Assess Your Current Fitness – Where Are You Now?

28 Days to Your Best Endurance Self: Make the Most of February 2025

Before you can make meaningful progress in endurance sports, you need to know where you’re starting. Assessing your current fitness is a crucial step in building a strong foundation for your training. With a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, you can set realistic goals, tailor your workouts, and track improvements over time.

In this post, we’ll cover:

• Why it’s important to test your fitness early in the season.
• Key endurance metrics to measure.
• Simple self-tests for runners, cyclists, and multi-sport athletes.
• How to track progress over time.
• 📌 Action Step: Pick one test to complete this week and record your results.

Let’s dive in!

Why Testing Your Fitness Early in the Season Matters

You wouldn’t start a road trip without knowing your current location—training for endurance sports is no different. Fitness assessments provide:

• A baseline to measure future progress.
• Insights into your strengths and weaknesses.
• A way to adjust your training plan for optimal improvement.
• Motivation by setting clear, measurable benchmarks.

By testing your fitness now, you ensure that your training aligns with your current capabilities rather than an assumption of where you think you are.

Key Endurance Metrics to Measure

To assess your endurance fitness, you need to look at four key areas:

1. Aerobic Fitness (Endurance Capacity)

This reflects how well your cardiovascular system delivers oxygen to your muscles. Key indicators include:

• VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use).
• Heart rate zones (especially your aerobic threshold).
• Sustained effort over time (e.g., how long you can hold a steady pace).

2. Speed and Performance

Even endurance athletes need a level of speed. Measure:

• Your fastest mile or 5K time (for runners).
• Your best time over a given cycling or swimming distance.
• Sprint tests (e.g., 30-second or 1-minute all-out efforts).

3. Muscular Endurance and Strength

Endurance isn’t just about cardio—your muscles need stamina too. Look at:

• Leg and core strength for runners and cyclists.
• Upper body endurance for swimmers.
• Functional strength tests (e.g., max push-ups, bodyweight squats, or planks).

4. Recovery and Efficiency

How well you recover is as important as how hard you train. Key metrics:

• Heart Rate Recovery (HRR): How quickly your heart rate drops after exercise.
• Perceived exertion levels during and after workouts.
• Form and movement efficiency (e.g., running or pedaling economy).

Simple Self-Tests for Runners, Cyclists, and Multi-Sport Athletes

For Runners:

1. Time Trial: Run a 1-mile or 5K time trial at max effort.
2. Aerobic Threshold Test: Run for 30 minutes at a steady pace and track your average heart rate.
3. Leg Endurance: See how long you can hold a wall sit or perform single-leg squats.

For Cyclists:

1. FTP Test (Functional Threshold Power): Ride as hard as possible for 20 minutes and measure your average power output (using a power meter).
2. Hill Climb Challenge: Time yourself on a familiar uphill segment.
3. Cadence Test: Maintain a high cadence (90+ RPM) for an extended period.

For Multi-Sport Athletes (Triathletes, Swimmers, etc.):

1. Swim Time Trial: Swim 400m or 1000m at a hard but steady effort.
2. Brick Workout: Test how well you transition from cycling to running with a short run off the bike.
3. Core Strength Challenge: Measure max plank hold time or the number of controlled leg raises you can complete.

How to Track Progress Over Time

Once you’ve tested your fitness, it’s essential to track your progress. Use these methods:

1. Keep a Training Log

• Record your test results, perceived effort, and how you felt.
• Track workouts, distances, paces, and heart rates.

2. Re-Test Regularly

• Assess your fitness every 4-6 weeks to see improvements.
• Compare results to gauge whether training is effective.

3. Use Wearable Tech and Apps

• Smartwatches, heart rate monitors, and power meters can provide deeper insights.
• Apps like Strava, TrainingPeaks, or Garmin Connect help analyze trends.

4. Listen to Your Body

• Data is great, but your own perception of effort, fatigue, and motivation matters just as much.

📌 Action Step: Pick One Test to Complete This Week

Choose one fitness test from the list above and complete it this week. Write down your results and use them as your personal benchmark for the season.

• My chosen fitness test: [Insert test]
• My result: [Insert result]
• How I felt: [Insert notes]

Weekend Activity (Feb 8-9): Personal Benchmark Day

Use this weekend as your personal benchmark day. Revisit your endurance goal and perform one of the fitness tests suggested in this post. Compare your results with past data (if available) and reflect on how you want to improve.

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Assessing your current fitness isn’t about judgment—it’s about getting a clear picture of where you are so you can train smarter, not harder. Whether you’re looking to boost endurance, improve speed, or increase strength, knowing your starting point will help you build a solid training plan.

So, take action this week: complete a fitness test, track your results, and get ready for the next step in your endurance journey!