculates an overall performance score in the O/U column. The reported number represents percentage points above/below the target percentages (2k% and HRR%). Positive numbers are good, negative numbers are not so good.
Notes:
1. For HR, the scoring algorithm allows one bpm over the target without penalty, e.g. if 160 is the UT1 target, it accepts 161. This allows you a bit of leeway to be sure that you are in fact at the top of the range and not easing off too early. For pace, it is recommended that you use a minimum of one second/500 faster than the target pace as the starting point for all workouts. This gets your HR into the target range quicker and gives you a chance to make the pace target even if you have to slow down a little at the end.
2. As a general rule, you should NEVER go over HR max for the zone. If done routinely, bad things may happen (persistent fatigue, overtraining, rhabdomyolysis). To remind you that you are in dangerous territory, "Act HRR%" will turn red if, after being rounded, it exceeds "Tgt HRR%" by more than one point. On the other hand, if you are completing the workout at target pace and not reaching Tgt HRR%, have yourself a little sprint at the end to get HR up to target. If this happens routinely, adjust your target pace.
3. Similarly, one should not routinely exceed the max 2K power prescribed for the HR zone. If that happens, "Act 2K%" will turn green. It will turn red if you fall below "Tgt 2K%" by more than two percentage points. If you do routinely exceed max % of 2K power for a given zone without exceeding HRR%max for that zone (except for AN), you need to reset your training program using a faster 2K.
4. Do not fall into the trap of trying to PB on each and every workout. Each day is only one workout in a 26 week program; it is a single step in the long journey to race day. Complete today's workout at or near target pace/HR and you will have successfully completed your mission. During TEST week and on other rare occasions you may want to try for a PB and that is fine but don't chase them on a daily basis.
5. The O/U algorithm only consider HRR% to the extent that it exceeds max, in which case the HRR% portion of the score would be negative. Doing a workout and coming in under the target HRR% would not add to the overall score. E.g. #1 If I'm slower than target 2K%, I will always be given a negative score. E.g. #2 If I am faster than target 2K%, I will get a positive score except that it will be reduced, maybe to a negative number, if I had to exceed target HRR% to get it. This algorithm also provides an incentive to go faster/sprint. If you are nearing the end of the workout and have not gotten to max HRR%, there is room to go faster and get a better score.
Here's a link to edit/download the spreadsheet upon which all this is based. This is your spreadsheet and it is not shared or visible to anyone else. Caution: be careful not to overwrite cells with anything other than a blue font and, usually, a gray background.
Questions, comments, suggestions, etc. - contact the author.