One of the most important aspects of training for the endurance
athlete is developing aerobic endurance – the ability to perform
efficiently and effectively for a long duration at an intensity
below the anaerobic threshold. In the Base period this is
typically one of the most important aspects of training for road
cyclists, triathletes, mountain bikers, runners, cross-country
skiers, etc. It is usually considered the “foundation” upon
which all subsequent training gains are made. Making a
significant improvement in aerobic endurance is very important
and yet it is seldom measured. One of my coaching precepts is
that which is measured is more likely to improve. But this is
seldom done for aerobic endurance even though it may be the most
important foundational ability. Most athletes believe that what
they are doing in training is producing the desired results. It
would be far better to measure progress rather than to accept
progress on blind faith. The purpose of this post is to show you
a couple of ways of doi