Endurance Nation | Triathlon Coaching, Ironman Training, Half Ironman, Beginner Triathlon

In March ’06 I was invited to attend a coaches forum for a local tri club, conducting in the format of a round table discussion with a group of local tri coaches fielding questions from the membership. I was called out of town on a family emergency but was provided with the questions asked. Here are my responses on a number of topics:

Question:
Would it be beneficial to spend maybe one or two weeks and just focus on one discipline? Like cycling 5 days in one week with lots and lots of miles, or so? Or getting my running miles up to 60-90 miles in one week and then backing off?

A: I think focused weeks are a valuable training tool. I use them in two places on the season:

• Off-Season, or perhaps pre-season. Whatever you want to call a block of time during which you’re not training for a specific week. During these periods over the past couple years I’ve had great success training athletes for a half marathon PR and building 40k time trial cycling fitness. During this period we typically focus on run frequency and cycling intensity while decreasing, or eliminating all together, our focus on training volume.
• More to your question, the structure above is one that I’ve used extensively with Ironman athletes. In the later points of the season, the requirement to do a 2-2.5hr long run and 4-5.5 or 6hr long ride each week begins to conflict with each other. At this point, about 7-11 weeks out from their goal race, we shift to a Bike Week, Run Week format. During the Bike Week, we turn down the long run and schedule 2 x long rides. During the Run Week, we turn down the long bike a bit, and schedule two long runs, each shorter than the “normal” long run.

The specific structure you outline above would be very doable on the bike. I would call this Epic Training and can be a good training stimulus and just a cool thing to do. I’ve experimented with extremely high cycling volume and have gotten a good fitness pop. For the run, I would recommend you focus on a period of high run frequency, not volume. This past season my northern athletes experimented with “30 runs in 30 days,” with two dudes going head to head for 80-90 straight run days. This is not for everyone, obviously, but the focus on run frequency is probably a bit less risky then run volume. Under this regimen, I would count anything longer than 20′ as a run.

Question:
I have a question on nutrition. I’m trying to drop another 10-15lbs before I do IMCDA June 25th. What is the best way to do so, during my training without losing fitness? It’s been hard for me lately. I took of 7 weeks during Christmas because of an Injury, and it’s taking a while to shed those lbs. But I know I can stand to lose the lbs but I don’t want to bonk during or after training. Thanks Read these links:

• Training Nutrition Summary
• Paleo Diet, Modified for Endurance Athletes

Question:
I see a lot of different running postures and techniques. Is there one “right” form?

A: I’ve attended a Pose clinic and have used that teaching method, with a few modifications, for a couple years. I now subscribe to the ideas and concepts in Evolution Running. I have no direct experience with Chi Running.

Question:
What are some good drills to work on proper running form?

A: I highly recommend you purchase a copy of Evolution Running. The author, Ken Meirke, is a fellow Joe Friel Ultrafit Associate. Ken has honed his methods while analyzing the running form, gait, and oxygen intake of literally thousands of athletes. In other words, he has been able to quantitatively identify increases in speed at stable or decreased oxygen intake levels due to specific changes in running form and technique. He’s the real deal.

Question:
Why is running such a common way to injure yourself and what do you (personally) do for injury prevention?

A: My keys:

• Measure volume in time, not miles.
• Focus on creating a schedule of consistent, high frequency running that you can execute, without injury, week after week. In my experience, becoming a faster triathlon runner is more often about simply running, week after week, month after month, year after year, without getting hurt. Get faster by outlasting your competition, who is more likely to jump to soon into the sexy get-faster run training.
• Never, ever, ever compromise on running shoes.
• Do your harder runs up hills, easier on your body.
• Be careful running downhill. This can be a valuable training tool for building strong, hard, fatigue resistant legs but is also risky.
• Walking cool down, stretch, hydrate, ibuprofen, glucosamine, ice and elevation and a nap…under ideal circumstances

Question:
Is a power meter good for everyone?

A: I’ve been training, racing and coaching with a powermeter since 2002. I credit much of my personal cycling success to the training and execution detail that this tool has allowed me to achieve. However, the most successful power-training athletes I’ve coached have taken an active interest in partnering with me to learn how to train and race with power. If you are not committed to reading a few books, training articles, learning how to analyze your files with software, download your files, perhaps troubleshoot computer issues, etc, then perhaps a simple heart rate monitor would be a better expense.

I will say this: in the hierarchy of sexy training and racing tools, a powermeter is right at the top and I won’t let my athletes purchase race wheels unless they already have a powermeter.

Question:
If one leg is much weaker and always aches (and you do weights), what can I do? I have a short leg. My longer leg is the weaker leg. When I wear fins, that leg really hurts for some reason and my foot cramps too. It is getting worse with age (all due to scoliosis). I have lifts in both my biking and running shoes on the outside.

A: I’m not comfortable giving training advice to such a special case without having a qualified professional give me an assessment first.

Question:
How long after a workout (mine are typically between 30 minutes and 2 hours depending on the day) should I try to eat and what kinds of things should I try to eat (both what types of calories and what particular foods are good places to find the right balance)

A: For training sessions of 60+ minutes, I recommend a liquid recovery meal, within 1hr of completing the session, with a 4-1 ratio of carbs to protein, ie, a simple smoothie with some protein powder. Chocolate milk is a good option as well and cheaper than XYZ Recovery Powder. I try to get in about 500-800 calories and then eat normally the rest of the day. I monitor how my legs are recovering through the day. If they feel abnormally fatigued, I’ll eat “good carbs” of fruit and vegetables.

Again, more complete information in these two articles:

• Training Nutrition Summary
• Paleo Diet, Modified for Endurance Athletes

Question:
I was a college aquatic athlete so my pool workouts are ok, and I have access to a group who do track workouts for running. My questions is, aside from doing longer and harder rides, what can I do on the bike to get that kind of workout. I have done some 30 seconds easy / 30 seconds hard style pieces but I don’t really know what to do or if it even helps on the bike.

A: Perform a 40′ time trial on the bike, going has hard as you can go, keeping an even pace for the entire 40′. At 40 minutes you should have no gas in the tank, in other words. A flat course, in the aerobars, at “normal” cadence is preferred. Take your average heart rate for this test. This is a “good enough” estimate of your lactate threshold heart rate. Your speed at lactate threshold is an excellent indicator of your speed at all intensities. In other words, by training to lift your speed at LT, say, from 20mph to 22mph, it also becomes easier to ride 20mph vs 18mph.

I am a BIG believer in interval training performed at or near your lactate threshold heart rate. I run my athletes through a progression of intervals: 3-4 x 8-20′, totaling 30-50′ of work interval time. For example, 3 x 8′, 3 x 10′, 2 x 15′, etc. Going over 50′ of total work interval time in a session is usually too costly unless the athlete has exceptional recovery resources.

The idea with these is to expose yourself to this intensity level for relatively long periods of time. Sitting at or just under LT enables you do these longer 8-20′ intervals vs the 30” intervals you were doing. It’s simple a better training stimulus.

Question:
How do I know if I need a coach?

A: I believe that the more time constrained you are, or the higher your goals, the more you need a coach. If you are time constrained, you likely don’t have a lot of time available to read, learn, or experiment on your own to find what does and does not work. Probably 2/3 of my athletes are self-employed consultant types who, being experts in their fields, realize the value of hiring someone to do all the hard work for them so they can focus on what they do best, rather than planning their own training.

Likewise, a good coach has seen every possible permutation and iteration of every fitness limiter, training time challenge, and special situation you can imagine. They have a very large bag of tricks to help you get in the training you need to get done, help you prioritize when the real world comes knocking, and have done enough experimenting with their own training, and across dozens of athletes, to learn what does and does not work.

So in the end, it’s usually a matter of learning by making the time investment and training mistakes or yourself, or hiring someone who has been there, done that across scores of athletes and in their own training.

Question:
I have a job & family, how do I prioritize my limited training time?

A: Wow, that’s a big one •

• Schedule a consult with me so I can tell you exactly what you need to do and when in the season, given your current fitness, goals and time constraints.
• Honestly communicate this structure and requirements to your family. In January, my athletes are able to ask for the green light for training weekends in July. No surprises when the training hammer falls.
• Focus on ROI for each training minute spent. If you can achieve the same fitness and speed returns in a 2hr bike as you can with a 3hr bike, why waste an hour? Is noodling around the bike paths for 4hrs in February the best investment of your time, vs a short and sweet hammer session (see LT question) that is over with and done in 2hrs?
• Train on your time, not your families: basically, if you’re a busy family person, the sun is up and you’re not training then you’re either sleeping (which is fine) or you’ve shifted your training to your family’s time.
• If possible, work your training into your commute. I know many athletes who drive part way to work, run into and out of the office from their cars. Or ride to/from work. Or combine workouts: bike + run = only one shower and costume change. Get creative.

Question:
What is the minimum training time needed to be ready for a sprint, Olympic, or half Ironman?

A: The minimum time required is the time you have available. By this, I mean your training plan fits within YOUR lifestyle and time budget, not the other way around. Within this thought, don’t focus on overall weekly volume but rather the volume of your long training events. For sprint and Olympic I’d say you should work yourself up to a 1hr long run and 2hr long bike. Then within this requirement schedule an additional 2-3 runs, 2 bikes, and 2-3 runs. The length of these additional, non-long sessions is ENTIRELY a function of your time available to train. In other words, your Wed morning run is 40′ because you have 40′ to run, not because a training schedule says it needs to be 40′. This logistics-dictated scheduling is what I use with every athlete, Sprint to Ironman.

For Half Ironman, these long event volumes scale up to a 1.5 2hr long run and 3hr long ride. That said, the two most valuable weekly training sessions you can build to, regardless of race distance, are regular 1.5hr long runs and 3hr long rides. In other words, from now until the end of time you run 1.5hrs on Thursday morning and meet your friends for a 3hr ride on Saturday. This discipline and consistency will allow you to do anything in the sport.

Question:
What is the most common mistake that age group athletes make?

A: Just one? •

• Not creating a training plan that fits their lifestyle and time constraints.
• Overvalue gear: trying to buy speed through the latest aero carbon whizbang gadget.
• Undervalue knowledge: a $5k bike in the garage and not one $20 book on the shelf. Or don’t have a problem spending $150 on two tubular tires but balk at a $100 training plan.
• Not looking for the easy gains first. It’s not always about figuring out new and inventive ways to bang your head against the wall. Look for the free and easy stuff first: body composition, swimming/running form, bike fit, etc.
• Underestimating the value of simple hard work and consistency. When athletes ask me what I did to earn my bike speed, I tell them I was on the Santa Fe Dam with Jon Pedder at 5:30am every Tues and Thursday while they were sleeping.
• Avoiding, or not seeking out, training events and partners that challenge their perspective on what far and fast are.

Question:
Starting from zero, how long does it take to train for an Ironman?

A: Your goal long events for an Ironman are a 2.5hr long run, 5-6hr long ride, and a 4k swim, each completed at least once before race day. Your current fitness will determine how long it will take you to build to these distances. If your current run is only 30′, you’re 50 pounds overweight with a history of running injuries, it will take you much longer to build up to this 2.5hr long run than an athlete with a regular 1.5hr long run and 12% body fat. That said, from absolute zero and no injuries, I’d say about 9 months on the low end, 12 on the safe end. Injuries and body composition will push those numbers upwards. 18 months is possible for just about anyone with the will to prepare.

Question:
Is training alone better than training with a group?

A: No. Anything that reduces the mental cost of training is more likely to help you retain your love of the sport, leading to more consistent training year after year. My most successful athletes have a menu of training partners and groups to call upon for their key workouts or to simply make the training fun…not training. Likewise, triathletes often underestimate the training value of trying to hold a faster athlete’s wheel, or what they can learn by simply picking that person’s brain during a training ride or run. Some athletes will tell you that since you will racing alone you should train alone. There is some merit to that but I’ll add a couple points. First, you are not alone on race day. You’re riding and running with 2000 of your best friends and another 5000 volunteers. Second, I’m pretty sure I can whack my head with a hammer. I don’t think I need to practice it more than a couple times. In my experience, there is sooo much to think about and engage your mind and attention on race day that I don’t think you need to practice isolation too much. However, the cost of training solo all the time is to become stuck in a comfort zone that a group session can lift you out of and to a new perspective on far and fast.

Question:
How do I know if I’m training hard enough?

A: Don’t think training hard, think training effectively. Every training session should have a purpose that address a specific limiter. If you can not identify the purpose of a training session, or the clear benefit you will receive from it, don’t do it. Don’t do a workout just because it’s on a spreadsheet. That said, tools like a heart rate monitor, GPS or powermeter will help you assign numbers to Easy, Steady, Upper-Steady, Moderate-Hard, and Hard so that you can begin to quantify your training.

Question:
How can I overcome my fear of open water?

A: This is very common. Begin by swimming in a safe lake with lifeguards and other swimmers near you, then graduate to ocean swimming under similar conditions. Throughout, count your strokes and focus on your form, as a means to take your mind off of your fears.

Question:
Should I always train & race with a heart rate monitor?

A: If you are new to the sport, a heart rate monitor is a valuable tool. I encourage more experienced athletes to add a powermeter and GPS to their training tools, so we can put objective, quantifiable numbers behind their training.

Question:
How do I set goals that are high but still obtainable?

A: First, find training partners who challenge your perspective of what far and fast are. For example, 20mph on the bike is only fast if the people around you tell you it’s fast. If all you know if 22mph, then 24mph is fast. Perspective. Second, do a consult with me. I can help you assesses your limiters, time available to train, and give you my honest assessment of what is and is not possible.

Question:
I want to qualify for Kona, what do I need to work on most?

A: Qualifying for men from 25 to 49 usually requires a 9:50-10:30 Ironman. This is very consistent, for all age groups. It’s usually just a matter of how many of those freaks show up, the number of slots available to them, and maybe getting lucky in the roll down. So let’s call it 10:00. The most common method to get 10:00 is a 1:00 swim, 5:30 bike, 3:30 run, then knock out a total of about 4-5 minutes for transitions. If you are faster or slower than these splits, then you’ve bought/need to pay for time someplace else. For example, a 55 swim and 5:20 bike has bought you a 3:45 run. However, a 1:15 swim needs to be paid for with a 5:15 bike or 3:15 run. Those are the numbers. Estimate where you are right now and you probably have a good idea what it’s going to take. Qualifying for a Kona is worthy but lofty goal that can take several years of chipping away at limiters and consolidating strengths. There is no substitute for hard work and consistency.

Question:
What do you do with the pork chop bone after eating the meat during a long training ride or better yet race? Especially, with the new litter laws being enforced by USAT?

A: I usually wrap mine up in the burrito wrapper and stuff it someone else’s singlet as I pass them on the bike.

Question:
Assuming one has developed a decent freestyle stroke with reasonable body position and a good catch, how important is the rate of stroke turn-over to an improved IM swim split?

A: “Good” form will yield a stroke count of 17-20 strokes per length. If you are an adult swimmer and taking less than 16 or 17 strokes per length and are swimming slower than about 40-45” per 50yd, you’re trying too hard, artificially gliding. They give medals for speed, not stroke count, and “real” swimmers take about 16-18 strokes per length…they just go faster J. I’ve noticed that swimmers gravitate to a faster stroke rate when swimming open water, I think due to the increased forces acting on their body: wind, waves, other swimmers, etc. They instinctively realize they need to increase their stroke rate to keep moving forward.

Question:
How much of a hindrance, to an improved IM-distance swim split, is unilateral (one-sided) versus bilateral breathing?

A: bilateral breathing is a good tool to encourage a good and balanced body rotation. If you are in process of developing good swim habits, this is a good one to pick up.

Question:
If one is carrying excess weight (fat), but is otherwise perfectly healthy, is there a point of diminishing returns, from a performance perspective, when you’re really better off simply focusing on cutting caloric (food) intake than increasing training duration (caloric expenditure)? Frequently, after a workout, I come home famished and then, as a direct consequence, driven to over-indulge — seemly negating much of the benefit of the workout. It is the quantity, not the quality, of these calories that is of concern here.

A: Not sure I understand the question. It’s usually easier to create a calorie deficit by focusing on the expenditure side rather than on the intake side, particularly after long training events. For example, assume your basal rate is 2500 calories and you ride for 4 hours, burning 3000 calories. You now need to eat about 5500 calories to maintain your weight. You could eat 4500 calories and still create a 1000 calorie deficit. 4500 calories, if eaten as good, healthy food, is a LOT of food. My keys for my own training are:

• Eat enough right away to replenish muscle glycogen.
• Then eat normally the rest of the day, not using the workout as an excuse to chow down.
• Focus on nutrient dense vs calorie dense. In my fridge right now are tons of chicken breast, salmon filets, a case of oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, heaps of vegetables, etc. Of course, I want the bagels in the freezer but I save those for immediately after exercise. Focus on making better food choices.

To create a similar 1000 calorie deficit by focusing more on calories in vs calories in is probably better termed starvation J. Again, my key is to just eat normally after my long stuff, especially the bike.

Question:
With a middle-aged body, a long daily commute, and a career/family/home to maintain, I find that it’s nearly impossible for me to strictly comply, for any length of time, with ANY of the published IM training plans I’ve seen. I can do the required weekly long swim/ride/run session, but have difficultly doing the stuff in-between without either physical melt-down, getting fired from work, or a divorce. To maintain some semblance of a non-tri life, I find it necessary to omit, or drastically shorten the duration of, the mid-week workouts reflected in such training plans. I believe this phenomenon, among “real world” age-groupers, is much more common that the “expert” writers of such training plans realize or care to admit. Please comment.

A: You describe yourself as an extremely busy person whose time is very valuable. How much does your bike cost? Your wetsuit? The airfare for your next race? Hotels? Rental car? The generic training plan you’re photocopying from magazine?

Generic is just that: generic and off the shelf. A large part of my business is writing quality, affordable but generic training
plans for sale to athletes. These plans are not for everyone, but I and any good Ironman coach could create a training
schedule that could help you achieve your Ironman goals given your personal time constraints. So I would argue that the
divergence you describe isn’t between coach and training plan but rather you and the training plan.

Perhaps you should consider hiring or consulting with a coach to write a personalized training schedule that accounts for
your UNIQUE and personal time challenges.
That said, the “numbers,” based on my 4-5 years of Ironman coaching experience are:

• Build to a 4k swim, 5-6hr long ride, 2-2.5hr long run, each accomplished at least once (separately) before race day.
• A total (minimums) of 3 swims, 3 rides, 3 runs per week.
• Most athlete’s IM volume settles around 6-9hrs during recovery weeks, 12-15+ during other weeks.
• Special circumstances, strengths and limiters will change those numbers. For example, a strong swimmer may be able to not swim at all until 4 wks from their race. A heavier athlete should spend more time on the bike, to burn more calories in a lower risk environment.

Popularity: 2% [?]

In March ’06 I was invited to attend a coaches forum for a local tri club, conducting in the format of a round table discussion with a group of local tri coaches fielding questions from the membership. I was called out of town on a family emergency but was provided with the questions asked. Here are my responses on a number of topics:

Question:
Would it be beneficial to spend maybe one or two weeks and just focus on one discipline? Like cycling 5 days in one week with lots and lots of miles, or so? Or getting my running miles up to 60-90 miles in one week and then backing off?

A: I think focused weeks are a valuable training tool. I use them in two places on the season:

• Off-Season, or perhaps pre-season. Whatever you want to call a block of time during which you’re not training for a specific week. During these periods over the past couple years I’ve had great success training athletes for a half marathon PR and building 40k time trial cycling fitness. During this period we typically focus on run frequency and cycling intensity while decreasing, or eliminating all together, our focus on training volume.
• More to your question, the structure above is one that I’ve used extensively with Ironman athletes. In the later points of the season, the requirement to do a 2-2.5hr long run and 4-5.5 or 6hr long ride each week begins to conflict with each other. At this point, about 7-11 weeks out from their goal race, we shift to a Bike Week, Run Week format. During the Bike Week, we turn down the long run and schedule 2 x long rides. During the Run Week, we turn down the long bike a bit, and schedule two long runs, each shorter than the “normal” long run.

The specific structure you outline above would be very doable on the bike. I would call this Epic Training and can be a good training stimulus and just a cool thing to do. I’ve experimented with extremely high cycling volume and have gotten a good fitness pop. For the run, I would recommend you focus on a period of high run frequency, not volume. This past season my northern athletes experimented with “30 runs in 30 days,” with two dudes going head to head for 80-90 straight run days. This is not for everyone, obviously, but the focus on run frequency is probably a bit less risky then run volume. Under this regimen, I would count anything longer than 20′ as a run.

Question:
I have a question on nutrition. I’m trying to drop another 10-15lbs before I do IMCDA June 25th. What is the best way to do so, during my training without losing fitness? It’s been hard for me lately. I took of 7 weeks during Christmas because of an Injury, and it’s taking a while to shed those lbs. But I know I can stand to lose the lbs but I don’t want to bonk during or after training. Thanks Read these links:

• Training Nutrition Summary
• Paleo Diet, Modified for Endurance Athletes

Question:
I see a lot of different running postures and techniques. Is there one “right” form?

A: I’ve attended a Pose clinic and have used that teaching method, with a few modifications, for a couple years. I now subscribe to the ideas and concepts in Evolution Running. I have no direct experience with Chi Running.

Question:
What are some good drills to work on proper running form?

A: I highly recommend you purchase a copy of Evolution Running. The author, Ken Meirke, is a fellow Joe Friel Ultrafit Associate. Ken has honed his methods while analyzing the running form, gait, and oxygen intake of literally thousands of athletes. In other words, he has been able to quantitatively identify increases in speed at stable or decreased oxygen intake levels due to specific changes in running form and technique. He’s the real deal.

Question:
Why is running such a common way to injure yourself and what do you (personally) do for injury prevention?

A: My keys:

• Measure volume in time, not miles.
• Focus on creating a schedule of consistent, high frequency running that you can execute, without injury, week after week. In my experience, becoming a faster triathlon runner is more often about simply running, week after week, month after month, year after year, without getting hurt. Get faster by outlasting your competition, who is more likely to jump to soon into the sexy get-faster run training.
• Never, ever, ever compromise on running shoes.
• Do your harder runs up hills, easier on your body.
• Be careful running downhill. This can be a valuable training tool for building strong, hard, fatigue resistant legs but is also risky.
• Walking cool down, stretch, hydrate, ibuprofen, glucosamine, ice and elevation and a nap…under ideal circumstances

Question:
Is a power meter good for everyone?

A: I’ve been training, racing and coaching with a powermeter since 2002. I credit much of my personal cycling success to the training and execution detail that this tool has allowed me to achieve. However, the most successful power-training athletes I’ve coached have taken an active interest in partnering with me to learn how to train and race with power. If you are not committed to reading a few books, training articles, learning how to analyze your files with software, download your files, perhaps troubleshoot computer issues, etc, then perhaps a simple heart rate monitor would be a better expense.

I will say this: in the hierarchy of sexy training and racing tools, a powermeter is right at the top and I won’t let my athletes purchase race wheels unless they already have a powermeter.

Question:
If one leg is much weaker and always aches (and you do weights), what can I do? I have a short leg. My longer leg is the weaker leg. When I wear fins, that leg really hurts for some reason and my foot cramps too. It is getting worse with age (all due to scoliosis). I have lifts in both my biking and running shoes on the outside.

A: I’m not comfortable giving training advice to such a special case without having a qualified professional give me an assessment first.

Question:
How long after a workout (mine are typically between 30 minutes and 2 hours depending on the day) should I try to eat and what kinds of things should I try to eat (both what types of calories and what particular foods are good places to find the right balance)

A: For training sessions of 60+ minutes, I recommend a liquid recovery meal, within 1hr of completing the session, with a 4-1 ratio of carbs to protein, ie, a simple smoothie with some protein powder. Chocolate milk is a good option as well and cheaper than XYZ Recovery Powder. I try to get in about 500-800 calories and then eat normally the rest of the day. I monitor how my legs are recovering through the day. If they feel abnormally fatigued, I’ll eat “good carbs” of fruit and vegetables.

Again, more complete information in these two articles:

• Training Nutrition Summary
• Paleo Diet, Modified for Endurance Athletes

Question:
I was a college aquatic athlete so my pool workouts are ok, and I have access to a group who do track workouts for running. My questions is, aside from doing longer and harder rides, what can I do on the bike to get that kind of workout. I have done some 30 seconds easy / 30 seconds hard style pieces but I don’t really know what to do or if it even helps on the bike.

A: Perform a 40′ time trial on the bike, going has hard as you can go, keeping an even pace for the entire 40′. At 40 minutes you should have no gas in the tank, in other words. A flat course, in the aerobars, at “normal” cadence is preferred. Take your average heart rate for this test. This is a “good enough” estimate of your lactate threshold heart rate. Your speed at lactate threshold is an excellent indicator of your speed at all intensities. In other words, by training to lift your speed at LT, say, from 20mph to 22mph, it also becomes easier to ride 20mph vs 18mph.

I am a BIG believer in interval training performed at or near your lactate threshold heart rate. I run my athletes through a progression of intervals: 3-4 x 8-20′, totaling 30-50′ of work interval time. For example, 3 x 8′, 3 x 10′, 2 x 15′, etc. Going over 50′ of total work interval time in a session is usually too costly unless the athlete has exceptional recovery resources.

The idea with these is to expose yourself to this intensity level for relatively long periods of time. Sitting at or just under LT enables you do these longer 8-20′ intervals vs the 30” intervals you were doing. It’s simple a better training stimulus.

Question:
How do I know if I need a coach?

A: I believe that the more time constrained you are, or the higher your goals, the more you need a coach. If you are time constrained, you likely don’t have a lot of time available to read, learn, or experiment on your own to find what does and does not work. Probably 2/3 of my athletes are self-employed consultant types who, being experts in their fields, realize the value of hiring someone to do all the hard work for them so they can focus on what they do best, rather than planning their own training.

Likewise, a good coach has seen every possible permutation and iteration of every fitness limiter, training time challenge, and special situation you can imagine. They have a very large bag of tricks to help you get in the training you need to get done, help you prioritize when the real world comes knocking, and have done enough experimenting with their own training, and across dozens of athletes, to learn what does and does not work.

So in the end, it’s usually a matter of learning by making the time investment and training mistakes or yourself, or hiring someone who has been there, done that across scores of athletes and in their own training.

Question:
I have a job & family, how do I prioritize my limited training time?

A: Wow, that’s a big one •

• Schedule a consult with me so I can tell you exactly what you need to do and when in the season, given your current fitness, goals and time constraints.
• Honestly communicate this structure and requirements to your family. In January, my athletes are able to ask for the green light for training weekends in July. No surprises when the training hammer falls.
• Focus on ROI for each training minute spent. If you can achieve the same fitness and speed returns in a 2hr bike as you can with a 3hr bike, why waste an hour? Is noodling around the bike paths for 4hrs in February the best investment of your time, vs a short and sweet hammer session (see LT question) that is over with and done in 2hrs?
• Train on your time, not your families: basically, if you’re a busy family person, the sun is up and you’re not training then you’re either sleeping (which is fine) or you’ve shifted your training to your family’s time.
• If possible, work your training into your commute. I know many athletes who drive part way to work, run into and out of the office from their cars. Or ride to/from work. Or combine workouts: bike + run = only one shower and costume change. Get creative.

Question:
What is the minimum training time needed to be ready for a sprint, Olympic, or half Ironman?

A: The minimum time required is the time you have available. By this, I mean your training plan fits within YOUR lifestyle and time budget, not the other way around. Within this thought, don’t focus on overall weekly volume but rather the volume of your long training events. For sprint and Olympic I’d say you should work yourself up to a 1hr long run and 2hr long bike. Then within this requirement schedule an additional 2-3 runs, 2 bikes, and 2-3 runs. The length of these additional, non-long sessions is ENTIRELY a function of your time available to train. In other words, your Wed morning run is 40′ because you have 40′ to run, not because a training schedule says it needs to be 40′. This logistics-dictated scheduling is what I use with every athlete, Sprint to Ironman.

For Half Ironman, these long event volumes scale up to a 1.5 2hr long run and 3hr long ride. That said, the two most valuable weekly training sessions you can build to, regardless of race distance, are regular 1.5hr long runs and 3hr long rides. In other words, from now until the end of time you run 1.5hrs on Thursday morning and meet your friends for a 3hr ride on Saturday. This discipline and consistency will allow you to do anything in the sport.

Question:
What is the most common mistake that age group athletes make?

A: Just one? •

• Not creating a training plan that fits their lifestyle and time constraints.
• Overvalue gear: trying to buy speed through the latest aero carbon whizbang gadget.
• Undervalue knowledge: a $5k bike in the garage and not one $20 book on the shelf. Or don’t have a problem spending $150 on two tubular tires but balk at a $100 training plan.
• Not looking for the easy gains first. It’s not always about figuring out new and inventive ways to bang your head against the wall. Look for the free and easy stuff first: body composition, swimming/running form, bike fit, etc.
• Underestimating the value of simple hard work and consistency. When athletes ask me what I did to earn my bike speed, I tell them I was on the Santa Fe Dam with Jon Pedder at 5:30am every Tues and Thursday while they were sleeping.
• Avoiding, or not seeking out, training events and partners that challenge their perspective on what far and fast are.

Question:
Starting from zero, how long does it take to train for an Ironman?

A: Your goal long events for an Ironman are a 2.5hr long run, 5-6hr long ride, and a 4k swim, each completed at least once before race day. Your current fitness will determine how long it will take you to build to these distances. If your current run is only 30′, you’re 50 pounds overweight with a history of running injuries, it will take you much longer to build up to this 2.5hr long run than an athlete with a regular 1.5hr long run and 12% body fat. That said, from absolute zero and no injuries, I’d say about 9 months on the low end, 12 on the safe end. Injuries and body composition will push those numbers upwards. 18 months is possible for just about anyone with the will to prepare.

Question:
Is training alone better than training with a group?

A: No. Anything that reduces the mental cost of training is more likely to help you retain your love of the sport, leading to more consistent training year after year. My most successful athletes have a menu of training partners and groups to call upon for their key workouts or to simply make the training fun…not training. Likewise, triathletes often underestimate the training value of trying to hold a faster athlete’s wheel, or what they can learn by simply picking that person’s brain during a training ride or run. Some athletes will tell you that since you will racing alone you should train alone. There is some merit to that but I’ll add a couple points. First, you are not alone on race day. You’re riding and running with 2000 of your best friends and another 5000 volunteers. Second, I’m pretty sure I can whack my head with a hammer. I don’t think I need to practice it more than a couple times. In my experience, there is sooo much to think about and engage your mind and attention on race day that I don’t think you need to practice isolation too much. However, the cost of training solo all the time is to become stuck in a comfort zone that a group session can lift you out of and to a new perspective on far and fast.

Question:
How do I know if I’m training hard enough?

A: Don’t think training hard, think training effectively. Every training session should have a purpose that address a specific limiter. If you can not identify the purpose of a training session, or the clear benefit you will receive from it, don’t do it. Don’t do a workout just because it’s on a spreadsheet. That said, tools like a heart rate monitor, GPS or powermeter will help you assign numbers to Easy, Steady, Upper-Steady, Moderate-Hard, and Hard so that you can begin to quantify your training.

Question:
How can I overcome my fear of open water?

A: This is very common. Begin by swimming in a safe lake with lifeguards and other swimmers near you, then graduate to ocean swimming under similar conditions. Throughout, count your strokes and focus on your form, as a means to take your mind off of your fears.

Question:
Should I always train & race with a heart rate monitor?

A: If you are new to the sport, a heart rate monitor is a valuable tool. I encourage more experienced athletes to add a powermeter and GPS to their training tools, so we can put objective, quantifiable numbers behind their training.

Question:
How do I set goals that are high but still obtainable?

A: First, find training partners who challenge your perspective of what far and fast are. For example, 20mph on the bike is only fast if the people around you tell you it’s fast. If all you know if 22mph, then 24mph is fast. Perspective. Second, do a consult with me. I can help you assesses your limiters, time available to train, and give you my honest assessment of what is and is not possible.

Question:
I want to qualify for Kona, what do I need to work on most?

A: Qualifying for men from 25 to 49 usually requires a 9:50-10:30 Ironman. This is very consistent, for all age groups. It’s usually just a matter of how many of those freaks show up, the number of slots available to them, and maybe getting lucky in the roll down. So let’s call it 10:00. The most common method to get 10:00 is a 1:00 swim, 5:30 bike, 3:30 run, then knock out a total of about 4-5 minutes for transitions. If you are faster or slower than these splits, then you’ve bought/need to pay for time someplace else. For example, a 55 swim and 5:20 bike has bought you a 3:45 run. However, a 1:15 swim needs to be paid for with a 5:15 bike or 3:15 run. Those are the numbers. Estimate where you are right now and you probably have a good idea what it’s going to take. Qualifying for a Kona is worthy but lofty goal that can take several years of chipping away at limiters and consolidating strengths. There is no substitute for hard work and consistency.

Question:
What do you do with the pork chop bone after eating the meat during a long training ride or better yet race? Especially, with the new litter laws being enforced by USAT?

A: I usually wrap mine up in the burrito wrapper and stuff it someone else’s singlet as I pass them on the bike.

Question:
Assuming one has developed a decent freestyle stroke with reasonable body position and a good catch, how important is the rate of stroke turn-over to an improved IM swim split?

A: “Good” form will yield a stroke count of 17-20 strokes per length. If you are an adult swimmer and taking less than 16 or 17 strokes per length and are swimming slower than about 40-45” per 50yd, you’re trying too hard, artificially gliding. They give medals for speed, not stroke count, and “real” swimmers take about 16-18 strokes per length…they just go faster J. I’ve noticed that swimmers gravitate to a faster stroke rate when swimming open water, I think due to the increased forces acting on their body: wind, waves, other swimmers, etc. They instinctively realize they need to increase their stroke rate to keep moving forward.

Question:
How much of a hindrance, to an improved IM-distance swim split, is unilateral (one-sided) versus bilateral breathing?

A: bilateral breathing is a good tool to encourage a good and balanced body rotation. If you are in process of developing good swim habits, this is a good one to pick up.

Question:
If one is carrying excess weight (fat), but is otherwise perfectly healthy, is there a point of diminishing returns, from a performance perspective, when you’re really better off simply focusing on cutting caloric (food) intake than increasing training duration (caloric expenditure)? Frequently, after a workout, I come home famished and then, as a direct consequence, driven to over-indulge — seemly negating much of the benefit of the workout. It is the quantity, not the quality, of these calories that is of concern here.

A: Not sure I understand the question. It’s usually easier to create a calorie deficit by focusing on the expenditure side rather than on the intake side, particularly after long training events. For example, assume your basal rate is 2500 calories and you ride for 4 hours, burning 3000 calories. You now need to eat about 5500 calories to maintain your weight. You could eat 4500 calories and still create a 1000 calorie deficit. 4500 calories, if eaten as good, healthy food, is a LOT of food. My keys for my own training are:

• Eat enough right away to replenish muscle glycogen.
• Then eat normally the rest of the day, not using the workout as an excuse to chow down.
• Focus on nutrient dense vs calorie dense. In my fridge right now are tons of chicken breast, salmon filets, a case of oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, heaps of vegetables, etc. Of course, I want the bagels in the freezer but I save those for immediately after exercise. Focus on making better food choices.

To create a similar 1000 calorie deficit by focusing more on calories in vs calories in is probably better termed starvation J. Again, my key is to just eat normally after my long stuff, especially the bike.

Question:
With a middle-aged body, a long daily commute, and a career/family/home to maintain, I find that it’s nearly impossible for me to strictly comply, for any length of time, with ANY of the published IM training plans I’ve seen. I can do the required weekly long swim/ride/run session, but have difficultly doing the stuff in-between without either physical melt-down, getting fired from work, or a divorce. To maintain some semblance of a non-tri life, I find it necessary to omit, or drastically shorten the duration of, the mid-week workouts reflected in such training plans. I believe this phenomenon, among “real world” age-groupers, is much more common that the “expert” writers of such training plans realize or care to admit. Please comment.

A: You describe yourself as an extremely busy person whose time is very valuable. How much does your bike cost? Your wetsuit? The airfare for your next race? Hotels? Rental car? The generic training plan you’re photocopying from magazine?

Generic is just that: generic and off the shelf. A large part of my business is writing quality, affordable but generic training
plans for sale to athletes. These plans are not for everyone, but I and any good Ironman coach could create a training
schedule that could help you achieve your Ironman goals given your personal time constraints. So I would argue that the
divergence you describe isn’t between coach and training plan but rather you and the training plan.

Perhaps you should consider hiring or consulting with a coach to write a personalized training schedule that accounts for
your UNIQUE and personal time challenges.
That said, the “numbers,” based on my 4-5 years of Ironman coaching experience are:

• Build to a 4k swim, 5-6hr long ride, 2-2.5hr long run, each accomplished at least once (separately) before race day.
• A total (minimums) of 3 swims, 3 rides, 3 runs per week.
• Most athlete’s IM volume settles around 6-9hrs during recovery weeks, 12-15+ during other weeks.
• Special circumstances, strengths and limiters will change those numbers. For example, a strong swimmer may be able to not swim at all until 4 wks from their race. A heavier athlete should spend more time on the bike, to burn more calories in a lower risk environment.

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So you are at a crossroads. You have done a couple of triathlons, and you want to do a bunch more next year. Up until now you have been able to get away with using your road bike and still have decent results. But your pending move up the triathlon ladder next year has you wondering…are tri bikes all hype or are they the real deal? Well, let’s try to cover all the bases…

What Separates Tri from Road ?

The biggest differential, aside from the aerobars, is the seat tube angle. Tri bikes tend to have a steeper seat tube angle (74+ degrees) as compared to road bikes. In other words, you are futher forward over the cranks/pedals. This angle allows folks to get aero in a comfortable way. Being aero is critical for a long time trial race (like an Irondistance triathlon) becuase it saves you some time, but it’s more important in that it saves you a great deal of energy. It’s way easier to rest on your elbows than it is to hold yourself up on your hands.

Most tri bikes will also have the shifters on the ends of the aerobars, as opposed to the index-shifting of road bikes. This means that triathletes have to plan ahead for their shifting and/or braking as doing so quickly can really get ugly. A lot of newbie triathletes get lazy with shifting when the levers are on their aerobars, settling instead to muscle over a few hills…this can really hurt you over the course of a long race day.

Why Get a Tri Bike?

Simply put, the geometry allows you to run better of the bike. On a tri bike, the aggressive forward seat tube angle will have you really loading your hamstrings. On a traditional bike, the relaxed seat tube angle allows for folks to use their quadriceps as well. A tri bike will do more to ease the load on your quads, saving them for the run. Technically speaking, of course. Some folks really insist on crushing the bike, thereby destroying all hope of a good run. If that’s your strategy, then it doesn’t matter what bike you ride!

When To Get a Tri Bike

If you are going to do long-distance triathlons for more than a year, get a bike. If you want to be competitive at triathlons, get a tri bike. If you want to get in shape and are doing triathlons for inspiration, don’t get a tri bike. If you are in your first year of triathlons, don’t get a tri bike…just use what you’ve got. You just won’t appreciate what you are riding if you start out with a whiz-bang carbon beauty.

If you are planning to step up to longer distance races, the question is for how long? If there is just one IM in your future (and it’s hard to tell right now), it’s probably not worth the investment. If you think you are going to catch the bug (most do), or you have several grand lying around just begging you to buy some shiny new machine, then pull the trigger.

How To Choose

With so many brands out there trying to snap up a part of the lucrative triathlon market, there is no one clear choice. Sure you can look at what your buddy rides or what the most popular frame is on the pier at Kona, but it doesn’t matter what other folks are riding. It’s more about the fit than the frame. I am going to go out here on a limb and say that the most important element of picking a tri frame is getting fitted well. If you want to truly take advantage of the benefits of a tri bike, you need to actually have a bike that fits you. Just owning a tri bike won’t do the trick.

I advise you to do some healthly research and find a local guru that is the fit master. Ask the other local tri geeks. Go meet him/her. Talk about what you are looking for in a bike, etc. See if there’s a spark there; remember that this is the person who will be helping you tweak your fit, fix your ride, etc., over the next few years. If you view this as a one-and-done purchase, you are truly missing out. Even a bike that fits and feels good on Day One will require some tweaking down the road.

How To Bargain

While you want to befriend the shop, you don’t want to write them a blank check either. First step is to determine your true financial top-end. Once you know what that is, go back in and explain to the shop you have X to deal with. Aks how can they help. For example, if you know you can spend 3k, go to the shop and say you want to spend 2.5k. Ask what they can do for you. A good shop will give you options with wheels and components, allowing you to mix and match. You will most likely go over your original (low) estimate, so it’s nice to have a bit of a cushion. When you are setting up the purchase, the shop – preferrably the master (ask for him/her) – will fit you. The cost of this should be ZERO if you purchase a bike from them (that’s the usual deal here in New England at least). Also be sure to find out how long you have to bring it back in for a free tune up (usually 10 weeks). Again, something you won’t want to forget.

Good luck with your final decision. Spend the right amount of time on it, and you’re sure to be happy!

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With the weather taking a turn for the worse, more and more folks are turning to the treadmill as a safe (and warm) way to stay in shape and maintain their running fitness. While running on a treadmill can be repetitive or even a bit boring, the treadmill is a fantastic training tool when used properly.

Remember Christine Clark, the woman from Alaska who stunned the running community by winning the U.S. marathon trials for the 2000 summer Olympics? She did the majority of her running on a treadmill and managed a great race.

Your winter training could prepare you for a great race if you take the time to really plan out your approach. Here are a couple of things to remember for those winter treadmill runs:

Your heart rate values are different on a treadmill. Without external stimuli like hills, wind, heat, etc., your heart rate will be lower. It also makes a difference that the treadmill is pushing your legs instead of you pulling your body forward. As a result, at any given pace you’ll notice that your HR is lower on a treadmill than on the open road. You can counteract this effect by manipulating the grade periodically to stimulate your aerobic system. Use a minimum of 1% grade. Running at 0% grade is similar to running on a slight downward slope. It’s also very difficult to maintain solid run form on a flat treadmill, so kicking it up to a minimum of 1% means that you?ll have a better chance of getting into your normal running style (foot strike, body lean, etc.). Note: As you increase the grade for hill workouts, be sure to cut back a bit on the speed. We all slow down a bit as we head uphill, but the treadmill won?t unless you tell it to. Mix it up! Just as you have different weekly routes, so too should you have different treadmill locations and routines. I have a part of the gym where I run the hard workouts and a part where the fun/easy workouts are done. Also feel free to mix up the incline and pacing to stimulate different muscle groups. It’s very easy to settle in and just watch the TV. You can’t do this on race day, so don’t do it during your key workouts! Consider cross training. Incorporating a basic weight routine is a great way to make sure your legs maintain their in-season strength through the winter. This doesn?t have to be a bodybuilding routine; think squats, leg extensions, leg curls and calves for 15 to 20 repetitions each. Alternate a set of leg weights with an upper-body exercise (such as bench press or back extensions) to add variety. You should also consider other great “winter appropriate” exercise — cross country skiing is a fantastic low-impact, highly aerobic workout. Get outside once a week, weather permitting. There is no substitute for the real thing. Even if you have to wait until midday on a weekend for the temperature to climb, do it. Just one outdoor session a week will help you maintain your “feel” for the road.Training through the winter isn?t easy, even with treadmills. If you mix up your routine, it will help you stay fit and sharp and will have you ready for next season in no time!

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“In war, the moral is to the physical as three is to one.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

In war, a smaller, well-trained, motivated, and aggressive force can often defeat a much larger, unmotivated, demoralized force. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

I think that focusing on the training volume necessary to finish an IM is misleading and misses the more important essentials for a successful day. On race day, you race much more with your head and your heart than with your feet.

Rich’s Simple Formula for an Ironman Finish:

• Create a conservative training progression that leads you to the successful accomplishment of the following training “milestones:” 4k swim, 6-7 hour bike, 2.5-3 hour run. Complete these milestones at least once before race day. If you can get more in, good on you.
  
• Show up to race day healthy and well-rested.
  
• When the gun goes bang, start swimming.

STOP RIGHT HERE.

Head Training

Everything else is about your head and your heart and what you have done to train these two organs.

There are two types of “Head Training:” race day knowledge and race day problem solving. Race Day Knowledge encompasses a solid race day nutrition, hydration, and pacing plan. This plan has been developed, honed, refined, and REHEARSED at every long training opportunity. It’s not enough to know what, when, and how much to eat, but also WHY. This “why” brings us to Race Day Problem Solving. If you know the why of what you are doing, you can better fix things when the plan goes to hell. Problem solving also includes your mental state on race day. Most people call it “racing in the moment,” only control what you can control. My process is the OODA Loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.

There are two kinds of Heart Training: Distance Perspective and the Eye. When you begin your IM training, the volumes that you will have scheduled for yourself will seem overwhelming. “How will I ever be able to ride 100 miles? Or run 18? Or do them both in the same WEEK?” But a funny thing happens on the journey to your Finisher’s Medal: “It ain’t so bad.”

As your training distances get bigger and bigger, once insurmountable goals become mere training events. A 60 mile bike is no longer a huge obstacle, but a nice morning with some friends. Your “normal” weekday run goes from 30 minutes to 60. Before work. You don’t even think twice about it. In short, all distances become much shorter and manageable, making THE distance less and less intimidating. “Been there, done that.”

The Eye

The Eye is the window to the heart. Your heart is what gets you across that line. You can see it on race day. Some peoples’ Eyes are happy, taking in everything around them and enjoying the day. These people draw on the positive energy around them to pull them to the finish line. Other peoples’ Eyes are cold steel, focus, determination, a machine that will not stop, for anything, until the mission is accomplished. These people put themselves into a “place,” a mental state that solves the problem of pain and discomfort by using it, enjoying it. Whatever your Eye is, you train it months in advance by challenging yourself, succeeding, and then reassessing yourself.

Make a big training day something special. Rehearse your pre-race carbo-loading plan, wake up at the same time, wear the same clothes, use the same bike setup as race day. Complete an extraordinary milestone event and then pat yourself on the back. Relish the great journey that you have undertaken and congratulate yourself for stepping up to the plate. What you are trying to do is very unique. Remind yourself of this and say, “If I can do THAT, then maybe I really CAN do 140!!”

You want to step into the ring with the quiet confidence earned by having already conquered almost everything that you will experience on race day. This is the Eye.

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