Watching his new video right now. Looks so brutal. He was the last one to finish 5k. He got great train partners now. Love his recent training videos. Really intense, motivating and inspiring.

He's great in the Super League Triathlon video too. He does say he'd rather train with people that are better than him so that he has something to strive for, but he understands that others work better being the top dog in a training group. I don't get why so many people hate the guy.

I would argue he won being the last to finish the 5k, as they all overdid it LS just the least.
And that is really the fear of training groups as they also say themselves.

8x400m/5k tempo/ 8x400m is a pointless workout for them. No rhyme or reason. Decent workout for 10,000m subelite women. Good for YT content but definitely done with IM.

Joel Filliol who coaches a group that consists of the top itu athletes in the world, of all different federations (he's now working for Aussie federation as well) is famous for saying....He's most proud of the fact that his culture of not "racing in practice" keeps a lot of his crew healthy and winning lots of races. He mentioned once in a podcast when he's off site and the report back is "business as usual"....that's when you know 100000% athletes have bought into the process.


Of course this specific group I think is part of the "self coached" group (maybe some do in fact have coaches), which can potentially make it harder. The ego is a very important thing that has to be kept in check in these training group situations (it seems LS failed misreably at last year before Kona with the Norwegian clan).

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I amazed that 25 hours is the biggest week for him in years

I'm always leery of the "training hours" or volume people almost always talk about. Is that an actual verified number or estimate? I remember about 10 years ago Specialized did a few videos with professionals (Tim Don being one of them) and they all were so "exaggerated" with their numbers (4 runs in 24 hours etc). I think the real number is consistent in season hours and peak hours. So it's always interesting when people talk about a training number...what does it actually mean (unless full context is given).



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BaDYnpTA2Y (even has reference to world class athlete looking after his daughter "from time to time" so the wife can go to the gym, "which is always a pleasure, puts a smile on my face)

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

And that's why Jeter is probably the smartest athlete of all time. He never got married as a NY Yankee.

Well considering he’s not racing IM this year, just 70.3 and PTO I think it’s a pretty solid session. You have got to be able to run FAST to be in the conversation at the PTO events.

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Let food be thy medicine...

I know right? This guy is not following what they are trying to achieve. Sam Long just posted a video and he explains very well and those sessions speak for themselves. Kudos for all four of them busting their ass to get better.

A 70.3 is 100% aerobic

And that workout was probably well over 90%.

Sam Long providing an interesting addendum at 2:02. He just realized that the coming of the baby would not provide an opportunity to rest. Sanders told him that he had had no sleep in 72 hours (allegedly - take everything that Lionel says with a grain of salt).

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

So is a marathon, but I’m pretty sure most top marathoners are doing high end speed work. Not to mention ITU athletes….

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Let food be thy medicine...

I don't buy this at all, he released a video in the last year which was all about the importance of volume. A lot of pros are fairly open about their training volume and it's not hard to see that most are in the 30/35+hr ballpark.

I think it's a great idea they are working together, there seems to be a movement of athlete led training groups who are mostly "self coached" or have 1-2 that are coached, etc. I'm sure that's pretty much how the "old school" pros did it back in the day. I think a small group works really well, the more you add, the more that "personalities" really matter and can come into play. There's plenty of horror stories of training squad mates, just hating each other to the point they couldn't even train at the same time together. Small groups like this can work really well because I think they all get along. When it's kinda "forced" to train together is when the personality issues really can come into play more often than not.

I'm still amazed at the level of training group success that some of the top ITU coaches get when they bring in a bunch of alpha, best in the world athletes who all want to win and beat the other guys, and yet everyone buys in to the don't "race in practice" mindset.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

This is all about the culture the coach cultivate with his crew. Those itu squad buy in and quickly realise that using each other to lift the bar is there best chance at been succesfull in races. Train together...help/support each other...and the war is ON on race day!

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Jonathan Caron / Professional Coach / ironman champions / age group world champions
Jonnyo Coaching
Instargram

Unless of course they start the race burnt out from racing each other in training, and it's Kona 2022 all over again.

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

dont comfuse small group of athlete working like this with the world class ITU squad. The coach is 100% in control of what is happening.

I been part of those squad and we would have been kick out of the workout and sent home if we start racing each other during session with Brett sutton. same with joel filliol and paulo sousa squad.... you follow the order or go train with another coach.

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Jonathan Caron / Professional Coach / ironman champions / age group world champions
Jonnyo Coaching
Instargram

You’re right, that’s an important distinction.

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

Like I said.

Up until now, Lucy had 2x the second places of Lionel at IM Worlds championships and had a IM70.3 Worlds. Now she has won the ultimate prize. Lionel is gonna fall behind Lucy on social media now haha !!!

Lionel should do a fall IM. This year he should be least burnt out compared to his 4 IM season (or was it 5) a few years ago