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Re: Anyone can KQ. Anyone.... [samtridad] [ In reply to ]
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samtridad wrote:
I would be interested to know how many of your athletes are able to complete the 1000+ hours of annual training without becoming injured. Do you have a high rate of athlete drop-out or do they all seem to manage to do the training without injuries cropping up? I would suggest that many people would simply break if they tried to put in 1000+ hours of training in a year - either physically (especially from large amounts of running) or emotionally (repercussions to family life, career etc). Do you keep data for the percentage of athletes who are able to stick with the 1000+ hours per year plan?


Paradoxically, the "workhorse" type of athlete - the type of athlete that I prescribe high volume for, are the least likely to get injured. It's the "thoroughbred" athletes - those who are naturally fast even when doing low volume that I have to worry about.

Alan Couzens, M.Sc. (Sports Science)
Exercise Physiologist/Coach
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alan_Couzens
Web: https://alancouzens.com
Last edited by: Alan Couzens: Jun 25, 19 8:09
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Re: Anyone can KQ. Anyone.... [fulla] [ In reply to ]
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fulla wrote:
Anyone who averages 20 hours a week for 50 weeks of a year (just a 2 week break in the year! that's less than most pros have!), and is an age grouper, must have absolutely no life aside from triathlon outside of work commitments. Like, no time for anything else.

How many of these people averaging 20 hours a week for basically a year have families or a partner and work full time? From what I've read of kona age group winners, some of them top out at an average of 16 hours per week during their ironman builds!



Anyone who doesn't average 20 hours a week must be lazy.

Of course I don't believe that. I'm just making the point that, between this thread and its lean cousin, we've thoroughly abused the words "anyone" and "must".

Still, I do believe that many (most?) triathletes can average 20 hours per week. Many of them choose not to (which is a fine and fair choice). Some of them then lament that they drew the short genetics straw and thus can't KQ.

I can pretty readily book 15 hours before the weekend. And I have school-age kids, stressful career, get enough sleep, etc. Get up early and knock out 1.5 hrs. Slip away during day for 30 min run if possible. Crank out 90 min on the trainer instead of 60 (all of those minutes I'm "present" and can help with kids' homework, etc.). Jump into another 30 min run to open up the hips after the trainer session. That's four planned hours per weekday (of course not every day goes as planned). On the weekends, I can be back from a 5 hr ride just as my kids are waking up. Of course my situation doesn't apply to everyone, but I believe that many people can train more if they want to (and no shame in not wanting to).

One more disclaimer: I admit this 20 hr week isn't a prescribed (nor Couzens approved) KQ 20 hr week. But I prefer simplicity/consistency over structure/variety.
Last edited by: HVP: Jun 25, 19 9:07
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Re: Anyone can KQ. Anyone.... [HVP] [ In reply to ]
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I believe this table from A. Couzens is more insightful than the somewhat extreme 1000 hours per year
https://www.alancouzens.com/...kona_qualifiers.html



It doesn't get easier, you just get slower
https://mymsracesironman.home.blog/
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Re: Anyone can KQ. Anyone.... [Kampinou] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for digging that one up!

Alan Couzens, M.Sc. (Sports Science)
Exercise Physiologist/Coach
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alan_Couzens
Web: https://alancouzens.com
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