The thread below about track workouts for IM got me to wondering, what type of run/track workouts are best for a 1/2 IM? Some people can really cruise a run 1/2 IM. I was thinking mile repeats would be good for a track 1/2 IM workout, would you need to run a tempo workout once a week too or maybe add a good hard 30 minute tempo finish to your long run.
…would you need to run a tempo workout once a week too or maybe add a good hard 30 minute tempo finish to your long run.
Everyone responds differently to different training choices. I find that the hard tempo run of 20 - 40 minutes long works best for me. It’s simple and it fits nicely into a week’s schedule. I just make sure I’ve had an easy or no run the day before, and let 'er rip. I do it as 20 minutes outbound; stop and walk for a minute; then turn around and hoof it back home, just as hard. It’s not complicated, and I don’t wear a HR monitor when I do them.
I do them about as hard as I can while maintaining an even split and even pace through to the end. This one workout just pulls it all together for me.
If you’re hankering to go to the track, mile repeats are great. Find a pace where you can do 4-6 of them on *SHORT *rest at a steady, even pace. If you’re fading on the last one, you did them too hard. By short rest, I mean a minute or so. This ends up being the same stimulus as a hard tempo run, but works better for some folks because of the breaks.
Half Ironman run is a speed thing. It is not about survival, it is about who can run fast off a super fast bike. This is what my half Ironman weekly trg schedule looks like
Mon: Easy 30-60 min recovery swim (openwater)
Tue: run 60-100 min (14-20K), including 5x1K or 1 mile K at half ironman race pace, then ride easy to work (10 K each way)
Wed: 90K hard bike with the boyz with 7 Anaerobic Threshold efforts for 30 seconds to 5 min (5 separate hills on our route that we attack), plus final 15K at Olympic tri race pace on the flats.
Thu: same as Tue, no intervals, but do some fast downhill running at low HR to work timing and coordination (visualize Simon Whitfield attacking on final downhill during Olympic Gold medal win). Take it easy running up the hills
Fri: Swim 30-60 min with 5x400 m at Half Ironman race pace
Sat: Ride 60-120K with 15-40K at half Ironman race pace (Visualize Lemond beating Fignon)+ easy 5 K transition run
Sun: Run easy 16-24K, optional 30 min roller ride to work on high RPM riding and shake out the legs.
As you can see, I don’t swim much, which is reflected in my swim speed. This program is ~14 hours per week depending on what you do or don’t do. This is my typical in season program, that works for both Olympic and Half IRonman and best of all, it is only 1 workout per day and I can do it from 6-9 am each morning before work. I do this for ~ 6-8 weeks each summer