Fit Tips with Katie
Hey Reader!
I’m back!
Thanks for giving me the week off last Monday, I needed it!
I’ve got a quick knee update at the end in case you’re curious, but for now I’m excited to jump into our new summer series!
Top Things Killing Your Hybrid Races
Ep1 - High Intensity Interval Training
Sorry to break it to you…
If the majority of your cardio is in HR zone 4-5, you’re not doing yourself any favors.
Training high volume at high intensities is a huge stressor on your system and is hard to recover from, especially if you do multiple sessions or days in a row.
Over time it’ll lead to decreased performance, overtraining, & burn out.
We need some balance here… 💁🏼♀️
The 80/20 Rule
Most newbies get this wrong, so let’s look at what the pro’s do…
Most elite hybrid athletes will do HOURS of easy-moderate cardio each week with only a few high intensity sessions, and that’s super intentional!
This is where the 80/20 rule enters the chat…
- 80% of cardio - Low to Moderate intensity (zone 2-3 // 70-80% in season)
- 20% of cardio - High intensity (zone 4-5 // 20-30% in season)
Cardio below your anaerobic threshold is easy to recover from, repeatable, and are some of the most important workouts in your training block… they build your engine.
A bigger engine means…
- ⬆️ Heart Efficiency
- ⬆️ Mitochondria
- ⬆️ Capillary Density
- ⬆️ Oxygen Utilization (VO2max)
- ⬆️ Lactate Threshold
- ⬆️ Lactate Clearance
Which boils down to a Bigger Capacity for Bigger Workloads.
Training at lower intensities will help you handle higher intensities better and longer. (That’s the real secret sauce!)
Meet your new best friend, LISS!
Low Intensity Steady State isn’t exciting or fancy, but she’s dependable and will help you build a bigger engine.
Obviously, threshold and some pace work that stays below your anaerobic threshold count toward your low-mod time, but the bulk of that should be zone 2 to low zone 3.
Aerobic work builds the foundation of your house.
Build a small foundation, and your performance at high intensities won’t be super impressive.
Build a massive foundation & hello mansion!
How big will your house be Reader?
Knee Update...
I’m 11 days post ACL reconstruction & we’re looking good!
- It’s only a bit achy, but not painful anymore.
- My quad is starting to fire really well & now I hate quad sets with a burning passion (which in PT speak means they’re working).
- As of PT today I have full extension and 130* of flexion.
- I turned over the bike for the first time today and am cleared to use my air bike at home (slow and easy, for mobility only).
- And I’m down to 1 crutch! Meaning I can carry things around the house now!!
I’m shook at how quick things are moving this time around. I know the strength phase up front will be longer because I have an allograft (a cadaver Achilles tendon) and it will need extra time to integrate and vascularize properly. But without meniscus damage, this side is progressing so much faster than my left did in 2022! I’m hoping I can start driving again soon! 🤞🏼
80/20 is great and all, but if you have a race coming up soon, and you're not sure what to do race week, I've got you covered!
My Race Day Ready Download is the perfect guide to get you ready for race week!
Let me know if you’ve got any questions & I’ll see you in the next one!
