Tom,
If you properly structure a run training program repeating a cycle that brings you to a peak 2-4x (personally I think peaking 4x is waaaay too many per year but I digress) per year, then your net overall fitness will be lifted with each bout of Vo2max training. Think of it this way ~ 6 weeks of just running as much as you can tolerate no LT no Vo2. then ~6-10 weeks of LT THEN ~3-6weeks of Vo2 for your peak. So this brings you from your baseline starting point to level 4. If you had done just running you may have gotten to level 1.5, if you added LT work in maybe 3.25 but to get to level 4 you need to add the Vo2max training. Now that you are are level 4 you can rest ~7-14 days then repeat starting at level say 3.25 with ~ 6weeks of just running then another bout of LT then another bout of Vo2.
If you had not gotten to level 4 but stopped at level 3.25 in the first place you would be back to level 2.75 when you restarted the cycle. Now repeat this cycle again and again and next thing you know you are at 6ish. If you left out Vo2max training you may have only gotten to level 4.5.
The 3:1 structure is primarily based off Friel (or at least he made it common speak in the triathlon world) who based it off of Bompa's work. There is some basis to structure your training so that you flow (build) and rest (ebb). But the majority of AG triathletes are not making all the adaptations to what they are doing in a typical week. If you are trianing 10-14hr per week you are better of just doing that 6 weeks straight then switching something up vs doing a stair step that make look like 10, 12, 16, 8. (really if your volume is ~10-12hr per week having a rest week is short changing yourself) One would be better off just training the maximal amount of hours that they can, and having life force them off their schedule vs designing a rest week. In a well designed program complete rest days are rarely needed and complete rest weeks are hardly ever needed. Life gets in the way and forces you to take days off and have flucuations in the week. Plus most triathletes just fuck up the whole build, build, build rest thing anyway. Who is to say that after 3 weeks you have stopped adapting anyway?
After 100 days of just running, then maybe you can think about adding in ~6-8 weeks of LT work into your running. But the typical triathlete runs too little anyway.
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
If you properly structure a run training program repeating a cycle that brings you to a peak 2-4x (personally I think peaking 4x is waaaay too many per year but I digress) per year, then your net overall fitness will be lifted with each bout of Vo2max training. Think of it this way ~ 6 weeks of just running as much as you can tolerate no LT no Vo2. then ~6-10 weeks of LT THEN ~3-6weeks of Vo2 for your peak. So this brings you from your baseline starting point to level 4. If you had done just running you may have gotten to level 1.5, if you added LT work in maybe 3.25 but to get to level 4 you need to add the Vo2max training. Now that you are are level 4 you can rest ~7-14 days then repeat starting at level say 3.25 with ~ 6weeks of just running then another bout of LT then another bout of Vo2.
If you had not gotten to level 4 but stopped at level 3.25 in the first place you would be back to level 2.75 when you restarted the cycle. Now repeat this cycle again and again and next thing you know you are at 6ish. If you left out Vo2max training you may have only gotten to level 4.5.
The 3:1 structure is primarily based off Friel (or at least he made it common speak in the triathlon world) who based it off of Bompa's work. There is some basis to structure your training so that you flow (build) and rest (ebb). But the majority of AG triathletes are not making all the adaptations to what they are doing in a typical week. If you are trianing 10-14hr per week you are better of just doing that 6 weeks straight then switching something up vs doing a stair step that make look like 10, 12, 16, 8. (really if your volume is ~10-12hr per week having a rest week is short changing yourself) One would be better off just training the maximal amount of hours that they can, and having life force them off their schedule vs designing a rest week. In a well designed program complete rest days are rarely needed and complete rest weeks are hardly ever needed. Life gets in the way and forces you to take days off and have flucuations in the week. Plus most triathletes just fuck up the whole build, build, build rest thing anyway. Who is to say that after 3 weeks you have stopped adapting anyway?
After 100 days of just running, then maybe you can think about adding in ~6-8 weeks of LT work into your running. But the typical triathlete runs too little anyway.
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
Last edited by:
desert dude: Dec 22, 07 13:35