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How much do you train for your IM PB?
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this is a subject that a lot of people are not very truthfull about.
There are those that never seem to train at all but trash everybody in races, hard to believe.
And then there are those that seem to have no life apart from riding their bikes and they always come in last, what's wrong?

Maybe a little survey helps to understand what it takes (on average) to finish, go under 10h or go under 9h.

some notes:
-weekly yoga class and massage doesn't count as training, although it's good for you
-talking to the cute girl at the gym doesn't count either:-)

I know it's hard to come up with average numbers like that but if I take it for what it is, an average, it might tell us something about how to achieve a sertain goal.

Ok;
how many hours a week for your PB? (on average, what race)
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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Interesting Question.

When I was racing seriously I looked at the seaon as a 6 month process to get ready for an Ironman race. Typically for me that was trying to be in peak form for in late August for Ironman Canada. From March through to the end of August my average weekly training over the course of 10 years was about 10 hours.The main goal was to be in sub 9:30 IM shape by late August. I was reasonably successful in this reagrd as I was under 9:30 at IMC 5 out of the 6 times I did the race with a best time of 9:04 in 1992.

The key word above is "average", because in reality if you are doing things right there is no such thing as an average week. I was a big believer in really pouring on the training when time would permit and the body felt good. So there where weeks of 15 - 20 hours of hard training. There were also weeks of only 5 hours of training and a number of weeks with some number of hours in beween. Looking back, there was typically, one over-the-the-top week each month and one week of very light training each month and then two weeks of something in between.

I would start off in March in decent shape after a good winter of cross-country skiing and a modest amount of running. The focus of the training from march onwards would be to concentrate on getting ready to do the goal split times I was shooting for - roughly 1:00/5:00/3:00 for the swim/bike/run. Integral to that was a lot of work at those paces and faster.

Your mileage may vary!


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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seem to hit a hot spot, huh.

90 reviews but just one reply. Probably everybody is scared of giving away their secrets. Training 30h a week, have no life, no friends and still do 16h IM?

Just kidding.

Fleck,

thanks for yout reply because it gives me some support on my attitude of training. People say a lot that I don't train enough for the goals I have, well I always tell them that I'm never injured and I'm very happy at almost every workout I do.

I have a similar training periodization as you do. A lot one week and very little the next. In addition I change focus. One week I do a lot of cycling the next I focus on running. but about 10-12h a week sounds reasonable for an average and I went under 9:30 but would like to get close to 9. I totally changed my run training over the last 2 years and I feel much better, so maybe.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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Believe me, I am giving away no secrets.

It's just very basic, common sense training, that cuts out a lot of the surplus volume and concetrates on what the pace/time goals are for Ironman.

The periodization, both planned and unplanned is huge. Many people just don't get this and keep grinding away week after week semi over-trained and wonder why they don't improve. There is always a big panic, when training is missed. Relax, and come back well rested for the next bit of training. I was coached by one of the best distance running coachs in Canada when I was a teenager. His words to me were make the hard days really hard and make the easy days really easy!

Best wishes.


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:


90 reviews but just one reply. Probably everybody is scared of giving away their secrets. Training 30h a week, have no life, no friends and still do 16h IM?

but about 10-12h a week sounds reasonable for an average and I went under 9:30 but would like to get close to 9. I totally changed my run training over the last 2 years and I feel much better, so maybe.
Well, you're certainly not going to get a huge response now. People will be scared to post their training hours and race times after seeing you guys talk about your sub-9:30 times. Damn, you guys are fast! That said, I did my first IM last year and finished around 11:15. I would like to shave an hour off of that this year. I train on average about 15 hours a week.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [jaylew] [ In reply to ]
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same result here...first IM (USA) 11:20. Ave. hr's per week: 10-12. I would like to be able to take off 20-30 min off my time each year that I do am IM, I should be able to qualify in 2006...who knows though...I don't know if I can get faster??...what if I get slower :-(
I better go run or something.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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My first ironman was 9:58:21 at ironman Canada. I probably averaged 14-16 hours a week from January until the end of May and then around 20 through June and July with my biggest week reaching 25 hours. I went 9:51 in my second ironman with no weeks over 19 and an average closer to 15 but I figure that all the bulk training over the years makes it possible to go faster with less. That said, I plan to be consistently over 20 in preparation for my next one to see if I can take a big chunk of time off.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
-weekly yoga class and massage doesn't count as training, although it's good for you
I beg to differ agret! If, by performing yoga you improve your flexibility you HAVE done important training that may indeed mean the difference between last year's ho-hum race and this year's PB! It doesn't have to hurt to be good training!
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [TriBriGuy] [ In reply to ]
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[/quote]
It doesn't have to hurt to be good training![/reply]

I agree with that completely, but it's just very hard to take that into an average count of hours/week. I saw a lot of people hang out for hours a day at the local swimming pool, playing pros for a year but then they where asking why they where so slow in the race. Yoga was probably a poor example, because I think it actually does help your performance. So let me take that back.

Let me say a little something to the rest of the replies. I know this is a very difficult question to answer, because it strips down a very complicated thing, like training for Ironman to a bulk number. This is something that can't be done otherwise training would be easy, by definition. But I do think, that it gives important information. If you are training 20h/week since 5years and your PB is 11h, you probably do something wrong. That's a exagerated example again, I know.

And about now nobody posting because we where talking 9:30 and 12h/week. That's why I didn't post the numbers in the first place but then nobody gave their numbers.
I have to add to this that I will compete in IM #12 and #13 this year, so you can't expect to do 9:30 with 12h/week in your first couple years.
I didn't finish my first IM, went way too fast. My second and third where around 11h and I do have a couple DNF's on my account too, so it's not that everybody should be able to do sub 9:30 with no more than 12/week, not at all!!!
And again, that's average, that number includes training-camp with 30h/week and then a week or two with almost no training.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Allan] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
My first ironman was 9:58:21 at ironman Canada. I probably averaged 14-16 hours a week from January until the end of May and then around 20 through June and July with my biggest week reaching 25 hours. I went 9:51 in my second ironman with no weeks over 19 and an average closer to 15 but I figure that all the bulk training over the years makes it possible to go faster with less. That said, I plan to be consistently over 20 in preparation for my next one to see if I can take a big chunk of time off.


Allan,

That is the one thing that many of the training programs and other who talk about it seem to neglect. Indeed, it is something that is really hard to measure: That is the cumaltive effect of years and years of training. Before I did my first IM in 1989, I had 5 years of elite level running and almost 10 years of multisport training in me. Making the jump up to doing an IM did not seem that big a deal. I was a little intimidated going in, reading and hearing how much people where training, but the race went really well. I was conservetive and went to finish.

In some/many cases, it's not a question of doing more, it's an issue of getting more out of what you are doing. Particularly, as for just about all of us, we don't have all day to train. For what it's worth over the course of a 10 year period when I did 9 Ironman races, the actual volume of my training decreased, while the time performance in each IM race stayed relativly the same. But again, keeping in mind that nearing the end of that time frame, I now had over 20 years of modestly hard training in me. Key Example: In 1997 I did my last IM race. Looking at the training going into that race, on paper there is no way that I should have gone 9:30, but I did and I atribute that to the years and years of training that I had done prior to that year/race.


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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Good points and I do agree 100%.
But that raises another important question.
Let's say I've done IM racing over a period of 10years and I've improved little by little or cut back volume but can still do similar finishing times.
But now I'd like to have the year of my life and cut a big chunk out of my time. Obviously just increasing the volume again is not the smartest way to go, allthough you might improve but is there a smarter way?
What I'm doing right now is kind of gambling but we'll see, it might work:
I keep my weekly average or total amount of training roughly the same. But I picked my weakest sport, running in my case, and I focused all winter on that and I will keep doing that. I have a big shift from biking hours to running hours. I will sertainly improve my running, I can feel that big times but what I hope, is that I can keep my swim and bike close to what I've done before, with less hours.

seems reasonable or stupid?
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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   Here's my deal. I've done three IMs so far, but haven't been able to train and do one for about five years. When I did the three previous ones, I was coming into the game with about 9 years multisport background. I had read and digested all the appropriate training theory up to that point. But what it came down to was train hard, long and often. I did the Egad-thousand meter swim, Egad-hundred mile bike and Egad mile run weeks, most ever being 30,000 swim, 380 bike, 80 run. I did some focused intensity, but by and large my training amounted to just putting in time in the three disciplines. Accordingly, my PB is 10:48. I know I can do better than that. My PB marathon time alone is 2:54. I'm not slow in any of the disciplines.

So this year I've got the time to train and do another one. I'm smarter and have better gear now, but the best thing I've done is hire a coach. Specifically I've hired one with significant Ironman coaching experience. My work so far is different from what I used to do. Except for a 2 week "Epic" block in August, we won't be doing the crazy distances as a matter of regular training. My efforts are very focused toward building specific components of IM fitness. I'm feeling better trained at this point and have no doubt that I will arrive at the start line in October in much better position to seriously lower my PB, maybe even to sub 10:00, like I know that I'm capable of.

I think it comes down to this: if you have years of good base, you need to add focus to your training. Work the different areas of IM fitness. If you are still young, you need to add a lot of volume to build the support your body (and mind!) needs to endure a hard IM effort. At sub 9:30, I'm fairly sure that you are now getting into the area where you have to implement some "risk" training on the lines of Molina's Epic weeks in order to find new levels of performance. No pre-packaged training program is going to cover your needs. My rec is to hire a coach. I find it leaves me free to simply focus on doing the workouts instead of worrying about what workouts to do and how to put a program together.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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Agret,

Well you are wise to focus on the run, because like it or not it's going to come down to the run and if you blow on the run it's game over.

But having said that it's really about balancing the bike/run fitness - getting to the point that you can ( if your goal is close 9:00) riding a 5:00 bike split or faster and it not kill you, because you are going to have to get off that bike and then run close to a 3:00 marathon or faster.

At this point, the swim becomes somewhat of a throw-away item. Get to the point that you can swim close to 1:00 and it not beat you up too bad. The race really starts when you head out on the bike.

How do you accomplish this - a big jump up in volume helps, but the better approach would be a modest increase in volume but more focus on what it takes to ride 5:00 and run 3:00, which means more time at or under the paces required to achieve those times.


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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I won't be able to do a 3h run! I know that and that means no 9h IM either, I know that too but what I'm looking for is improvement but not from 9:30 to 9:00 because that is a huge step which needs more focus than I can put in. I can easily do 55min swim without spending too much time in the pool usually I swim once a week and then in the month leading up to the race when I cut down the bike and run hours I swim more and that's always been enough for me, so you're right I don't care about the swim.
I'm alway around 5h on the bike at moderate IM's not talking Lanzarote and stuff like that. So the trick is to come off the bike and have enough left for a good run and have the run-training to keep a high pace troughout the marathon. Now that's what's been hard for me so far, just holding back on the bike doesn't cut the corner, just running more doesn't do it either, the best so far was doing bricks but that takes a lot out of me. I'm doing lots of hills now and some weightlifting (which I hate).

thanks for the tips and hope to see you all at the races
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [TriBriGuy] [ In reply to ]
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I honestly think that if you have any sort of natural ability in triathlon you training volume can be very little and you will still do well. I did 3 years of short course racing before my first ironman canada and had good fairly good success with the short course racing.....................ironman 10:12.................then I decided to take 3 years away from ironman and do short course again.............next ironman was 9:55......................then 3 years off of short course racing and next ironman was 9:45.............then I decided to concentrate on ironman and I found my pb's decreased to the point now after 5 ironman my pb is at 9:29 at im canada.

this was all done on around 13-15 hours training

I think for me and others in the same situation the only way now for me to drop this anymore significantly I would have to train way more ie. around 20-25 hours with some big mileage sections.

Now for people who maybe don't naturally pick up Ironman training, more miles and structure may allow them to reach a higher level..................I've seen it many times where a pro who admits to the world that he isn't the best athlete, but is a very hard worker does well.

I think to have success at ironman with little training there has to be a huge base you are coming from (ie. another sport) or you have some natural ability.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [canwi] [ In reply to ]
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quite agree on this. natural ability is an important factor.
I do rather well with minimal training on the bike.
but if I don't swim 5 times a week and run quite a bit, I lose a lot and fast.

btw, I'd be interested in knowing what Fleck thinks of double runs as an ex-elite runner? I have started this year, and noticed big improvements doing so.
I know, it is a fairly common strategy in elite running.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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I had my fiancee do double runs for a period.................I think the key is to do it for time periods and not for a long time especially in triathlon where you don't have the time or energy to do double runs all the time.................I know Peter Reid has done this as well..............you just have to watch how long the period is..............we've also done this with swimming.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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double runs?? What's that all about? 2 times a day? morning and evening? How far/long.. intensity?

thanks,
mike
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [stretch] [ In reply to ]
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yes twice a day. generally, it works well if you have an easy run in the morning (I mean really easy...
I think Friel once qualified them as embarassly slow)
and in the afternoon or evening, an intensity run,
like some tempo or track.
usually, I keep the morning run no longer than 40',
so about around 5-6mi depending on the days, then
the intensity run in the arvo.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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how often? twice a week? 3 times? In addition to a weekly long run?

mike
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [stretch] [ In reply to ]
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earlier in the season (hear until january) twice a week to have two days around 1h30 to 1h40' of running.

currently once a week.

3 times a week is probably too much unless you live in an area where you can't ride in the winter and hate the trainer. I live in El Paso and can train year round, so never tried 3 times twice a day.

in addition to a weekly long run: yes! this is definitely not to replace the long...
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
yes twice a day. generally, it works well if you have an easy run in the morning (I mean really easy...
I think Friel once qualified them as embarassly slow)
and in the afternoon or evening, an intensity run,
like some tempo or track.
usually, I keep the morning run no longer than 40',
so about around 5-6mi depending on the days, then
the intensity run in the arvo.


if I calculate right, that means you do your 'embarassly slow' run at a roughly 6min40sec / mile pace?

Wow, I want to see that tempo run in the afternoon, you're not Paul Targat by any chance?

Just kidding, I just want to point out that double runs do help but only if you keep it under control. So for most of us sub7min/ mile pace is not slow enough to really get a good fast one in in the afternoon.

For myself I don't do double on the run, the stress is too big. But I do that on the bike because putting in the miles on the bike is very time-consuming. So I ride to work in the morning (2h easy) and then ride back in the afternoon, both easy just to eat miles. I go hard at days where I go short, once but then I go really hard.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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slow runs are usually around 7' to 7'15''/mi
I said no longer than 40', usually, a bit less. I never run 6'40'' for easy runs...

Rob de Castella did his long runs at 7' to 6' and had a marathon pb under 2h08'...mine is 17' slower so 7' is fine.

a friend of mine was here 2 weeks ago and was 10th in kona this year. he has a pb of 29'20'' on track and has his slow runs around 7'/mi.

currently the reason I do double runs is switch from a triathlete running style to a runner's running style,
leaning forward more, push off further back. so it's more to make it easier to change.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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OK, that's what I figured. If you have a sub 3:30 PB on the marathon or a sub 30min 10k, then running twice a day might be good for you to improve. But for sub3h or sub 35min people, this is probably too much or not very efficient for Triathletes.
If you have to put in the miles on the bike and swim, then I think that there are better methods for most uf us than putting on the running gear twice and go take that shower one more time.
But for elites, yes it's a good idea, for all others, probably not. Unless, that exception you mentioned, if you can't bike for some reason and want to improve your run over a few month, go ahead and try running twice.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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I guess it was 2.30

I agree in most cases, two runs a day is too much.
ultimately, you need a balance in your training.

I don't think that even for elite it would be wise to have double runs on a regular basis throughout the year. running takes strength out of the legs that you need for riding.

only exception would be sub-30' 10km runners, racing ITU.
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I Hitch is lurking he can comment but [ In reply to ]
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pretty much all elites run twice a day, ez in the morning which for some will be as slow as 8+ per mile and then a hard run in the evening.

Anywhere from 6-10 in the am to 15+ in the evening depend on time of year and what they are training for.

Alan Culpepper in the run up to Chicago was running 140 miles a week, Radcliffe 130.

If your body can handle it without breaking down I suspect that there are huge gains to be made from it, similar to a running camp but without building to it you can not sustain doubles for very long........

A more interesting development in elite running is what KK and Radcliffe were doing prior to their WR's which was 20-22 miles at faster than race pace, run till you puke literally in KK case.

I think that combined with doubles is one way to get fast........oh and triples work as well with a quick three miles at lunch :)
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Re: I Hitch is lurking he can comment but [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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agree. that is a strategy for elite runners.
for elite triathletes, (again unless you race ITU and are already sub-30), you can't do that year round
and not more than twice a week in base period if you can't ride, and once otherwise.

however, indeed, to log 140mi, you'd better cut the runs sometimes...kenyans in training camps actually runs 3 times a day.

what I have been doing for the double runs was very conservative. started with 20' easy in dec. then 30'-40' maybe 45' in the morning and up to 1h10' in the evening. biggest week so far was 90mi (with 10mi swim and only 250mi bike) late dec. early jan.

I saw tremendous gains in running fitness (although can't say if it is volume related or double run related)
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Re: I Hitch is lurking he can comment but [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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[reply]
what I have been doing for the double runs was very conservative. started with 20' easy in dec. then 30'-40' maybe 45' in the morning and up to 1h10' in the evening. biggest week so far was 90mi (with 10mi swim and only 250mi bike) late dec. early jan.
[/reply]

may I ask what your race result was after a peak/mileage week like that?
This sounds horrifying to me, I have to admit.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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Strength away from the legs?? Do you mean strength from you legs because of the extra abuse your legs are suffering (fatigue) .. or do your legs physiologically change in such a way as to benefit running vs cycling.

Currently I'm running about 20-25 miles a week spilt across 3 or 4 workouts.. making fantastic gains for 7 months.. cycling 150-200 miles. This can mostly be attributed to those rapid beginner gains. I should be pacing at about 6:30 for a 10k by end of season. When I started training I could maybe manage one 8 min mile.

mike
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I would bet it is almost certainly the doubles [ In reply to ]
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When I have done them consistently, the last time being 2 years ago, I saw huge gains in a matter of three weeks, the downside is the tiredness and the fact that you are really pushing, even if one is ez and the other a little brisker....

The weather has been crappy here so I have simply increased my mileage on singles and thats good, but no where near as beneficial as doubles.
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Re: I Hitch is lurking he can comment but [agret] [ In reply to ]
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no races (dec. jan. period). just logging some miles.
we have a beautiful weather year round so it's hard not to train.
and also working on running technique.
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Dont know what you were looking at but [ In reply to ]
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when you focus on running IF you do it for long enough you will certanly undergo some physical changes and adaptions to running.

HOWEVER it while small changes may occur rapidly, Elites will tell you that it takes years to get to the point where you can run 140 miles per week every single week, AC average this past year over the year before was 5 miles a week more..............and 5 the year before.......

It takes years to be able to sustain that kind of training.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [stretch] [ In reply to ]
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usually a lot of running makes your legs quite tired (that's the case for me anyway). for example, it is much easier to do a long ride sat. and long run sunday, than the opposite.

also, one important details, is that in my area, it's quite hilly, and lots of miles, tires your legs. you really are losing some strengh (even though it is temporary...like 24h...)
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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It is somewhat of a standard for national and international level long distance runners to do two runs a day. I have heard that some Kenyans, at their training camps can do three run sessions in a day. Figure if a marathoner is dong 100+ miles/week it may break out like: 5 miles am/10 miles pm five or six days/week and then a 20 miler on the "other" day or numbers close to that.

I think that the break point is about 70 - 80 miles a week. If there is a need to do more miles, then you will need to look at doing two runs a day on some days. Typically it is a very easy run in the morning and then a higher quality run in the afternoon.

I had limited experience with them when I was much younger as I was rarely running that kind of volume. I never did it when I was tri training. I found that I could get by on much less overall run training because of all of the cycling and swimming and the back-ground in running. A BIG running week for me when I was tri training seriously was 45 - 50 miles tops.


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Dont know what you were looking at but [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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we talked quite a bit about this with a german friend that was home not long ago. he turned from tri to running for 3 years, and with the huge training base he had jumped into double runs regularly and a 120mi+ a week of running or more on a regular basis. 29'20'' 10km a 63' half and tons of injuries...

what I am not sure about right now is how the changes that I am seeing will convert to triathlon and specifically running off the bike.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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50 miles that what I do right now because we had crappy weather here lately.
a week looks something like this:

3 easy 5-6miles over lunch with some people slower than me so I don't push it.
1 hard 5-6miles (AT or intervall or hill-reps)
1 harder 8-10miles (to get used to the target speed)
1 long not too hard 15-20miles (easy 10-15miles and end with 5miles IM pace)

but that's a top week!
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You see that does not count [ In reply to ]
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If you could average 140 miles for 20 weeks then that would count but running one or two weeks of high volume and then realizing that your ITB is messed up or you have PF is not the way to do it.....

Its all about sustained consistency.....
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Re: Dont know what you were looking at but [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:


what I am not sure about right now is how the changes that I am seeing will convert to triathlon and specifically running off the bike.
I think were the application is, is that being able to run well in triathlon is all about running well when fatigued, not fresh. Double runs definately help with this if the first run is harder. But you have to be very careful about over doing it with the run.


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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I would take a hard look at the three easy runs of 5 - 6 miles. What are the accomplishing? Perhaps some good socializing with friends.

Otherwise the run program looks good. That's basically what I did.


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: You see that does not count [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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I usually cope well with a lot of volume. and even enjoy it.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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[reply]I would take a hard look at the three easy runs of 5 - 6 miles. What are the accomplishing? Perhaps some good socializing with friends.
[/reply]

they allow me to get the miles in at days where the focus is more on biking. Lack of endurance is the usually the limiting factor for most of us, so a 5-6mile easy run is training your base without making you tired for the bike ride that comes in the evening and is the focus of that specific day.
But I do agree, they are the first to get over board when I need more time for training on the bike.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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The other conclusion that I have come to about triathlon running and run fitness in general, is that you can't ever run too many hills in training. I would always seek out hilly routes to run regardless of the type of run that I was out on, long run, easy run, tempo, fartlek, . . whatever. Run in hilly terrain all the time and you will get better.

Of course this is no help if you happen to live where it is flat!


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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Are you reading my mind?

I used to only run on flats because I thought I had to optimize my training with the time I had. But I was wrong. If you want to run a marathon between 3 and 3:30 in an IM, you don't have to be very fast, just be able to hold the pace troughout the run after a strong bike ride. So you need to be strong and that's what the hills will do for you.
Also I changed my technique a little by running higher cadence and therefore moving more from heel to midfoot. But then the calfs start taking more and the hills will make those calfs strong.
So running a good marathon is one thing but running a good marathon off the bike is another and I belive those hills will help that.
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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well, it's good cause that's all we have in El Paso...can run along the Rio Grande but then you need to outrun the dogs too...
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Re: How much do you train for your IM PB? [agret] [ In reply to ]
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Trained for my first IM last year.

12 (low) to 16 (max) hours per week. Started training in November 2001.

I went 9:54 at IMC 2002.

Thought I'd end up putting in higher volumes (>20). Luckily I had a coach that reeled me in and gave me what I needed/could tolerate. I will likley aim for higher volumes as my body adapts, but I am convinced of quality over quantity.

Never did a double run, except to the bushes during a couple of long bricks. Thank god for big leaves. Never eat taco's before a long brick.

R.
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