Training words, in plain language

You do not need any of these words to train with TriHonu — your coach writes the sessions and says how hard each one should feel. They are here for when you meet one on a card and want to know what it means. Tap any underlined word in the app to see its short version.

How hard, in words

• Effort words — under every step you see how it should feel: “Easy: you could chat”, “Steady: short sentences”, “Hard: a few words at a time”, “Very hard: no talking”. That talk test is enough to train well.
• By feel — a step that says "by feel" is anchored on a number you have not set yet (see thresholds below). Go by the effort word; your targets become personal once the number is known.
• Zones — the same idea in numbers: bands of intensity from 1 (very easy) upwards. Every sport has its own set, on Zones.

Your numbers (thresholds)

• FTP — the power, in watts, you could hold on a bike for about an hour. Needs a power meter or a smart trainer.
• Threshold pace — the running pace you could hold for about an hour.
• CSS — your steady swimming pace per 100 m.
• Threshold heart rate — the heart rate you could hold for about an hour; used when there is no power or pace.
• W/kg — your FTP divided by your weight; how bike fitness is compared between people.

Load, fitness and form

• Load (TSS) — how much one session asks of your body: how long × how hard. About 100 is one hour as hard as you could sustain; an easy 30-minute jog is around 25.
• Fitness (CTL) — what the last six weeks or so have built. It rises slowly and falls slowly.
• Fatigue (ATL) — what the last week has cost. It rises fast after hard days and drops with rest.
• Form (TSB) — fitness minus fatigue. Above zero means fresh; a little below zero is normal while you are training.
• Readiness — how your fitness compares with what your next race will ask of you. It needs a few weeks of training before it can say anything.

Recovery

• HRV — the tiny variation between heartbeats, measured overnight by your watch. Higher than your usual usually means recovered; a drop can mean stress, illness or hard training.
• Resting heart rate — your heart rate at rest, usually measured overnight. A few beats above normal can be an early sign of fatigue or illness.
• Body Battery — Garmin's own 1–100 estimate of how much energy you have. Only Garmin watches report it.

How a plan is shaped

• Block — a few weeks of training with one aim, usually four. Your coach plans in blocks and adjusts each week.
• Key session — the one or two sessions a week that matter most. If a week goes wrong, protect these.
• Main race — the race everything is built towards. Other races are stepping stones.
• Taper — the last one to three weeks before a race, when training gets shorter so you arrive fresh.
• Brick — a bike ride followed straight away by a run, so your legs learn the change.

Missing a word? Ask your coach — it will explain it in your own terms.