FWIW my background is similar to yours, I'm 34/M (your age is very relevant to the question) and I sort of did the same thing this summer, started focusing on the bike with TR and my runs were mostly (high) Z2 with some spice now and then. I had heard (probably you as well) that I could do my intensity on the bike and mostly maintain my run with easy running. For ME, this didn't really work. I didn't slide backwards a huge amount, but in the fall when I started running fast again, I was a little alarmed at how tough the paces felt. I had clearly lost some top-end and it took some time during a 5K block to get back (and then surpass) where I was in the spring, when I was being a little more structured with the fast running.

Personally I've found this year that my body really responds well to fast/hard running, even though it is a significant stress. It lifts everything else I do up. I'm kidding myself when I think I am maintaining with only on-bike intensity. Of course this is all N=1 but I hear this line of thinking pretty often and in my experience it just didn't work very well so I thought I'd share. That being said my guess is a little goes a long way when you just want to "maintain". One hard run session every 7-10 days is probably pretty good to keep some of the top-end. Strides as you mentioned are probably also very helpful - I wasn't doing many of these either, so that doesn't help my case.

At that running mileage, you could certainly add a track workout (something like 8x400 equal rest) and a tempo run (30min or so). Maybe alternate the track workout for a hill workout (6x2min) every other week. Hills would definitely do you good for St. George prep as well. Sounds like your base is high enough you could add those in with no increased risk of injury right now.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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Thanks for your experience! I'm M/36 so pretty similar. Tbh I haven't tested any top-end run speed since last summer so have no idea whether I've lost it or not...

Thanks Ben -- will look to work this in over the next few weeks!

I don’t have a real answer for you - I’ve struggled with this same question for a long time - but I will say that St. George is no joke! I just looked at this year’s course and believe me, the climb up onto Red Hills Parkway is brutal. I’ve raced there 3 times and only once did I feel “prepared” for the hills. If I were doing it again I would definitely take Ben’s advice, at the very minimum, and I’d be doing a lot of low-medium intensity hill work, with a slow hilly long run as often as I could, definitely once every two weeks. IMO It’s way more hilly than most people think and I’m constantly amazed at how fast the pros tackle that run. So even if you do them slow, try to get as much hill-strength work as you can.

What goes up must come down. 2019 St. George was my first race as a pro and I was absolutely amazed at how fast I ran. Part of that was the motivation to run my way into the money, but that was only possible by pretty much throwing myself down the hills whenever I had the chance. My 11th mile was 5:02 or something. It hurt like hell and I could barely walk for a few days but that's probably where I made up the most ground on the guys who I'd eventually catch in the 2 miles after that.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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Those downhills are no joke! Either way, up or down, the turn off of Diagonal and up onto Red Hills, plus the turn around after Pioneer Park...ugh. I was really looking forward to it the last time I did it, but the cold swim got me way before that.

I hope everyone’s training is going well. Ben, looking forward to following your races this year!

Mileage okay for running. What's important is why you are doing specific types of run-training and how you do it. The run course is flat for a mile or so and then a long steady climb of about 3 miles gaining almost 500 feet on a hill that overlooks St. George. Then you drop down the other side for a 400 foot descend, do a 180-turn and climb back to the top and then descend 500 feet or so and run towards the finish line. About 1300 feet climbing and the same striding out going downhill. There are a few other ups and downs in between the climbs and descents. And, there is a detour off the main road at the top for loop that is sorta flat. There is no shade anywhere on the course. It's wide open desert. It's dry, hot, and you will probably experience some toasty winds. And the competition will be elite (probably more North America slanted this year due to COVID-19 imposed race and travel restrictions/constraints). There are few spectators once you leave the transition area. It's hot, dry, windy, lonely, hard, and loaded with competition. That is why you need to train for hills, long ones. Both to get the legs up for the two long inclines and for the quads to tolerate the pounding on the two long downhills. You should also train for the heat to control your core temp. You need to train to ensure you get the right amount of fluids. And you need to train the body to take in and then provide the 1000-1300 calorie burn for the run, after the swim and bike used up the numbers they needed. And by the way, you'll probably freeze waiting for the sun to raise before race start if not adequately dressed. Beyond the whys, do hill runs, long hills where possible. Do ones in the heat under sun or whatever artificial conditions you need to create for that scenario. Make sure you know your top-end pace to continue to take on fluids and calories. Suggest you do fartlek workouts for your long distance and speed days. That's how you will find yourself running there on race day. Knowing paces on a track from repeat intervals is good for flatter courses, but it is not the same as racing on hills. For your four runs, consider something like a brick with the long run following a shorter bike day. For the two shorter run days, go easy. The fourth day can be a swing day (flexible on distance/speed/hills) depending on how your other training is going when compared to the time demands for the personal, family, and work life priorities. You can choose your 60K/60K/30K cadence to align with your needs between the workout days and weeks' cycle. Don't get sick or injured. Adjust. Do some quad weight training too. Lunges without and with weights. Step-ups too. Work up to 50 lbs (22Kilos) between two dumbs. Lift weights 2-3 days a week, after the workout. It's complimenting the muscle strain and build relationship. You can skip during your recovery weeks. Taper off to zero a couple of weeks before race day.

The timing of adding is with the last month of base training. Blend end during your racing season. Focus the fastest and longest intensity/distances from 10 weeks out to 3 weeks before for the 70.3 races. Taper in. Peak. Race. Have fun.

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how does your bike training look like?

Thanks djmsbr, great advice.
I'm in the UK (London) so time will tell if I'll even be allowed to make it to the start line!
I've been using the TrainerRoad Middle Distance Tri plans, low volume, oscillating between Base + Build. 3 workouts per week (either SS + tempo, or VO2 + threshold / under-over, depending on the phase of the plan) and I'm adding as much extra Z2 as I have time & energy for. Have been averaging 6-7hrs bike per week (+ 4-5 hrs running).

This would be my focus too. That big of a drop vs. an open HM isn't likely due to poor run fitness alone.

If OP is coming into T2 in rough shape, then he needs to either drop his power back on the bike or focus more on building volume on the bike to build up resiliency

the bike would be something to look at in terms of strategy. if time constrained then looking at both bike run or swim bike run in conjunction could reap more rewards than looking at each sport or discipline in isolation.

the total duration for the bike doesn't seem extremely low. maybe looking into zone / threshold setting. what method and how reasonable is it?

when looking at a "big" drop off in run performance off the bike what i have learned in ST and from experience is to look at the bigger strategy versus adding more run volume or run intensity. bike pacing, nutrition / hydration strategy and maybe more frequency / volume of bike and/or swim could lead to better off the bike running than stacking more run volume or intensity.

r

Have you considered using the TR triathlon plan? I know TR is sometimes criticized for the run and swim portion of its triathlon plans, but even with the obvious bike focus of the plans I've found they get me into excellent running shape. I'm currently following the full-course plan; there's not a lot of high-intensity stuff. Early in the plan you do mostly one-minute pickups, then it's some 3-minute pickups and toward the end its mostly tempo runs.

I've found that the biking builds my energy systems and gives me plenty of leg strength. I just need some running volume and a little bit of speedwork to remind my 47-year old legs how to move quickly. Just as way of reference, before switching to triathlons about five years ago I was a runner for many years. I'm not that much slower now running 3-4 times a week than I was as a runner doing twice the mileage on 6 runs/ per week; about a minute at half-marathon distance. So, bottom line, I feel like with a pretty modest amount of speedwork I have plenty of leg speed and I'm well prepared for races. The extent to which I actually run well in a triathlons depends on my race day pacing and nutrition. I definitely do not always get that right.

I do a similar thing of doing mostly zone 2 runs with all intensity on the bike but I am a stronger runner relatively so I have more room to improve on the bike

The only workouts I do now are strides and at the end of a long run I try to do 3-5 miles at a faster pace. Maybe closer to open marathon pace or tempo pace. When I get to 10 weeks out i'll probably add 1 workout a week in addition. a simple 20 minute threshold run or 6-8 x 1000 w/ 90 seconds rest goes a long way for me in getting into running race shape.

My general theory is that volume is the priority and that if adding in intensity on the run limits your ability to hit your planned bike or run volume then you are doing too much. I have to be able to bike well in order to have a hope of running well after and taking advantage of that strength. Run volume would probably drop a little with added intensity, maybe down to 30 but if you drop too much I think you arent doing yourself any favors

Yeah after a bit of reading at the end of the 2019 season that was my conclusion too. "Luckily", lockdown hit and I had an excuse to stop swimming and make the bike my primary focus through most of 2020, so I'm a lot more confident in it now than in 2019. Since March 2020 my (ramp-test) FTP has gone from 290ish to 330ish (at 76kg) which should give more headroom to do a good bike split and still be able to run.

I'm also starting to work on nutrition on the bike -- I've been surprised at both how much 90+g carbs / hr is, and how good it makes you feel on a brick run afterwards. Here's hoping the plan survives contact with race day.


Tbh I discounted the TR run workouts with extreme prejudice after I read a couple of workout tips in the vein of "run 40 minutes steady. Try not to walk." I didn't read far enough to see that they prescribed tempo etc. later on....


Yeah this is the way I was thinking about it too. In 2019 I was trying to do intensity both on the bike and on the run, but wasn't doing enough easy run volume to act as a foundation. I'm hoping that 50-60k / week now gives me the base to support 1-2 run workouts. I'll try working in a couple over the next couple of weeks and see how it goes.

as others replied, you need to condition your body for the race. so only working on bike fitness and doing z2 runs is not a good idea. good chance that you'll have a slow run again or have to walk on the hills
the way I like to structure it is that the further you are from the race, the more intensity you put in. as you get closer to the race the intervals become longer and "slower" until you are training at target race-pace
similar concept on the bike. six months out you can do vo2max intervals, but 6 weeks before you should be doing long intervals at target race power
some sort of "revers periodization" (to use Friel terminology) I guess. just my 2c.