|
 |
"Mike's
approach to coaching really brings out the best in your
performance" Chris, Berkshire |
|
|
|
|
|
This is an introductory article
aimed at those of you who have just got started.
May be you "dipped your toes in the water" last
summer or you are thinking of doing a triathlon
this year. If that is you, read on...
If you are like me you will have a busy lifestyle
and constantly be moaning that work, family and
social constraints often prevent you from training.
Hopefully I can convince you, that you can get by
on only a few hours training a week. A low mileage
approach to running is not just relevant to triathletes,
but also to runners who may have time to train longer
distances but often get injured. Running on tired
and stiff muscles is the surest way to induce injury.
Often less is better than more!!
Tackling the triathlon run usually 5km ( sprint
distance) or 10km (Olympic distance) run needs goal
setting, a realistic target time and a realistic
time scale in which to achieve it. It doesn't matter
how slow you think you may run (or walk) try and
work out your own realistic run times. Having a
goal will enable you to add structure to your training.
This will give you an objective target to work towards.
Don't be overly ambitious. I remember as a child,
watching TV, eating my supper and trying to do my
homework - all at once!! I was constantly being
told, " you can only do one thing at a time!". Sport
is the same, although our ultimate goal is to improve
the overall triathlon race time, we must break down
the task into manageable segments. And it is best
to concentrate on only one segment at a time.
This article targets 'running' because in my view,
running takes the least amount of time to get the
most improvement. Here are some simple tips to get
you started.
The benefits from Cross Training can help your
running
If athletes only run, all their physiological development
is achieved through running, thus running mileages
tend to be quite high. However a large proportion
of running is often at low speeds, aimed at, for
example, burning fat, or raising general fitness
levels. Thus elite runners often run over a hundred
mile a week.
For triathletes, this is both unrealistic and unnecessary.
Someone swimming 3 hours a week and biking 3 hours
a week, already has 6 hrs of training benefit in
their bodies without running a step. When the benefits
of training in one sport are carried over to another,
it is termed Cross-training. A relatively slow runner,
could cover almost 40 miles of running in 6 hours
of training. If they actually run 20 miles a week,
this would equate to a theoretical total equivalent
to 60 miles a week of running (if the time cycling
and swimming was to be added into the equation.
Not all cycling and swimming will aid your running
but this example illustrates the point well. Triathletes
do not need to run as much as runners to achieve
the same results.
By holding swimming and cycling at easy aerobic
levels you will be amazed at the results that can
be achieved in your running times.
What is a reasonable time scale?
Before starting off on your road to triathlon, We
must fix a reasonable time scale that is needed
to improve fitness, ie to get stronger and faster,
and be able to complete the triathlon run. The answer
is at least 6 to 10 weeks of training is necessary.
Athletes with a good background in running will
need less time to remind their bodies how to run
and retrain their muscles. First timers will need
longer. Before attempting to race allow at least
3 months preparation. You will need a two week taper
at the end of the programme before taking part in
your triathlon
Weekly Training Time
You can make good improvements on 5 hrs training
a week. These will however be greater if you can
find 7 hours a week and better still at 10 hours
week. Remember, it is not just finding time to train:
Finding time to recover is equally important. Don't
get put off the sport by legendary stories of needing
to put in at least 30 hours a week to do a triathlon.
Some professionals competing in Ironman distance
races do actually train that much, but at the novice
level, between 5 and 10 hours is the ideal. I learnt
this fact the hard way............ As a young pro-triathlete,
I felt pressured into doing 30 hours of training
a week, however I constantly over trained and was
often injured. One year I totaled up my annual hours
spent training and was shocked to realize they only
just broke the 10 hour a week. The following year
I set a regime that averaged 11 hours a week for
the year, and I had amazing success. These days
I am constantly looking at my athletes training
and trying to cut out their 'junk miles'
Three Key Running Sessions a Week
1. Steady Pace Running
Running at a pace that is faster than your usual
jog, but not too hard you want to quit is probably
and good way to describe the pace run. It should
be a bit too fast so that you can not hold a conversation.
If you are running so fast that you are unable to
talk then you are going to fast. The steady run
should start off at about 10 minutes for week one
and should be lengthened by about 5 minutes a week
over 6 to 10 weeks. For sprint distance, 6 weeks
should get you through, but for Olympic distance
I would recommend 10 week of pace running. By week
ten you will be up to 55 minutes, which will be
enough to get you through an Olympic distance run.
2. Hill Repetitions
Find a moderately steep hill, around a 10% gradient
and do repetitions up and down the hill. Jog back
or walk back for recovery. This will develop power
in all the leg muscles. Try to concentrate on powerful
strides. Not short pitter-patter running. The aim
is to develop a powerful running stride to aid your
10 km run time, not to complete the session as fast
as possible. Think of this as a kind of weight training
session, you will build up power and strength without
going to the gym. This session takes around 45minutes.
If you have more time a longer warm up may be done,
but do not get into a bad habit of logging up 'junk
miles.' If you run your hill repetions in a time
of 1 min 30 and jog back for recovery in a time
of 1 min 30 then your hill running time is fixed
and so is your recovery time. This kind of running
is also called interval running, because the hard
and easy running intervals are fixed.
Another approach is called "fartlek training' this
is like interval running but less structured. If
you are tired fartlek running is much better than
interval running. If you run up the hill until you
feel tired an then stop, and jog or walk back down
at your own pace and in your own time, and do not
run up the hill again until you feel ready, it is
termed fartlek and I would recommend this freer
approach to beginners. Those of you who have been
running already may want to attempt the "interval"
style hill running.
3. Easy Aerobic Running
The distance you will run and amount of times you
do an aerobic run will depend on your current level
of fitness and how much time you can devote to running.
The ideal would be two aerobic runs a week. One
shorter one of about 20-30 minutes and a longer
run between 30-60 mins. My advice to beginners is
to keep both runs at 20-30 minutes per time.
Pulling It All Together
To maintain swim and cycle fitness, time permitting,
you should aim at two sessions a week. However,
once a week is still better than nothing. The absolute
minimum amount of training I would give to one of
my triathletes, aiming to improve a 10km time, while
maintaining the swim and bike is 2hrs 30 minutes
a week of running, 1 hr swim( eg: 2x30mins) and
1hr 30 bike ( eg: 1x60 minute ride and 1x30mins
indoor cycle session) . Total 5hrs a week
Although some of my athletes train at around 10
hours a week, I have achieved very good results
from athletes averaging only 7 hours. When more
time is available more easy running can be incorporated
in to the schedule. I fervently believe in keeping
all running to a minimum and do not think that age
group triathletes need to run more than 4 times
a week. Any extra time, if available should be utilized
by swim and bike sessions, to help maintain fitness
levels in those disciplines.
Jargon Buster
• Aerobic training: is running at a
pace where the oxygen demanded by the muscles is
able to be supplied by the heart and lungs. If the
speed is too fast to supply oxygen, then for a short
period of time the body can provide energy without
oxygen being present. This secondary energy system
is termed anaerobic energy. However we can only
last a few minutes using anaerobic energy and so
it is not much use to triathletes. This is why it
is important to train at a slower pace using the
aerobic energy system.
• Cross Training: The heart is a muscular
pump. It does not know how if you are running, swimming
or cycling. It only knows how fast it beats and
for how long. Thus many benefits of training for
the heart, lungs and muscular system achieved in
one sport can be carried over to another.
• Goal Setting: This simply means setting
yourself some tangible targets. And working out
how to reach them. Many people run every day without
thinking what benefit it may or may not have. Goal
setting will make your training more efficient.
• Fartlek training: This is a Swedish
word that means speed play and is the simplest form
of speed work involving spontaneous changes in running
speed, over varying distances
• Interval training: This is a structured
approach to speed training, when the distance run
fast and the time of the recovery is fixed. This
is much tougher than fartlek training, but for the
serious runner, it rewards faster running times.
• Junk miles: Just as junk food is food
our bodies do not need, and may in fact be harmful
so are junk miles in running. Runners often get
addicted to running and measure success by how many
miles they have run a week, not by the quality of
the miles they have run. You will not get caught
in this trap if you keep thinking quality not quantity.
• Taper: The last two weeks before your
race must gradually decrease in intensity to allow
the body to recover and get stronger. This is the
taper. It is often neglected. But if you race tired
from not tapering you will under achieve on the
big day.
Note: This article is not intended to be a schedule
but merely to introduce you to the kind of training
you should be doing. If you are serious about training
for your triathlon my best tip, is to get yourself
a coach, who will design a programme tailored to
your individual needs. Needless to say if you must
always get approval from your local GP before starting
on any training programme !
Why not go beyond the article and have us train
you 1-to-1 to meet and exceed your running and triathlon
goals - contact us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
