I plan on being in peak shape for oceanside(march 29) and then st anthony’s, the rest of my season will be dictated by how those races go…specifically if i qualify for kona 
Those doing IMAZ would be doing a pretty high volume as well.
You are right… living in the frozen tundra I can easily forget about all you crazies who are signed up for an iron in April !
That’s a very foreign concept to me. Isn’t the rest of the world in 33 degree temps like I am right now???
25 hours a week. 50% bike, 25% each swim and run.
2 caveats to avoid SlayerHateBreed’s ‘excessively high early season volume and will burn out’ comments.
- I don’t work, Triathlon is my main event so plenty of recovery time
- I have an early season IM
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I just finished a 21 hour week: Swim 4.75 Bike 8.5 (all trainer hours) run 6.25 hours weights 1.5 hours. I have been fluctuating betwen 17-21 hours (except on recovery weeks when I back off to 10-12 hours).
This week:
Swim - 4 sessions - 4:27:12 - 13,000 yards
Bike - 3 sessions - 8:42:44 - 176 miles
Run - 3 sessions - 3:36:01 - 24 miles
Core/Strength - 4 sessions - 1:50:00
Total Time: 18:45:57
Getting ready for Ironman Arizona in April, small break after that the getting ready for Ironman Louisville.
I just finished a 21 hour week: Swim 4.75 Bike 8.5 (all trainer hours) run 6.25 hours weights 1.5 hours. I have been fluctuating betwen 17-21 hours (except on recovery weeks when I back off to 10-12 hours).
This is what makes me wonder if Kona is just a pipe dream. I am getting stronger and more fit by the week, but 21 hours is a peak week not a maintenance week. You and Dev really raise the training bar. Incredible.
This week- 1:20 long run
Then 72 hrs of flu.
A typical week is 15 hrs.
4:30 swim
6-7 bike
4-5 run
I’m training for Cali 70.3 so my volume is higher than others at this time of year.
This week: 13 hours total
swim: 4.17 hours
bike: 4.5 hours
run: 3.92 hours
strength: .42 hours
Next week: planned 15 hours, will add an extra hour of biking an 30 mins swimming and running.
this week, 14.5 hours. 3/3.25/8.25 swim/run/bike
next week, 16 hours. Swim will still stay the same, run will increase the most
The other thing i just thought of is that on the flipside of us not living in the tundras(I live in FL), this is the best time of the year to train in regards to the weather. I can guarentee if there was snow on the ground and mountains nearby i woud be snowboarding as much as possible with no early season race plans. A true “off season” 
Starting my second block of base:
Swim 1h40m
Bike 4h00m (trainer)
Run 3h16m
Tri Volume 8h56m
Strength trg 2h15m
Total Volume 11h11m
.
I guess I should add my own training hours…
Cycling: 18.5 hours (on the trainer…blah)
I’m not a triathlete so the rest doesn’t apply.
Like Konaexpress, I’ve been on 17-23 hour per week…usually ~10 hours of those are triatlon split into 1 swim/2-3 bike/6-7 run. The rest is all XC skiing. This has been the pattern since Dec 1.
Dev
lots of interesting points of view…some are training for early big races, some are just doing big base to set up the year. I’m in the second group. My “big” race will be the Full Silverman in November.
Have been reading Brad Kearn’s “Breakthrough Triathlon Trianing”. IMO, the best book I have ever read concerning training. Of course one must occasionally read between the lines but the main emphasis is developing what works for each individual as he found for himself. I’ve been guilty in the past of what he calls, “consistent mediocre training”, ie: just going for volume in a obsessive compulsive manner. So have been refining my program.
He talks about intuition and sometimes taking chances and going for it, but the key is two breakthrough sessions per week, bike and run. For base, those are overdistance aerobic. Yesterday was going to just ride a 100 around Lake Mead. Was solo since I couldn’t find anyone that was able to go. Had my Nishiki, two bottles of water and $15 in my pocket. Headed up towards Boulder City, got to the turn off for Hwy 95, thought what a nice day, legs feeling good after the previous day’s 14 mile run and 4000 yd swim, and said why not. So turned south for Searchlight, refueled there, crossed the McCoulough Pass and dropped down into California, joined up on the I-15 shoulder and started bonking badly at Stateline. Went through the last gatorade coming into Jean, pitstop #2. Took a 10 minute break and ate a cheapo hamburger and refilled the bottles with coke. Started riding again heading north recovered from the bonk and finished strong. 135 miles, 9 hours in the saddles. Basically rode from sunrise to almost sunset. Had a couple rough spots but finished with good form, not destroyed.
So to answer your question on hours, this week was 21 hours, two days off including today, Superbowl Sunday.
Another point of his is a recovery workout is 65% MHR. It is amazing how slow one must run to do that. And a bike ride at that cap is also totally no-stress. The next couple days will be at those levels. The only thing that matters is to prepare for the next overdistance workouts. 16 mile hilly run and another ride-the-sun bike journey somewhere different.
Saltman:
Keep in mind that I am 10 weeks out from IM Arizona. I am not in maintenace mode, I am in full IM training mode 21 hours is a maintenace week for Dev, but for me I don’t go much higher than that (25 hours if I can cycle outside. If you feel yourself getting stronger that is great, keep doing what you are doing.
Barry
…hey, I’m IN race season right now!!! I just raced yesterday…so no one can accuse me of just putting in base miles (managed to average sub 4 min K’s on the run leg with a 10 lb backpack in ankle deep snow!!!)
http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=42938
Dev
Damn… Some of you folks are like, all serious and stuff…
I just had a 11.5 hr week and it felt like a big one to me. It did have some LTHR testing for swim and bike, but it’s still a large week for me.
Bike 4.5 hrs
Swim 2.0
Run 3.0
Weights 2.0
Work 45.0
Husband / parent …non-stop
Just started my 2008 program with a new coach and logged 16 hrs this week (4 swims, 4 bikes, 6 runs, 2 strength sessions)…and about 60 hours of work. I’m still in the 100/110 challenge, but me thinks I can’t keep that up with all of this added swimming and biking. I’m going to back down to 5 days of running per week and settle for silver : )
Diana…your coach is a smart guy/gal…there are lots of guys getting caught up in 100/100 and neglecting swim and bike training. No amount of run training will help the person coming into T2 with an empty tank…the key is to keep the run training going WHILE pushing the volume and intensity envelope in swim-bike. If that means ratcheting it back just a bit on the run, that is a good thing.
Gotcha, still you guys are a testament to hard work.