Getting Started with 80/20 Training
Thank you for choosing an 80/20 training plan! We want your training experience to be successful. To that end, we have created supporting documents to ensure that you get the most out of your 80/20 plan and recommend that you review these documents in the following order:
- Understanding Your 80/20 Run Plan or Understanding Your 80/20 Triathlon Plan. This guide will teach you how to execute an 80/20 workout, introduce you to the 80/20 intensity zones, and includes a glossary of workout codes. If you have purchased an OCR plan, use Understanding Your 80/20 Run Plan.
- Intensity Guidelines for Running or Intensity Guidelines for Triathlon. This document describes the multiple ways to measure intensity (Pace, Heart Rate, Power, and RPE), but more importantly, how you can identify your individual 80/20 intensity zones through a variety of field testing and the frequency of that testing. If you have purchased an OCR plan, use Intensity Guidelines for Running.
- Understanding Your TrainingPeaks.com Structured Workout Plan. If you have an 80/20 structured workout plan on the TrainingPeaks platform, this is an essential step-by-step guide to setting up your plan and ensuring the intensity zones in TrainingPeaks are using the 80/20 system. If your plan is not a structured workout plan, or not on TrainingPeaks, you can disregard this document.
- If you have purchased one of our Stride Academy plans, review this article before you begin your training. If you have purchased an OCR plan, read this additional document.
- You’ll find additional documentation on our Resources page that covers a variety of other training topics and best-practices.
Here are answers to some common questions we receive:
A: Although we only list Heart Rate plans on this site, 80/20 Run plans are available in Pace, Power and Heart Rate. You can view and purchase all intensity types at the TrainingPeaks store. Or after purchase of the Heart Rate plan, simply Contact Us and select the Level Guarantee when prompted, and we will share the Pace or Power plan with you.
A: Testing is performed every rest week using the RT, CT, or STT workouts or using the Talk Test for any workout. See the documents Intensity Guidelines for Running or Intensity Guidelines for Triathlon.
A: We don't recommend this. The threshold estimated by a 3rd party is just that: an estimate. That estimate might be your actual threshold, but nothing will be as accurate as a field test, such as the protocols defined in Intensity Guidelines for Running or Intensity Guidelines for Triathlon.
A: This issue is resolved by following the instructions in the document Understanding Your TrainingPeaks Structured Workout Plan. Until you specify and setup the 80/20 zones, TrainingPeaks uses legacy or previously-defined zones which do not align to the 80/20 system.
A: Please see our document How to Replace Your Swim Training.
A: This issue is usually resolved by ensuring that you use one field test to capture the threshold of multiple intensity types as outlined in the documents Intensity Guidelines for Running or Intensity Guidelines for Triathlon. By measuring Pace, Power, and/or HR in a single test, the three intensity types may align. However, due to the inconsistent nature of heart rate, it is normal for a given output to result in a different heart rate on a subsequent day. This is a normal phenomenon when using heart rate.
A: This issue is most likely caused by using default or estimated thresholds from TrainingPeaks or Garmin instead of performing 80/20 field tests for running or triathlon to identify your actual threshold(s). Additionally, you must then also change the default zones within TP to match the 80/20 zones.
If you are drifting into Zone 2 when Zone 1 is called for, or are even having a difficult time reaching Zone 2, this is just fine. While the division between Zone 2 and Zone X (low intensity and moderate intensity) is empirical, the division between Zone 1 and Zone 2 is a best-guess from Coach Matt and Coach David. Both Zone 1 and 2 are considered "easy" in the 80/20 system.
For some runners, Zone 2 intensity is still equivalent to a walk. The good news is that, if it is, it probably won't stay that way for long if you adhere to an 80/20 intensity balance. Even for slower/less fit/older/heavier runners 80/20 is the best way to get fitter, and as you get fitter your Zone 2 pace gets quicker.
Finally, using heart rate as a primary measure of intensity introduces an increased chance of zone compliance issues, and using pace or power instead is recommended.
A: This is addressed in our documents Understanding Your 80/20 Run Plan and Understanding Your 80/20 Triathlon Plan. Because HR is a lagging indicator, Pace and Power are more reliable methods at high intensities. Absent Pace and Power, RPE should be used for Zone 4 and 5. This issue can also be resolved by using the 80/20 Run and Bike Zones Garmin App, where you can have both real-time HR and your custom 80/20 Pace or Power zones displayed on your device at the same time.
A: 80/20 Endurance places no restrictions on modifying your plan. However, editing your plan on the TrainingPeaks platform requires a TrainingPeaks Premium account, where you can move workout "cards" from one day to another by simply dragging and dropping them in your calendar. While the workouts in our plans are optimally ordered, you'll certainly have times where you need to change the plan. The art and science of editing a plan is covered in Chapter 8 of our book 80/20 Triathlon, but in general:
- Avoid moving workouts that result in 3 "hard" days in a row. "Hard" means intervals or long workouts.
- Try to maintain reasonable distribution of each sport. For example, it's best to cycle every other day than cycle 3 days in a row and not cycle for 4 days.
- Due to the quick recovery, swim workouts are an exception to the "hard" rule and can be moved at your discretion, while still trying to maintain reasonable swim workout distribution.
- When performing bike and run workouts back-to-back, it's best to perform the workout with the most intensity first.
- Try to keep the workouts all within the same week, as this maintains the precise 80/20 ratios that have been built into your plan.
- Swim workouts are particularly easy to adjust. While still being aware of swim frequency, you can move swim workouts with little consequence. Additionally, to reduce the total number of swims, you can merge two swim sessions into a single set, performing one swim workout immediately following another, a technique not recommended for bike and run workouts.
A: 80/20 plans don't assign a particular day of the week as a rest day or "long" day, but the rest day is always Day 1 of the week and the longest workout is usually Day 7. For example, if you load your plan to start on a Monday, the rest day is always on a Monday and longest workout Sunday. If you load your plan to start on a Sunday, the rest day is on Sunday and longest workout Saturday. Or, you can just move the rest day and adjust other workouts as described in the question above.
A: If you own an 80/20 plan, follow these simple instructions. If you are on an 80/20 monthly subscription, contact us to make that change.
A: This is addressed in our document Intensity Guidelines for Triathlon.
A: This is addressed in our document How to Adjust Your 80/20 Training Plan for a Specific Course or Conditions
A: This is addressed in our document Understanding Your 80/20 Triathlon Plan.
A: This is addressed in the Q&A of the document Understanding Your TrainingPeaks Structured Workout Plan. We also recommend you read our document Understanding and Adjusting Your Performance Management Chart.
A: Yes, please use the Contact Us form and choose the Level Guarantee when prompted. We’ll get you another level within the same running or triathlon race distance for free.
A: This is addressed in our Race Pacing guide.
A: This is addressed in our 80/20 Nutrition guide.
A: We are strong proponents of strength training for endurance athletes, and offer both free and premium strength plans that plug directly into your 80/20 training plan.
A: David. David also has the advantage of retaining the password to this website.
"I was in that "every workout should be hard" mentality until I trusted the 80/20 plan. My hard workouts were tough, but having fresh legs going into them was key."
Alicia Phillips
"The 80/20 program made my first Olympic Triathlon not only attainable, but something that left me hungry and ready for more the moment I crossed the finish line."
John Hodges
"Only in my dreams did I dare to aim for 10:45 but the result was so much better: 10:34! No injuries were recorded during the whole preparation period."
Hanan Drobinar
"The results were amazing. I shed 27 minutes out of my 70.3 personal best and felt so strong and confident during the race that at times I thought the pace and time my watch was showing me was wrong!"
Carlos Salgado
"IUsing your Level 3 Ironman 70.3 Plan I have gone from the bottom third to the top third in my age group at the half-Ironman distance."
Michael Shulman
"In my first triathlon after switching to 80/20 I had my fastest swim pace at any distance and my fastest Olympic bike and run splits. Even my transitions were faster!"
Curtis Repen
"80/20 is a huge underlying principle of what I do week-in, week-out."
Bronwyn Tagg
"After following the 80/20 plan I was able to break a personal best record. I not only finished within the goal I had set but did negative splits the entire race, which was a first for me."
Marco de Tavira
"This past weekend I completed Ironman Wisconsin on the Run/Bike Power version of the Level 2 80/20 plan. While the volume was drastically higher than any I had done in past years, I had no injuries and I felt confident in the specificity of the purpose for each workout. On race day I was able to hit my power and pace targets and finish strong with a smile on my face!"
Roger Hipwell
"I honestly can't rate these plans high enough. Being able to wake up knowing what I've got planned for the day is comforting, but knowing it is working and making a difference is priceless."
Scott Bass
"Using an 80/20 plan I not only set a PB in 70.3 but then 2 weeks later set a PB in a full Ironman and qualified for Kona!"
Colin Lewis
"I trained with the 80/20 half marathon plan, and did a personal best! I felt good after! It made me think about what it could do for me for a marathon or beyond. It taught me so much about how to pace myself and be more in tune with my body when I ran. I cannot recommend this training enough. It made me believe that Matt Fitzgerald and David Warden truly know how to train us to be better athletes."
Lai Flushing
"I don't think I would have considered training for a marathon without the success I had with 80/20 training."
Kristi Smith
"80/20 provided a method and training plan that made me excel beyond my wildest imagination in my ever first triathlon."
Erik Enqvist
"I'm making a lot of progress due to the increased volume I'm able to do by just slowing down. I'm also feeling more rested for the tough workouts and really appreciating the recovery workouts in between."
Pete Babins
"Used an 80/20 plan for Ironman 70.3 Bintan in Indonesia and it went perfectly. Sometimes I had doubts that the training was too light or intense, but I kept repeating to myself "Trust the plan" and I ended up having an amazing race--much faster than expected!"
Sergio Real
"My mom lost about 40 pounds, learned how to eat and exercise, and completed her first tri. I did my first Ironman on the 80/20 system. She continues to run and swim 4-5 days a week and honestly lives an entirely different life."
Skylar Clark
"With this style of training, you can feel your gains throughout the season and you don't feel completely gassed every day."
Kevin Pogacar
"I swear by 80/20 and always talk it up during tri conversations. Thank you!"
Christopher Barry
"The 80/20 plan allowed me to train every day without getting stressed or fatigued and to show up on the day and perform fresh and uninjured."
Helen Hayward
"Over the past 16 weeks on an 80/20 plan I have improved my fastest kilometer by almost a minute, my 5k went from 38:50 to 30:28, and I ran 10 km, 21 km and 30 km for the first time ever. Oh, and I lost 22 kg in the process!"
Franziska Kühne
"This year I decided to use an 80/20 plan. For the first time, I felt that my training had structure; each unit was part of a whole and it made sense. I was very satisfied with the results."
Jose Fraile
"Kudos and appreciation to your training programs as I set a new 1/2 marathon PB at 1:28:20 (6:13 off my previous best). My cycling FTP is now just short of 300W (from 230W) after starting training with your programs around 8 months ago. I also took 30 minutes off my 70.3 personal best time with a 4:56, while balancing a large family and professional commitments."
Jeremy Biggelaar
"The training is less demanding and less tiring, and the result exceeds my expectations."
Thomas Løvholt
"I really felt my endurance build consistently throughout the training with my Level 3 80/20 Ironman 70.3 Plan. I was fatigued at times but never felt overtrained, and I went into my A race feeling more prepared then the three years prior."
Shawn Craig
"I went into my race knowing I was fitter and healthier than I have ever been."
Richard Sudworth
"After three surgeries in three years I realized my way of training was wrong. After reading the book 80/20 Triathlon I decided to give it a try. It was fun and easy to follow and I ended up with my a PR in all three disciplines!"
Edson Vassoler
"80/20 Endurance dropped my threshold pace by 2 minutes per mile!"
Michael Metz
"Heart rate training can definitely feel like defeat when you focus on how slow your training paces are, but the victory comes on race day. I am so glad I found 80/20 Running!"
Sarah Pirolli
"I tell everyone about your plans. I’ve recently PR’d my 5k, half, full marathon, and 70.3."
A.J. Moser
"By following the principles of the 80/20 programming I was able to finish my first ever Half Ironman. Leading up to the Half Ironman, I also ran my first ever half marathon. The 80/20 programming also helped me to get through my full racing season injury free as well as feeling well trained and ready for all of my races."
Steve Messenger
"This is my 8th or 9th year of triathlon. I'm 10 weeks into the 80/20 training and I don't think I have ever been so strong."
Peter Richmond
"During my first 12-week base period on an 80/20 plan I cut more time off more disciplines than I did in a year of Ironman training with one-on-one coaching. I’ve also boosted my bike FTP by 20 watts. It’s unreal."
Chris DiRienzo
"I’ve never felt more energized in a training cycle. I’m really able to balance my training load and my workload without burning out."
Troy Bedik
"Having 8020 provide the structure took the anxiety out of my training and knowing whether I was doing the right things!"
Matthew Neale
"A training system which led me to achieve my ambitious goals. I am so glad that I trusted 80/20 and the plan. "
Marcin Bury
"I like 80/20 because it gives me permission to take it easy on some day. I don’t need to go out and hammer every day to get a new PR like I did in the beginning. The easy days are enjoyable and give me the power to nail (most of) my harder workouts. I don’t dread my sprint and hill work anymore, and at 54 I’m still setting PRs and I’ve been injury free."
Karin Peters
"The 80/20 plan was a joy and a relief. I now enjoy running more, run more with friends, and am creeping up to faster and faster speeds without injuries."
Ben Graham
"At 46, I broke my 5K record from when I was 33 and qualified for Boston using the 80/20 method."
Jennifer Hickman
"I never thought I could beat my personal best Marathon time of 3:09, but with the 80/20 I ran a 2:57! My last kilometer was my fastest and I could have gone another 10K at that pace!"
Lindt de la Port
"I have started to run after few years off and the 80/20 plan allowed me to get fit and achieve my first half marathon in Verona in no time! What I love most is that following a clear and defined plan boosts my motivation because I can see the progress I am making."
Marco Saraceno
"I PB'd every race I did this year and then topped it off with my first 70.3 thanks to the 80/20 plan I used! PB'd the Olympic distance at nationals!
The 80/20 method really changed my approach to training and got me fitter than I've ever been without a single injury."
Claire Colbert
"With 80/20 training, I improved my 70.3 result by almost half an hour."
Mikhail Tinovitckii
"There’s no way I could have accomplished what I have without adhering to the 80/20 plan."
Scott Bleazard
"Using the 80/20 system, I ran a half marathon in 1:25, and followed up the performance with a Boston-qualifying 3:08 marathon at age 45!"
Dean Murley
"My expectations were exceeded. My fitness level is higher than it has been in two years, and has come at no cost to my body in regards of injury."
Grace Coller
"I could not be happier. Finally, the work paid off and it was enjoyable!"
Jacques Van Wyk
"I have travelled with 80/20 plans within my country, to Boston in 2018, and soon to Berlin. I am now a wholly better person than I was before."
Mark Conway
"The almost-daily runs and training consistently with the established intensity were key. I had no injuries while training!"
Ashish Gupta
"Thank you for the role 80/20 played in getting to the finish line of Ironman Arizona. Going top 10% for my age group feels really great. Thanks for helping me conquer this life goal!"
Dwight Robertson
"I've successfully lowered my Ironman 70.3 time by nearly 40 minutes through 80/20. Don’t be afraid to go slow when you’re supposed to!"
Damon Lebeouf
"I used the 80/20 plan to prepare for my first triathlon, which was also an Ironman 70.3. I was worried about injuries, available time, and being in shape to go the distance. All this worry for no reason, as the plan worked me up to the correct endurance levels without too many stresses on my aging body, and my plan did not overtake my life."
Pat Donohue
"Before I started your program I predicted a 14-hour finish in my first Ironman. After sticking to the program and training for six months my conference grew tremendously. I crushed my goal by three hours!"
Greg Pawlisa
"When I made the switch to 80/20 I quickly realized that after 10 years of hard training, this new method felt very doable and was a comfortable fit. Thanks for making it available to us in the age-group triathlon world."
Jim Moore
"I am satisfied with your 80/20 training plan. Thank you very much for your help in attaining my goals."
Julia Ponce
"Using an 80/20 plan, we both came in 7th place in our AG at 70.3 New Zealand! We were fresh all the time and the fatigue we had become accustomed to all those years was not there."
Jose and Isobel Uribe
"I searched for answers and discovered the 80/20 way. Trust the process and stick to the plan!"
Mauricio Hernandez
"The 80/20 principles allowed me to improve my times for 5K and 10K cross country races. Staying injury-free paves the way to get personal bests because you can finish the plan with no surprises and no steps back."
Marco la Spina
"After deciding to pursue the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, I purchased an 80/20 training plan. The results were dramatic. After one training cycle, I dropped over 31 minutes in my marathon time!"
Mitch Atkinson
"Thank you 80/20 Endurance! I followed the plan and ran a half marathon as a "feeler." I ran a 1:26, won my age group and was amazed that I could run that pace. Using 80/20, I went back to a marathon course where I ran a 3:23 on and ended up running a 3:13! I'm now qualified for the Boston Marathon!"
Andy Jones
"I purchased the 80/20 70.3 plan and it completely changed my game. Knowing what workouts you have to do and when to do them removed the hardest part of training for an event, in my opinion. All I had to do was show up when I said I was going to."
Rachel Whitehead
"David and 8020 helped me set a new half marathon PR of 1:46 from 2:35 in 15 weeks. Thank you David for your hands-on coaching. I love the data-driven, balanced approach. I'll never overtrain again."
Tiara Womack
"The injuries all but disappeared!"
Mike McPharlin
"After reading 80/20 Running and focusing on slowing down, I am absolutely amazed at the results. I just completed a PB of 2:52:48. By slowing down my recovery has been excellent."
Daniel Velardo
"The best thing is that, throughout the training plan, I always felt great. I was never injured and enjoyed the experience."
Juan Carlos Diaz Arelle
"I used the 80/20 plan for the first time this year. I absolutely loved it. Well Balanced and effective. I can't wait till my preparation for next year starts."
Dennis Ruts
"Trust it. This program relies on the time-tested methods of consistency and incremental gain. I am looking forward new PBs, even at 50 years old!"
Randy Kinsey
"I used 80/20 for all of my raining this year and got my highest age-group finishes at any event in my nine years of racing triathlons."
Bob Ford
"The results so far have been an increase in fitness and performance. I can run much farther at a constant pace than I have ever been able to before I also know so much more about my body and limits."
Ben Wyld
"The best year ever! After a few years of sporadic training efforts and competing in triathlons from Sprint distance to full Ironman I decided to look into a more structured approach to training. After looking into the plethora of plans available, I selected a 80/20 Endurance plans. I completed 2 Sprints, 1 Olympic, 3 halves and 1 full Ironman, and setting personal bests at all distances, slicing 2 hours 20 from the full Ironman."
Mark White
"Training towards sustainable functionality is more important than pushing to the limit. By using the 80/20 system you have the luxury of both worlds!"
Meaux Redhead
"I loved the Olympic plan I used about a year ago. Now I'm ready to do a half-Ironman."
Mark Burdeshaw
"80/20 helped me go from running 3kms to 21kms and bike from 40kms to 90+kms without any injuries. I am a believer of 80/20 and have referred many of my friends. Thank you!"
Winston Bryn
"Matt created a customized training plan for me that not only allowed me to balance triathlon training with marathon training, but to have PR's in all my repeat races!"
Mackenzie Howard
"By following the 80/20 program I transformed from a 222-lb nonrunner to a 175-lb marathoner in the 10 months."
Brett Hoyer
"I honestly believe that there is no way I could've completed my first Ironman 70.3 were it not for the 80/20 training plan."
Shawn Platt
"Absolutely loved the plan. It has allowed me to cut almost 8 1/2 minutes off my half marathon PB. The workouts were varied and fun (well sometimes fun in a brutal way haha) and I got great support from David when I had any questions about the plan. Would recommend unreservedly."