By sport
Training Zones for Every Endurance Sport
Different sports anchor intensity differently, power for cycling, pace for running and swimming, vertical rate for ski-mountaineering, the I1–I5 model for Nordic skiing. Pick your sport for the models and field tests that matter most.
Cycling
Power is king. Anchor your zones to FTP from a 20-minute test, then verify with heart rate. Coggan's 7-zone model is the standard.
Running
Pace and heart rate lead. Set paces from a recent race using VDOT, anchor HR to your lactate-threshold heart rate (LTHR).
Trail Running
Heart rate and effort beat flat pace on climbs. Use grade-adjusted pace (GAP) and vertical metres per hour to gauge real intensity.
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 with its own heart-rate cross-check.
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 bedrock.
Cross-Country Skiing
The Nordic federation I1–I5 intensity model, anchored to heart rate and lactate. Huge volumes of easy I1–I2 underpin the sport.
Biathlon
Same I1–I5 federation model as XC skiing, with the extra demand of 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 sustained climbs and intervals.
Speed Skating
Heart-rate zones plus the position-specific 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 demand makes Zone 2 work feel different.
Swimrun
Alternating swim and run 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 metres per hour.
Strength & CrossFit
No HR anchor for lifting. Use RPE (Borg CR10) and velocity-based training to gauge intensity; map metcons onto the 5-zone HR model.