Olympic distance self coached resources

Triathlon Forum
1

So ST is awesome, but you guys tend to answer most questions from the point of view of people doing 70.3 and 140.6 races. So I need some resources from a Olympic distance perspective.

2015 will be my second year of tris, and I am totally happy to stick to Sprint & Olympic races. Overall I need to find some better training direction compared to2014.

The only resource I have found so far that fits my mindset is the “Triathlon Training Bible”, but that book seems generally looked down on here. It also seems to not really quite give me enough to base my training year on. Are there any other articles / books / resources in the same general area? I.e. this is how to plan a year to race a few Olympic tris. Not looking to podium, but I should be able to get to the ~top 25% of my AG having that I have no physical deformities and plenty of time to train.

I am kind of in a holding plan now, doing BarryP running + trainerroad biking + masters class swimming… somehow I need more ideas on how to tie everything together. I guess I can use “Triathlon Training Bible” for suggested hours per week (it claims 400-600 hours per year is a good training volume for Olympic), and then try to split it 40% bike, 30% run, 30% swim or something…

2

70.3 training and Oly distance training is “basically” the same.

3

I basically only do Olympic stuff. 627 hours training this year. Might kick it up some for next year.

Do not over think. I have never had a coach in 16 years of racing.

Just keep exercising, 7 days a week all year long.

Off season is a great time to put some extra focus on your weakest event, and probably the one you find great excuses to not do enough.

No magic, just train, and race a lot.

After each season one can see what worked, and where the weak link is.

.

4

I basically only do Olympic stuff. 627 hours training this year. Might kick it up some for next year.

Do not over think. I have never had a coach in 16 years of racing.

Just keep exercising, 7 days a week all year long.

Off season is a great time to put some extra focus on your weakest event, and probably the one you find great excuses to not do enough.

No magic, just train, and race a lot.

After each season one can see what worked, and where the weak link is.

.

That is about what I am doing. Just train and race a lot. Will that be enough to get me to the top 25% of my AG? (I don’t really care about the exact 25% thing, but I managed to get myself there running, sucks to be so much worse at tri than I am at running).

Think I ended up with about 325 hours, but I had some weeks of nothing (and literally no bike for 4 months). At current pace I should be able to get at least 500 hours in 2015…

5

The training bible is a good guide if youre a 1st or 2nd year triathlete, and a reduced plan for the half would work fine for Olys. My advice is to train more on your weak sport, leaston yor strongest sport.

So ST is awesome, but you guys tend to answer most questions from the point of view of people doing 70.3 and 140.6 races. So I need some resources from a Olympic distance perspective.

2015 will be my second year of tris, and I am totally happy to stick to Sprint & Olympic races. Overall I need to find some better training direction compared to2014.

The only resource I have found so far that fits my mindset is the “Triathlon Training Bible”, but that book seems generally looked down on here. It also seems to not really quite give me enough to base my training year on. Are there any other articles / books / resources in the same general area? I.e. this is how to plan a year to race a few Olympic tris. Not looking to podium, but I should be able to get to the ~top 25% of my AG having that I have no physical deformities and plenty of time to train.

I am kind of in a holding plan now, doing BarryP running + trainerroad biking + masters class swimming… somehow I need more ideas on how to tie everything together. I guess I can use “Triathlon Training Bible” for suggested hours per week (it claims 400-600 hours per year is a good training volume for Olympic), and then try to split it 40% bike, 30% run, 30% swim or something…

6

Sans a coach…

Join training peaks (free). Buy one of Matt Fitzgerald advanced 70.3 plans (Level 7-10). Nail the run and bike intervals like he outlines. Tweak the plan if you want to fit your schedule/life/desires. Track progress on Training Peaks. Boom. Advancement. You will do really well at your Olympics.

Oh, and join Strava (free). Find all of the bike and run segments around your area and use them as your intervals. Instant feedback.

7

Sans a coach…

Join training peaks (free). Buy one of Matt Fitzgerald advanced 70.3 plans (Level 7-10). Nail the run and bike intervals like he outlines. Tweak the plan if you want to fit your schedule/life/desires. Track progress on Training Peaks. Boom. Advancement. You will do really well at your Olympics.

Oh, and join Strava (free). Find all of the bike and run segments around your area and use them as your intervals. Instant feedback.

Eh coach is cool and all. I just do better researching on my own generally I think. I am like Ryan Hall but really bad and not as religious. Basically not like Ryan Hall at all.

A " Matt Fitzgerald advanced 70.3 plan" maybe scaled back a little sounds like a good idea. Hummmm Looking at a free sample of his work

(http://triathlon.competitor.com/2010/09/training/super-simple-ironman-70-3-triathlon-training-plan_12364)

Not sure those 14 mile runs will do much for me oding Olympic tries? I actually like running the most, so I would do it, but would it actually help me?

8

The top folks I see at races train ALL year long, period!!

They stay healthy!

I know one year I started swimming masters in the off season 5 days a week and that took my racing results to a totally different level.

You do not need a coach, unless you want to spend money for someone to make you do workouts, which many seem to need.

.

9

I don’t do anything but Olympic distance, and haven’t had a coach since high school cross country. What’s worked for me:

  1. Intensity.The only “Zone 2” work I do is from listening to talk radio, and I really don’t do much in Zone 3 either.
  2. Swim lots. There’s no lack of fish on here to tell you the same thing, but getting out of the water with clear road makes the bike leg easier, and you’ll get hit less by the better swimmers. Plus it seems to be “the” event where you can “learn” to go faster, and not just hammer harder (or buy bike speed). I’ve taken more than 6 minutes out of my OD swim in two years. That covers a BIG span in the finishing order.
  3. No distance running. Again - as I’ve been shouted down here before for this - I don’t do a single run more than 5.5 miles other than the events themselves. I just don’t see the point in running slow, as it doesn’t feel the same as running fast. Current workouts are in the 3-4 mile range, 3 times per week, at or above my target 2015 race pace. I plan to work that up to 5.5 miles by my season start, end of May.

If you’re a competitive type (motivated easily by training with others) - start doing 5k run races. I can say with full honesty that the entire basis of my adult athletic “career” is based on the suffering I learned to do running 17-minute 5 k’s.

10

The top folks I see at races train ALL year long, period!!

They stay healthy!

I know one year I started swimming masters in the off season 5 days a week and that took my racing results to a totally different level.

You do not need a coach, unless you want to spend money for someone to make you do workouts, which many seem to need.

.

Training all year is “easy”. But the more complex part is a year having a base + a build + blah blah blah. I guess if trainerroad spits out my bike plan for the 40kTT plan, and I already know how to build for running…

11

I don’t do anything but Olympic distance, and haven’t had a coach since high school cross country. What’s worked for me:

  1. Intensity.The only “Zone 2” work I do is from listening to talk radio, and I really don’t do much in Zone 3 either.
  2. Swim lots. There’s no lack of fish on here to tell you the same thing, but getting out of the water with clear road makes the bike leg easier, and you’ll get hit less by the better swimmers. Plus it seems to be “the” event where you can “learn” to go faster, and not just hammer harder (or buy bike speed). I’ve taken more than 6 minutes out of my OD swim in two years. That covers a BIG span in the finishing order.
  3. No distance running. Again - as I’ve been shouted down here before for this - I don’t do a single run more than 5.5 miles other than the events themselves. I just don’t see the point in running slow, as it doesn’t feel the same as running fast. Current workouts are in the 3-4 mile range, 3 times per week, at or above my target 2015 race pace. I plan to work that up to 5.5 miles by my season start, end of May.

If you’re a competitive type (motivated easily by training with others) - start doing 5k run races. I can say with full honesty that the entire basis of my adult athletic “career” is based on the suffering I learned to do running 17-minute 5 k’s.

So, how old are you? Sounds great for a younger person who is healthy. Older person, well, maybe this is why there are so few older, let alone older fast racers.

.

12

I don’t do anything but Olympic distance, and haven’t had a coach since high school cross country. What’s worked for me:

  1. Intensity.The only “Zone 2” work I do is from listening to talk radio, and I really don’t do much in Zone 3 either.
  2. Swim lots. There’s no lack of fish on here to tell you the same thing, but getting out of the water with clear road makes the bike leg easier, and you’ll get hit less by the better swimmers. Plus it seems to be “the” event where you can “learn” to go faster, and not just hammer harder (or buy bike speed). I’ve taken more than 6 minutes out of my OD swim in two years. That covers a BIG span in the finishing order.
  3. No distance running. Again - as I’ve been shouted down here before for this - I don’t do a single run more than 5.5 miles other than the events themselves. I just don’t see the point in running slow, as it doesn’t feel the same as running fast. Current workouts are in the 3-4 mile range, 3 times per week, at or above my target 2015 race pace. I plan to work that up to 5.5 miles by my season start, end of May.

If you’re a competitive type (motivated easily by training with others) - start doing 5k run races. I can say with full honesty that the entire basis of my adult athletic “career” is based on the suffering I learned to do running 17-minute 5 k’s.

So, how old are you? Sounds great for a younger person who is healthy. Older person, well, maybe this is why there are so few older, let alone older fast racers.

.

Well or I think he may just be a natural healthy runner. I would be at the running doctor in a month of doing that plan. Partially why I don’t race for the podium, I am not a natural. I have to train 50% more than other people just to finish not too far behind them.

13

I never build. I never base. I never do periodization. I never taper. I just train all year long with all LSD running but with lots of hills. I try to get some interval work on my bike trainer,
but nothing crazy. I try to swim now in season 2 to 3 days a week.

I do try to race like 10 times a year where I do open it up, for me.

Do this for a few years, stay healthy, and you will maximize your genetics. Better to compare against you, than others who just happen to have had better parents for this sport.

.

14

Here are a couple of advanced Olympic training plans that might be helpful.

http://www.movescount.com/trainingprograms/trainingprogram1752-Triatln_distancia_olmpica_nivel_avanzado
http://www.movescount.com/trainingprograms/trainingprogram1176-ITU_Tri_training_-_Pro_(Olympic_distance)

15

I never build. I never base. I never do periodization. I never taper. I just train all year long with all LSD running but with lots of hills. I try to get some interval work on my bike trainer,
but nothing crazy. I try to swim now in season 2 to 3 days a week.

I do try to race like 10 times a year where I do open it up, for me.

Do this for a few years, stay healthy, and you will maximize your genetics. Better to compare against you, than others who just happen to have had better parents for this sport.

.

So I 100% love this. If this would work for me, then this is the method I would like to follow. I like to train, if I am always training, seems pretty awesome.

Pros: Based on my limited stalking ability, you are near twice my age and get 2:1x on Olympic tris

Cons: How many hours a week do you do this? Because I am not sure I am willing to do 20h a week.

I think I found my new internet idol.

16

I never build. I never base. I never do periodization. I never taper. I just train all year long with all LSD running but with lots of hills. I try to get some interval work on my bike trainer,
but nothing crazy. I try to swim now in season 2 to 3 days a week.

I do try to race like 10 times a year where I do open it up, for me.

Do this for a few years, stay healthy, and you will maximize your genetics. Better to compare against you, than others who just happen to have had better parents for this sport.

.

So I 100% love this. If this would work for me, then this is the method I would like to follow. I like to train, if I am always training, seems pretty awesome.

Pros: Based on my limited stalking ability, you are near twice my age and get 2:1x on Olympic tris

Cons: How many hours a week do you do this? Because I am not sure I am willing to do 20h a week.

I think I found my new internet idol.

http://i31.tinypic.com/149r4pi.jpg

17

I’ve tried LSD running before, never got faster but got consistently injured as a result. For whatever reason, I find the mechanics of running “easier” as my pace goes up - my joints hurt less. Maybe it’s because how I trained my body when I was younger, perhaps similarly to the youth-onset swimmers. Like I said, it just works for me, and the CW on ST is that it will never work.

If you know it will injure YOU, then don’t do it; find another method.

With regard to waterfun - those 10 or so events a year are where he’s getting his intensity from. I only do 2-3 events a year, so my intensity needs to come from my training. For me (again) - if the only time I feel truly flattened by a workout is after an event, then I’m leaving speed on the table in my training. I try to introduce workouts that get me to the same point as an event, at least once or twice a month.

18

I never build. I never base. I never do periodization. I never taper. I just train all year long with all LSD running but with lots of hills. I try to get some interval work on my bike trainer,
but nothing crazy. I try to swim now in season 2 to 3 days a week.

I do try to race like 10 times a year where I do open it up, for me.

Do this for a few years, stay healthy, and you will maximize your genetics. Better to compare against you, than others who just happen to have had better parents for this sport.

.

So I 100% love this. If this would work for me, then this is the method I would like to follow. I like to train, if I am always training, seems pretty awesome.

Pros: Based on my limited stalking ability, you are near twice my age and get 2:1x on Olympic tris

Cons: How many hours a week do you do this? Because I am not sure I am willing to do 20h a week.

I think I found my new internet idol.

I now, being retired, train about 2 hours a day.

Been doing this for 16 years.

Family needs to come first.

I do this to try and minimize my risk for cancer and other stuff.

There are always faster folks. Who had better genes from parents. Who can buy better equipment. Who can train more. Who are lucky and do not get hurt.

If you look at my results over the years, compared to many who are studs and always were studs, I worked my way from a BOP to MOP to FOP. Lots of luck and hard work.
But did not get serious until my kids were in college.

I have seen too many older folks who destroyed their bodies when they are younger and can no longer run, let alone race. Various part replacements. Etc.

I feel SO lucky I did not find this sport until I was 39. Before that for 10 years I water skied 9 months a year, 7 days a week with my family.

Since I am a Type A, I have had to be very careful to not let this sport make me not just do this for a hobby. This is why I just smile when so many go nuts over
drafting, as one example.

I try to train 1.5 to 3 hours a day now. Way too much for your age, IMO. Just find some pattern that you can keep to 7 days a week, all year long. I used to train like 7 hours a week and did okay.
I am not doing that much better with much more training.

I am very proud of my 1:24 half marathon a few months ago, and pushing my grandkids in a double stroller 5K sub 20.

.

19

Best book I have read was Championship Triathlon Training by Dr. George Dallam. I applied the basic principles from the book (minus the nasal breathing and a few other things I didn’t care to mess with) and had the best season of my life in 2013, dropped my best OLY from 2:06 to 1:58 and felt pretty much invincible. This season I tried something different (higher volume, stricter adherence to the schedule) and felt horrible almost every time I raced and definitely regressed. A lot of the difference had more to do with smarter scheduling (using the 14 day training cycle which fits my life better than a typical 7 day schedule) and having a disciplined strength training regime, but I definitely learned a ton from the book.

20

If you like TTB you might want to consider having a look at “your best triathlon”, also by Friel, which has plans and the like in it. It is a polar opposite to h20fun’s approach though…