Endurance training, explained.
41 in-depth articles by Ramon Curto, MSc Exercise Physiology — Garmin data, methodology, marathon & triathlon preparation.
Eight clusters. Start wherever you are.
Training Status, HRV, Body Battery, VO2max trend, and Load Focus — how to read the metrics that matter.
Polarized 80/20, lactate threshold, Zone 2, strength training, deload cycles.
BQ preparation, 12-week plans, long run structure, negative split strategy, taper.
Sub-2:00 training guide, pace strategy with wearables, threshold development.
Race week nutrition, taper checklist, pace drift correction, race psychology.
Multi-sport Garmin data, brick workouts, FTP training, 70.3 pacing.
Masters runners, female athletes, trail & ultra, busy executives, injury comeback.
How autonomous adaptive training compares with static plans, and what SportPlan Pro includes for €9.99/month.
Chronological, newest first.
How to break 2 hours in a half marathon: the Garmin-based threshold training plan that closes the gap
Sub-2 is the half marathon milestone that separates recreational runners from competitive age-groupers. The physiology is specific, the training is targeted, and the race-day execution leaves no margin for the usual mistakes. Here is the complete Garmin-backed framework for getting there.
Trail running and ultramarathon training with Garmin: vert progression, power hiking, and building the aerobic base for your first 50K
Trail running requires a completely different training framework from road running — time on feet replaces pace, vertical gain replaces distance, and power hiking is a performance skill. Here is how Garmin data applies to trail and ultra preparation, from grade-adjusted pace to back-to-back long runs.
10 min readHow to qualify for the Boston Marathon: the Garmin data-driven training strategy that closes your BQ gap
Most aspiring Boston Qualifiers are 5–15 minutes away — not light-years. The gap is not fitness, it is training structure, threshold development, and race-day execution. Here is the physiological framework and Garmin monitoring strategy that coaches use to take athletes from 'almost' to qualified.
10 min readFemale athlete training: using menstrual cycle data and Garmin metrics to periodize training and optimize race performance
Female endurance athletes train through four distinct hormonal phases each month — and every generic training plan ignores all of them. Here is how cycle-based periodization, combined with Garmin HRV, Body Battery, and skin temperature data, helps women train smarter, reduce injury risk, and peak when it counts.
10 min readCycling power training: FTP testing, power zones, and why Normalized Power matters more than average watts
Heart rate lags, but power is instant. Learn how elite cyclists test FTP correctly, set up power zones, and use Normalized Power (NP) to measure the true physiological cost of a ride.
10 min readTriathlon training with Garmin: using multi-sport data to structure brick workouts, manage Training Load, and pace race day
Garmin is the triathlete's most powerful coaching tool — but only if you understand how its algorithms work across three disciplines. Here is how elite triathlon coaches use multi-sport Training Load, brick workout data, and HRV recovery signals to prepare athletes from Sprint to Ironman.
10 min readRace psychology for endurance athletes: managing pre-race anxiety, pacing discipline, and the mental game of marathon running
Elite endurance performance is as much psychological as physiological on race day. Here is the sports psychology framework data-driven coaches use — from reading your race-day HRV, to resisting the crowd in the first kilometre, to processing a DNF and returning stronger.
9 min readRunning injury prevention: how Garmin training load data predicts and prevents overuse injuries before they happen
Eight out of ten runners experience an injury serious enough to interrupt training each year — and almost all are overuse injuries that are predictable and preventable. Here is how data-driven coaches use Garmin training load, HRV, and acute:chronic workload ratio to keep athletes healthy and racing.
9 min readNutrition for endurance athletes: fueling long runs, carb periodization, and race-day strategy backed by science and Garmin data
Most endurance athletes train hard but fuel poorly. Here is the evidence-based nutrition framework for long runs, carb periodization across training phases, and a race-day fueling protocol that uses Garmin metrics to time your intake.
11 min readRace-week taper and nutrition checklist for marathon and triathlon: the 7-day protocol elite coaches use to peak on race day
The final week before a goal race is where months of training either compound or collapse. Here is the evidence-based 7-day taper protocol and nutrition checklist that elite endurance coaches use — day by day, meal by meal.
9 min readStrength training for endurance athletes: gym myths debunked, minimum effective dose, and how to periodize with running and cycling blocks
Most endurance athletes either skip the gym or waste time on programmes designed for bodybuilders. Here is the evidence-based minimum effective dose for strength work — and how to slot it into running and cycling periodization without killing your aerobic gains.
10 min readPolarized training for endurance runners: how to use Garmin data to train 80/20 correctly and escape the grey zone
Most runners who think they're training hard are stuck in the junk-mileage grey zone — too fast for aerobic adaptation, too slow for race-specific fitness. Polarized training fixes this. Here's how to implement 80/20 training with Garmin heart rate data and what a coach changes in week one.
9 min readHow to set heart rate zones in Garmin correctly for running: why the defaults are wrong and how to fix them
Garmin's default heart rate zones are based on 220-minus-age — a formula with ±20 bpm error at the individual level. Wrong zones corrupt your zone distribution, Training Status and aerobic decoupling data. Here is how to calibrate your zones correctly, and why a coach verifies this in week one.
7 min readGarmin Training Status, VO2max trend and Training Readiness explained: how to read these three widgets and what a coach does differently
Garmin shows you Training Status, VO2max trend and Training Readiness every day — but most athletes misread them, react incorrectly, or ignore them entirely. Here is what each metric actually means and how data-driven coaches use them to make smarter weekly decisions.
8 min readLong run structure and pacing strategy for marathon training: how to use Garmin heart rate data to build fitness without burning out
Most marathon runners do their long runs too fast, underfuelled, or with no structural purpose. Here is how data-driven coaches use Garmin heart rate drift, aerobic decoupling and pace zone data to turn every long run into a precise training stimulus.
9 min readMarathon training after 40: how masters runners use Garmin data to train smarter and keep improving
After 40, the physiology changes — but the ambition does not have to. Here is how data-driven coaching with Garmin HRV, Body Battery and training load helps masters runners adapt intelligently, recover faster, and keep posting personal bests.
9 min readStrength training for marathon runners: the periodized approach using Garmin training load to run faster and stay injury-free
Most serious runners skip strength work or do it inconsistently. Here is the evidence-based periodized strength framework that elite endurance coaches use — and how Garmin training load data tells you exactly when to push in the gym and when to back off.
9 min readRunning economy and cadence optimization: how to use Garmin form data to run faster without training more
Your Garmin already measures cadence, ground contact time, stride length and vertical oscillation. Most athletes never use this data. Here is how elite coaches turn those numbers into a measurable economy improvement over 6–8 weeks.
8 min readSleep optimization for endurance athletes: using Garmin Body Battery and HRV to maximize recovery
For serious runners and triathletes, sleep is the highest-leverage recovery tool. Here is how to read Garmin Body Battery and overnight HRV trends to make sharper training decisions every day.
8 min readOvertraining prevention for endurance athletes: how to use Garmin HRV and training load data before it's too late
Overtraining syndrome can erase months of fitness in weeks. Here is the data-driven playbook serious runners and triathletes use to detect overreaching early — using Garmin HRV trends, training load signals, and weekly metrics — and how a remote coach catches it first.
9 min readHumidity and dew point race pacing: the practical guide for serious athletes
A simple pre-race framework to adjust pace, fueling, and expectations when humidity is high and dew point starts hurting performance.
6 min readHeat acclimation for spring races: a 14-day plan for serious athletes
A practical 14-day heat-acclimation framework using Garmin + Strava signals to protect race pace when temperatures rise.
6 min readTapering myths before half marathon and marathon: how to arrive fresh without feeling flat
A practical 10-day taper framework for serious athletes using Garmin + Strava signals to keep sharpness while reducing fatigue.
7 min readDeload week rules for serious endurance athletes: when to reduce load (and by how much)
A practical deload framework using Garmin + Strava signals so serious athletes can absorb training and come back faster.
6 min readRace readiness checklist: what to review before your key workout
A practical pre-session checklist using Garmin + Strava signals to decide when to push, adjust, or recover.
6 min readWeekly training load trends: the simple decision framework serious athletes can actually use
A practical weekly load trend framework using Garmin + Strava signals to decide when to push, hold, or absorb training stress.
6 min readLactate threshold myths for serious runners: what actually moves race pace
Cut through common threshold-training myths with a practical framework based on Garmin + Strava trends, not guesswork.
6 min read5K/10K race-pace calibration with Garmin + Strava: stop guessing your workouts
A practical framework for serious runners to calibrate 5K and 10K pace sessions using threshold trend, recovery, and load context.
6 min readHRV vs resting heart rate: a simple decision rule for hard training days
A practical guide for serious athletes using Garmin recovery signals and Strava load context to decide when to push, hold, or switch sessions.
6 min readNegative split marathon strategy: execute smarter with Garmin + Strava
A practical framework for serious athletes to pace marathons with negative splits using threshold, drift, and recovery data.
6 min readGarmin metrics guide for serious runners: what to track weekly (and what to ignore)
A no-noise Garmin guide for serious athletes focused on VO2max trend, threshold pace, HR drift, and recovery signals.
7 min readTaper strategy for busy endurance athletes: reduce fatigue without losing sharpness
A simple taper framework to cut fatigue, preserve race-specific feel, and arrive confident on race day.
6 min readZone 2 vs threshold for busy runners: what to prioritize each week
A practical decision framework to balance Zone 2 volume and threshold work using Garmin recovery and Strava load signals.
6 min readRace-pace drift playbook: how to correct fueling before performance drops
A practical playbook for serious athletes to detect race-pace drift early and fix fueling decisions using Garmin and Strava context.
6 min readRace-week fueling strategy for serious athletes: simple rules that protect performance
A practical race-week fueling guide for endurance athletes using training-load context to avoid low-energy race days.
6 min read12-week marathon plan for busy athletes: data-driven and realistic
A practical 12-week marathon framework for serious athletes with limited time, using Garmin and Strava data to adjust load and avoid burnout.
7 min readGarmin + Strava coaching for busy executives training for endurance races
A MOFU guide for busy professionals using Garmin and Strava coaching workflows to keep consistency and improve race performance.
6 min readOnline running coach pricing: when elite coaching beats generic plans
Compare online running coach pricing with generic training plans and learn when data-driven SportPlan coaching creates faster race results.
6 min readHalf marathon pace strategy with Garmin + Strava data
Build a smarter half marathon plan using threshold pace, heart-rate drift, and weekly load signals from Garmin and Strava.
7 min readFree VO2max guide for runners: 7-day data-driven training blueprint
A practical VO2max training guide for serious runners using Garmin and Strava metrics, with a 7-day blueprint to improve threshold and race pace.
7 min readVO2max and threshold coaching with Garmin + Strava
How elite endurance coaching turns Garmin and Strava metrics into weekly decisions that improve race performance.
6 min read
Ready to stop reading and start improving?
Your first adaptive week is ready in 60 seconds. See your first week before you pay. €9.99/month, cancel anytime.
Methodology designed by Ramon Curto, MSc Exercise Physiology
Ramon Curto designed SportPlan's endurance-training methodology from exercise-physiology principles. SportPlan applies it autonomously to the information you enter and the data you choose to connect; it is not ongoing one-to-one coaching or medical care.
Last revised July 2026
- MSc Exercise Physiology
- Endurance-training methodology
- Connected training-data analysis
- Block periodization · Polarized training