If you want to ride like Lieto, forget the fact that there is a run after the bike 
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Donāt worry about what Lieto is doing, for you itās all about volume. Get out and ride your bike LOTS. If you can work up to around 250 miles a week consistently, then you can start worrying about other specific things like structured intervals, bike setup etc.
I agree, but thatās around 15 hours per week on the bike for āJoe Averageā before he can start doing intervals and annual mileage over 12,000 miles.
Thatās a great goal, but overstated for the average age grouper. Itās never to early to integrate an interval day into your week, but I recommend using them sparingly especially if youāre new to the sport. Injury prevention is not the primary issue (if your bike is correctly fit), but recovery is.
Unfortunately the run is at least as important as the bike (and in most serious races is much more important).
Understood thanks. Since I can run in the top 1-2% in the races I do I need to focus on the bike. At that point then the goal will be top 1-2% on the bike and #1 or #2 on the run
I believe Half Iron will be my best distance, but I need some time to build to that since Iāve never even ridden my bike 1/2 of 56 miles I also know that once I move to that distance the competition at the top will be stronger.
ā¦This past summer I biked only 3 times a week and only about 40 miles per week totalā¦
I run more than that.
Given your run pace- you already have an outstanding aerobic engine. Many people train for years just to average more than 20mph on the bike . Youāve got the makings of a very competitive triathlete. At this point- the one big thing you lack for the bike is volume. Cycling takes huges amounts of time. Hope youāre single with no kids.
It takes lucky genetics, years of training, and dedication to ride like Lieto.
Unfortunately for us to realize our genetic potential, we have to train often for years to realize what our potential actually is.
In your case, you need to put in some serious mileage. Between 200-300km a week should be a goal. Maybe do 1-2 rides during the week and one longer one on the weekend. I would suggest waiting until you have completed 4000km of this before starting intervals. Intervals will hurt a lot, and diminish your motivation, but you will feel satisfaction for completing them. And unfortunately, they never will get easier. But when you are a faster cyclist, you will enjoy the sport quite a bit more - I promise.
Well then check out 2009, where the same guy won, but you may have heard of the guy who got third 
**Results **
National 100-Mile Championship (Topcliffe, Yorkshire):
1 Michael Hutchinson (In Gear-Quickvit RT) 3:27:26
2 Kevin Dawson (Sportscover) 3:33:25
3 Philip Graves (Clifton CC) 3:37:41
4 Andy Bason (Wrekinsport CC) 3:38:06
5 Keith Murray (Westbrook Cycles) 3:42:30
6 Julian Jenkinson (Utag Yamaha.com ) 3:43:08
7 Joel Wainman (Team Swift) 3:43:38
8 Dean Lubin (PCA Ciclos Uno) 3:45:36
9 James Hawkins (Cambridge University CC) 3:45:37
10 Richard Prebble (Candi TV-Marshalls Pasta RT) 3:45:59
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I started like you a couple years ago, but maybe a bit slower of a runner. (16:30ish 5k and 2:40 marathon) 80-120 MPW on the bike with lots of riding at half-iron pace and the occasional faster tempo efforts got me to the point that I am now placing equally high on the run and bike segments, bike might even be better - around top 125 bike split at Vegas 70.3. I do benefit from a powermeter which really helps. Swim still sucks.
Get that trainer and suffer in the basement this winter and you should see the results next year. Also take advantage of every bit of free speed advice you can find on this forum: tubes, tires, bottle placement, wheel cover, etc. A little effort and a couple hundred bucks can buy you a lot of time.
Hope youāre single with no kids.
Lolā¦not so much.
You donāt need these monster miles people are quoting for 40k TT improvements. As long as you can keep consistently ~100mpw, including a few ~150mpw thrown in there, with a good mix of threshold (and faster) sessions, either as standalone workouts or w/in your longer weekend ride, you should see dramatic improvement if you can be consistent. You can benefit from intervals at any mileage, you donāt need 200mpw to do them.
FWIW Iām no 16min 5kāer, what Iād consider ~average aerobic capacity, nearly 50yo and I can consistently race at ~24mph 40kTT on this kind of mileage and workouts. Iāve only had a single year with > 7k bike mileage and best 40kTT improvement came the year after that, during a ~5k year. No powermeter, no heartrate monitor, no coach, just a joy in riding and structured threshold workouts in the few weeks leading up to races.
The biggest thing you could probably learn is that itās NOT about the bike. You may be better off emulating World Champions or the guys that are successful at WINNING TRIATHLONS seeing as that is what you are training for.
The biggest thing you could probably learn is that itās NOT about the bike. You may be better off emulating World Champions or the guys that are successful at WINNING TRIATHLONS seeing as that is what you are training for.
Not necessarily. You need to emulate someone who is doing well with the time you have to train. Emulating someone who is doing 30 - 40 hours a week of training isnāt going to do much for you if you have time for 10.
It is about big miles on the bike. 5+ hour/100+ mile rides should be what you do every single weekend, not a novelty distance you do once or twice 2-3 months ahead of your A race.
#6 is also well-known to those whoāve been in the sport long enough. AFAIK, no brit has gone faster. Maybe the first who will
do so isā¦Chrissie
I am far from Lieto, but another poster is right. You need to ride more. I donāt pull the bike out unless I am going at least 20 miles. I did a 40 miler this weekend which was a no big deal rideā¦ yet that was your entire weekly mileage.
Power will come with more miles. Holding it for 112 miles is a whole new story though.
I am not knocking youā¦ If I posted my run miles, people would laugh. I canāt get my miles up without being injured. Thatās my ultimate goalā¦ run consistantly and stay out of injury.
Your new to the sport. Longer rides will come in time.
Miles has nothing to do with holding a 25 mph avg for a 40k. Itās all about intervals to get that speed up for that shorter course.
#6 is also well-known to those whoāve been in the sport long enough. AFAIK, no brit has gone faster. Maybe the first who will
do so isā¦Chrissie
Francois,
Itās funny how true long distance TT specialists like Hutchinson and the like donāt get much rep here. I thought triathletes would be all over this because this, in a round about way is what they do!
So then I must ask. Are big bike miles necessary for sprint / olympic triathlon? It seems many here are focused on long course. Though that may be my focus down the road Iām more focused on the short stuff for now.
To finish a OD race or to be at the front? To finish no you can do lots less. If you want to be at the front, particularly if you want to be at the front in races with good competition yes, youāll have to do decent mileage. 200 miles a week isnāt that much when you build up to it.
So then I must ask. Are big bike miles necessary for sprint / olympic triathlon? It seems many here are focused on long course. Though that may be my focus down the road Iām more focused on the short stuff for now.
i think training for all the distances are the āsameā just the TIME spent is different.
a 5hr ride when training for a sprint isnāt neededā¦but the time you would be in the saddle during that sprint is the time you need to train for. meaning, if you plan on being in the saddle for 1hr then you need to train to go hard for one hour. i see the way of doing this as similiar to both running and swimming. if you can cover the distance at a hard effort then itās time to work on hard/sprint type efforts to give you the āboostā you need to cover race distance harder and faster. if you canāt cover the distance at your goal pace you need to work on your ābaseā portion some more.
lather rinse repeat. mileage isnāt so much the ānumberā i try to chase. itās the time spent at any given effort.
if your tongue isnāt dragging you arenāt training hard enough.
i need some more coffeeā¦
not giving a crap about swimming or running.