Multi sport TSS ratio

Hi all,

I’m putting together next years training plan and am looking to use TSS, CTL & ATL. Is there any guidelines on what ratio of weekly TSS (sTSS, TSS & rTSS) should be apportioned to Swim, Bike & Run?

TIA

I personally focus more on volume than TSS. I would say on average I do 50% biking and 25% each swim and run. The ratio changes a bit depending on the time of year but that’s what it generally comes out to. It’s hard to do it with TSS since there is quite a bit of error and guess work in rTss and sTSS

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I tracked them individually. I have it like
Swim - 250 to 350 - no recovery period such as every 2nd or 3rd week
Bike - 350 to 450 in base and build. Add 50 or so for specialty phase
Run - 200 to 300 for base. Add 100 or so closer to race.
I usually focus on bike base and build. Then maintain it for specialty phase.
I try to improve my 5k and 10k pace in base period. Then improve my 21k in build phases
Swim - i can always work on it, right :wink:

Training for my A half IM last year, my ratio would typically be something like:

25% swim
35% run
40% bike (all outdooors, wasn’t on TR)

Some weeks I bumped up the bike at the expense of running. Swim was pretty consistently 25%. It’s my weakest leg, so I put some effort into it, swimming around 10km per week over 3 sessions.

Bike and run I’d combine for 7 sessions, 3 of one and 4 of the other depending on my bricks. That said, my race was a sand run, so I did focus on that quite a bit, and my ride was flat. FWIW, I placed best in my run (runner background, practiced on the surface and nailed my numbers on the bike), then swim and then bike in my category, and that brought me to TR. I need to get stronger on the bike to get where I want to go.

Swimming TSS is beyond tenuous, run TSS doesn’t really do it either - TSS was designed for bike and it fits for bike.

Trying to force other sports into it forces a totally unintended commonality between sports that does not exist. 1 TSS of swimming is not equivalent of 1 TSS of biking.

In short, I guess I’m advising against it! :slight_smile:

Completely depends on your strengths/weaknesses. No one on a forum would be able to tell you what the best ratio is for you. Look at what needs work and plan accordingly :+1:

Power meter availability makes running come more in line with cycling. That said, TSS is a made up calculation to express physiological output. So while swim and bike TSS are not equivalent, TSS within a single sport isn’t even the same, so its usefulness is limited to begin with.

I don’t find TSS a particularly useful metric beyond simple demonstration of total training load. I think that’s what OP is using it for. He could’ve asked about time spent training or similar, but TSS at least folds in volume and intensity into one relatively clean metric for season planning. Beyond that, it’s not a panacea, for sure.

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Thanks for all the input guys, really useful. :+1:t3: