June's training plan is very similar to May's. There's a mixture of training intensities (easy to moderately hard), training activities (running, rollerskiing, biking, "moosehufs"), and types of sessions (strength, distance, intervals, and pace training).

I'm in Atlanta at a tradeshow from the 14th through the 19th. Downtown Atlanta is not a place to rollerski even if I had the time. Torbjorn suggested using loading up on training the days prior to my travel, and using the time in Atlanta as a easy, rest period. You'll notice that I have quite a number of longish are somewhat higher intensity sessions leading up to Atlanta. While in Atlanta, I'll try to hit the weight room or do a little running. Biggest goal in Atlanta: Don't gain weight by eating too much hotel food...

Training at medium intensity?
What's been most interesting about working with Torbjorn is the difference in training philosophy between what he espouses and what I've been taught all these years. From way back in when Jim Young ran the Snow Mountain Development Group in Colorado, and Marty Hall come out with this book "One Stride Ahead" through more recent work with J.D. Downing at XC Oregon and the book "Serious Training for Endurance Athletes" by Sleamaker and Browning, the basic rule has been "Go slow or go fast, but don't go at medium speed or effort". In it's simplest form, going slow maximizes the training effect of increasing the body's ability to utilize oxygen, while training fast maximizes the benefit of teaching the body to handle high intensity efforts of a race. Medium efforts don't maximize either training effect and should be avoided.

If you look at the training plans for May and June, you'll notice that the "Quality" sessions appear in that middle, medium effort zone. Why?

From my understanding, Torbjorn believes in slowly increasing the stress levels, both within a quality session, and between quality sessions. For example, the running time trial this month (June 11) starts at roughly 20 beats below max for the first half, then increase to 15 beats below max for the second half. The intensity increases during the session.

Compare that to last month's time trial over the same course: the May time trial averaged 25 beats below max - 5 to 10 beats lower than June. The second lap in May was also supposed to be as fast as the first - that means running the first lap at an easier pace than the second. (Of course, I totally failed in that respect - my second lap was substantially slower than the first. Obviously I have a ways to go to learn how to maintain a consistent pace).

So training in the "middle intensity zone" is actually a method to slowly increase stress. My guess is that as we move further into the year, the amount of time spent in the middle intensity area will decrease.

Torbjorn, and JD Downing for that matter, both agree that even during long slow distance sessions, it's OK to occasionally go into the middle intensity zone on uphills - as a way to maintain technique. This should be kept to a minimum, should barely go into middle intensity, and is not an excuse to be macho and race a colleague up the hill! 

It's important to observe that although I'm training in the middle intensity zone, it's a very small percentage of my training time! The vast majority of effort is still in the low intensity range. So don't think the article is promoting middle-intensity training - it's not! 

Train easy, train hard, and occasionally do a little medium intensity as a way to increase stress slowly or to maintain technique. Come to think about it, Torbjorn views are not that much different from what I've been taught before.