How to Read the Plan Calendar

The Plan calendar in Enduroco is designed for fast scanning. It is not just a list of workouts. It is a visual system that tells you:

• what type of session you have,
• how hard that session is expected to be,
• and how daily sessions combine into weekly stress.

This guide explains the system in detail so you can interpret your plan quickly and consistently.

Quick Mental Model

Use this simple rule every time you open the Plan tab:

• Shape = sport or session modality (run, bike, rest, strength)
• Color = intensity target (endurance, tempo, VO2, anaerobic, etc.)
• 3-letter label = intensity shorthand (END, TMP, VO2, ANA, STR, COR, REC)
• Number under the day = planned daily load

This is intentionally redundant. Enduroco gives you more than one visual cue for the same concept because athletes often scan quickly, sometimes while tired, and repetition reduces mistakes.

Why Colors Matter

Without color, two different workouts can look identical if they use the same icon shape. A hard VO2 run and an easy endurance run are both runs by sport type, but they are not the same stress signal.

That is exactly why intensity color exists in the calendar.

You should be able to spot hard blocks and recovery blocks before reading every number. In practice, this means:

• more warm/cool colors mixed with muted days usually indicates healthier distribution,
• too many hard-day colors in a row can indicate stacked stress,
• too many muted/recovery cues can indicate low stimulus periods.

You still verify with TSS and load values, but color gives you an immediate first pass.

Intensity Legend (Detailed)

Endurance (END)

• Primary meaning: aerobic base and repeatable steady work
• Typical planning purpose: build engine capacity while keeping fatigue manageable
• Visual cue: sky-blue family

Tempo (TMP)

• Primary meaning: sustained moderate-hard effort
• Typical planning purpose: durability and pace tolerance
• Visual cue: amber family

VO2Max (VO2)

• Primary meaning: high aerobic power work
• Typical planning purpose: top-end oxygen uptake and high-intensity aerobic adaptation
• Visual cue: red family

Anaerobic (ANA)

• Primary meaning: very high-intensity repeats / sharp efforts
• Typical planning purpose: speed-power support, hard interval sharpening
• Visual cue: orange family

Recovery (REC)

• Primary meaning: low-load session intended to facilitate recovery
• Typical planning purpose: maintain movement while reducing accumulated stress
• Visual cue: emerald family

Strength (STR)

• Primary meaning: gym/strength support work
• Typical planning purpose: movement quality, structural support, force development
• Visual cue: violet family

Core (COR)

• Primary meaning: trunk stability and supporting strength
• Typical planning purpose: durability and stability around endurance load
• Visual cue: violet family (same family as Strength by design)

Rest (—)

• Primary meaning: no primary workload target on that day
• Typical planning purpose: absorb training and recover
• Visual cue: muted slate

Light vs Dark Card Behavior

In the Plan calendar, the current week card is visually darker. Enduroco uses lighter variants of the same intensity colors on dark cards for contrast and readability.

Important: the meaning does not change between card backgrounds. Only the shade changes so readability remains high.

This is done to keep interpretation stable. If an intensity is VO2 on a white card, it is still VO2 on a dark card. The color is simply contrast-adjusted.

How to Review a Week in 20 Seconds

Use this sequence:

1. Scan color distribution first.
2. Check if hard-day colors are clustered too tightly.
3. Confirm where recovery/rest days sit relative to hard days.
4. Then validate with daily load numbers and weekly TSS.

Repeat this process weekly. Repetition helps you recognize healthy vs risky patterns faster.

Yes, this is repeated on purpose: color first, numbers second, details third. It is the fastest reliable review method for most athletes.

Reading Multi-Workout Days

Some days include multiple sessions and therefore multiple icons. In those cases:

• icon row shows the session mix,
• the abbreviation typically reflects the primary session intent,
• daily load number remains your total planned load signal.

So if a day has multiple icons, do not ignore the load number. Think of icons + abbreviation as intent, and load number as total stress estimate.

Common Misreads to Avoid

• Misread 1: “Same icon shape means same training day.”
  • Not true. Shape tells modality; color tells intensity.
• Misread 2: “I only need TSS numbers.”
  • Numbers are critical, but color and labels help detect structure quickly.
• Misread 3: “Dark card means different intensity rules.”
  • Not true. Same meaning, adjusted shade for contrast only.

Practical Athlete Workflow

When you open Plan on Monday, do this quickly:

• Confirm the week’s hard sessions (VO2/ANA colors).
• Confirm supporting days (END/TMP/REC).
• Confirm where rest is placed.
• Confirm that the week still matches your recovery status and schedule reality.

Then during the week, use the same visual language daily. The system is designed so the same few cues are repeated: shape, color, abbreviation, load.

That repetition is intentional and useful.

Final Takeaway

If you remember only one thing, remember this:

• Shape tells you what.
• Color tells you how hard.
• Abbreviation reinforces intensity.
• Load number quantifies expected stress.

Use all four signals together. That is the intended way to read the Enduroco Plan calendar.