System and method for producing customized training plans for multi-discipline endurance athletic competitions

Abstract

A method and apparatus for improving the physical capability of an athlete in a multi-discipline athletic endurance competition including a specially programmed computer implementing the method are provided. The computer generates a normalized performance value of an individual athlete for each of at least two different disciplines of a multi-discipline athletic endurance competition and correlates said normalized performance values to expected competitive performance results for at least one distance of each of said disciplines. An output device operatively connected to the specially programmed computer can further generate an electronically or physically printed exercise program correlated to achieving an incremental improvement in normalized performance values for each of said disciplines within a particular period of time to guide the athlete to improve his/her physical capability.

1 . A computer-implemented method for creating and printing or displaying to a user an individually customized multi-discipline training plan for improving the physical capability of an athlete in a multi-discipline athletic endurance event comprising the steps of:
 computing a normalized performance value of an individual athlete for each of at least two different disciplines of a multi-discipline athletic endurance event;   generating an electronically or physically printed training plan customized for said athlete correlated to achieving an incremental improvement in said normalized performance values for each of said disciplines within a particular period of time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of said disciplines is running 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of said disciplines is swimming. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of said disciplines is biking 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disciplines are taken from the group of running, bicycling and swimming. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein there are at least three disciplines. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the disciplines including running, bicycling and swimming. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said training plan is output to a user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said normalized performance values are computed based upon input of the individual athlete's assessment values for each of said disciplines. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said specially programmed computer correlates said normalized performance values to expected competitive performance results for at least one subtype of each of said disciplines and said output device operatively connected to said specially programmed computer generates electronically or physically printed expected competitive performance results for at least one subtype of each of said disciplines correlated to said normalized performance values. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said specially programmed computer correlates said expected incremental improvement in said normalized performance values from following said training plan to expected competitive performance results for at least one subtype of each of said disciplines at a future time and said output device operatively connected to said specially programmed computer generates electronically or physically printed said expected competitive performance results for at least one subtype of each of said discipline. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said training plan includes a set of exercises having at least volume and intensity instructions individually tailored based on data entered specific to said individual athlete, said volume and intensity instructions being optimized to reduce the differences between said individual athlete's normalized performance values for each of the disciplines. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said training plan includes a set of exercises having at least volume and intensity instructions individually tailored based on data entered specific to said individual athlete, said volume and intensity instructions being optimized to improve the athlete's expected overall score for an intended multi-discipline competition at a future date. 
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 inputting a parameter correlating to an athlete's available training time between the present time and a future date and   determining by means of said specially programmed computer a limiting parameter correlative of the athlete's physical capability to safely perform a particular workload during a particular increment of said available training time, and   wherein said specially programmed computer generates a training plan designed to provide the individual athlete with an amount of incremental improvement in said normalized performance values without exceeding said limiting parameter correlative of the athlete's physical capability to safely perform a particular workload during a particular increment of said available training time.   
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 14  further comprising:
 determining the maximum amount of incremental improvement in at least one of said normalized performance values that can be expected to be achieved by said individual athlete in said available training time without exceeding said limiting parameter correlative of the athlete's physical capability to safely perform a particular workload during a particular increment of said available training time and 
 wherein said specially programmed computer generates a training plan designed to provide the individual athlete with said maximum amount of said incremental improvement. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining the maximum amount of total incremental improvement in said normalized performance values that can be expected to be achieved by said individual athlete in said available training time without exceeding said limiting parameter correlative of the athlete's physical capability to safely perform a particular workload during a particular increment of said available training time and   wherein said specially programmed computer generates a training plan designed to provide the individual athlete with said maximum amount of total incremental improvement.   
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 14  further comprising:
 determining the maximum amount of total incremental improvement in a competition score for a target competition on said future date that can be expected to be achieved by said individual athlete in said available training time without exceeding said limiting parameter correlative of the athlete's physical capability to safely perform a particular workload during a particular increment of said available training time and 
 wherein said specially programmed computer generates a training plan designed to provide the individual athlete with said maximum amount of said incremental improvement in said competition score. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 14  further comprising:
 inputting a desired competition score for a target competition on said future date; 
 determining the maximum expected amount of total incremental improvement in each of said normalized performance values that can be expected to be achieved by said individual athlete in said available training time without exceeding said limiting parameter correlative of the athlete's physical capability to safely perform a particular workload during a particular increment of said available training time and 
 determining if said at least one combination of normalized performance values will permit said athlete to achieve said desired competition score in said target competition on said future date without exceeding said maximum expected amount of total incremental improvement and, if so, generating by means of a specially programmed computer a training plan designed to provide the individual athlete with said desired competition score. 
 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus defined in  claim 18 , wherein said limiting parameter is taken from the group of volume, workload, workload stress. 
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 19 , wherein said limiting parameter is workload stress. 
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 20 , wherein said workload stress is a function of workload intensity and time at said intensity. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the workload stress for the athlete is a function of the athlete's workload capacity. 
     
     
         23 . The method defined in  claim 21 , wherein said workload stress is further correlated to a factor that increases during the time that an exercise is performed. 
     
     
         24 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an athlete's current normalized performance values after a portion of said particular period of time has elapsed,   regenerating a new training plan customized for said athlete correlated to achieving an incremental improvement in said normalized performance values for each of said disciplines in the remaining amount of said particular period of time.   
     
     
         25 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing data input by a user relating to the athletic ability of an athlete, said data including at least a first assessment, the training plan followed by said athlete, and a second assessment after following said training plan,   combining said data input by said user to other data correlating training plans and expected changes in assessments during a period of time that are applicable to a large number of athletes on a statistical basis; and   modifying one or more factors correlating to normalized performance values based upon said data input by said user along with said other data.   
     
     
         26 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein said training plans include information regarding a plurality of exercise sessions. 
     
     
         27 . The method defined in  claim 26  wherein each of said exercise sessions includes information specifying, for at least one discipline, one or more of the number of repetitions, duration of a session, intensity of a session, and the number of sets of repetitions. 
     
     
         28 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining an expected competition score at least one discipline at a time in the future based upon said athlete's current normalized performance values. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method defined in  claim 28 , further comprising:
 determining an expected competition score in at least one discipline at a time in the future based upon said athlete's expected normalized performance values after performance of said training plan during said particular period of time.   
     
     
         30 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 inputting an individual athlete's desired total score for a target competition on a target date in the future;   determining by means of a specially programmed computer the total workload required to achieve the desired total score of the target competition;   generating by means of a specially programmed computer an individually customized training plan for the individual athlete to achieve the desired total score for the target competition on the target date in the future without exceeding permissible maxima during all or a portion of the training period prior to the target date of one or more of volume, workload, or workload stress applicable to the individual athlete.   
     
     
         31 . The method defined in  claim 30 , wherein one of said disciplines is bicycling and said maxima of volume, workload, or workload stress applicable to the individual athlete are functions at least in part of (1) power-to-total-weight ratio with bike weight and (2) BMI. 
     
     
         32 . The method defined in  claim 31 , wherein one of said disciplines is running and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for determining by means of a specially programmed computer a pace to weight ratio for the running discipline; and
 wherein said maxima of volume, workload, or workload stress applicable to the individual athlete are determined at least in part by said pace to weight ratio.   
     
     
         33 . A computer-implemented method for creating and printing or displaying to a user individually customized multi-discipline training plan for improving the physical capability of an athlete in a multi-discipline athletic endurance competition comprising:
 storing in a computer memory a set of reference performance values correlated to average finishing times for a plurality of well-trained athletes measured when the athletes are performing at substantially maximum effort during one or more of the endurance disciplines that comprise said competition, the scales of said reference performance values for each discipline being normalized to each other so that substantially the same relative athletic performance ability will be represented by the same reference performance values;   computing, using a specially programmed computer, a set of individual performance values correlated to an individual athlete's performance ability in each of said endurance disciplines, the scales of said individual performance values for each discipline being normalized to each other so that substantially the same relative performance ability of the individual athlete in each discipline as compared to said reference performance value in each discipline will be represented by the same individual performance values;   computing an expected competitive performance result in each of said disciplines as a function of said individual performance values and enabling printing and/or displaying said values to a user to guide said athlete in improving his/her physical capability as measured by said individual performance values.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 computing a set of competition performance results in each of said disciplines that is expected to correlate to a set of said individual performance values and enabling printing and/or displaying said performance values and results to a user to guide said athlete in improving his/her physical capability as measured by said individual performance values to improve said expected competition performance results.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 selecting, using a specially programmed computer, a set of workouts to be performed over a period of time, each of said workouts having a degree of athletic effort measured by at least volume and intensity, said workouts being correlated to an increment of increase of said individual performance values over said period of time.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 selecting the number, volume and intensity of said workouts to maximize a total expected increment of increase of competition performance for a given number of hours of training time devoted to said workouts during said period of time.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said number, volume and intensity of said workouts are selected to maximize a total expected increment of increase of competition performance for given number of hours of training time devoted to said workouts during said period of time. 
     
     
         38 . An apparatus for creating and printing or displaying to a user an individually customized multi-discipline training plan for improving the physical capability of an athlete in a multi-discipline athletic endurance event comprising:
 a specially programmed computer including a program resident thereon for generating a normalized performance value of an individual athlete for each of at least two different disciplines of a multi-discipline athletic endurance event, said computer further including a program resident thereon to generate a training plan customized for said athlete correlated to achieving an incremental improvement in said normalized performance values for each of said disciplines within a particular period of time; and   an output device operatively connected to said suitably programmed computer for printing or displaying said training plan.   
     
     
         39 . A computer software product comprising at least one recordable medium, the recordable medium having computer instruction codes recorded thereon, the computer instruction codes operable to perform the acts of
 computing a normalized performance value of an individual athlete for each of at least two different disciplines of a multi-discipline athletic endurance event;   generating an electronically or physically printed training plan customized for said athlete correlated to achieving an incremental improvement in said normalized performance values for each of said disciplines within a particular period of time.