It was January a few years ago and athletes were starting to think about their summer race programme. The first athlete to send in his schedule had a list of about 20 triathlon races. Of these about 30% of them had a ** along side which indicated that’s it was a race where he wanted to achieve his best performance. At one point there were 3 ** races on consecutive weekends and at a later point in the year 5 races on 5 weekends.
When we spoke later that week I asked the athlete (we’ll call him Bob) how he had decided which races to do. After a short pause Bob’s response was. “Dunno really, I thought that they looked like fun events to do”
After a few more questions it was apparent that Bob loved racing and that he wanted to do well at every race. (Now there’s nothing wrong with planning to do your best at every race but whether you’ll be at peak fitness is open to debate.)
Try as I might I couldn’t dissuade Bob from his race plans so we decided to try it and see what happened.
By the end of September Bob had completed 10 events. He missed 2 with a cold and only managed 2 of the 5 consecutive events because he was too tired to race. He under performed at all of the ** races (maybe he was tired or perhaps his goals were too high) and overall was very disappointed with his season.
The next year we took a different approach.
Firstly I asked Bob what his top 2 goals were for the season.
He replied “qualify for the world age group championships and then get a top 10 at that race” (1)
The qualifiers were in May & June and the Worlds were in September. (2)
Bob entered all 3 qualifiers but was targeting the 2nd race as he knew the course and it suited his style of racing. (3) he had specific goals for each event which apart from the 2 ‘A’ races DID NOT include setting a PB or beating his club mates (4)
He then decided to take a short racing break after qualifying (5) and then start again in July, aiming to race every 2-3 weeks with some well chosen sprint and Olympic distance races (6) and finishing his season with the World championships and a family holiday shortly afterwards.(7)
The outcome was that Bob easily qualified at the second event (8) which meant he missed the 3rd qualifier. At the worlds he finished 8th in his age group (9). On the way to the World’s he set PB’s in a local 10k and also managed a fastest ever time at his local time trial. (10) There’s probably no need to tell you that at the end of the season Bob was a very happy triathlete
Why did Bobs second season work so well?
1) Clear Goals – He had 2 clear goals at the start of the season. Qualify for the worlds and then finish in the top 10. He geared his whole season to achieving these 2 goals.
2) 2 peak season – The ‘A’ races were sufficiently far apart to allow for 2 peaks. I think it’s possible to peak effectively for a maximum of 3 events per year. If you are racing Ironman then probably 2 events. You need to think about more than just physiology. There are only so many races per year when you can put it all on the line.
3) Careful race selection – Bob chose his preparation races carefully to maximise his chances of achieving his goal, looking for a course that was hilly (Bob’s a good climber) and local (he had chance to ride & run the course regularly). The 2nd qualifier allowed him the luxury of a warm up race before hand.
4) Different goals for B & C races – Actually his goals here were much different to usual – make sure his bike set up was right, test his nutrition strategy for race 2 practice good transitions. He raced hard but managed to put aside any thoughts of beating his club mates
5) Mid season break – A short mini break recharged his batteries and allowed him to reframe mentally to focus on the worlds
6) Race to test strategy – The races leading up to the worlds were designed to help him build and then check that his fitness was on target. Again he had very specific goals for each race and while racing hard he was able to go home afterwards satisfied that he had achieved his goal without setting a PB or being the fastest club member. For example in one race his sole goal was to hammer the bike and see how fast he could run (he couldn’t) and in another race he started slow aiming to build the intensity towards the end of the run (Bob was very surprised to find that even when he felt he was “taking it easy” at the beginning this strategy resulted in a much better performance – he adopted this for )
7) End of season break – The Worlds were at such a nice venue Bob forced himself into and end of season break by having a family holiday afterwards and continued for another 3 weeks when he got home
Knowledge is Power – to qualify for the worlds Bob had to finish in the top 4 in his age group. He already knew that 2 of his main competitors had qualified and they were also racing the 2nd event. This meant that if they finished in front of him he could afford to finish 6th and still qualify. In the end he had a great race and finished 3rd but he could
9) Focus – mentally & physically Bob was completely focussed on performing at his best on only 2 occasions in the year. Having qualified for the worlds he then had time to refocus on the big event in September
10) Test events –local single sport events enabled him to test his fitness which gave himn confidence that his programme was working. The weekly time trials also allowed him to fine tune his bike position
At TTC we are always getting asked the question “how can I race like a pro”. Today I’ve given you 10 simple tips for scheduling your race calendar like a pro athlete.
You can put your house on the fact that any triathlete competing at London in August will have a very focussed race plan, all geared to having one great race. Most of them would probably give up all other victories in 2012 for a medal in Hyde Park.
The question is do you want to just enjoy racing or are you prepared to have 1-2 fantastic races next year. There’s nothing wrong with the former but most triathletes I have met want to see how good they can be.
If you have any comments I’d love to hear them
Stay healthy & have fun
P.S I now have 12-20 week programmes available for every single triathlon in the world. Click here for the full list. If you don’t see your race just let me know. We will have it
Today I’ve got another in my series of kettlebell training excercises for you. Good conditioning programmes aim to develop strength with movements rather than targeting muscles and this one is no exception.
Todays exercise is known as “the windmill” and is a fundamental part of my regular kettlebell workouts. It targets the core, glutes, hamstrings as well as shoulder stability. In short it is a great all round exercise and if you use kettlebells then you must try this exercise.
As you know I love your feedback and comments. If you use this exercise regularly or something similar then why not let me know using the blog below.
Thanks for reading
Stay healthy & have fun
P.S I still have some places left on my upcoming Strength Training for Endurance athlates webinar. Click here to reserve your place
You might remember that a couple of weeks ago I posted a video demonstrating the riding technique for pushing big gears.
Last week I was in Lanzarote with 3 other athletes, for some warm weather training. If you’ve never been to this particular Canarian Island you’ll know that there are 3 things that you can pretty much guarantee at any time of the year: Warm weather, Wind, Hills
The last 2 gave me the perfect opportunity to practice my “quiet” hill climbing technique.
As I was cycling up my umpteenth hill of the day into a headwind and struggling in my lowest gear I started thinking of how much strength benefit there would be for my future fitness.
Riding the hills is a great sports specific way to make you stronger but what if you don’t live near any hills?
No problem. Here is a 10 week programme which requires you to do a strength workout once per week alongside your other bike workouts (If you are a triathlete I’d recommend the following -1 x endurance session (2-3 hrs), 1 x Vo2 max session (1hr) 1 x strength session (see below)
Please remember that these workouts will place extra strain on the ligaments & tendons of the knees so as with any other conventional strength training programme, it’s important to start at a low intensity and build up slowly. This session can be done on an indoor trainer or outdoors on your road or mountain bike
Warm up – Always ride for 20-30 minutes, steadily building the intensity to 85% of max heart rate or 80% FTP (if you use power). Ride at your normal cadence when warming up.
Main set – select a gear that will allow you to maintain 60-70rpm while remaining seated
Start with 10 x 2’ @ 60-70rpm. Stay <85%mhr. Take 60s recovery between efforts. Spin at your normal cadence. The best way to do this is just to drop into the small chainring. (NB these are efforts you can do on an indoor trainer, flat or gently undulating road; No hills needed!!)
Over the following weeks build the sets as
7 x 3’+ 90s recovery,
5 x 4’ + 2’ recovery,
5 x 5’ + 2 ½’ recovery
5 x 6’ + 3’ recovery
6 x 6’ + 2 ½’ recovery
5 x 8’ + 4’ recovery
4 x 10’ + 5’ recovery
3 x 13’ + 7’ recovery
2 x 20’ + 10’ recovery
The added bonus is that because of the prescribed HR intensity you’ll also be targeting the very important part of your aerobic system around what some people talk of as aerobic threshold and which the sports scientists refer to as the first turn point
Cool Down – You’ll have developed a fair amount of lactic acid so make sure you have a minimum of 15-20 minutes easy spinning to cool down
Follow this for the next 3 months and please let me know how you get on. The programme will work especially if you live in the flatter parts of the world
If you have any comments then please post them to the blog below
Stay healthy & have fun
Simon
P.S. We now have 20 week training programmes for every single long distance event in the world. If you dont see it on the list just drop me a line. simon@thetriathloncoach.com
For several years I have coached a triathlete who I would say is a typical age grouper.
At 40 year of age he was running his own business, working 60-70 hours per week, a young family (wife and 3 small children) and averaged about 5-6 hours sleep per night. As a high achieving individual business success was important for him. He brought the same traits into triathlon and was willing to get up at 5am to get in 2-3 hours of training before he started work. He regularly completed 10-12 hours of training per week and by taking care of his diet managed in the main to stay healthy (although prolonged high levels of stress do have a negative impact on the immune system with the result that illness is not far away). He also rarely got injured. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? There was only 1 drawback to all of this; he never really made the gains that his efforts deserved. In training he seemed to make some headway but when it came to racing his performances had plateaued.
At the end of 2010 he sold his business and effectively retired from work (Ok so now this makes him different from you but that’s not the point) he has been able to return to a more normal way of living. The 2 biggest changes are
1. reduced daily stress
2. increased nightly sleep quantity
And, the results of this are that training has been much easier and that both mentally and physically he feels he is now making rapid progress.
If I was to ask you what you thought your constraint was you’d probably say “I’m a poor swimmer” or “my biking sucks”.
I think that for many age group athletes their constraint is stress. Despite regular training of the right dosage progress is slowed or stopped by high stress levels. I haven’t met an athlete yet that has reached his or her peak. If athletes like the Brownlees, Wellington and Jenkins can make gains each year (albeit small ones) then I’m confident that you can too.
The question is “if you are one of those currently under a high stress level how can you make gains as a triathlete?”
1.Get more sleep – Even 30 minutes per night can make a difference. I know many people who don’t go to bed early because they are surfing the internet or channel hoping on TV. It’s just a bad habit. They could go to bed earlier but they don’t. If this is you it’s an easy change to make
2.Reduce your training load - I know this sounds like a ridiculous suggestion but if you aren’t making any gains on your current workload then something has to give. Drop your training load by 10% and use the extra time for recovery. Give it 4-5 weeks and if that doesn’t work drop by another 10%. I’ve always believed that you should do enough training to make improvements and this is particularly important if you are in a bit of a time squeeze.
3.Lower the intensity - High intensity training requires more recovery. Triathlon is an aerobic sport so keeping the intensity below 80% of max heart rate will still improve your fitness but you’ll be able to get a better recovery. I’m not suggesting this as your long term strategy but certainly while you are under a lot of stress this will help
4.Alter your workout schedule – For example if you have a 3 week build and 1 week recovery then try 2 build + 1 recovery. If you are currently on this then try 10 days build & 4 recovery
Alternatively have an easy day after every moderate or hard day of training. Add an extra rest day per week. You could try rotating your training so that you spend 1 week focussing on say swimming and maintaining your fitness in the other 2 disciplines for 3 weeks and then have a balanced week of lower volume
5.Switch off – yes I know it’s difficult. As a self employed person I’m constantly trying to build my business and that means I think about work 24/7. However I have learned to switch off when I need to. If you can work receive emails on your phone then make it a principle to turn it off at a certain time or at the very least not to look at or respond to those emails. Then find another hobby (not sport related) such as reading, listening to music, cooking that will occupy your mind without requiring physical energy
6.Identify the causes of your stress – some stresses are internal (triathlon training, being a perfectionist) some are external (having to work longer hours to stay in a job). If you can identify the sources of your stress and target the internal ones you may be able to reduce your total stress load.
7.Monitor – It’s very rare that stress remains high for long periods. It goes in cycles. For instance the end of the financial year is a bust and stressful time for accountants. But it does end. If you can identify time so of likely high stress in advance you can then adjust your training to cope. Also monitor your responses and if it all looks to be heading into the red zone again you can take action before you get ill.
You may have seen the XtraNormal cartoons where the triathlete is trying to justify to a friend (non triathlete) why they do such large volumes of training.
The friend says
“Why do you do so much training when you work so many hours and don’t get any sleep”
The response is
“Because I am a triathlete”
heres an example of the cartoons
I think we find these funny because we see these traits in other athletes but not ourselves. We constantly keep bashing our bodies with inappropriate training loads and wondering why we don’t make any progress. The solutions are simple common sense but as they say sometimes common sense isn’t so common.
If you found this article useful or have any comments or suggestions then please post them to the blog.
If you have friends who you think may benefit then please FEEL FREE to forward it on. I’m also happy for you to post these blogs on to your own personal or club blogs just as long as you provide some sort of link back to me
Stay healthy & have fun
P.S. we now have a 20 week programme for every single long and middle distance event in the world. You can find the link here.
If you don’t see your race, then please contact me. There is a programme!
I really enjoyed my Christmas and New Year break but I love getting back into a routine, not just at work, but also in my training.
At this time of year my thoughts start to turn from heavy weights to total body conditioning and one of the best ways to achieve this type of workout in a short space of time is by using kettle-bells.
After the last video featuring the kettle-bell swing received some good feedback so today I’m going to demonstrate an advancement on this exercise – the kettle-bell snatch.
Again, its a total body conditioner, but this one requires just a little bit more coordination and technical skill, especially in the final part of the movement.
You’ll see what I mean when you view the video.
If you have kettle-bells then why not give it a try this weekend and then let me know how you get on
An exciting announcement
I’ve almost completed my Strength & Conditioning programme for endurance athletes. Its going to be a monthly programme delivered through Training Peaks. Each session will have full detail including instructions for each exercises, videos and full prescription of sets and reps. Everyone will have the same programme but I’ll also give you guidance on how to alter it for your own requirements. Workouts will change throughout the year to reflect the seasonal nature of your sports.
There will be up to 3 weekly sessions and the cost will be £4.99 per month.
Why the low cost?
I agree. £4.99 per month is an absolute bargain, even if I do say so myself. I charge my personal training clients £45 per hour for this type of information. There are 2 reasons
1. I’m absolutely passionate about strength & conditioning for endurance athletes. I wrote my first article for 220 magazine back in 1995 and since then I’ve been promoting it whenever i get the chance. I just want to try and get as many people following a structured programme as possible
2. In 2012 I’m going to try and deliver as much value as possible, to as many athletes as possible. I’ll let you be the judge of whether I succeed. I’ll give you a money back guarantee with the programme. If you are not totally satisfied with either the programme or the results you can have all of your money back… but I ain’t gonna let that happen!!
Why am I doing this
I know from talking to many endurance athletes that they are aware they should be doing some form of strength & conditioning…but they don’t. There are a number of reason for this but the most popular excuses are
Lack of knowledge about what they should be doing
Lack of knowledge and confidence about how to do the exercises
Lack of time in their busy schedules
So, if I provide you with the what, when, how to and how much the only action you have to carry out is to do the actual training.
I’ve got places for only 200 athletes and I’m pretty sure that demand will be quite high so this email is the first opportunity you have to pre register for the programme. All you have to do is email me at the following address simon@thetriathloncoach.com and your place will be guaranteed when I open the programme.
Stay healthy & have fun
They say that the definition of madness is to do the same thing over again and expect different results.
For many endurance athletes this form of madness is often displayed in the early part of the training season as they start to build volume and intensity. Full time athletes have more scope to do this because it’s their job and training is their priority. For the rest of us, and I’d suggest the majority of readers of this blog, there are other commitments in the week besides training. These might include – work, family, friends, social etc. and each of these adds to the stress that the individual has to cope with.
If you keep adding to this stress by increasing training load then this can and often does lead to either injury or illness or if you are particularly unlucky both at the same time.
Some athletes I know experience this same pattern every year!
Same approach = same result = Madness
So, I’m advocating a different approach to your training in 2012.
I’d be willing to bet that among those of your reading there won’t be many who went through 2011 without missing a few days through injury and some more with a cold or other illness. Not only is it extremely frustrating to have your progress halted just as you feel you are getting some where but, if you have too long off then your fitness backslides (which is why many athletes try to keep training through illness/injury which in some cases just prolongs or even worsens the problem). It just takes longer to get to where you want to be.
Instead of thinking about how you can add volume or intensity to your training look at how you can make your training more consistent. Here are some ideas to help you
If you can introduce a few of the suggestions above then you’ll be “smart” about your training.
I get many requests each week from athletes who want to up their training load but very few (in 15 years) asking how they can be smarter.
If you really want to break away from the peloton in 2012 be smart not mad.
Stay healthy & Have fun
PS If you are racing long (140.6 or 70.3) in 2012 DID YOU KNOW that we now have a “done for you” programme for every single race in the world. Just click here to view them all
If you dont see it on the list then just ask.
On Wednesday December 21 Chrissie Wellington came to Leeds to take part in the Run with Chrissie 5k in aid of the Jane Tomlinson appeal
After the run and a 60 minute coaching session by myself, Steve Worthington and Rob Harvey, Chrissie then signed autographs and then gave a wonderful, articulate and motivating presentation on what it takes to be a World Champion.
Below are my notes on the presentation and some of Chrissies ideas
Chrissie started off by saying that she never wanted to get to the end of her career and wonder what if.. so she took a calculated risk in turning professional after just 12 months in the sport
Later on she came back to say What’s your dream?
On training I didn’t hear her talk about doing anything revolutionary but what she does is to make sure everything is done 100%.. Everyday
When ever she is asked about how many hours training she completed per week she often replies 168 hours
So, there is the physiological training which probably occupies 25-35 hours per week but then even when she’s not engaged in these everything else she does is geared towards making these hours as productive as possible
For example – eating (which involves choosing the right food for refuelling and repair), stretching, relaxing, sleeping, planning) she admits to being anally retentive and obsessive but in my experience this could apply to most successful athletes in a range of sports and similar traits are shared by the most successful entrepreneurs and entertainers.
Her philosophies for training include
Make sure you have a coach or at least an advisor
Keep it simple (I very much agree with this – too many athletes spend too much time worrying about HR or power zones and not just getting on with the training
Make it individual
Be consistent but be prepared to be flexible
Have key sessions that you do each week
Take a holistic approach
Place more emphasis on nutrition and on training the brain (psychological interventions)
Make sure you include Strength & conditioning year round (I’ve been promoting this for 15 or more years so it’s nice that the world champion echoes my thoughts. Chrissie felt that her running improvements of the last 2 years have been influenced by extra gym time)
Year round her programme looks very similar so that she knows that she has the same sessions each day of the week. The only thing that does change is the intensity and duration depending upon the time of year and her race plan.
As I said earlier there’s nothing earth shattering here and she follows the basic principles of training that I have written about previously.
Most of you were probably nodding as you read them but the difference is that Chrissie actually follows these principles every minute of the day
On Injury Chrissie gets injuries like anyone else although in recent years most of hers have come from bike crashes. She pushes herself hard and says that you shouldn’t fear injury or illness. They are part of your development. The difference for pro athletes is that this is their job. For age groupers I’m not sure that pushing to the absolute limit is necessarily the right thing but for Chrissie and her peers they don’t want to get to the end of their careers and wonder what if (see my first sentence)
Lessons from injury
Get good medical diagnosis ASAP and then learn as much as possible about your injury/condition. (E.g. she gave the example that caffeine limits absorption of calcium so if you have a broken bone that healing you may want to consider reducing or giving this up for a time
Focus more on what training you can do than what you can’t. E.g. a broken rib stopped her running so she replicated exactly here run sessions on the elliptical trainer (I’ve long promoted either the rowing ergo or deep water running as viable alternatives for when injured)
Every apparent catastrophe provides opportunity. It’s up to you to find it!!
On rest & recovery
This is a massive part of her life (168hours in the week – 40 hours training means she focuses on this for 128 hours.
She doesn’t necessarily have rest days because as a full time athlete she can get a lot of rest between workouts. However she did emphasise that age group athletes would be advised to take a rest day each week
Her end of season recovery was 4-6 weeks with 2 weeks (usually after Hawaii) of just being active and then another 4 weeks of very light unstructured training. Lots of emphasis on this!! (Age group athletes take note after 10-11 months of hard training you can probably afford at least 4 weeks of easy stuff).
Sleep, massage and the ability to switch off (don’t dwell on bad sessions, just move on) all rated very highly as did the use of compression and elevation for recovery
Nutrition were also key components for recovery as well as performance
On race nutrition
She works on the basis of 1g carbs/kg of bodyweight/hour
Uses caffeine gels especially on the run
On interesting point she made was that her handlebar mounted water bottle only ever has about 4-5cm of water in as a full bottle affects the handling characteristics of the front end of the bike
On training the brain
Uses visualisation a lot – What’s your dream?
Makes lost of lists to make sure she’s prepared for eventuality – creates peace of mind which builds confidence
Runs and cycles parts of the race course wearing an iPod and listening to music. Each part of the course has a different tune. On race day she then sings the song that relates to that part of the course
Break race into small segments
Stay in the moment (Paula Newby Fraser used to talk about this. Avoid thinking about the run while you are still on the bike. Don’t let yourself be distracted for too long. Be aware of what happening at that moment. If you feel bad work out why and then how to change things to feel better
Gain energy form spectators & other athletes
Learn to suffer (I heard Gordo Byrn mention this once. He actually planned events leading up to his big race where hi sole purpose was to suffer as much as possible) Then on race day recall how your were able to cope
Remember goal motivation for actually doing the race
Race for a cause
SMILE
Retain a perspective (Chrissie talked about how she did a standard distance race and came 5th and was gutted… but it gave her a kick up the ass and she built from there. Remember that out of every apparent catastrophe there is opportunity… if you can find it
In summary
A fantastic presentation delivered with Chrissies usual good humour and articulation.
She is a very inspiring person and certainly everyone in the room was buzzing when she had finished. As a coach I felt that she didn’t mention anything that I hadn’t heard before. What was nice was to hear that she endorses and follows the basic principles of training.
As I wrote earlier, most people will have heard a lot of this information before. But that’s probably as far as it goes. Chrissie actually does all of this stuff and when you link that to an iron will and good genes you get a world champion.
You may think you don’t have the advantage of good genes but if you were able to carry out even half of what’s in this article on a daily basis you’ll take a massive leap forward.
Perhaps that something to think about for 2012
Thanks for all of your support in 2011. I’ve really enjoyed providing you with the blogs and videos.
For those of us in the UK 2012 will be a massive year. Lets do all we can to enjoy it
Stay healthy & have fun in the festive season.
This week I’m back in the gym and because it’s Christmas I thought I’d show you a whole series of exercises in this weeks video.
They are all based around the “plank”, an exercise which ought to be at the heart of any athletes strength & conditioning routine
If you’ve been doing the plank for a while you may have wondered if there were any variations or advancements.
In the video below I’ll show you 6 alternatives that you can try out.
Enjoy the video
If you like this video please click the like button either on YouTube or just send it on to your friends. If you have any comments about the routine or you have any requests or suggestions for future videos then please post them to the blog below
Stay healthy & have fun
P.S.If January marks the start of your winter training then try my winter base programme. I’ve added a 12 week version which will get you in great shape for the end of March. Please click here to get more details
As I promised you last week here are some sessions which you can use to target the various energy zones in triathlon
If I was to give you a comprehensive list then it would be a War & Peace style article. I haven’t the time to do that and I suspect that you haven’t the time to read it either
Winter Training
My philosophy at the moment is that during the winter you should be aiming to develop your aerobic capacity. This means that your key sessions should be something to target Vo2 max (above 90-92% of max heart rate) and that the rest of your training should be below 80% max heart rate
I’m going to use heart rate to identify training zones for this article as I think that measurement will apply to the majority of readers
Not withstanding my comment above I still think you need to target other training zones (anaerobic threshold – 85-90%mhr) and upper aerobic (80-85%mhr) during training but not in large quantities (that’s for a later stage in training)
You must also include some speed work in there to train/retain the ability to operate at high cadence.
This applies equally to athletes targeting the shorter distance events as well as the longer ones.
Vo2 max
Generally 3-5 minute efforts so that your finishing heart rate after each rep is above 90% of maximum. Basically these feel like maximal efforts with shortish recovery intervals
Swim
(Use 400m TT pace. Divide by 2 so you get a 200m pace and then add 3-4s this is your target time. For 100s use the same method but add 2s to your 400m split)
9 x 200 as 1 Vo2 + 40s/1 Ez + 20s, 2 x Vo2 + 40s/1 EZ + 20s, 3 x Vo2 + 40s/1 EZ + 20s –The EZ reps should be at a very leisurely pace.
OR
16 x 100 as 4 x [3 Vo2 max + 30s/ 1 EZ + 20s].
Over 6-8 weeks build to 8 x 200 Vo2 max + 40s and 15 x 100m Vo2 max + 30s
Bike
5 x 3 minutes + 3 minutes EZ spin recovery.
Over 6-8 weeks build to 5 x 5 minutes + 3 mins recovery
Run
5 x 800m (or 3 mins whichever arrives quicker) + 60s recovery
OR
8-10 x 400m + 40s
You can also do these off a turnaround so if you can run 400s at Vo2 max pace in 85s then start every 2 minutes
Try to space these workouts through the week so that they are not on either the same day or consecutive days
Endurance
This is at the other end of the spectrum. These sessions provide the filler between the high intensity work. They are long in duration at moderate efforts and promote fatigue through volume, rather than intensity. This type of work improves fat metabolism, creates more capillaries and increases blood volume. Do not underestimate its benefit to your overall fitness
Be strict about your intensity (HR monitors and Power meters can be used to cap intensity rather than provide target zones) and focus on good technique.
Swim
2-4km sets broken down to anything from 500-1500m. Swim at a pace 10-12s per 100m slower than your 400m best
Bike
2-4 hours of riding (Road or MTB – I don’t think it’s really that crucial at this stage of the season especially if the weather is bad) just aim to ride at about 65-75% max heart rate with the average at around 70% (you’ll go higher on hills and lower on descents)
I also don’t think you need to go for longer in the winter unless it’s unusually warm. When you get cold it can lower your immune response and also seems to take longer to recover
Run
1-2 hours at sociable talking pace
General
Train at a higher intensity (<80%mhr) on shorter sessions (Run <1hour, bike<2 hours) and then easier on the longer ones. Avoid the temptation to do too much above 80% mhr. As I mentioned earlier that is for a later stage in the training calendar
To target strength in the pool use a pull buoy and for biking and running head for the hills but work on good technique
Strength work will also push you into the 80-90% mhr zones, enough to maintain your conditioning at this level but without creating too much fatigue rather than aiming to get your heart rate too high; this will happen naturally.
Gym
This is another key foundation stone of winter training
Aim to get to the gym at least twice per week, three times if you can.
Workouts must be no longer than 30 minutes and don’t go to failure; you don’t want to overtrain
Don’t worry too much about boosting maximal strength or muscle size. Rather you must focus on injury prevention. Choosing exercises which develop core strength and total body conditioning. Think movements rather than muscles when making exercise choices.
Overall
Keep the training volume at a level you can maintain for a good 10-12 weeks without pushing yourself to the absolute limit.
As far as possible have a similar schedule each week with the same sessions on the same days.
Your high intensity sessions (Vo2 max) can get a little harder each week so that there is some overload but not too much. Within reason you can add a bit to your volume but eventually you’ll reach your acceptable limit.
I prefer just to get a solid block of 10-12 hour for 10 weeks allowing my schedule to ebb and flow with work levels but ALWAYS having consistent training and good health at the heart
If you have alternatives to my suggestion then please share them with the group. As you know I love to hear from you.
Stay healthy & have fun
PS If you are “going long” next year please check out my long distance training plans
Recently I blogged about the “10 nutrition rules” and I received plenty of feedback. There’s obviously a lot interest in this subject.
Nutrition for performance is paramount but I’m always surprised by the number of endurance athletes who have high workout levels so that they can seemingly eat with impunity.
Chocolate, cakes, biscuits and alcohol seem to be a part of many a triathlete’s diet and it’s only these high volumes of exercise that keep their weight at artificially low levels. If you don’t believe me then listen to their comments when they get injured or ill or how guilty they feel for having “a day off”.
The key to healthy weight levels is not extreme volumes of training but some carefully thought out strategies which are then applied on a daily basis
I thought I’d raise your awareness about some “lean eating” strategies written by the coaches at Precision Nutrition (www.precisionnutrition.com).
These are also very topical as I’m sure that many of you will be relaxing the training levels and indulging yourself over the Christmas holiday. Once we get to January 2 thoughts of summer racing will return as will the need to get down to a decent racing weight. Here are the strategies which I have adapted slightly for endurance athletes.
1 Eat slowly.
Check your watch. Start eating. When you’re done, check your watch again. How long did it take you?
My guess: not long enough.
Your goal is at least 15 to 20 minutes per meal. You need that long in order to taste your food properly, and to let your body tell your brain that you’re full.
Put your utensils down between bites. Chew properly. Savour what you’re eating. Enjoy it. Spend time with it. You’ll enjoy food more, and get leaner to boot.
2 Eat until you’re “80% full”.
What the heck does that mean? It means you eat until you’re just satisfied. Until you’re no longer physically hungry. Instead of “stuffed” or “full”. Don’t get hung up on exactly what “80% full” is, or whether you’re getting to “75%” or “88%”. Shoot for the general idea.
Remember: eat s-l-o-w-l-y. Be patient with “80% full”. It takes practice. But once you get the hang of learning your physical (rather than your social or psychological) hunger cues, this one will be a breeze.
3 Get your 5 hours. Make them count.
(This isn’t a practical tip for serious triathletes but it does work if you are just aiming to maintain fitness, so its ideal for the Christmas holidays when you have more social commitments.)
Sure, you could drill yourself into the ground with long, gut-busting workouts. But why?
As we’ve proven, you can get great results with about 5 hours of exercise per week.
The trick? Make those hours count.
Our suggestion:
1. 3 days a week, weight train for about 45 minutes. Choose complex exercises with lots of moving parts that give you bang for your buck, such as:
• pull ups/pulldowns, rows
• push ups, presses
• squats, deadlifts, lunges
• hip hinges (i.e. swings)
Think movements rather than body parts. Think quality rather than quantity. Put some tough stuff together in a circuit and give ’er.
2. 2 days a week, do sprint intervals (or do the equivalent, such as intervals on a rower) for about 15 minutes.
3. Do about 10 minutes of warm up and mobility work every day.
4. Fill in the rest of the time with “active recovery”: gentle, moderate movement such as walking, swimming, yoga, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and just plain old “stay moving”.
4 Sleep.
Sleep changes your hormone balance and your recovery ability. This changes how your body responds to nutrients, exercise, and stress.
The more sleep you get, the leaner you are. The less sleep you get, the fatter, weaker, and sicker you’re eventually likely to be. At least 1-2 hours before bed, turn off the TV, computer, and cell phone. Darken the room. And get ready to sleep yourself lean. Aim for 7½ – 9 hours per night
5 Pay attention.
If you’re struggling to change bad habits, start by becoming aware of what you’re doing, thinking, and feeling (both physically and emotionally). We call this noticing and naming. You can’t change something if you’re clueless. So tune in. Paying attention also makes your performance better. For example:
• If you eat slowly and mindfully, conscious of every bite, you’ll probably eat less but enjoy your food more.
• If you train carefully, with a plan, you’ll probably do your exercises correctly, with a clear focus, and stay uninjured.
• If you notice what “triggers” you into unwanted behaviours, you can “break the chain” and choose a different path.
(This is what I call mentally present and is a good habit to learn for your training as well as your eating)
6 Forget “willpower” and “motivation”.
Change your environment and your systems. And get social support.
Willpower is a very limited and unreliable bank account. Never count on it. Ever!
Instead, build an environment, a system, and a support network that helps you get to your goals.
• If food is in your house, you’ll eat it. So don’t have that food in your house.
• If your gym is horribly inconvenient, you won’t go. So make it convenient, or buy some weights for home. And meet a friend to work out.
• If you wait till you feel full of energy to work out, you’ll never do it. So schedule it like an appointment.
• If you’re surrounded by people who don’t support your goals, you’ll have a tougher uphill journey than a spawning salmon. So take a class, join a group, say hi to other fit folks in your gym, and build a strong social support network of fit and healthy people. (for triathletes think about training with a group instead of on your own and also finding people who will sort your ambitious racing goals rather than tell you it cant be done)
7 Take action. But do ONE small thing at a time.
Sure, we all love “change everything” moments like winning the lottery. But that ain’t reality.
Forget thinking about change. Forget reading about change. Do change. Act. Now.
The only way to succeed at anything is to take action now — ONE small step at a time. Trust us.
Today, what is ONE, very, very small action you can do to move towards the change you want? What could you do in the next three minutes? Today?
Do that one small thing. High 5 yourself. Check in each day and make sure you’re doing it. Then, next week, do another very small thing. Only one. High 5 yourself again.
Repeat until ripped and awesome. It’s just that simple!
There you have it. 7 nutritional habit strategies and not one of them suggests cutting out “bad foods” or eating more vegetables. Just give them a try and please come back and tell me how you are getting on
Stay healthy & have fun
If you are interested in how nutrition can impact your performance and would like to learn more about Precision Nutrition please visit their website www.Precisionnutrition.com
