Endure EQ 025 | How to improve your peak power + speed

Published about 2 years ago • 3 min read

Hello Reader,

Welcome back to the Endure EQ. This is the final volume in out building the endurance engine.

If you missed the last few volumes I would recommend heading back and read about building your base, increasing your threshold, and increasing your VO2max.

How to improve your peak power + speed

When it comes to your max efforts these are not required in order to build your endurance engine

The other domains are much more effective for building fitness.

But you still can touch the extreme domain at times.

Why does it matter?

There are 3 main reasons that you want to add a dash of extreme work:

Learning how to move fast
Solidifying technique
Building power

Because this is not a required aspect, if you’re pressed for time I wouldn’t worry about adding speed work.

Your time is better spent with the other domain for training.

Learning how to move fast

Many athletes don’t know how to move fast.

But there are so many instances where you need to be able to move fast. Including, chasing your kids, catching the bus, or sprinting for that finish-line.

Sprinting is considered a foundational athletic skill.

And as triathletes it’s helpful to at least learn how to move fast.

So that you can transfer it to other domains of fitness.

Solidifying technique

Moving fast requires good technique.

So adding sprints across each sport allows you the chance to stress test your technique.

If you don’t have good technique in the water for example, when you try to sprint your arms will be flaling rather than powering through the water. You want to learn how to power through. Once you learn how to power through that technique can transfer to all the other domains of training.

It’s the same with the other sports as well.

Practice your technique at slow and fast speeds.

Building power

Learning to move fast builds power across each sport.

For example, running hills fast builds power in the legs that you will be able to use across other efforts.

The faster you try to move the more pure power will be required.

Once you have the skill you can transfer that power into your endurance sessions.

How do you learn to move fast?

Speed work should be a sprinkle in your workouts here and there.

I don’t like including too much until you have a solid base built.

Jumping right into speed work can lead to under-preparation injuries if you don’t have enough volume.

So where do you add it:

Strides at the end of a run
Standing sprints on the bike mid-ride
Descending sets as part of your swim warm-up

These small portions of your regular workout will add up overtime and allow you to touch that extreme domain of fitness.

Workouts

EnduranceRun + Strides

5 min warm-up
30-45 min endurance
After endurance add 3-6 x strides (pick up to near full sprint over ~100m)
Easy jog for 1-2 mins before repeating
5 min cool-down

EnduranceRun + Surges

5 min warm-up
30-45 min endurance
During endurance run add 3-6 x surges (pick up to 5km pace ~100m) and settle back into your endurance pace.
5 min cool-down

EnduranceRun + Hill Sprints

5 min warm-up
30 min endurance
4-6 hill sprints
Walk down rest
10-15 min cool-down

EnduranceRide + Out of saddle sprints

5 min warm-up
30-60 min endurance
3-5 out of saddle sprints (practice the ability to get out of the saddle and accelerate up to full speed)
Endurance zone recovery for 2-3 mins
10-15 min cool-down

Pool Sets (to add to warm-up)

Descending 50s (every 50m gets progressively faster)
25m sprints (full sprint across 25m, easy 25m to return to wall

Recap:

Sprinting is a foundational athletic skill.
Triathletes should learn how to move fast to practice technique and build power.
Can be down with small additions to your other training sessions.

Thank you for being here!

- Chandler

When you’re ready here are 3 ways that Excel Endurance by Chandler Scott can help you:

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