I’m considering racing the Duke 1/2 IM in September and I’m trying to figure out how I should structure my training schedule to accomodate this. I’ve already raced a couple sprints this year and have 4 more on my schedule between now and the Duke race, with my “A” priority race coming at the very end of July and another sprint two weeks before the 1/2 (but it’s not a high priority).
It seems to me that I should keep my current training schedule intact until my A race and then start ramping up the volume and decreasing the intensity to prepare for the 1/2, which is 6 weeks later. That would mean treating the August sprint as a training day.
For a little background, I’ve raced one Olympic before (last fall) and a handful of sprints and feel comfortable with the swim and bike distances of the 1/2. The run is a little more of a concern, but I’ve been really focusing on it this year and have an OK base (I’ve been averaging between 15-20mi/wk since Jan, with a max week around 25mi).
My goal for the 1/2 would be to finish in a reasonable time, but I’m not looking to set any speed records. I’d be happy to finish under 6hrs. Am I approaching this in the right way, or do I need to rethink my whole schedule if I want to add the 1/2?
The only problem is 6 weeks is not much time to ramp up the volume so maybe you can start earlier. Aim for a long ride, run, swim once a week, not all on the same day. ( 60-80 mile ride, 10-15 mile run, 3000yd swim). You can do pretty well at the HIM distance on 10-14 hours of training/week. The key thing is to figure out the level of effort you should ride so you can run and not blow up.
Although I agree with NickC and those distances would be great (60-80 and 10-14) - you do not need to go that long to go under 6 and have fun. Read a lot - check Gordo’s sight and read his tips pages. I think if you can train 8-10 hours/week consistently and you pace well you can do well and have fun in a half. I’m not sure about how much time you have…and what your long bike/run has been bu you can run a half well off well under 30 miles running per week.
My swim volume is pretty good right now. I’m swimming 3 days a week, two swims between 2,400 and 2,600 yards and one around 3,000yds. I comfortable with these swims and plan to ramp the volume up a little more as the year progresses.
The bike is my strongest discipline, so I haven’t really focused as much on that this season. Right now I’m riding 2 or 3 times a week, with 1 or 2 fast rides between 20-30 miles and one slower ride around 40 miles. My current plan is to ramp the long ride up to 60 or 70 miles by the end of June.
My long run right now is around 1:30 and I wasn’t planning on going much longer than that until after my A race. Based on what you guys are saying, I might want to start working that up over the next couple months so I don’t need to have a quick jump in mileage after my A race. That makes sense to me and shouldn’t negatively impact my short course training.
My advice would be to ramp up your volume and lower your intensity now. You will probably be faster in the sprints from having a better aerobic base, and you will be prepared for the 1/2 - September is not that far away. The thing that most improved my times at sprints and Olympic distance racing was upping my volume and getting rid of most of my intensity to train for an ironman. See Gordo.
If you want to run more, add frequency. Run for 20-30 minutes after your rides instead of making your long run longer. Also make your long ride and long run at least two days apart. You’ll get a better workout and lessen your chance of injury.