Here’s the challenge. You like running and are intrigued by triathlon. Or you like triathlon, but would feel you have the potential to be a better racer.
What if you want to do both? Is it realistic to think that you can achieve running and triathlon personal bests in the same season? Absolutely. You can do more than you think you can, better than you think you can. Believe it.
More to the point: the better runners always finish higher in triathlon results. You need to be a better runner to be a better triathlete.
Want to get better at both? Here’s the recipe, in three phases.
Running Phase 1: January through May
Between January and May, I tend to an average six hours training time per week. My training mix is roughly 55% running, 30% biking and 15% swimming. Running is the focus, cycling serve as great cross training, and a little swimming helps to break things up. This approach prepares me for solid Spring running races.
This part of the year is already behind you, but thanks to Chicago winters, which favor running, you’re probably in good running shape. You’re perfectly set for the Triathlon Phase.
Triathlon Phase: June through mid-September
With a solid running base in place, transition to biking as your primary training focus beginning in June, to carry a strong running and biking base into summer triathlons. The days are warmer and longer, allowing more hours for longer training rides and outdoor swimming.
Two days after a late May Marathon, I start my intense cycling season in preparation for triathlons. After your last running race in early summer, you should too.
Longer, warmer days in summer allow more training time without compromising priorities like family and work. I aim to average about 10 hours weekly training in the summer, with early weekday morning rides, and a long ride on the weekend.
The mix of swim, bike and running training should shift directly, with running and cycling almost trading direct emphasis: biking 60%, running 30%, and swimming 10%. I probably underemphasize swimming more than you should; it’s a personal preference. Modify as needed, but keep cycling top priority.
You can make nearly every day a cycling training day. In summer, add runs to the end of your cycling workouts for extra endurance training, and great preparation for the actual triathlon experience.
About once every two weeks, also toss in what I call a ‘speed bike/run’ session to simulate race conditions. Pick a cycling distance – I like 40 miles – and time-trial it, ride as fast as you can. Immediately after finishing, transition to a run; I like 10k. Run that as fast as possible, too. Because you’ve had a great running season already, you’ll be speedy. Note your time. Try to beat it the next time, and the next.
By the time your triathlon races arrive, you’ll be ready to tear up the course.
Running Phase 2: Mid-September through December
Chicago offers great Fall running races. Take advantage of them. And you’ll be more than ready to unleash the stronger runner you’ve become. With strong cycling legs from the Summer, and continued running speed from the Spring, you can be a double threat of endurance.
With a solid triathlon training mix, and a good running season already behind you, now is the time to fine tune. Daylight is declining, there are fewer hours in the day, so I shoot to average about six hours training per week, as in the first part of the year. But the training mix, this time, is much more balanced: 50% running, 45% cycling, 5% swimming.
To do well in these Fall running races, your focus should be on a mix of speed work, intervals and long runs. Use cycling as longer recovery workouts. You might want to trade some time for swimming, I only swim rarely when my legs really need the break.
Don’t be surprised to find yourself running personal bests in the Fall running season. You’ll have been through two phases of running and triathlon training to result increasingly better conditioning, strength and speed. In many years, that’s been my experience, and it can be yours too.
The Year in Review
Yes, you can have it all. You can deliver solid running and triathlon performances in the same year.
All you need is a schedule that allows you to build your strength and performance throughout the year. Follow this realistic training plan, and you can get the best of both — and become a better runner and triathlete this season.
Getting Razor Sharp: Periodization
Time to sharpen your training to be ready for your next triathlon.
Haven’t been as diligent in your training the last few weeks? Have you been thinking that the season was still far in the future, with plenty of time to prepare? Time’s up.
But don’t worry, what’s past is past. Let’s focus on getting you ready for that summer triathlon. And the good news is that there’s plenty of daylight and great weather ahead to allow great workouts.
First, let’s talk about how you’ll approach your training in the next eight weeks. Next, I’ll describe suggested week-by-week training volumes. Finally, I’ll provide some suggested workouts to slot into your schedule.
Periodization
I’ve found the best way to ramp training is in four week periods, with each week increasing in time and volume. This concept is called periodization. It allows you to concentrate only on the four-week block, and allows the body to acclimatize to increasing levels of training.
Week 1: the lowest volume week in terms of time and distance. Your workouts can blend distance, intervals, hills and recovery, but you should feel like you could be training more. Don’t worry, you will soon.
Week 2: you’ll add up to two hours to the week one volume. You’ll take your workouts a little longer. That long run may be 30 minutes longer, that long ride might add an hour. Also you want to increase the intensity over the longer workouts.
Week 3: add another hour or two. Start focusing on not just covering more distance in more time, but these workouts should be completed with attention paid to speed. You almost want to be racing several of these workouts. The distances should begin approximating the distance you’ll experience in your triathlon, e.g., 25 mile bike rides if you’re preparing for an Olympic Distance race.
Week 4: your peak week. Add another hour or two, this time combining workouts. Do a 25 mile ride followed by an easy 5k run to practice what you’ll experience in a race. Or swim, then hop on your bike. You’re going long and simulating race conditions.
After week 4, return to week 1, which will serve as a recovery week.
Finding the Time
We all have real lives, families, jobs, and commitments that challenge our training aspirations. It can be hard to find the time to train as much as we want.
The good news is that during summer months, sunrises that approach 5am will allow you to find an early morning hour or two to train without interfering with everything else. I tend to do three or four of these early morning workouts, then one long effort, usually a training ride, on the weekend.
I train for Ironman triathlons, but you can compete in Sprint or Olympic Distance triathlons on as little as half the time. The more time you train, the faster you can be. And the more you can transition the workouts toward speed, the better off you’ll be.
Workouts
During this part of the training season, start narrowing your training to core routes and distances that can be timed, repeated and compared. You want to see improvement in these routes, so track the results of each workout: time, distance and even heart rate. You want to see more distance in less time, less time for lower heart rate. All are signs you’re improving.
For early mornings, I have two set bike routes – a 25 miler and a 34 miler – and I want to be faster each time I ride them. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, and that’s fine. But the point is, have clearly set bike training routes, and focus on improvement.
Also, pick well-measured run distances that you know well. I have a 10k, 8.5 mile, 13.1 mile loops. Find the three that work for you, and repeat, recognizing your improvement each time.
A favorite two hour early morning summer workout is what I call a ‘speed brick’: I ride 25 miles as fast as I can, really pushing it, then jump off the bike and run 6.2 miles, also gunning it. It’s work, but highly satisfying to finish it all in less than two hours, before the work day is done. These speed bricks have made me a better triathlete, they can do the same for you.
Have Fun
Most important, while you’re out there training, have fun. Enjoy the great weather, enjoy your improving fitness and health, enjoy being more ready than ever for your next race.
Haven’t been as diligent in your training the last few weeks? Have you been thinking that the season was still far in the future, with plenty of time to prepare? Time’s up.
But don’t worry, what’s past is past. Let’s focus on getting you ready for that summer triathlon. And the good news is that there’s plenty of daylight and great weather ahead to allow great workouts.
First, let’s talk about how you’ll approach your training in the next eight weeks. Next, I’ll describe suggested week-by-week training volumes. Finally, I’ll provide some suggested workouts to slot into your schedule.
Periodization
I’ve found the best way to ramp training is in four week periods, with each week increasing in time and volume. This concept is called periodization. It allows you to concentrate only on the four-week block, and allows the body to acclimatize to increasing levels of training.
Week 1: the lowest volume week in terms of time and distance. Your workouts can blend distance, intervals, hills and recovery, but you should feel like you could be training more. Don’t worry, you will soon.
Week 2: you’ll add up to two hours to the week one volume. You’ll take your workouts a little longer. That long run may be 30 minutes longer, that long ride might add an hour. Also you want to increase the intensity over the longer workouts.
Week 3: add another hour or two. Start focusing on not just covering more distance in more time, but these workouts should be completed with attention paid to speed. You almost want to be racing several of these workouts. The distances should begin approximating the distance you’ll experience in your triathlon, e.g., 25 mile bike rides if you’re preparing for an Olympic Distance race.
Week 4: your peak week. Add another hour or two, this time combining workouts. Do a 25 mile ride followed by an easy 5k run to practice what you’ll experience in a race. Or swim, then hop on your bike. You’re going long and simulating race conditions.
After week 4, return to week 1, which will serve as a recovery week.
Finding the Time
We all have real lives, families, jobs, and commitments that challenge our training aspirations. It can be hard to find the time to train as much as we want.
The good news is that during summer months, sunrises that approach 5am will allow you to find an early morning hour or two to train without interfering with everything else. I tend to do three or four of these early morning workouts, then one long effort, usually a training ride, on the weekend.
I train for Ironman triathlons, but you can compete in Sprint or Olympic Distance triathlons on as little as half the time. The more time you train, the faster you can be. And the more you can transition the workouts toward speed, the better off you’ll be.
Workouts
During this part of the training season, start narrowing your training to core routes and distances that can be timed, repeated and compared. You want to see improvement in these routes, so track the results of each workout: time, distance and even heart rate. You want to see more distance in less time, less time for lower heart rate. All are signs you’re improving.
For early mornings, I have two set bike routes – a 25 miler and a 34 miler – and I want to be faster each time I ride them. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, and that’s fine. But the point is, have clearly set bike training routes, and focus on improvement.
Also, pick well-measured run distances that you know well. I have a 10k, 8.5 mile, 13.1 mile loops. Find the three that work for you, and repeat, recognizing your improvement each time.
A favorite two hour early morning summer workout is what I call a ‘speed brick’: I ride 25 miles as fast as I can, really pushing it, then jump off the bike and run 6.2 miles, also gunning it. It’s work, but highly satisfying to finish it all in less than two hours, before the work day is done. These speed bricks have made me a better triathlete, they can do the same for you.
Have Fun
Most important, while you’re out there training, have fun. Enjoy the great weather, enjoy your improving fitness and health, enjoy being more ready than ever for your next race.
Tracking Your Training: Training Log Tips
By Raymond Britt
As I wrote in a cover story for Inside Triathlon magazine — ‘Balancing the Numbers: Getting the Most Out of Your Training Log’ — your training log can be a great motivator as well as a solid tool for assessing your training, from what’s working right to what needs to be improved.
I’ve been tracking my training on a daily basis since 1995, and it’s pretty simple to do, actually. Just enter basic information on a straightforward spreadsheet. You can see examples of my training logs from recent years. And over the years, they tell quite a story.
Yes, you’ll note that the detail and analysis has varied over the years, and at this point I have boiled my training log down to something simple but effective. I’ve made a free shareware version available (as long as it’s not sold or redustributed by the downloader), and it’s on the same Training Logs link. Instructions are included, but be aware that it’s not a sophisticated program, it’s basic and straightforward. Athletes from all over the world have been using it, and they seem pleased with it.
The beginning of the year is a perfect time to start with a training log. But even if you start later, the point is: get started. Good luck.
As I wrote in a cover story for Inside Triathlon magazine — ‘Balancing the Numbers: Getting the Most Out of Your Training Log’ — your training log can be a great motivator as well as a solid tool for assessing your training, from what’s working right to what needs to be improved.
I’ve been tracking my training on a daily basis since 1995, and it’s pretty simple to do, actually. Just enter basic information on a straightforward spreadsheet. You can see examples of my training logs from recent years. And over the years, they tell quite a story.
Yes, you’ll note that the detail and analysis has varied over the years, and at this point I have boiled my training log down to something simple but effective. I’ve made a free shareware version available (as long as it’s not sold or redustributed by the downloader), and it’s on the same Training Logs link. Instructions are included, but be aware that it’s not a sophisticated program, it’s basic and straightforward. Athletes from all over the world have been using it, and they seem pleased with it.
The beginning of the year is a perfect time to start with a training log. But even if you start later, the point is: get started. Good luck.
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