Long-distance triathlon glossary·IF

IF : Intensity Factor

Load

Your session NP divided by your FTP : a unitless ratio from 0 to ~1.1.

IF answers: "what fraction of my threshold did I ride at?". IF = 0.70 → easy endurance. IF = 0.85 → sustained sweet spot. IF = 0.95-1.00 → threshold work. IF > 1.05 over an hour = an FTP retest in disguise.

In TriPaced:

TriPaced displays the target IF of every session. It's more telling than the zone alone: a long Z2 sits at IF=0.65, a short threshold piece at IF=0.95. You can see at a glance if a session is hard or recovery.

Related terms

  • TSS : Training Stress Score
  • CTL : Chronic Training Load (fitness)
  • ATL : Acute Training Load (fatigue)
  • TSB : Training Stress Balance (freshness)
  • Sweet spot : the efficiency zone
  • Threshold : the upper sustainable limit