gravelmuncher said:How goes it folks. So i've just registered with a local triathlon club
due to a desire for a little competition. But up until present have been
doing 200-250 km per week on the Trek, (which has been 6 days a week
including 4 easy spinning days of around 25 km) and shying away from the
other disciplines that tri insists upon. For the past week i've been
throwing in some swimming (800m over 3 sessions) and complaining my way
through some light running (3 sessions of 3 km each).
My issue is what would be my most efficient option as to the
re-structuring of my cycling so as to accommodate both the swimming
and running. I intend on 3 days of each per week, but was wondering
whether to concentrate on one discipline per week and revolving them?
or something similar??
I don't intend on going to Foster, and i'm not modifying my bike, (I
usually nail all of the local tri-riders on group rides) I'd just like
to be sure that i'm training as efficiently as I can.
"To infinity and beyond!" ~j~
Welcome to the sport of Triathlons!
I started with a tri club last year only to keep my cycling up. I was
doing perhaps 150km a week doing 3 - 4 rides. When I began with the club
I had not done laps in a pool for about 10 years and was also recovering
from a achilles tendon injury to both legs. Hence I only rode at first.
Once my leg improved I began running and finally plucked up enough
courage to get into a pool.
One year later, after completing a few triathlons, I have made sure I
spend equal amounts of time doing all three disciplines.
My bike leg is and always will be the strongest leg but I do not
neccessarily spend more time on it each week.
It is not necessarily the amount of training you do but the type of
training you do that will ultimately help you. It also depends on what
distance tri's you will be doing. If you are doing sprint tri's you can
afford to do shorter sessions but they should be at 85 - 90% of max H/R
at this stage of the season.
My weekly program at this stage of the season goes something like this:
Sunday - Swim 2 - 3 km Monday - Run 8 - 12 km (depending on what course
hills or flat) Tuesday - Bike (wind trainer 1 1/2hours or road ride
2hrs) Wednesday - Run 8 - 12 km Thursday - Bike Friday - Swim Saturday -
Club 'Brick Session' (3 hours of riding, running and transitions)
Now, I will be the first to confess I do not always do a session each
day, sometimes I combine two in the one day and have a day of rest (if I
am particuarly sore after a session).
Your fellow club members will be able to help you with a program for
specific times of the year:
Winter - distance training (long rides, runs and swims at a really low
heart rate)
Start of season - strength training (hill repeats bike & run, high
cadence, swimming with a pool buoy)
Regular season - speed work (sprints at a high heart rate with decent
periods of cooling down between ie. 15 minute ride at 85% of max. H/R
with 5 minutes cool down (really low H/R between sets.
You will find that you will get stronger, fitter and faster if you
follow this sort of format. If I were you I would concentrate on the
other disciplines as your bike work seems to be better than average.
Unless you are a gun swimmer, it is the area you will more than likely
lose a lot of places. It is hard to make them up during the bike ride
when you have to pace yourself for the run.
I have been learning with each tri I have done and have got plenty
of friends in the club who have given me good pointers. A couple
of tips are:
1. Make sure you keep hydrated - even though you may be only doing
sprint tri's (500/20/5) you need to be taking fluid. But don't take a
big gulp 2 km's from the end of the bike leg - you will only get a
stich at the start of the run.
2. Pace yourself - I have seen so many people 'die' on the run because
they went too hard in the bike. Working out a good pace will come
with practise. Even though you may be a gun rider, you still need
functioning quads and calves to run (especially up and down hills)
3. Practise transitions wherever you can - it can save you a minute in a
race and that can be up to 10 positions. Get yourself some elastic
laces so your shoes will slip on in a jiffy. There are so many more
but I don't want to go on too much.
If you would like some more info feel free to email me. I would be happy
to help out.
Good luck with the new sport!
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