80% 20%?… week 1 is only Zones 1-2

Ted, I believe you are referring to the Triathlon maintenance plan, not the Running Maintenance plan.

Remember, the 80/20 ratios are aggregate across all sports, not per sport. The Triathlon Maintenance plan has high intensity represented by 4 workouts that first week in the STT2, SC1, CCI1, and CFo22 to equal the 15% intensity for the week. Because running is the primary sport to cause injury, we ramp that up slowly in the Maintenance plan and run intensity is not introduced until Week 3.

Also, because the Maintenance plan is only one level, we can’t ramp up the running like we can for our other plans that have 4 levels, we have to create the Maintenance plan for all abilities, at least for the first few weeks. Therefore, we’re conservative on the run.

David

Ted, the introduction of run intensity depends on the plan level and distance. We assume a Level 0 and Level 1 need a slower ramp-up of running intensity, and don’t introduce run intensity until later in the plan. That could be week as early as week 2 or as late as week 4. The Maintenance Plan has only one level, but I’d consider it a Level 1 plan, so there is some ramp up. We add more cycling intensity to ensure the 80/20 ratios during that ramp-up period. The Level 2 and 3 plans start off more aggressive on run intensity, as the target athlete is assumed to have a stronger running base. By Week 6, running is 15-25% high intensity each and every week for any given level. When Running is 15%, cycling intensity is higher to meet the 80/20 ratios. When running is 25%, cycling intensity is lower.

Another misconception is that the 80/20 ratios need to be adhered to each week. This is not the case. A week is just a nice, convenient period of time, but the 80/20 ratios can be distributed over a longer period, like a month. Some of our weeks are 75/25, and the next might be 85/15. Certainly, adjusting the plans week-by-week acts as a safety net that you don’t get too far off course, but there is some flexibility.

David