Training questions

[Anna]

I am having some major training/scheduling questions. I thought maybe some of you that are more experienced would be willing to advise me

Ok here is the deal. I did my first tri in 2006 and did a handful of sprints and 1 or 2 olympic distances between then and 2009. I grew up swimming and thats pretty much all I did until after my first tri. After that I just sort of ran cause it was kind of fun but there was no real thought put into other than: I am running way too fast or way too slow. As for the biking, I would ride maybe the week of a tri and that is about it (although I have always loved riding the trainer, which is the opposite emotion I hear everyone else use...) 2 summers ago I got the ban on open water swimming (from my neurologist, because of a seizure). Without being able to swim, and be one of the first out of the water, I really couldnt bring myself to do any bi/duathlons. So I spent this past summer on my bike and developed a serious love affair with that thing. Actually it was so much riding so suddenly that I gave myself a nice case of plantar fasciitis, and as a result hardly ran at all the whole summer. That seems to be clearing up enough to be able to run now. I want to do some duathlons next summer and hopefully some bike racing. At the same time, I would like to be able to improve my running...So I guess my question is, how do you cram in all this working out and still benefit from it? I feel like if I run, ride or swim as much as people say I need to, my legs will just be dead all the time. I currently ride the trainer 2x a week, somewhere between 1-2 hours (usually on the longer side unless Im pressed for time, or doing a brick), I run on the treadmill 2-3x a week (cant stand it but its easier on my feet for now) somewhere between 3-6 miles, maybe only 2 or 3 if I hop off the trainer and get right on the treadmill, and I swim about 3 times a week. The swimming is kind of worthless since I cant even do open water but I'm a swimmer and sometimes it just feels good to get in the water and loosen up. Plus I was banned from ALL swimming until a couple months ago so Im just happy to be back in the pool (runners, imagine if you werent allowed to run for over a year). So basically I guess I need some advice on how to keep my bike fitness up AND improve my running at the same time. To give you an idea of what kind of runner I am, I would be thrilled to run a half marathon under 2 hours. I kind of fall apart at about mile 10 every time...I blame it on all those years of swimming I keep trying to make a training calendar for myself, or just how much of each discipline I should be doing each week, but then I come up with questions I dont know the answers to. Like today, thought I should do a run but I rode the trainer for 2 hours last night, do you run after that or skip a day?

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated

[MarkD]

Here's an approach that's worked for me (improvement in all three sports every year) -

3 workouts per week in each sport.

1 long
1 tempo
1 interval

That's a total of 9 workouts. If you are weak in any one sport - throw an extra one in (maybe as a brick). If you space 'em out right - you should get some good rest periods in for the legs. Commit to at least one rest day per week (i.e. no swim/bike/run). In addition - periodize the workouts over the year, so that your are getting some rest weeks in - typically we build over a 3 week period, then take a down week to promote recovery (are you familiar with periodization).

Here's some olympic distance training we kicked around last year...

clevetriclub.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=advice&action=display&thread=5189

If your legs are especially trashed due to a hard workout - an easy spin on the trainer the next day for an hour does wonders.

[Anna]

That helps a lot. Thanks Durno!

[Janet E]

Anna, for what it is worth, one thing I did much of last year was I alternated bike / run focus weeks. Say I do running speedwork tuesday, tempo thursday and a long run sunday. If I were to do 3 very focused bike workouts Monday, Wed, Sat, I could not hit the key runs the next day as my legs were dead. So every other week, I alternated biking / running focus (still doing the workouts but either shorter or less intense) so I could hit the planned key workouts for that week which were either run or bike focus. (I swam as much as I could make myself as that is not my strong suit.)

And also like MD mentioned, I typically did a 3 week build, 1 recovery.

[jimdehner]

Anna - Mark is giving you some good advice - the one thing I would add is to consider each month (4 weeks) a building block - do the 3 week build then take a real recovery week - like 50% volume - then start the next block at about your week 2 level from the previous month and build from there -

[philjolliff]

Agree with everything above, all great people to take advice from. I'll add that CONSISTENCY is probably one of the most important things to strive for - develop a daily/weekly routine and stick to it when life allows.

[Aussie Rob]

Reddy said something to me a few years ago that really helped.

It's not about stringing workouts, or days together. You need to string WEEKS together. Do that and you'll improve. I know that's general advice, but coupled with something like Durno's plan will pay big dividends.

I will tell you to never, ever, neglect speed work. Ride and run with faster people. The biggest pitfall i see triathletes fall into is a lack of intensity for sheer volume. Nothing makes you stronger in any discipline than beating your former self to death with it....even if your former self is only one workout old.

Ride/run lots, and when you go hard, really go hard.