Interpreting data from intervals and identifying weaknesses
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From the book club videos, I remember Scott J. talk about identifying when muscular endurance was a limiting factor for athletes by observing interval workouts that would result in the later intervals being both slower AND with a lower heart rate. This made me think of those interpretations for my own workouts, and I was curious about identifying weaknesses or limiting factors from some common patterns in typical intervals.
I think this is a general training theory question so I don’t have any specific type of intervals in mind or even sport. But in my mind I suppose I’m thinking of 4 to 8 intervals of 1 or 2 minutes with equal work and recovery in an amateur without ADS. Here are the patterns I feel like I’ve noticed in my own data and I’m curious about what takeaways I can gather:
1) even or slight increase in HR during each work bout – the athlete is able to complete every interval as prescribed, and the average heart rate for the first and last intervals are the same or within 5-10% of each other, and during the recovery interval the HR drops back to baseline quickly.
2) large increase in HR during each work bout – the athlete is able to complete every interval as prescribed, but the average HR during each work bout is clearly rising, let’s say by 15-20%, between the first and last interval. During the recovery interval, the HR drops back to baseline quickly.
3) large increase in HR during each work bout AND HR is also increasing during the recovery interval. Same as above, except even during the recovery interval, the average HR is increasing by 10-20%.
4) Athlete unable to complete workout as prescribed, but HR is not decreasing. – Similar to the example that Scott J talked about where the athlete is slower each interval, except the HR is just going through the roof during the work periods and lower but still relatively high and increasing for the athlete during the recovery periods until the workout is over or the plug is pulled.
So I have a number of questions – are these common patterns with other athletes? If so, what do they tell us? Are there other patterns that give us clues to our weaknesses? Also, I have yet to experience an interval workout where I’m getting slower AND my HR is not through the roof, though it’s not because I have a ton of ME work – I just think it means I have a different weakness that’s even more glaring for that particular workout (or an illness).
Todd: See my thoughts below.
1) even or slight increase in HR during each work bout – the athlete is able to complete every interval as prescribed, and the average heart rate for the first and last intervals are the same or within 5-10% of each other, and during the recovery interval the HR drops back to baseline quickly. Looks like a well-executed Zone 3 workout. Quick recovery between reps means you were rested and had a good aerobic base capacity which could quickly restore homeostasis.
2) large increase in HR during each work bout – the athlete is able to complete every interval as prescribed, but the average HR during each work bout is clearly rising, let’s say by 15-20%, between the first and last interval. During the recovery interval, the HR drops back to baseline quickly Looks like a well-executed Zone 4 workout with the same comments as above.
3) large increase in HR during each work bout AND HR is also increasing during the recovery interval. Same as above, except even during the recovery interval, the average HR is increasing by 10-20%. This was a lactate tolerance workout. Sounds like maximum intensity rather than controlled sub-max. Not sure what its intended purpose was. If it was for anaerobic power, the rests needed to be longer. Many people think this is the way to do interval training, gasping with hands on knees at the end of each rep. Minimal benefit to long distance endurance athletes.
4) Athlete unable to complete workout as prescribed, but HR is not decreasing. – Similar to the example that Scott J talked about where the athlete is slower each interval, except the HR is just going through the roof during the work periods and lower but still relatively high and increasing for the athlete during the recovery periods until the workout is over or the plug is pulled. Same comments as above. Probably not a very useful workout unless you are training for events under 3 minutes.
Thanks Scott, this is extremely helpful. As was probably obvious I tried to frame it in a way of increasing intensity and was assuming the first two were well-executed IF they matched up with our intentions for the workout, and the latter two were more situations where things were generally going off the rails a bit. Your response to #3 is really, really helpful. It hasn’t come up often for me, but it’s usually a case where I am either not rested enough or fighting off some recent toddler infection; where I can DO the work but I’m not sure if it’s lining up with the intentions of the workout.
I have a follow-up question: IF we see a mismatch in the pattern that we’re experiencing vs. what we’re intending to do, is it possible or advisable to try to “salvage” the workout? For example, say we’re shooting for Z3 but we see our HR clearly climbing on each work bout. Is it a situation where you can try to slow down the pace or duration of the work bout or increase the recovery period or is it better to just fully pull the plug and try again another time? From all you’ve written before, my inclination would be to just bag it and try again when feeling more rested.
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