International
Distance Group
Week 20
Run Focus Week
Swim 2:30 - Bike 5:15 - Run 4:00 - Total:
11:45
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thr | Fri | Sat | Sun
SWIM 0:45
WARM UP
200 Swim - 200 Kick - 200 Pull
MAIN SET
Concentrate on keeping your
strokes per length constant & holding good form
1600 straight swim, done in
the following way:
600
@75-80% intensity, feeling like a long open water swim
600
@85-90%, building intensity toward the end
400
@90%, very high intensity through the finish
COOL DOWN
200 easy swim, continuous
BIKE 0:40
This is a lower intensity spin
designed to help with recovery and ready you for tomorrow’s harder
effort.
15:00 warm up spin,
beginning at a very easy pace and
slowly increasing your intensity to 65%
3 x 3:00 Isolated Leg Training w/30 sec recovery
- 20 sec per leg & 10
sec transition
10:00 steady aerobic time
trial pace
-
keep your HR @70% throughout
Cool down completely
DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
Tue
BIKE: 1:00
15:00 warm up, beginning
with an easy spin in a high gear
- gradually build to 70%
Intermediate Set
3 sets of:
3 x
(20 sec fast spinning / 20 sec recovery), continuous (2:00 total per set)
1:00
recovery between the sets
The intensity of the main
set should be pushed harder than in the past, but
short of your anaerobic
limit. These efforts should feel challenging and
invigorating -- you should
avoid total exhaustion.
2 x 12:00 @84-92%
intensity w/3:00 recovery @60% after each effort
#1
take 3:00 to build to 80% intensity, then pick it up to 84% by 6:00
#3
hold 84-92% intensity throughout
Cool down completely,
allowing your HR to return under 60% gradually
- don’t stop pedaling
until your HR returns to near 50%
RUN 0:40
15:00 low intensity (50-60%)
warmup jog
At the 15 and 25 minute
marks do
4 x
(45 sec fast leg turnover w/45 sec recovery jog after each)
-
for each of the two sets,
#1 & 3 should focus on sheer foot speed, while
#2 & 4 should focus on lengthening your stride
Finish with a steady cool
down gradually lowering the intensity level back to 60%
DAILY TOTAL: 1:40
WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:05
SWIM 0:45
WARM UP
4 x (100 Swim - 50 Kick - 50 Pull -
50 Choice - continuous
MAIN SET
16 x 75 Swim w/10 sec rest
after each
- hold the intensity even
@80-85% throughout the set
(Alternate set: 12 x 75)
COOL DOWN
200 easy & continuous,
bringing your HR back down gradually
BIKE 1:10
15:00 warm up spin
- start in a very easy gear,
spinning @95-100 rpm;
increase your gearing by one after 2:00, 6:00, & 10:00
2 x 3:00 Isolated Leg Training w/30 sec rest after each set:
20
sec right leg only, 10 sec transition
3 x 7:00 @75% intensity w/3:00 recovery spinning @60% after each
Cool down completely
until your HR returns to near 50%
DAILY TOTAL: 1:55
WEEK-TO-DATE: 5:00
SWIM 1:00
WARM UP
6 x 125 w/15 sec rest after
each
6 x 75 w/10 sec rest after
each - faster than 125’s
MAIN SET
8 x 200 w/30 sec rest after
each
- odds @75-80% intensity
- evens @90+% intensity
(race pace)
- record your average time
for the even numbered repeats
COOL DOWN
300 continuous swimming,
allowing your HR to return to 60% by the end
RUN 1:05
This is designed to be
performed at a track; use time estimations if you have to do this
on the open road instead.
15:00 warm up jog,
progressing gradually &
bringing your HR to 75% slowly
Intermediate Set
4 x "in & out" 200’s (use 45 seconds if
you’re not at a track)
- your HR should be elevated
slightly after this set, and your legs ready to move
Main Set
1600 @75-80%; 400 recovery
jog held @60% (or 7:00 w/2:00)
1200 @84-88%; 400 recovery
jog held @60% (or 5:00 w/2:00)
800 @84-88%; 400 recovery
jog @60% (or 3:30 w/2:00)
400 @90-92%; 800 recovery
jog (or 1:30 w/4:00)
Cool down for at least
10:00, and don’t stop until your HR is back near 50%
DAILY TOTAL: 2:05
WEEK-TO-DATE: 7:05
Complete recovery day. Relax and regroup before the weekend.
Sat
Doing this ride/run combination outdoors is
preferable, but if you’re stuck inside then do the alternative
below. While outside you can adjust your intensity with the terrain, but
make sure this doesn’t turn into a high intensity "hammer
session" with other cyclists. These are very long training weeks
you’re doing, and you need to pace yourself appropriately -- keep your HR
under 75-80% during the bulk of your ride.
BIKE 1:45
WARM UP
20:00 warm up spin,
gradually bringing your HR up to 70% by the end
DRILLS
3:00 Isolated Leg Training:
20
sec right leg only, 10 sec transition
4:30 Variable Gearing Set -
do this twice through for each set:
45
sec in medium gear @105 rpm,
45
sec in easy gear @115 rpm,
45
sec in harder gear @95 rpm
MAIN SET
20:00 @75%, 3:00 recovery
@60%
15:00 @80%, 2:00 recovery
@60%
10:00 @85%, 10:00 recovery
@60%
15:00 gradual cool down
spin, bringing your HR back under 60% by the end
RUN 0:45
Steady aerobic effort,
immediately after the bike ride. Get into a relaxed
tempo right away and allow
your HR to hang out at around 75% throughout
the run. Be careful of
any hill climbs, as these will shoot your HR higher than
you want for now.
DAILY TOTAL: 2:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 9:35
Sun
We’ll do another run-bike-run today to
help your body learn how to run after a significant amount of aerobic
activity. You’ll benefit from this type of training -- regardless
of your speed and skill level -- at the end of even the shortest triathlons.
RUN 0:50
The goal for this first run
is to get through it while expending as little energy
as possible. Even
though you will ultimately be concerned with covering a
particular distance during a
race, it’s quite a relief to focus strictly on the
total time during
training. Hold your HR below 70% at all times, even with hills,
and keep a steady pace
throughout.
BIKE 0:40
This low intensity spin can
be done either indoors or outside. Your body will
be in an "excited"
state from the run, and it should be relatively easy to get your
HR up to the 70% level and
hold it there. Make sure you keep your HR above
60%, since this is where the
biggest aerobic benefit occurs. If you need to throw
in a set to guide you, do 4
x 7:00 @70% w/3:00 @60% after each.
RUN 0:40
During this final run your
body will begin to adjust to the demands that are
made after going for more
than two hours. You will want to have an eating
strategy today -- I would
suggest eating your carbo-loaded food of choice
during the bike ride -- in
order to keep an even keel (and avoid "bonking")
throughout this second
run. Get into it and run relaxed, and make sure to
cool down during the final
10 minutes.
DAILY TOTAL: 2:10
WEEK-TO-DATE: 11:45