Episode 2: Why Staying in Your Zones Makes You Faster

Have you ever looked at an easy workout and thought:

This cannot possibly be enough.

You feel good. You want to improve. And pushing a little harder seems like it should lead to better results.

But every workout in a smart training plan has a job.

In Episode 2 of Coach Erin Says, I answer a question from one of my athletes, Margaret, about why she needs to stay in her assigned training zones—especially when the easier efforts feel too easy.

Using the idea of an investment portfolio, I explain why a balanced training plan needs a mix of lower-risk aerobic work, intentional moderate efforts, harder key sessions, and recovery.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

Why easy workouts are not wasted training
What each training zone is designed to accomplish
Why Zone 2 is a steady, long-term investment in endurance
Why Zone 3 is not bad—but accidentally living there can become a problem
How harder workouts place a greater cost on recovery
Why medium-hard training all the time can leave you tired instead of faster
How staying in your zones helps the entire training week work
When your training zones may need to be reassessed

Think of Training Like an Investment Portfolio

A smart training plan is a lot like a smart investment portfolio.

Not every investment should carry the same level of risk, and not every workout should create the same level of stress.

Easy workouts are lower-risk investments, but that does not make them low value.

Hard workouts can produce meaningful gains, but they also require more recovery. Moderate efforts have a place when they are intentional. Recovery, sleep, and fueling help protect the entire account.

The goal is balance.

The Big Takeaway

The goal is not to make every workout harder.

The goal is to make the right investment on the right day.

Easy workouts help build the aerobic engine, improve durability, and support consistency. Hard workouts help develop speed, power, and threshold fitness. Recovery allows your body to absorb the work and adapt.

Your training plan works best when you let each workout do the job it was designed to do.

Watch or Listen

Add your YouTube embed near the top of the page, followed by buttons for each platform.

Watch on YouTube
https://youtu.be/JvLjPElgdN0

Listen on Spotify
https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/WfnYpvOcz4b

Listen on Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-staying-in-your-zones-makes-you-faster/id6785694149?i=1000775731475

Prefer to Read?

The companion blog takes a closer look at why easy workouts can feel suspicious, what easy training actually builds, and how to avoid the medium-hard trap.

Read: Why Easy Triathlon Workouts Feel Too Easy—and Why They Work

Have a Question for Coach Erin?

Each episode of Coach Erin Says starts with a real question from an athlete.

Have a question about triathlon training, fueling, recovery, race execution, equipment, mindset, or balancing training with everyday life?

Leave your question in the comments below.

Your question could become a future episode of Coach Erin Says.

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