U of T Triathlon Club Introduction to Triathlon Training

SwimBikeRunIntroduction to Triathlon Training

Intro to Triathlon TrainingAgendaExecutive SummaryTriathlon BackgroundWhere to Start? How to approach building a season plan.Training TipsQuantitative Testing & Performance MeasurementReading SuggestionsQuestionsIntro to Triathlon TrainingExecutive SummarySwim bike run eat sleep repeat.

Train often, mostly easy, sometimes hard.

Its easy to overcomplicate things but its a relatively simple equation.3The Sport of TriathlonBackgroundThe first triathlon was held in San Diego, California in 1974, hosted by the San Diego Track Club. Triathlon was introduced to the Olympic games in 2000.

There are currently four widely contested race distances in triathlon Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman and Ironman.

Triathlon is an aerobic sport (meaning with oxygen) that requires a large base of aerobic fitness for success, especially as race distance increases.The Sport of TriathlonBackgroundTriathlon is a young sport by comparison to its root sports:Swimming, cycling and running have all been included in every modern Olympic games.As a result, there has been more than a century of research and documentation on training for each of these sports.

Triathlon should be viewed as swimbikerun as opposed to a swim, a bike, and a run:The interplay between the sports makes planning a training program challenging.As a young sport, there is only a few decades of research available and significantly less data available for analysis.

Triathlon TrainingWhere to start?Suggested approach to starting a plan:

Decide on what type of racing to focus on.Identify your strengths and limiters.Determine appropriate training to improve limiters.Consider time available for training.Set a plan!

Types of RacingWhats your distance?Race distances and associated training

Sprint: 0.75K swim, 20K bike, 5K run: short and sweet, lots of lactic acid pain, relatively more intensity in training.Olympic: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run: good mix of intensity and endurance required for an optimal performance.Half Iron: 1.9K swim, 90K bike, 21.1K run: long enough to be epic, short enough to be done by dinner, can be a race against yourself and a race against others.Ironman: 3.8K swim, 180K bike, 42.2K run: tends to be a battle of attrition against yourself, high percentage of low to mid intensity aerobic training.2013 World ChampionsBy race distanceSPRINTIRONMANOLYMPICNon Stanford GBR24 years old

Javier Gomez ESP30 years oldHALF IMMel Hauschildt AUS30 years old

Sebastien Kienle GER29 years oldIRONMANMirinda Carfrae AUS32 years old

Fred Van Lierde BEL34 years oldSPRINTAnne Haug GER30 years old

Jonny Brownlee GBR23 years old

Where to Start?What do you need to train for and race tris?

Dont be intimidated by this cost! Greatly overstated if you take care in your planning and purchases.Where to Start?What do you need to train for and race tris?Start with the essentials swimsuit and goggles.

Where to Start?What do you need to train for and race tris?Start with the essentials bike, helmet, shoes, repair kit.

Where to Start?What do you need to train for and race tris?Start with the essentials shoes.

Advice for starting from scratchIf I could do it all over againJoin a tri club or swim team.Meet training mates and mentors, take advantage of coaching.Buy a road bike either used or a prior year model.Ride with a club, learn how to handle a bike, build fitness before going aero.Run frequently, and only fast once youve earned it.The riskiest of all sports in terms of injury.Start with sprints and bridge up one distance per year.Buy as little as you can at full price or brand new!Lofty goals require lofty preparation.Consult a specialist.Strengths and LimitersWhat defines your performance?Race results are determined by the interplay of your speed potential and your durability.

Speed potential: predictive pace over varying race distances based on current performance in shorter than race distance efforts in swimming, cycling and running.

Durability: your bodys ability to carry speed over distance without failing.Strengths and LimitersDurability Curve

Strengths and LimitersBy sportAthletes tend to have either a speed potential or durability limiter in each sport.

By identifying these limiters, workout types can be identified that will work on improving these limits.

What tools can we use to identify limiters?Strengths and LimitersSpeed vs DurabilityWays to assess if speed or durability is a limiter:

Past race results (stronger/weaker performance as race distance increases)Performance in workouts versus teammates/training partnersPerception really excited about certain workouts and dread othersQuantitative testing and comparison against established dataAppropriate TrainingFour key zones to structure your workoutsIntervals: Short in duration (1-6 minute repeats), long rest intervals (equal rest to effort). Feels like: hating life, full body meltdown.Tempo/FTP: Longer in duration (5-20 minute repeats), shorter rest intervals (1-4 minutes, about 20% rest per effort). Feels like: breathing heavy but not max effort.Marathon/HIM: Long duration with no rest intervals, or very short rest intervals (5-10% rest per effort). Feels like: uncomfortable but sustainable.Easy: Should comprise the largest percentage of your training. Slow enough to allow for easy conversation. Feels like: all-day pace.

Appropriate TrainingFour key zones to structure your workoutsAll four key zones are useful for both speed and durability limiters. However:

Those with speed limiters can include a higher proportion of interval and tempo/FTP training to increase speed.Those with durability limiters should focus on easy training first until they are able to reach the critical volume required for their races before adding intensity.

Appropriate TrainingCritical Volume - By race distanceSPRINTIRONMANOLYMPICHelen Jenkins GBR27 years old

Alistair Brownlee GBR23 years oldHALF IMMelissa Rollison AUS28 years old

Craig Alexander AUS38 years oldIRONMANChrissy Wellington GBR34 years old

Craig Alexander AUS38 years oldSPRINTBarbara Riveros CHI24 years old

Jonny Brownlee GBR21 years old

SWIM

5.7K/Week(2-2.5 Hours)

BIKE

240-360K/Week(8-14.5 Hours)

RUN

50K/Week(4-6 Hours)

Total: 14-23 Hours

SWIM

11.4K/Week(4-5 Hours)

BIKE

480-720K/Week(16-29 Hours)

RUN

100K/Week(8-12 Hours)

Total: 28-46(!!) Hours

SWIM

2K/Week(1 Hour)

BIKE

55K-80K/Week(2-3 Hours)

RUN

12K/Week(1-1.5 Hours)

Total: 4-5.5 HoursSWIM

4.5K/Week(1.5-2 Hours)

BIKE

105-160K/Week(3.5-6.5 Hours)

RUN

24K/Week(2-3 Hours)

Total: 7-11.5 HoursAppropriate TrainingInjury risk increases as intensity increasesIntervals

Tempo/FTP

Marathon/HIM

Easy

RISK OF INJURYAppropriate TrainingOne zone to avoid in your trainingGrey zone: A speed that doesnt fit one of the four defined speeds previously discussed.

Too slow to get the desired training effect from focused speed work, yet too fast to allow for the body to prepare itself for the next quality session.Time Available for TrainingBe honest with yourself!Matching your time available for training to the distance youre interested in racing helps set realistic expectations.

If your schedule only allows for four hours of training a week, racing an Ironman becomes a challenging (and risky) proposition.

Set a Plan!Plan for success Working to a plan helps mental preparation for workouts and provides structure and accountability.

Ways to set a plan:Join a club that has a set workout schedule.Read, research and put your own plan together.Outsource (hire a coach)

Set a Plan!Plan Considerations General considerations for setting a plan:

Start with the current weekly volume youve maintained over the last month.Gradually increase volume (