Sincere question: What is a pro ager?

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I’m guessing an AGer that doesn’t have a 9-5 and trains like a pro.

So I’d say it looks exactly like a pro week would. Everything is centered around training and recovery.

I've heard them referred to as 'lifestyle athletes' or just full-time amateur seems to fit.

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29 years and counting

Maybe some dudes like Joe klinedinst will chime in. He's a been killing it and works full-time...

Assuming by "pro ager" that you mean AGers who are regularly on the podium, KQ, 70.3 WC qualifiers, etc?

Based on the top agers I know, it's pretty much what you'd expect:
- Lots of volume. Plenty of 10+ hour weeks if you want to be competitive at 70.3 or IM, and people doing 15-20 hour weeks isn't uncommon
- Lots of consistency - very few weeks where the volume drops right off during the season, other than where impacted by something unexpected like injury. Pro agers have their lives and jobs planned so that they can either avoid or train through stuff which messes up other people's training like work trips, holidays or social events
- Lots of quality, especially on swim and bike. Lots of group swimming - masters or club open water swims. Lots of intensity on the bike, whether it's outside or on the turbo. Running is a bit more diverse - I've seen people having a lot of success with a fairly low volume, high intensity running plan, particularly for the shorter distances. But they're people with good running form who aren't injury prone. The older they get and the longer they race, the more people gravitate towards higher volume with more easy miles
- Group training or at least having good training partners seems to be a very strong theme, I don't know many people who are being very successful doing it mainly solo, but then that might be a self-selecting group as those who are training solo are people I'm less likely to know! Most people have some sort of coach as well, or else have been doing it a long time
- Fair amount of frequency. Either done through training twice a day or more and/or through combined sessions like bricks
- People I know who don't have to work or are very flexible with work still tend to train at the beginning and end of the day most of the time. Think there's a discipline aspect to starting your day with a training session (also necessitates good habits in getting to bed early). Maybe also linked to training with other people who may have work or family commitments
- They tend to race quite a lot. Not every weekend but enough that they've nailed the technical aspects of tri like transitions, swim positioning and sighting, nutrition, etc. I'm not seeing many people who lock themselves away in training all season in preparation for a big A race and then podium at it

Not changing diapers!!

Once I had kids my training went from 15-20 hours a week to 6-8 max.

a lot more balanced than you'd think..but..

1) has a solid base - likely few years of consistent year around training
2) knows how to manage peak training - ramps up when he / she needs to
3) incredibly efficient with time
4) does not travel for work
5) does not excessively drink

friend of mine works high profile wall street job, doing an MBA but still is able to drop 9HR IM and qualify for Kona...

Didn’t Ed Baker just post a video?

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https://twitter.com/mungub

I'm a very low level "pro" with an 8-5 desk job so I can probably contribute to this thread. This is what I've been doing all October, and I'm going to add another 1.5 hours of swimming a week come November.


Monday

• AM- 1 hour swim and 30 minute lift
• Lunch break- 30-40 minute run
• PM - 1 hour easy bike

Tuesday

• AM- 1 hour swim and 30 minute run
• PM - 1 hour easy bike

Wednesday

• AM- 1 hour swim and 30 minute lift
• Lunch break- 30-40 minute run
• PM - 1 hour easy bike

Thursday

• AM- 1 hour swim and 30 minute run
• PM - 1 hour easy bike

Friday

• AM- 1 hour swim and 30 minute run

Saturday

• AM - 2 to 3 hour bike w/ some longer harder efforts
• PM - 30 minute easy swim on own working on technique

Sunday

• AM- 1 to 2 hour easy run
• PM - 1 hour easy bike

Yeah it's a disproportionate amount of swimming, but after this past season I realized that it's my weak leg and a lot of work over the winter is needed if I have any chance at making front pack in the IM 70.3 races I'm doing in 2019. All my biking and running is easy maintenance work until December when I'm starting my bike heavy block.

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I’m not 100% sure people get the subtle difference, you have asked about Pro AG’ers.

All I can add is, when I first got with my wife she was, what I would consider, an AG Elite.

Working a full time job, training around teaching & travelling on weekends.

2-3 days/week she was up 90-120 mins before swim squad started at 6am, to ride or run.

Lunchtime (when not on duty at school) was either a 50min run with a few select kids (thats where Nicky Samuels came through & a couple NZ Hockey reps), or 45 mins S&C.

After school more training or local club race.

Weekends were big.

I remember times she’d fly to Japan to race & the girls would ask each other what they were doing Monday? She’d reply just 4 periods of PE & they’d be astounded.

Clearly the training schedule is why we never had kids until in our 40’s.....we never saw each other.

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http://www.sweat7.com
Facebook Page: Sweat7
Twitter: @sweat7coaching

I had pretty good success/improvement this past year and earned my pro card, although I am not taking it. After getting a coach and changing my training up a bit, here's what a typical training week looks like for me (usually do 3 harder weeks followed by an easy week). I also work 8-5 but don't have kids. I only take 1-2 rest days a month maximum.

Monday:
1 hour swim
30 minute easy run

Tuesday:
45 minute swim
1-1.5 hr hard bike workout on trainer

Wednesday:
2-2.5 hour group ride
15 minute run off the bike

Thursday:
45 minute swim
1 hour run with repeats/hills

Friday:
1 hour hard swim
45 minute run

Saturday:
3-3.5 hour long ride with some race pace efforts on trainer
30 minute run off bike

Sunday:
1+ hour long swim
1.5-2 hour long run
1-1.5 hour easy spin on trainer

I lol’d

My last triathlon was 2nd master behind Doug Clark at ag nats in 2012. 1:59.xx on a not easy course. I was training 16-18 hours a week for years and working restaurant jobs at night. Doing well at triathlon was really all I cared about, but I was late 30s and not going pro. This pursuit almost cost me what today is a great marriage.

I was running 45-50 miles a week with one track session and the rest of it too fast. I was doing 2 structured interval sessions on the bike plus a couple 2 hour hammerfest style rides. I was swimming 4k 3-4x weekly with an open water swim as well. About 12-16 sessions a week.

I didn't sleep enough, didn't eat well, and was pretty much a drunk. I could swim a 5:30 / 500 yards, run a high 16 for a 5k, and FTP of 370 or so on the bike. I also knew how to race well off those stats. I was good in open water, very aero, and eventually learned to bike easy enough to run a 36 off the bike.

Sorry. Pro age grouper.

No job. Just trains like a pro but not good enough to be a professional but top age grouper.

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Seems like a major waste of time to me. There are plenty of top age groupers who have typical 8-5 type jobs. Why would someone train like it was their full time job to only be as good as people that don't have as much time to train?

Wealthy.
Young and still live with parents.
Living the dream between college and starting a real job.
Trust fund babies.

I know a few guys that that fit the picture.

I actually know 2 women who are married to gents high up at Microsoft and they just train.

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The same reason people write books that’ll never get published. Or paint pictures that’ll never hang in a museum.

I am not asking why people have hobbies. I am asking what the point of training "full time like a pro" is if you are only going to be as good as the guy who works full time and still gets in about 12-16 hours of training a week.

Because for some people, they love it. I'm retired, and always dreamed of being able to train as much as I wanted. Now I can. Some people in my shoes golf all day. Some spend all day in their work shop restoring cars. Some drink beer and smoke all day. I train for triathlons and marathons. The only time I train less than 20 hours+/week, is when I'm tapering/resting for a race. In the big picture, I'm not any better than any average hard working athlete. I'm just doing what I love to do, now that I have the time and money to do it.

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