XC Ski Tss | Uphill Athlete

XC Ski Tss

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  • #49369
    hikerobby
    Participant

    I have seen fudge factors for running/hiking/ski touring where uphill is primary (use HrTSS + 10 per 1000′) and I have seen some people cut the HrTSS in half for biking since one presumes half the ride will be downhill.

    What are people using for xc skiing on groomed sno parks where it is rolling terrain but not significant uphill slog like Alpine Touring? I just went out XC skiing w a beginner friend and went VERY slow (average HR 110) for three hours and got 150TSS which seems like too much. It seems like, on rolling terrain, half the time I am skiing downhill and only breaking slightly. Are people cutting the HrTSS in half like some do for biking?

  • Participant
    John S on #49392

    Within Training Peaks there is the option to create different zones and thresholds for different activities, so it possible that there is something off on your settings, leading to a higher hrTSS than you would expect. However, I think by default there is only one box to enter your thresholds in and it is applied to all activities, so this is perhaps unlikely.

    It seems to me (as a punter, not a Coach) that the TSS is pretty high for the effort you descibe. But how does the TSS compare to other activities (run, hike) at that level of effort and/or HR? If the calculated TSS is comparable to the other activities, but there is no correlation for how much effort you feel you put in then perhaps consider cutting the TSS by an amount to reflect that. Take notes on perceived effort, vert, and how much you reduced the TSS and then refine your calculations over time. As well as the impact from the descents, I imagine the algorithms behind the TSS are not able to predict the influence of good technique particularly well.

    To answer your specific question, I am a long-suffering Suunto HR strap user and have stopped using a HRM for most of my workouts. I estimate TSS based on perceived effort for the activity, so address any easy skiing as part of that calculation. I have a fairly narrow score range that I apply to XC as my limited skills prevent me from going too hard….

    Participant
    Rachel on #49428

    I’ve had to cut back on my TSS for times that I go really slow for whatever reason (like taking my daughter out for a hike). If it doesn’t feel like it was 150 TSS worth of effort (based on recovery, etc) definitely cut it back.

    If you do this regularly you’ll figure out a fudge factor. I took a beginner friend out last winter, and double checked to see if I adjusted my TSS. Turns out I didn’t but it was not nearly as much TSS as your outing and I decided it was accurate enough.

    Participant
    hikerobby on #49485

    For perspective, I ran 13 road miles in 2 hours (Z1) a few days ago and only was awarded 150TSS.

    I notice my average HR the past two XC ski trips w other people is 100-115bpm, which is about where I am out when I just walk to the corner store, so XC skiing is just recovery work. When I go XC skiing alone, I go faster but still only average 135bpm, which is still low Zone 1 for me (Aet=160 & AnT=173).

    If I use 20-40tss/hour for Z1 and 50-60tss/hr for Z2, then my XC skiing w friends would be 60-90 for three hours. I just nerded out for a while, and I think I computed that multiplying the HrTSS by 0.70-0.80 may account for low HR when cruising downhills and be more accurate to perceived effort.

    Participant
    frnkr on #49493

    If you get 150 TSS in two hours (75 tss/hr) for Z1 then something is not right.

    Participant
    John S on #49494

    That scaling looks like a good approxiimation to me.

    Participant
    hikerobby on #49528

    frnkr the 13 mile run I referenced was 2:15, not 2 hours, and I only got 130hrTSS but 150rTSS because my Z1/2 pace is getting faster. Looking closer, even though my intention was Z1 I was in Z2 the majority of the run. I probably need to do another Ant test for threshold HR and pace so I get more accurate TSS.

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