Intensity - HR or speed?

When doing your workouts, do you prefer to use % of max HR or % of max speed? I like to program intervals into my Forerunner GPS, and often find good interval workouts online with percentages for intensity. Since your speed can vary greatly, even on flatwater (into wind, with wind, etc), do you use HR? And if maxHR, do you use your theoretical max HR, your maxHR found by running, or your maxHR found by paddling (which is what I've been doing..)

I'm no expert, and like you would love to know how the top guys train with their Garmins. What I do is simply to do intervals of various types, I tend to just copy what I hear of here on surfski.info for example I read Jeremy Cotter does 4min intervals, so I started doing the same, all I try to do is to improve my maximum ave. speed, 4 min hard, 4 min slow. Lately it has been 500m or 200m sprints, here the goal is of course to beat my best and gradually improve over time (without overdoing it and getting an injury as I now seem to be doing, shoulder is caving in).

About HR, I have pretty much started to ignore it, even though I still strap on my HR monitor on most days, ave. speed improvement is what I gun for. But I'm a mid range paddler, 10km takes me 55min on a good day on flat water, lets see what the 45 min guys say.

Keep in mind that you can't just do 4 minute intervals. You must have a mix of longer, less intense intervals eg 8 mins as well as dices and the occasional long session on weekends etc.

Also do short intervals every now and then and closer to races whehn you must drop the amount of work you are doing but raise the intensity. Stuff like 3 sets of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 strokes on (HARD) with the same amount easy in between i.e 10 on, 10 off, 20 on, 20 off etc is good for your speed and strngth and helps you get used to speeding uo and slowing your stroke rate as you do in a downwind.

Look on surfski.co.za under eg Cape Point and Scottburgh to Brighton training for what some of the pro's do.

Cheers

Andrew

Can I adapt the running program to paddling? Intervals, repetitions, tempo and long runs should work out the same right?

When I run, I target to work within a certain % of max hr. 100% hr only occurs when I have to give all out effort based on the program. Of course I have to meet a target speed as well. If I dont and my hr is up, I go slower until I can get into the range Im supposed to be in. This teaches me to relax when I have to and correct my form. Hopefully what I learned in ultramarathon running can translate to paddling when I get back in the water soon.

Anyone here experienced Comrades already?

I always work on a combination. Of course the ultimate goal is to paddle faster but as was said earlier, speed can be influenced by the conditions a lot. I am also a bit old school, I tend to use my HRM for analysis and go by my body's signs while I'm training. For example, easy conversation pace, still able to say a few words but breathing harder, unable to speak but not getting anaerobic, foam at the mouth - red in front of the eyes.

You must also remember that your heart is also a muscle and as you get fitter, its ability will change. You wil be able to maintain a higher heart rate for longer with more training.

I have successfully crossed training theory between running, cycling and paddling with no problem as long as you adapt them where necessary.

BEar in mind that all of the above may be wrong - I'm an engineer, not a sports scientist.

There comes a time - maybe after a decade of paddling? - when any additional gains in VO2 or strength endurance will be minimal / even measurable, or when we're simply trying to slow the regression of what we once gained. In that light, if we see improved performances, it will be from non-physiologic things like improved or more efficient technique, better posture in the ski, improved ability to use the obliques and legs, etc; and from using our heads - knowing how to catch the runs more effectively, relax in the ski, take better lines.

If you're on the rising part of the curve and have lots of potential improvement to come, then you can do more with speed and looking to try to improve it as the season(s) progresses. If you've been training for awhile, like I have, then looking to continually improve speed will be frustrating because of diminishing or negative returns.

This is the approach that I take. The training, i.e. HRM vs speed centers around first being fit with a good base, and then how to maintain freshness without overtraining. Getting "base fit" is simply lots of miles with good technique and that is arguably best measured by time in the boat rather rather than with an HRM or with speed.

To get race ready, know what your marathon race pace HR is, then do your long intervals at that HR (long intervals meaning about 8 min+). If you are doing shorter intervals, there is too much lag in HR response time, so therefore those are best done looking at speed and perceived effort.

To maintain freshness, I limit the long max effort intervals, i.e. in the 2-6 min range when in-season because these seem to peak me and then trash me.

And, of course, your results may vary. Best to formulate your own training plan from a combination of your own past experience with paddling and other sports, what the academics say, and from what the top guys are doing.
Erik

I have found the Maffetone Method to be quite helpful.
Here is a brief overview:

www.rrca.org/resources/articles/slowdown.html

Phillip Maffetone has written several books on training with a heart rate monitor.
The main take home message for me was to not do anaerobic training every day.
This quickly leads to over training symptoms.