How should one train to be a competitive age grouper (25) in the 2005 Ralphs 1/2 IM and how long should the training be?
Currently, I am on the base building stage of my training but do not know where to go from here.
So that those of you replying don’t feel that you are wasting your time, I will say that I finished the LA Marathon in 3:35:36 with 1 month and 2 weeks of training. HELP. The only training programs that I have come across are available for a cost.
Thanks,
Gilbert
“Champions are not taught to have Will, Desire, Perseverance, Poise, Determination, and Pride; they are born with them!” -
There are training programs out there on www.trinewbies.com and www.triathletemag.com , but I’m not sure how good they are. I’ve found The Triathlete Training Bible to be the most useful since it walks you through setting up your own schedule based on the amount of hours you think you can train. I also have a copy of Gale Bernhardt’s book Training Plans for Multisport Athletes. There are various plans in there depending on what you’re racing and how long you have to train. I would suggest taking a look at both of these books.
There are a number of books out there that can assist you to design your own training program. check www.trifind.com and look on the sidebars.
Basically, to be a competitive age grouper in a 1/2 ironman, you need to be a reasonably competent swimmer and a strong cyclist/runner (as opposed to fast, meaning you stay steady and don’t fall off your pace). With a 3:35 marathon off of 6 weeks training, strength shouldn’t be your issue. You will want to build your miles slowly and target an olympic distance race or two for the end of the 2004 season.
Your ultimate mileage training goals should be to be able to do a 55 mile ride and feel like you could run for 2 hours without a problem. That’s cycling endurance. You should also be able to do a few 2 hour runs with 1/2 of it at your goal 1/2 pace without struggling. Swimming is less important at this distance, but shoot for 3 swim workouts a week and work on your form.
Design your weeks around a consistent long run (up to 15-16), long ride (up to 70 or 80 miles is reasonable), and be regular about the remainder of your sessions (3-4 per sport per week). Run 10-20 minutes after a bike ride every week or two, more so as you approach the race.