pacing zones VDOT PZI

jdcsbrsk8

I know many in the Haus use training peaks. So I am hoping to get some feed back on this:

Training peaks seems to like the PZI zone approach. 

The Training Peaks Pace Zone Index (PZI)™ was developed in conjunction with Matt Fitzgerald and will be featured in his upcoming book The Cutting Edge Runner. PZI represents a practical evolution of the principles developed by legendary running coach and author Jack Daniels.

There are 4 "gray" zones that are not conducive for ROI [Apparently, junk miles are not just slow]

The PZI zone that overlaps with ones HMP VDOT and it happens to be a gray zone 2.  I know that in the IM training plans we send a lot of time here.  Wondering if we should be or what the reasoning behind it is?

Thanks!

Jim

Pace Zone 5: Gray Zone 2

This Pace Zone falls between marathon race pace on the low end and, on the high end, the pace associated with the anaerobic threshold. It's a little too fast for sustained workouts such as foundation runs and long runs and a little too slow for workouts such as tempo runs that are intended to target the anaerobic threshold.

Joseph Lombardi

..not an answer but a comment/observation;  

Daniels doesn't actually have a HMPace...that is a construct of EN which is between Daniels  Mpace and Tempo Pace...(hence why it is probably Grey); I think we spend alot of time there in IM plans because it provides "faster than race" pace stimulous without being as intense as Tempo pace (which would require more recovery between workbouts)....

 

Al Truscott

Another "observation": we're training for triathlons, not running races, so we have different training needs than the pure runner to whom those pace restrictions are meant to apply. This has several implications IMO

• We want to minimize the amount of time we spend training, cause we have to do it in three disciplines. Especially run training, with its high overuse injury risk.
• In our races, we always start out the run segment with tired, thrashed legs, and things go downhill from there.

So doing some HMP work in short runs done on the same day as a bike wko helps us prep for the reality of our race, and also gets in "more work in less time", thus meeting both the above needs. Likewise, HMP in a long run especially helps reduce the need for an overly long run (e.g., I'll only do two runs over 2 hours during a 12 week IM prep), again by replicating the feeling of near collapse towards the end of an IM run but without the risk to downstream training of doing 20 mile or three hour long runs.