Hi everyone,
It's my first year seriously training to do a triathlon, and so far the races I planned to do this yr have to be cancelled due to family vacation plans in august. So I get to mess around the rest of the summer. I was thinking of switching from my "do all three together" in a week approach to the "focus on one thing at a time" per week approach, but I don't know if that's going to throw me really "off training." I feel after reading triathlete mag and looking at other people's training blogs that most people do the "all three" approach, but it seems like my improvement is moving pretty slowly this way. I think this approach works for most people because they used to be varsity runners/swimmers in school and have a good number of years of pure training in at least one discipline. I've never been on a varsity team.
If anyone has tried the "focus on one" approach please let me know what you think and whether it would be good for someone like me. I know that if I dont get in the pool for 4 days straight I feel really weird and lose the feel for the water. But I get it back pretty quickly. Never went more than 4 days without swimming though...
^*^BATMAN^*^
07-12-07, 09:14 PM
Last spring I ran about 30km a month....though was doing like 300km a week on the bike. When it came time to race....I came out of the water with the local pros, beat some of them off the bike....then came time to run. If I spent about 100km less on the bike a week, and spent those dew hours running, I woulda been smokin them. Oh and I was swimming about 2 hours a week open water.
So this year, what is different. Lots more bricks, and lots more running. So far I am doing 15 minute 3km runs consecutivley after a 30km TT. Last year I was lucky to be able to run 1km after a 30km TT without stopping.
So my point is that the race consists of 3 parts. Train for them all. Training one week cycling, then one week running is not usefull. You race them together, train them together.
darkwing7
07-12-07, 09:19 PM
You only swam 2 hrs a week and beat the local pros? Yea it sounds like you hate(d) running, and I feel your pain, but you must just be a natural swimmer or something, because I don't know any other triathlete who only swims 2 hrs a week. I'll take your advice into account, but I still think I could use some more focus, definitely on running and biking.
^*^BATMAN^*^
07-12-07, 09:37 PM
Well I was a competitive swimmer from when I was 7 until I was 17. So 10 years of high caliber coaching really helps.
I am actually just doing my first triathlon in almost a year on saturday. I had a blood clot in my shoulder for the better part of a year. So I couldnt swim. I am going to need a couple hours a week to try and get into shape for IM florida now that i am cleared to swim.
Dalai
07-12-07, 09:40 PM
Best results are gained by focussing on your weakest leg, but not at the complete expense of the others.
kbrookes
07-16-07, 08:03 AM
I've recently started training with Fluid Movements, a Melbourne based tri group. There's a fair number of elite athletes in the squad. I, on the other hand, have sat behind a desk for 15 years and was only ever a swimmer in high school.
I'm unfit and overweight, but I train at least six days a week with two or three days of two sessions a day. At the moment, I'm usually doing two swim sessions (about 6km total), three run sessions (about 20-25kms total) and three or four rides - up to 150kms total. The real athletes would be doing vastly more.
We alternate training with ride & run on the same day, swim on the next. I can't imagine just training one discipline.
darkwing7
07-16-07, 08:43 PM
Well, what I meant in the beginning was to FOCUS on one discipline, not necessarily give up an entire week to say, running only. Ugh, that would be terrible. I meant the way some people will say cut back to swimming only twice a week to "maintain" while increasing riding and running for example, which I am doing right now and my swimming actually improved...strange, but I'm sure I'll die in the pool tomorrow :p.
darkwing7
07-16-07, 08:44 PM
Well I was a competitive swimmer from when I was 7 until I was 17. So 10 years of high caliber coaching really helps.
I am actually just doing my first triathlon in almost a year on saturday. I had a blood clot in my shoulder for the better part of a year. So I couldnt swim. I am going to need a couple hours a week to try and get into shape for IM florida now that i am cleared to swim.
How did you get that blood clot by the way?
andygates
07-17-07, 06:09 AM
A decent distance from any races, I was doing a "swim week" and "run week" where I'd do one session in the other disciplines and four in the target. It really helped with my (novice) swim and run skills; my bike is built on an ancient base.
In fact now you mention it, I may do that again shortly as I have 8 weeks to the next race, and my swim has gone baggy. :)