User Guide

Registration and onboarding

After creating your account, a short wizard guides you in under 2 minutes: profile (age, weight, experience), available days, and goal. You can choose a specific target (5K, half marathon, trail…) or start without a goal and just use the diary.

The plan is generated automatically

If you've entered a goal, Adapta immediately builds a weekly plan calibrated to distance, elevation, level, and available days. Sessions start the following Monday.

Without a goal

You can start logging workouts from the Diary without a structured plan. When you're ready, add a goal from the Goals page and generate the plan at any time.

Reading the calendar

The Plan view shows 2 weeks by default (or the full month). Each session shows the workout type, duration, intensity from 1 to 5, and current phase (base / build / specific / taper). Mobility sessions show the 'Recovery' badge instead of intensity.

Log a session

Tap 'Log' on the planned session to open the diary wizard with all fields pre-filled. You can edit them before saving.

Skip a session

Tap 'Skip' to choose: move only this session (+1 or +7 days), shift the entire plan forward, or skip permanently. Skipping doesn't penalise you if you have a good reason.

Move a session

Use 'Move' to freely choose a new date — earlier or later. Adapta checks for conflicts with nearby sessions and warns you before saving.

Replace with a template

Every uncompleted session has a 'Replace' button: it opens the library where you can choose an alternative template to apply in place of the original session.

The plan adapts automatically

After each log, Adapta analyses RPE, recovery, and consistency over recent weeks. If it detects fatigue or too many skips, it reduces volume. If you're in good shape, it gradually increases the load.

Logging wizard

The diary uses a 3-step wizard: (1) Session — type, date, duration, distance; (2) Blocks — you can add optional extra blocks like warm-up, intervals, cool-down; (3) Effort — RPE from 1 to 10 and general feelings.

RPE — perceived effort

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) goes from 1 (easy walk) to 10 (maximum effort). It's the main tool Adapta uses to understand how you're handling the load: no heart rate monitor needed, no knowledge of heart rate zones. Anyone already knows how to give this number. Be honest: a high RPE doesn't penalise you — it helps the plan adapt better.

Extra sessions

You can log off-plan activities (swimming, cycling, yoga, padel…) as extra sessions. They're saved in the diary but don't modify the structured plan.

GPX import

From the Settings page you can upload GPX files from any GPS. Data (distance, elevation, average heart rate) are imported automatically into your diary.

What to log

Every day you can log 4 indicators from 1 to 10: sleep quality, energy level, how your legs feel, motivation. Add free notes if you want. It takes 20 seconds.

How it affects the plan

If the average recovery score drops below threshold for several days, the adaptation engine substitutes easier sessions for intense ones and temporarily reduces volume. It's the most direct way to protect your body from overtraining.

The recovery chart

In the Statistics page you'll find your recovery chart for the last 30 days. Useful for spotting patterns: always low recovery on Mondays? Maybe the weekend is too intense.

Adding a goal

From the Goals page you can enter: race name (optional), distance in km, positive elevation D+ in metres (for trail and ultra), target date. After saving, you can generate the plan directly from there.

Behind schedule?

If you complete less than 60% of sessions in the last 2 weeks, an orange banner appears in the plan. You can postpone the goal date by 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks — the plan adjusts automatically.

Multiple goals in the queue

You can create multiple goals in the queue. The plan is always linked to the active goal. When you complete a plan, you can activate the next one.

Completing the plan

When you reach the race date, the plan is marked as completed. You can share the achievement with a personalised card.

Adding an event

From the Plan view use the 'Add event' button to enter: injury, illness, holiday, intermediate race, or unavailability. Specify severity (mild, moderate, severe) and the expected end date.

How the plan changes

With an active injury or illness, the plan reduces the load: it replaces intense sessions with easy or recovery work and applies a gradual return in subsequent weeks.

Feeling better sooner than expected

If you recover early, use the 'I'm better, I'm back to training' button in the Plan view banner. Adapta closes the event and automatically recalculates a gradual return.

Planned breaks and holidays

Add holidays as events too. The plan can be shifted forward to make up for missed sessions, or it removes them if you're too close to the race date.

Radar chart — the 6 scores

The radar chart shows your 6 athlete scores (endurance, speed, elevation, recovery, consistency, fatigue resistance) calculated from your history, compared to the plan for the next 2 weeks.

Recovery chart

The line chart shows your daily recovery score for the last 30 days. Useful for identifying periods of accumulated fatigue.

Export for your coach

At the bottom of the Statistics page you'll find export buttons: Training Brief (text summary of the last 30 days), CSV for Google Sheets/Excel, and PDF with charts. Ideal if you work with a coach or physiotherapist.

What it is

Cycle sync is an opt-in feature that automatically adapts the plan to the phases of the menstrual cycle. The follicular and ovulatory phases allow more intense sessions; the menstrual and late-luteal phases reduce the load.

How to activate it

You can activate it during onboarding (last step) or at any time from the Profile page. You'll be asked for the start date of your last cycle, the average duration (default 28 days), and the duration of menstruation (default 5 days).

Updating the cycle date

From the Recovery page you'll find a discreet section for updating the cycle start date — with shortcuts (today, yesterday, 2 days ago) or a date picker. The update immediately triggers a plan recalculation.

Menopause and perimenopause

If you're in perimenopause or menopause, you can indicate this in your profile (Physiology section). The Cycle sync feature is automatically disabled — it's not applicable during this phase. An informational note will appear on the Recovery page reminding the plan to account for ongoing hormonal changes.

Postpartum

If you've entered your weeks since delivery in your profile, the plan doesn't use Cycle sync in the early weeks. In high-impact sessions (running, intervals, strides) automatic pelvic floor notes are added for the first 26 weeks.

Privacy

Your cycle, postpartum, and menopause data are private and not shared with anyone. You can edit or remove this information at any time from the Profile page.

Supported types

Adapta supports athletes with transtibial, transfemoral or bilateral amputation, limb difference, visual impairment, neurological conditions, and chronic variable-capacity conditions (lupus, fibromyalgia, MS, CFS, compensated heart conditions). Each profile receives contextual notes and volume adjustments — no session type is excluded.

Chronic conditions and variable capacity

For conditions like lupus, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, or chronic fatigue, the plan uses a pacing-first approach: shorter sessions (max 75 minutes), 90/10 distribution instead of 80/20, deload every 3 weeks instead of every 4, and more sensitive adaptation thresholds. On difficult days, use the 'Flare / symptoms' skip reason — it helps the system recognise your pattern.

Automatic notes for postpartum

In high-impact sessions in the first 26 weeks after delivery, the plan automatically adds pelvic floor notes: what to monitor (pressure, leakage, pain) and when to stop or seek advice. This behaviour is active only if you've entered your weeks since delivery in your profile.

Profile-specific skip reasons

In the Plan view, all athletes can use 'Caregiving commitments' as a skip reason. Those with a variable-capacity profile additionally have 'Flare / symptoms'. Athletes with amputations or limb differences have dedicated options: Prosthetics/fit, Residual limb, Phantom pain, Compensatory fatigue.

Activating the adaptive profile

You can indicate your adaptive profile during onboarding (step 5) or at any time from the Profile page. It's opt-in — the plan works without this information too.

What scientific basis does the plan have?

Adapta is built on established principles: phase periodisation, 80/20 intensity distribution, the RPE method for measuring effort without devices, recovery physiology, and menstrual cycle synchronisation. Find the theoretical foundations with references to original studies on the dedicated page.

Can I use Adapta without a race goal?

Yes. You can log workouts in the Diary and monitor recovery without any structured plan. When you're ready, add a goal from the Goals page and generate the plan.

How does plan adaptation work?

After each log, a rule engine analyses: RPE from recent sessions, recovery score, skipped sessions, and the presence of injuries. Based on these signals, the plan can reduce volume, add recovery days, or gradually increase the load.

What if I skip many sessions?

If you complete less than 60% of sessions in the last 2 weeks, the 'you're behind on the plan' banner appears. You can postpone the goal or continue. The plan doesn't automatically modify itself just for skips — it also requires high RPE or low recovery.

Can I import activities from Strava?

Yes. The Strava integration is available from the Settings page. Once connected, activities are imported automatically into your diary.

How do I export data?

From the Statistics page, at the bottom, you'll find buttons to export Training Brief (text), CSV, and PDF. You can also export all your data from the Settings page.

Does the app work offline?

Adapta is a Progressive Web App (PWA) installable on your phone from the browser. Basic navigation works even without a connection, but saving new workouts requires internet.

Can I use Adapta with a chronic condition like lupus or fibromyalgia?

Yes. Select 'Chronic condition / variable capacity' during onboarding or from the Profile page. The plan uses a pacing-first approach: shorter sessions, more frequent deloads, more sensitive adaptation thresholds. On difficult days use 'Flare / symptoms' as a skip reason — it helps the system understand your pattern and adapt better.

I'm postpartum or menopausal — is Adapta right for me?

Yes. For postpartum, enter your weeks since delivery in your profile (Physiology section): the plan adds automatic pelvic floor notes to high-impact sessions for the first 26 weeks. For menopause/perimenopause, indicate your status in your profile: Cycle sync is disabled and the plan accounts for the typical variations in recovery and perceived effort during this phase.

I have a problem or a question not answered here

Use the Feedback form in the app (icon at the bottom of the sidebar) or write to noreply@adapta.run. I reply personally.