Hi All,
I’m looking for a little advice/feedback on a scheduling conflict I’m running into while training.
Next year will be a big year for me. At least two 70.3’s and IMMD. With some smaller stuff peppered in.
I have been doing crossfit for a while and enjoy many aspects of it. However, with the increase in training volume I have planned for next year, I’m struggling with finding time to both follow my program AND do crossfit.
Anyone else out there successful at merging these two?
Cheers,
M
Sure if your goal is just to finish. Only successful athletes I have seen did CrossFit in off season
I came from a CrossFit background (6 days a week), then when I started doing tri I used to do CrossFit off-season (6 sessions) and then some hiit sessions in season (2-4 sessions). Aside from leaving switching full time to tri training too late each season I found it worked ok in the beginning. Once I moved into the realms of wanting to get faster with tri, including improving swim and run I saw I had to dedicate most of my training time to tri specific stuff.
Problem I found with CrossFit was I put on too much muscle, so ended up heavy, and I had muscle fatigue, which I didn’t feel during CrossFit or training but I could see in my performance stats. I also had a couple of niggling injuries that flared up when doing some sessions and slipping a bit with form.
I still do HIIT now but just for fun with friends and nothing too heavy.
There are a few examples of crossfitters or lifters who have good results in tri, but they generally give up on CrossFit or tone it down while they train for an Ironman. James Newbury was one off the top of my head.
I was also a 6x per week CrossFit person before getting serious about tri. I would combine it with some trail running to train mostly for obstacle course racing. Had some good results doing that.
After I started training for a full distance Ironman, I tried to keep up the CrossFit, but it did not work out well. Mainly was a matter of recovery.
You can only have so many “hard days.“ CrossFit WODs are generally also high intensity. This doesn’t leave much opportunity to go hard on selected swim, bike, run workouts…Leaving your legs wrecked from a WOD with a bunch of squats, rowing, or the assault bike really isn’t going to make you a faster triathlete.
Crossfit as you said is a lot of fun and enjoyable. I tried to keep it up at the beginning but niggles kept appearing as recovery was impacted way too much. Even at the time I only went twice a week it was less than ideal. I now just do strength training twice a week but would consider going back to CF once I decide to not train triathlon competitively anymore. I think if you scale it way back and you dont worry too much about how you finish in your tris you could get it done but be careful to have recovery between your CF sessions and run sessions.
Crossfit as you said is a lot of fun and enjoyable. I tried to keep it up at the beginning but niggles kept appearing as recovery was impacted way too much. Even at the time I only went twice a week it was less than ideal. I now just do strength training twice a week but would consider going back to CF once I decide to not train triathlon competitively anymore. I think if you scale it way back and you dont worry too much about how you finish in your tris you could get it done but be careful to have recovery between your CF sessions and run sessions.
This coming year I am going to re dedicate myself to my triathlon pursuits. I want to improve my times, lose weight (already down a significant amount in 2021). So I’m thinking I need to probably focus on S/B/R and put the barbell down, so to speak, for a bit.
The injuries are an issue as some have said.
And the muscle fatigue after long days of squats are there too.
Great feedback so far, keep it coming!
I would not worry about the weight lifting but probably dont need to max them out. The HIT sessions after the lifting are probably much worse. I still do 2h of weight training a week but it is at low intensity (HR stays low). Also it depends where you are at in your race cycle. If you are not close to a race you do want to build strength to avoid injuries. For me 2h a week is enough and definitely helpful keeping my body together.
Good luck with your tris I hope you get some great results!
I do a semi CrossFit style training system. But as other have said I dial back the “everyday is leg day” CF as major races approach. You have to sacrifice one for the other. I do a hard CF partner workout with a buddy every Friday evening but when he cancels I am always very happy because that means long run Saturday is going to feel sooooooo much better without wrecking myself Friday.
I still maintain two days a week of meat head upper body strength training as I want people to say “He sure doesn’t look like a runner”. I also need to maintain upper body strength as I only have access to a pool one day a week and that’s at the mercy of a buddy that gets me into his community pool. Between buying home gym equipment, a Crunch gym membership, maintaining a mountain bike, saving for a road/tri bike, the constant need for shoes and clothes, there is nothing left for the ridiculous pool fees places around here demand. CrossFit used to have an endurance focused programming separate from the regular programming but I’m not finding it anymore online. Nick Bare, Fergus Crawley have some insight into the demands of combing different disciplines into your training but as you know, we all hate anyone that doesn’t fit into the ST prescribed mold here.