Due to time constraints I’m pulling the plug for a few years on doing 70.3, marathons and century rides to focus on getting fast at sprint and olympic distance.
Obviously I’m swapping mileage for speed and intervals in training but what should be a baseline as the longest bike and run in training? Plans I’ve looked at show 2.5hr bike on the weekend and around 1hr 10 runs mid-week.
Does this sound about right?
Reasonable, I would think. Maybe in base building a handful of 3 hr rides and/or 90 min runs, but you can absolutely be successful in Oly distance with nothing much over 2.5hr/70 minutes.
TO be really good at Olympic, the training looks a lot like 70.3 distance. To “fake” you way through it, you could get away with a long run as short as 9-10 miles and still do very well. How far from your potential do you want to be?
I find a good way to fit in more in a busy schedule is frequency. So run 5-6 days a week, but combine them with swim or bike workouts as needed and keep them short. Using…yet again… the Barry P model, you could run 6-3-6-3-9-off-3 or similar one or both of hte 6 mile runs are “quality”. the rest are easy. 30mpw. A good middle ground when time constrained and most of the time your running 25-45 minutes. You could fit the 3mi runs right before or after a swim workout.
As for the long rides. A long ride still does wonders to build you aerobic engine. But 2-1/2 to 3 hours tempo ride will get the job done. If you’re really pressed, even 2 hours at 85-90% is still a solid effort.
Agree. 2:30 bike and 70 min runs should do.
However, do something to monitor your fitness to make sure the training you are doing it working for you. Maybe a 6-8 weekly test in cycling in running, not necessarily maximal tests but maybe submaximal (to get an idea of your aerobic fitness).
By monitoring, you can find your “minimal effective dose” for what still produces an effect. Maybe you can do a little less than what you mentioned, maybe you need a little more? Experiment with it…
Cheers
You can get away with shorter times, but try to still mix it up and go long when you can. It’s important to train every part of your engine. You better believe ITU guys still do 100+ mile rides. But a baseline of 2.5hr and 70-80 minutes running should be fine.
Honestly if you find your feeling fit and racing fast in Olympics early in the year, you could easier jump up to 70.3 with a few weeks of longer endurance work. But it sounds like that time constant could still be your problem.
Best of luck!
Agree. 2:30 bike and 70 min runs should do.
However, do something to monitor your fitness to make sure the training you are doing it working for you. Maybe a 6-8 weekly test in cycling in running, not necessarily maximal tests but maybe submaximal (to get an idea of your aerobic fitness).
By monitoring, you can find your “minimal effective dose” for what still produces an effect. Maybe you can do a little less than what you mentioned, maybe you need a little more? Experiment with it…
Cheers
How would I know if aerobic fitness is my weakness at short events? Would a good measure be my 10k run split at the end of a race vs my pure run TT’s in training?
Agree. 2:30 bike and 70 min runs should do.
However, do something to monitor your fitness to make sure the training you are doing it working for you. Maybe a 6-8 weekly test in cycling in running, not necessarily maximal tests but maybe submaximal (to get an idea of your aerobic fitness).
By monitoring, you can find your “minimal effective dose” for what still produces an effect. Maybe you can do a little less than what you mentioned, maybe you need a little more? Experiment with it…
Cheers
How would I know if aerobic fitness is my weakness at short events? Would a good measure be my 10k run split at the end of a race vs my pure run TT’s in training?
Too many factors there, such as over-swimming, over-biking, poor hydration.
You would have to monitor your pace at various efforts, and retest them. Without knowing any science behind it, you can simply test yourself, repeat the test in 8 weeks, and pace at each effort should improve.
From Hadd (running coach) training:
Run test (this would be done with lactate testing, but it is still useful without).
Warmup 15-20 min, start very easy build throughout.
Perform the following on a track, staying as close to the HR as possible Record average pace for each rep. These are examples below, if your max is within 10 beats of 180, set all test so that the highest test is closer to 15-20 beats below max:
For someone HRmax of 195-200bpm.
2000m @ 140bpm, 90 sec rest
2000m @ 150bpm, 90 sec rest
2000m @ 160bpm, 90 sec rest
2000m @ 170 bpm, 90 sec rest.
2000m @ 180 bpm, 90 sec rest.
If your selected training improves your aerobic system, all paces should improve, but the lower ones the most.
If your selected training improves high end efforts, you will notice the greatest change at 180bpm, for example.
The same can be done with swimming (5x100 on 15sec rest, changing effort - but heart rate is too difficult here so take Blood lactate after each 5 x 100 is a must. Then compare blood lactate at a given pace, to the next test at that Lactate/pace in 8 weeks time) Cycling, 8 minute intervals, holding a certain heart rate, power would be the most ideal here (hold cadence at a certain rate, stick to the same equipment, position, etc.).
There you go.
2+ hours bike & 1+ hour run once a week is great. For most good AGers, 85 mpw bike & 30 mpw run is plenty to get to 2:15 and much faster in an oly. But that would probably not get most of us to sub 5 in a half.
… The nice thing (for me and some others who are pressed for time) about sprint and oly distance is that the bike is a bit DE-emphasized & swim & run become a bit more important … So be sure to swim more as a % of your week as compared to prepping for a 70.3 or iron man. (as in 20-25% / 2.5 hours out of 10 hours vs. 15% / 2.5 hours out of 12+ hours total per week for long distance).
Due to time constraints I’m pulling the plug for a few years on doing 70.3, marathons and century rides to focus on getting fast at sprint and olympic distance.
Obviously I’m swapping mileage for speed and intervals in training but what should be a baseline as the longest bike and run in training? Plans I’ve looked at show 2.5hr bike on the weekend and around 1hr 10 runs mid-week.
Does this sound about right?
What do you consider “fast at olympic distance”?
How would I know if aerobic fitness is my weakness at short events? Would a good measure be my 10k run split at the end of a race vs my pure run TT’s in training?
It’s almost always your weakness.
Obviously I’m swapping mileage for speed and intervals in training but what should be a baseline as the longest bike and run in training?
Does this sound about right?
The optimum training volume for olympic distance racing is the same as the optimum volume for ironman.
I wouldn’t really do much more speedwork unless you weren’t doing enough to begin with. And I wouldn’t lose too much mileage unless you don’t mind giving up some speed too.
Longest ride and Longest bike isn’t important, total volume per week or month is what matters.
How would I know if aerobic fitness is my weakness at short events? Would a good measure be my 10k run split at the end of a race vs my pure run TT’s in training?
Your entire race time is a good indicator. To make it faster, you need more aerobic fitness.
(ignoring bike equipment, and swim technique)
I do Olympics. No long bikes, just an hour on the trainer per day. I try to run 3 days a week 90 minutes each, hills, all LSD.
I do not speed work in training. I get this in my races.
My input to folks is just do what you can fit in around family and work, and just have fun. No need to make this stuff more complicated than it needs to be.
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Due to time constraints I’m pulling the plug for a few years on doing 70.3, marathons and century rides to focus on getting fast at sprint and olympic distance.
Obviously I’m swapping mileage for speed and intervals in training but what should be a baseline as the longest bike and run in training? Plans I’ve looked at show 2.5hr bike on the weekend and around 1hr 10 runs mid-week.
Does this sound about right?
What do you consider “fast at olympic distance”?
For me would be:
22.5min or faster swim (1.30 per 100m)
68.5min or faster bike (35km/hr)
40min run (15km/hr)
Including transitions or other extras sub 2hr 15mins would be considered fast for me. I normally do them around 2hr 25.
How would I know if aerobic fitness is my weakness at short events? Would a good measure be my 10k run split at the end of a race vs my pure run TT’s in training?
It’s almost always your weakness.
Not force/strength?
How would I know if aerobic fitness is my weakness at short events? Would a good measure be my 10k run split at the end of a race vs my pure run TT’s in training?
It’s almost always your weakness.
Not force/strength?
Aerobic fitness is almost always a bigger limiter for running. However take a look at this for example http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23207882.
My rule of thumb for the long training runs for the 5 and 10 k is that your long run should be about 3x the race (harder runs by distance, easier runs by time).
So, for the 10k, if I run a bit harder, I run around 18 miles, if I run a bit easier I run around 1:50 (I split about 37 for my 10k on an Oly).
Bike rides I do 3-5 times the race time. I split a few ticks over an hour so my longest bike rides are 3-5 hours.
No intelligent opinion here. Just a couple of observations:
Duathlon, sprint triathlon, aquathon, (even marathon) - might require require less training time.
I think 70.3 and Olympic distance triathlon are pretty comparable.
i noticed some good advice here with training volume for Olympic distances and i’ve been curious about this since I just started racing Olympics coming from sprints. i know its relative, but with the given volume people are recommend what are its related result, time-wise.
No intelligent opinion here. Just a couple of observations:
Duathlon, sprint triathlon, aquathon, (even marathon) - might require require less training time.
I think 70.3 and Olympic distance triathlon are pretty comparable.
Good lord, how much time do you spend maintaining your bike? I pinch the tires, roll out the door and ride. Maybe check the tire pressure before a deliberate ride(As opposed to just getting out there and pedaling for the sake of endorphins or transportation).