Long-distance triathlon glossary·Z1-Z5 nat

Swim zones : from Z1 recovery to Z5 VO2max

Swim

Five pace levels anchored on CSS, simpler than bike zones.

Swimmers typically use Z1 (recovery, > CSS+10 s/100 m), Z2 (endurance, CSS+5 to +10), Z3 (tempo, CSS+2 to +5), Z4 (threshold, CSS-2 to CSS+2), Z5 (VO2max, < CSS-3). Everything anchors on CSS : no lactate testing needed.

In TriPaced:

In TriPaced, every prescribed swim interval shows an absolute pace target (s/100 m), not a zone tag: you read "1:35 / 100" directly : the app already converted from your CSS.

Source Sweetenham B. & Atkinson J., Championship Swim Training (Human Kinetics 2003) - zones anchored on CSS/T30 protocol

Related terms

  • CSS : Critical Swim Speed
  • Open water : swimming in lakes, sea or rivers
  • Sea legs : wobbly legs out of the water
  • Wetsuit : triathlon neoprene suit
  • Drafting in swimming
  • Sighting: open water navigation (head lifts)