By sport
Training Zones for Every Endurance Sport
Power for cycling, pace for running and swimming, vertical rate for ski-mountaineering, I1–I5 for Nordic skiing. Pick your sport for the models and field tests that matter.
Cycling
Power is king. Anchor zones to FTP from a 20-minute test and verify with heart rate. Coggan's 7-zone model is the standard.
Running
Set paces from a recent race with VDOT. Anchor heart rate to your lactate-threshold heart rate (LTHR).
Trail Running
On climbs, heart rate and effort beat flat pace. Use grade-adjusted pace (GAP) and vertical meters per hour.
Ultra Running
Aerobic durability dominates. Train mostly at MAF / Zone 2 by heart rate. Pace is unreliable over big vert and long hours.
Triathlon
Three sports, three anchors: swim CSS pace, bike FTP power, run VDOT pace, each cross-checked with heart rate.
Swimming
Pace per 100 m rules. Anchor to Critical Swim Speed (CSS) from a 400 m and 200 m time trial. Heart rate is hard to read in water.
Rowing
The Concept2 / British Rowing UT2–AN five-band model, anchored to 2k split and heart rate. Long aerobic UT2 is the base.
Cross-Country Skiing
The Nordic federation I1–I5 model, anchored to heart rate and lactate. Big volumes of easy I1–I2 underpin the sport.
Biathlon
The same I1–I5 model as XC skiing, plus controlling heart rate on the shooting range.
Ski Mountaineering (Skimo)
Climbing is the event. Use 5-zone heart rate plus vertical ascent rate (Vm/h) to pace climbs and intervals.
Speed Skating
Heart-rate zones plus the demand of the low aero crouch. Long-track aerobic base mirrors cycling.
Kayak & Canoe
Paddle zones anchor to heart rate and pace over a fixed distance. Upper-body aerobic work makes Zone 2 feel different.
Swimrun
Swim and run alternate with no rest. Blend CSS swim pace with run HR/pace zones. Transitions keep you near threshold.
Hiking & Rucking
Load and grade drive intensity more than pace. Keep heart rate aerobic (Zone 2 / MAF) and track vertical meters per hour.
Strength & CrossFit
No HR anchor for lifting. Gauge intensity with RPE (Borg CR10) and velocity-based training. Map metcons onto the 5-zone HR model.