Date |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Strength |
3-Mar |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#1) 1000 yds. a.m. |
20 miles. p.m. |
|
Core |
Tues |
(#2) 1000 yds. a.m |
|
40 min p.m. |
|
Wed |
|
20 miles. p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#3) 1000 yds. a.m |
|
30 min p.m. |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
50 min a.m. |
|
Sun |
|
25 miles. a.m. |
|
|
13-Mar |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#1) 1000 yds. a.m |
20 miles. p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#4) 1250 yds. a.m |
|
45 min p.m. |
|
Wed |
|
25 miles. p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#2) 1000 yds. a.m |
|
35 min p.m. |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
55 min a.m. |
|
Sun |
|
30 miles a.m. |
|
|
20-Mar |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#3) 1000 yds. a.m |
20 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#5) 1250 yds. a.m |
|
45 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
25 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#6) 1250 yds. a.m |
|
40 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
Papa John’s 10 Miler |
|
Sun |
|
35 miles a.m. |
|
|
27-Mar |
Recovery |
Recovery |
Recovery |
|
Mon |
(#1) 1000 yds. a.m |
20 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#2) 1000 yds. a.m |
|
40 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#3) 1000 yds. a.m |
|
30 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
50 min a.m. |
|
Sun |
|
30 miles a.m. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3-Apr |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Strength |
Mon |
(#1) 1000 yds. a.m |
20 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#7) 1500 yds. a.m |
|
45 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
25 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#4) 1250 yds. a.m |
|
40 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
60 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
40 miles a.m. |
|
|
10-Apr |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#5) 1250 yds. a.m |
25 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#8) 1500 yds. a.m |
|
50 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
25 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#9) 1500 yds. a.m |
|
40 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
70 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
45 miles a.m. |
|
|
17-Apr |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Strength |
Mon |
(#6) 1250 yds. a.m |
25 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#10) 1750 yds. a.m |
|
60 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
30 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#7) 1500 yds. a.m |
|
45 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
80 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
45 miles a.m. |
|
|
24-Apr |
Recovery |
Recovery |
Recovery |
|
Mon |
(#2) 1000 yds. a.m |
20 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#4) 1250 yds. a.m |
|
50 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
25 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#5) 1250 yds. a.m |
|
35 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
|
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
Mini-Marathon |
|
Sun |
|
35 miles a.m. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1-May |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#6) 1250 yds. a.m |
25 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#12) 2000 yds. a.m |
|
60 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
30 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#8) 1500 yds. a.m |
|
50 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
(choice) 1000 yds. |
|
80 min p.m |
|
Sun |
|
50 miles a.m. |
75 min walk p.m |
|
8-May |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Strength |
Mon |
(#9) 1500 yds. a.m |
25 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#14) 2250 yds. a.m |
|
60 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
35 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#11) 1750 yds. a.m |
|
50 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
|
Sat |
(choice) 1000 yds. |
|
90 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
55 miles a.m. |
75 min walk p.m |
|
15-May |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#7) 1500 yds. a.m |
25 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#14) 2500 yds. a.m |
|
60 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
40 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#10) 1750 yds. a.m |
|
50 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
(choice) 1000 yds. |
|
100 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
60 miles a.m. |
75 min walk p.m |
|
22-May |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#3) 1000 yds. a.m |
20 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#13) 2000 yds. a.m |
|
50 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
30 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#4) 1250 yds. a.m |
|
40 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
(choice) 1000 yds. |
|
90 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
50 miles a.m. |
60 min walk p.m |
|
Speedwork/Quality Phase |
||||
|
||||
29-May |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Strength |
Mon |
(#8) 1500 yds. a.m |
30 miles p.m. |
0 |
Core |
Tue |
(#15) 2500 yds. a.m |
|
Quality Day |
|
Wed |
|
Quality Day |
|
|
Thur |
Quality Day a.m. |
|
60 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
(Travel Day) |
(Travel Day) |
(Travel Day) |
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
|
|
60
min walk p.m. |
|
Sun |
|
1 Hour Spin a.m. |
90 min a.m. |
|
5-Jun - Vacation |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#9) 1500 yds. a.m |
1 Hour Spin p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#10) 2500 yds. a.m |
|
60 Min p.m. |
|
Wed |
|
60 min p.m |
|
|
Thur |
(#9) 1500 yds. a.m |
|
|
|
Fri |
|
1
Hour Spin p.m. |
90
Min a.m. |
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
(Travel Day) |
(Travel Day) |
(Travel Day) |
|
Sun |
|
1
Hour Spin a.m. |
60
min. walk p.m |
|
12-Jun |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#7) 1500 yds. a.m |
30 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#15) 2500 yds. a.m |
|
Quality Day |
|
Wed |
|
Quality Day |
|
|
Thur |
Quality Day a.m. |
|
60 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
(choice) 1000 yds. |
|
90 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
50 miles a.m. |
60 min. walk p.m |
|
19-Jun |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Strength |
Mon |
(#8) 1500 yds. a.m |
30 miles p.m. |
|
Core |
Tue |
(#14) 2500 yds. a.m |
|
Quality Day |
|
Wed |
|
Quality Day |
|
|
Thur |
Quality Day a.m. |
|
60 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
(choice) 1000 yds. |
|
90 min a.m |
|
Sun |
|
50 miles a.m. |
60 min. walk p.m |
|
|
|
|
|
|
26-Jun |
Begin Taper |
Begin Taper |
Begin Taper |
|
Mon |
|
|
|
Core |
Tue |
(#15) 2500 yds a.m. |
|
60 min p.m |
|
Wed |
|
30 miles p.m. |
|
|
Thur |
(#9) 1500 yds a.m. |
|
40 min p.m |
1 hour Yoga |
Fri |
|
20 miles p.m. |
|
Arms/Shoulders/Back |
Sat |
(choice) 1000 yds. |
|
75 min p.m |
|
Sun |
|
50 miles a.m. |
|
|
3-July |
|
|
|
|
Mon |
(#7) 1500 yds a.m. |
|
40 min p.m |
Core |
Tue |
|
40 miles p.m. |
|
|
Wed |
(choice) 1000 yds |
20 miles p.m. |
30 min p.m |
|
Thur |
(Travel Day) |
(Travel Day) |
(Travel Day) |
Stretch |
Fri |
15 min. easy |
15 min. spin |
30 min walk |
|
Sat |
Race Day |
Race Day |
Race Day |
|
The first 12 weeks of the program is
considered a base building phase gradually increasing mileage and yardage. A speedwork/quality phase makes up weeks 13-16 with weeks 17
and 18 dedicated to the taper. You will also notice three recovery weeks on
weeks 4, 8 and 12. These are important. Stick to them. By the end of the base
building phase, some of you may start to get a little grumpy and irritable.
This is due to the fact that you are pushing that “overtrained”
state. Fortunately, the speedwork phase begins the
following week. During this period you will be cutting back on the
mileage/yardage while maintaining your
overall endurance. This will also provide you with the added rest
for which are looking. You will probably experience an increase in energy and
your attitude will start to err towards the positive side! This is also a time
when you must begin to use your head and train smart! An improper approach to speedwork can lead to injuries in all three events. We will
discuss this further as we break down the individual activities.
The base building phase focuses on general aerobic training and should include
the use of a heart rate monitor. If you do not own one, than I suggest you make
the purchase. There are several on the market and all do a fine job. Refer to
the Tri Links page for more information
on heart rate monitors. And you do not have to buy the most expensive. However,
you will want a model that has at least an overall time display. This will keep
you from having to wear both a watch and HR monitor when you run.
** I have included an extra workout
in weeks 9-17 for each activity. You will find each highlighted in red. They
include a Saturday swim, a Friday bike ride and a Sunday long walk. Each will
be discussed below in their respective section. They are considered recovery
workouts but will also contribute to base building within your overall program.
Swimming: The swim portion of the half Ironman is 1.5
miles and a set of swimming workouts for the entire program can be found at the
bottom of this page. They were designed for training in a 25 yard pool. If you
are swimming in a 25 meter pool, you can use the same workouts. For a 50 meter
pool, there will be some changes. You are certainly not bound by these workouts
so feel free to tweak them as you see fit. Please see the
breakdown below: Swimming: The swim portion of the half
Ironman is 1.5 miles and a set of swimming workouts for the entire program can
be found at the bottom of this page. They were designed for training in a 25
yard pool. If you are swimming in a 25 meter pool, you can use the same
workouts. For a 50 meter pool, there will be some changes. You are certainly
not bound by these workouts so feel free to tweak them as you see fit. Please
see the
breakdown below:
25 Yard (meter) Pool – usually
standard length
1 length = 25 yards (meters)
1 lap (2 lengths) = 50 yards (meters)
2 laps (4 lengths) = 100 yards (meters)
½ mile = about 800 yards = 32 lengths
1 mile = about 1700 yds (meters) = 68 lengths
1.5 miles = about 2500 yards = 100 lengths
50 Meter Pool
1 length = 50 meters
2 lengths = 100 meters
½ mile = about 800 meters = 16 lengths
1 mile = about 1500 meters = 30 lengths
1.5 miles = about 2300 meters = 46 lengths
When you read the swim workouts, you
will notice that I did include yardage for stroke drills but did not specify
the type of drill. If you are having difficulty with your stroke and you are
without a swim coach, I suggest you purchase Terry Laughlin’s book and/or video
series (800-609-SWIM) or Steve Tarpinian’s video
(800-469-2538). I have not viewed either one but I understand they are full of
drills and are terrific!
***The main set of each workout is based on repetitive swims with very little
rest between each. Swim these relaxed. The idea is to build endurance while
swimming aerobically, NOT fast. You will find your speed will begin to increase
naturally. In order to stay aerobic, periodically check your heart rate
throughout the set. The quickest way to do this is place your finger under your
chin/neck, find your pulse and count the beats for a six second count and add a
zero to the total. For example:
14
beats in 6 seconds = 140 beats per minute.
This reading is not as accurate as
would be displayed on a heart rate monitor, however, I have attempted to wear a
HR strap and monitor on a set of 100 freestyles (do not bother trying this, it
is futile!) and found the finger-to-throat test is certainly accurate enough.
Besides, it is all we swimmers have! Try to keep your heart rate between 140 –
160 beats per minute. For folks in their 40’s and up, try to keep your rate
closer to 140, maybe even a bit less. For athletes in their late twenties to mid thirties, try to keep it closer to 150. And for those
in their twenties and younger, 160 should be fine. The idea behind this method
of training is to prepare your heart rate for the bike ride upon exiting the
water during a race. The closer your heart rate is to your bike training rate,
the better the outcome of your entire race. For example:
Let us say you are in your early
40’s and for eighteen weeks the bulk of your aerobic bike training was at an
average heart rate of 125 bpm (beats per minute).
Come race time, you exit the swim with a heart rate of 175 bpm.
As you begin the bike ride, you are now a full 50 beats per minute above your
bicycle training rate! Within a mile or two the ride, your heart rate will
drop, but probably not the full 50 beats. More than likely, it will settle in
at about 145-155 beats per minute or a 20-30 bpm
recovery. Thus you will be riding the 25 mile/40k bike coarse
with a heart rate some 20-30 beats higher than your training rate. And this
will be the beginning of the end, for you will pay the price on the run. Now,
if you were to exit the water in the same race with your heart rate closer to
140 or 150 beats per minute, and you recovered the same 20-30 bpm during the bike ride, your heart rate would settle in
somewhere between 120 and 130 bpm – your normal
bicycle training rate! This would only leave you better prepared for the run.
Flip turns – Do not worry about flip turns while you swim unless you
feel very confident doing them. Simply take a quick breath on the wall and push
off. Flip turns will cause your heart rate to rise. This in turn may negatively
affect your aerobic pace. If you do swim with a masters
program, you may be forced to do flip turns to keep up with the swimmers in
your lane. If this be the case, move to a slower lane with less pressure from
the other swimmers.
Breathing – when swimming freestyle, you should get into the habit of
breathing every stroke. The more oxygen you take into the body, the lower your
heart rate will remain. However, alternating your breathing
or breathing every three strokes, will help you in two ways.
1. It will balance out your freestyle stroke.
2. It will get you used to looking in both directions, which may help during a
race when trying to find your mark.
Also practice lifting your head and looking forward when swimming…say
once or twice per lap during your main set. You may have a black line down the
middle of the lane, but unless you are racing in the clear waters of the
Caribbean, the open water in most tri’s will be
fairly dark.
** You will notice I added a 1000 yard Saturday
swim workout in weeks 9-17. The purpose of this workout is to add base yardage
to your swim program and still benefit from the effects of a recovery swim.
Treat this workout solely as a recovery workout after your long run on
Saturday. Swim easy and relaxed, but not sloppy. There is absolute no stress
involved. Kick easy, swim real easy, just relax, rest a lot and piddle in the
water.
The quality workouts listed at the bottom of this page are designed to
help you build speed. You will be getting a bit more rest overall from here on
out, however, there will still be some longer distance workouts to maintain
endurance. When you do the workouts, you want to slowly build your exerted
effort and work on getting faster as the set progresses. You also want to build
each workout with the last week of the quality period showing the greatest
results. For example:
Your quality set is 5 x 100's all
out on the 6 minutes. First, you want to try to build your effort with each lap
of the100 so you are finishing faster than you started. In a 25 yard pool,
always swim the first 25 yards building up your effort so when you come off the
first wall, you can begin to really push it.You will
also want to attempt to descend each 100 so the each 100 gets faster. And your
overall set should be faster the last week of the quality phase as opposed to
the first. You do not want to start out at a full sprint. You will risk injury,
perhaps in your shoulders, and you will be driving your heart rate up too fast,
too soon. I suggest you swim your quality workouts in a 25 yard pool. The point
is simply to build speed. If you attempt to do quality work in a 50 meter pool,
lake or ocean, you will tire out much sooner due to fewer walls which will
actually hurt your speedwork. Plus you will not be
swimming this hard in a race, so there is no point in trying to simulate such
conditions. And again, do not worry about flip turns. In a set like this where
you are pushing your heart rate to maximum levels, flip turns will not hurt
you. But if you do not know how to do one...it is fine. Taking a quick breath
on each wall with a good push-off will actually help you remain in
"sprint-mode" for the entire swim.
Cycling: Again, your bike rides should be aerobic, concentrating on
staying within your heart rate zone.
Remember, for some, the running heart rate zone may be higher than that of
cycling, so you will need to experiment to find out what works best for you.
Attempting to cycle within your running HR zone may do more harm to your
aerobic system than not. To experiment, subtract 5 to 10 beats from your
running zone and determine how it feels during the ride. For example:
If you are 40 years of age, and in
pretty good shape, your aerobic heart rate zone based on the Maffetone method, should be 130-140. If you were to
subtract 10 beats for your cycle training, your zone would be 120-130. And this
is where you should experiment.
Obviously, the flatter the terrain
on which you ride, the easier it will be to monitor your heart. If you live in
a hilly or mountainous area, your rate will definitely rise when cycling
uphill. If this be the case, shift to higher gears (so you are spinning) and
try to keep your ride smooth. Avoid pumping the pedals if possible. The harder
you pump, the higher your heart rate will rise. This will not always be as easy
as said but you should at least attempt to keep your heart rate as low as
possible during the uphills. Also, try to remain in
the saddle while riding uphill and only climb out as a last resort.
Cycling workouts during base building phase:
Monday- your ride should be treated as somewhat of a recovery/aerobic
ride after your long Sunday ride. Warm up for 15 minutes keeping your heart
rate (HR) below your training zone. For the bulk of you ridekeep
your HR at the lower end of your training zone. Finally, leave yourself enough
time for a goodcool-down. On all cool downs, wait
until your HR drops as close to or below 100 bpm
before stopping.
Wednesday- your ride will be about the same as Monday. However, during
the bulk of your ride, train with your heart rate at the mid to high end of
your zone but do not go higher...stay within it. Just remember to leave
yourself enoughtime for a cool-down.
Friday- when you begin your Friday rides on the 9th week,
treat each one as an easy, easy spinning day. It will be a nice warm-up for
your Saturday long run. Keep your heart rate well below the zone throughout the
entire ride.
Sunday- finally, your Sunday ride will be the most important. This is
where you will practice your eating and drinking.
Begin the ride with a 20 minute warm-up. For the bulk of the ride keep your HR
at the low end of the zone for as long as possible. As you increase your
distance, you will begin to see your endurance fall off as your heart rate will
climb just a bit toward the end of the ride. In fact you will probably be
riding slower than when you began. Do not worry, just
keep your HR in the zone. Eventually, you will see your endurance increase.
Finally, leave yourself enough time for a cool down.
Aero position: Because you will be cycling for about 2.5-3 hours
during your race, acclimation to the aero position is necessary, especially on
a flatter race coarse. The
flatter the coarse, the less the need to get out of the saddle to ride i.e.
Hill work. Your Sunday long ride will certainly be a good time to practice.
Once you have decided on a race, try to find out as much info as possible about
the bike coarse. Is it hilly? What are the winds like…etc?
Then try to simulate these conditions within your own training rides. For
example, if the coarse is
hilly, incorporate some hill work or hill repeats into your biking regimen. If
you know the coarse is
famous for its winds, say along a coastline, try to ride on days you know the
wind has picked up. Typically, the wind will pick up in the afternoons so plan
a couple of rides after work. Once daylight savings time begins, you will have
time in the late afternoons to get in a good ride. Spending alot
of time in the aero position can cause some lower back pain, at least in the begining. If you are experiencing lower back pain after
your ride, a good lower back stretch is a must as you increase the distances in
your cycling. One good strectch (see figure to the
right) is to lay on your back and pull your knees to
your chest. Wrap your arms around the outside of you
legs and gently squeeze the arms pulling the knees closer to the chest. You
should feel this in your lower back. Remember, ease into the stretch by pulling
gently. You may also lift one leg at a time to your chest while leaving the
other extended with a slight bend.
***NOTE***
When incorporating hill work into
your bike rides or if you are faced with strong headwinds throughout your ride,
staying aerobic should still be your goal. With the hills, this will be tougher
to do. Unlike riding into head winds, gravity plays a huge roll on hill work,
and your heart rate can soar. So do the best that you can. As you travel
uphill, stay in the saddle, switch to higher gears and try to maintain an easy
spin as opposed to pounding the pedals. Obviously, if you live in the west
where “hills” are much steeper and longer, some of this is easier said than
done, but try to stay as close to your zone as possible. For some of you,
headwinds will always be part of your training. If so, again, shift to higher
gears, and find a comfortable pace. As I stated earlier, gravity will not play
the same role here, but psychologically, head winds can be quite defeating.
Find a nice gear and spin rather than grind the pedals. Do not worry about
speed.
Bike trainers: During the winter months, some of you will be forced to
ride indoors on a trainer. And this can be extremely boring!…even
with the most user friendly trainers such as a Computrainer.
However, riding on a trainer does provide one excellent benefit - Mental
Toughness. And this will only help. Once you begin riding outdoors, the bike
trainer can still play a significant role in your cycling program especially
during your quality workouts.
Quality workouts can be
dangerous on the highways unless you can find a road that is rarely traveled upon. And
even this can be dangerous simply because sprint cycling on the highways
requires so much thought and concentration, safe biking habits are usually
sacrificed. The trainer will offer you the ability to focus solely on your speedwork without any worry of highway traffic.
Quality Work: Like swimming, you will want to build within your quality
set, as well as throughout the weeks of the quality phase. For example:
If your quality workout consists of
6 x 5 and 2's...Five minutes hard, two minutes easy/recover, you should take
the first 5/2 of the first day building your effort. On the first 5/2,
gradually build your effort throughout the first five minutes. Do not just
start out hammering. On the second 5/2, you can build your effort a little
quicker so by numbers 3-6 you are really going after it. And each particular
quality day, follow this same pattern. By the last week of the quality phase,
your output or results should still exceed those recorded on that first
session.
** You will notice I added
a 20 mile bike ride on Friday's in weeks 9-17. The purpose of this addition is
to add base mileage to your cycling program and still benefit from the effects
of spinning. The ride can be used as a recovery ride as well as a prep ride for
your Saturday long run. However, to benefit from this ride you must spin in a
high gear the entire ride, keeping your heart rate very low. If you are riding
on hills, than this will be tougher but try to stick to your plan. If you are
riding in headwinds, just slow your cadence until your heart rate drops to the
desired mark. For more information on the benefits of spinning and how it can positively affect your running than click here!
Running: The key to a successful endurance running program is
training smart. And the best way to accomplish this is through aerobic training
with a heart rate monitor. By now you should have determined your running heart
rate zone based on the information at the top of the page. However, if you
would like to explore other methods of heart rate training feel free to check
out the article on Methods
of Heart Rate Training. As
previously mentioned, I tend to adhere to the methods of Dr. Phil Maffetone. And according to Dr. Maffetone,
a successful running program should include a solid warm-up and cool down. When
you head out on your run, spend the first 12-15 minutes warming up slowly
bringing your HR up to your aerobic zone. After you have completed the bulk of
your run spend the last 12-15 minutes bringing your heart back below your
training zone. For example:
An individual with an aerobic HR
zone of 130-140 bpm heads out on a 45 minute run. The
first 15 minutes is spent slowly bringing the heart rate up to 130 bpm. After the warm-up, the individual then runs for 15
minutes keeping his/her heart rate between 130-140 bum.
Finally, the last 15 minutes will be spent running below 130 bpm and should be maintained until the run is completed.
The running distances in the program
are listed in minutes. However, if you feel comfortable running in miles than
that is fine. Just allow yourself a sufficient warm-up and cool down period.
The advantage of running by minutes is it allows you to accurately assess your
training improvement.
Running hints: If you can, run on a grass path, or gravel path. The softer the ground, the better the shock absorption for your
legs. Concrete is the worst, asphalt is next, tar is very soft (running
track) with any type of dirt trail being the best. Actually, running on a golf coarse is ideal! Unfortunately,
concrete sidewalks surround the entire island on which I live, so remember, you
get what you get. Whatever the surface, stay aerobic and you
should be fine.
***For many of you, you will be testing new grounds regarding running
distances and injury prevention is of the upmost importance. If you are having
difficulty on your long run, then incorporate some walking into the run. Long
time marathoner, author and running coach, Jeff Galloway incorporates walking
into his training programs for longer distance running. After reaching a
particular distance in your long run, say 9 miles or so, then begin a walk/run
segment to finish your run. For example:
If your long run is 90 minutes or around 6-8 miles, and you are having problems
getting over that 60 minute barrier, than run/walk for the remaining 30
minutes…perhaps 5 minutes run, 2 minutes walk. You
will find that your overall time will not be that much slower and most
importantly, you will feel much better after the run. At least your legs will
thank you! If you do decide to run/walk on your long run, do not run until you
become fatigued and then decide to walk. Many folks will say to themselves “I'm
not stopping, I feel fine” subscribing to the no pain, no gain philosophy.
However, you may find you will not recover fast enough for the next run
segment. If you have set a 5 minute limit to your run, then stop at 5 minutes!
If you want to build your mileage as pain free as possible then stick to your
limits regardless of how good you may feel.
**You will notice walking was added to the
program in weeks 9-16. I am a huge believer in walking. You can use it as a
means of recovery after your long ride as well as a substitute for an easy run
day. I usually walk at least once during the week, for about 75 minutes and at
a rather fast pace with a long stride. I like to think of it as an extra day of
running without the pounding. I personally do not do a lot of arm pumping when
I walk, however feel free. It won't hurt you.
Weights: Finally, I suggest you lift weights at
least two days per week and no more than three. Do some type of circuit training
and 2 sets of 15 reps per exercise. Keep the weights
light. You do not want to build bulk. We just want to build some strength for
endurance. And, make sure you do not rush through each set of 15. Just because
the weights are light, does not mean you hurry through the set. Take your time
with each rep concentrating on form rather than speed. You may feel sluggish
the first couple of weeks but it will get better. A basic circuit consists of Lat Pull Downs, Bench Press, Leg Lifts, Leg Curls, Squats
(or lunges), Tricep Pull Down, Bicep Curls, Calf
Raises and sit-ups or crunches. Feel free to add or leave out what you see fit.
Speed
or Quality Workouts
Swim Quality Workouts |
Warm - up |
Cycling Quality Workout |
» Warm-up:10
miles easy or 30 minutes. |
Running Quality Workout |
On a Track: |
**Note** regarding the
Quality Running Workout: if you are
unable to make it to a track, then you can incorporate this workout into your
regular daily run. Just take your average 1 mile split time and half it. This
will be the length of time you will run hard. Then divide the average by four
and this will be your recovery run. Then walk for 1 minute.
For example:
Your average 1 mile run is 8:00. You
will run hard for 4 minutes, recovery for 2 minutes and walk 1 minute. The
warm-up and cool down will remain as above.For a 7:00
minute/mile average, your hard run will be 3.5 minutes (3:30), your recovery
1.75 (1:45) minutes and your walk 1 minute and so on.
Swim
Workouts
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) |
(9) |
(10) |
(11) |
(12) |
(13) |
(14) |
(15) |
Warm-ups |
2 comments:
What kind of bike do you use for your long distance training?
Really late reply but I currently am riding a Specialized S-Works with a modified cockpit. I pulled off the traditional drop bars and replaced it with a full tri setup. Aluminum frame is a little harsh and maybe one day I will upgrade. For now this will have to do.
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