The following sections describe how to train
for triathlons for people with little or no
triathlon experience, but the information is
general enough that it can be used for almost
any endurance sport. First things first. You
need to gauge your current fitness
level. Get a physical done by your physician. Ask yourself questions such as, "Do
I work out regularly (3 or more times a week)?", "How far can I swim/bike/run
comfortably?", and "Do
I have any medical conditions and/or injuries (e.g. asthma, strained ligaments)
I should be aware of?" It is important to understand your current fitness
level so that you can properly train and build onto your fitness without becoming
injured.
You should determine your training heart
rate ranges. First, you need to know your maximum
heart rate (HRmax). You can estimate it using
the following formulas:
Women: 226 - AGE =
HRmax
Men: 220 - AGE = HRmax
Be aware that the above formulas only give
estimates - your actual maximum heart rate
may be higher or lower. There are tests to
determine this, but the formulas give a good
starting
point.
Now you should find your resting heart rate
(HRrest). This can be done by taking the average
of your pulse for a few mornings after you
wake up but while still in bed. From these
two numbers
you can determine your training heart rate
ranges using the Karvonen method. The formula
below is used to find your heart rate at a
specific
exertion level (from a range of 0 to 100%).
(HRmax - HRrest) x (%effort) + (HRrest) = HR%effort
HRrest = 45 (averaged over 7 consecutive
mornings)
HR_80% = (194 - 45) x 0.80 + 45 = 163
Using the table below, you will know what
your heart rate should be for certain types
of workouts. In the beginning of your training,
you'll mostly be training in the lower ranges.
As
the races get closer, you'll begin to explore
the higher ranges of your heart rate.
Level %effort Type
of Training
I 60% - 70% Overdistance,
Endurance
II 71% - 74% Endurance,
Speedwork
III 75% - 80% Endurance
IV
81% - 90% Intervals
V 91% - 100% Race
A PLAN
Would you try to build a new home without
a floorplan? You don't want to train without
a plan, either. With a plan, you know exactly
what you need to do to achieve your goals.
The plan
also prevents you from overtraining, which
is discussed later, and allows you to fit training
in around other activities and work. You may
want to base your training on the amount of
time you have to work out. Instead of trying
to run 5 miles over your lunch hour, you may
want to plan on running 40 minutes and not
be late for your 1:00 meeting. Know how hard
or easy you want to work out - use your heart
rate to make yourself work harder or to keep
yourself from working too hard.
Your plan doesn't need to be detailed, but
it should be flexible for those unplanned for
instances. Keep a training log with notes of
what you did each day and how you felt. You
should
also write it down so you can compare notes
later when you create a plan for next season.
The following sections divide up the season
into 5 parts: Base, Intensity, Peak, Race,
and Recovery. After reading these sections,
you should have a better idea of how to plan
your season.
BASE BUILDING
Before you start "real" training,
you'll want to strengthen and
prepare your body for the stresses it will need to handle. This is
done by doing easy training and slowly increasing the amount of time
or distance spent swimming, biking, and running. It is not a time
to see how fast you can run 5 miles or to be hammering in the
biggest gears on your bike - these types of activities will most
likely lead to injuries. This is because it takes longer to build
up the strength of your ligaments, tendons, and muscles than the
time it take to build up your aerobic capacity (i.e. lungs and
heart). Base building will slowly but surely strengthen the muscles
your need to do your chosen sport. Most of this training should be
done in heart rate zones I and II. You should avoid training in
zone III - in this zone you can build your endurance, but your body doesn't
recover as well and can become depleted over
a period of time if you continue to train at
that level. Zones IV and V should be avoided
until you have built up enough strength to
handle the higher intensities.
You can prevent injury by following your
plan. Depending on your current level of fitness,
Base building can last anywhere from 6 weeks
to 26 weeks. Follow the 10% rule - never increase
the distance more than 10% above the maximum
distance you have done in the last few weeks.
For example, you rode your bike 100 miles last
week, you wouldn't want to ride more than 110 miles this week. Base building
workouts should seem easy, but may leave you tired. It is important to get
enough rest and eat properly during this time. This may also be the time to
put yourself on a regular schedule, fatigue can creep up unnoticed at any time.
Don't worry about speed or times yet, that
is what the next periods are for. At the end
of the Base period, you should be able to easily
cover the distances you want to race. For example,
if I wanted to do an Olympic/Triathlon distance
triathlon such as the Sun-Times in Chicago,
I should be able to swim 1 mile, bike 25 miles,
and run 6 miles. Even if you can cover the
distances now, you would still want to have
some sort of Base period to prevent injuries
later.
Plan on spending more time training in the
sports you are weaker in. For example, if you
already run 10K's, you'll probably want to
devote more of your time to swimming and biking.
INTENSITY
Now that you have a Base of fitness, you're
ready to add more Intensity to your workouts.
Again, most of the training will be done with
your heart rate in zones I and II, but now
you should also be doing some speedwork and
intervals where your heart rate goes into zone
IV for short periods of time. The Intensity
period should be no longer than your Base period.
To improve performance, push your body just
above what it can do comfortably, and then
allow it to recover. This translates into the
hard/easy training method. If you do a hard
workout one
day, you probably want to take it easy the
next day or even take the day off as rest.
This will allow your body to recover and rebuild,
and your muscles will become stronger as you
adapt to the greater amounts of work.
Intensity can be achieved in different ways.
You may want to try some fartlek work in the
beginning - going hard for a few minutes when
you feel like it. Or timed intervals - go hard
for X number of minutes with Y number of minutes
rest. Running or biking up hills is also a
good way to achieve Intensity.
Group workouts are a great way to force yourself
to work hard. Most people find they can train
more regularly, at a faster pace, or at greater
distances when they have other people to work
out with. Try to find a club or group to train
with when you want to do some higher intensity
workouts. Most cities have a Masters swimming
team, a running club, and a bike shop that
knows
about the local rides. You might need to do
some searching, but it is worth the effort.
Keep in mind that group workouts usually
end up being a higher intensity than workouts
done individually due to the competitive genes
that seem to surface when groups of athletes
get together to train. The 5x100 Easy set in
the pool becomes 5x100 Sprints. The group ride
turns into a classic cycling road race with
attacks and speed surges. The group run turns
into a charge on the course record. If your
want an easy workout or plan on training in
hear rate zones I and II, you might be better
off going out by yourself.
BRICKS
A "classic" workout that is very
triathlon specific is the "brick".
The origin of the word is mysterious at best
but
the idea is simple - follow a ride with a run.
These workouts tend to be tougher on the body
than some others so be careful with frequency!
Some athletes like to do a 1-mile run after
almost every bike ride. There are many varieties
and the workout should be tuned to the race
coming up. If an Ironman is your goal then
an 80-mile ride followed by a 10-mile run would
be a tough brick. If a shorter race is your
goal then a 25-mile ride with a 4 mile run
would
be more
appropriate. Another version of the brick entails taking a wind-trainer to
a running track and alternating intervals on each. The brick is a good way
to get used to what many think is one of the toughest parts of the race - the
bike-to-run transition.
PEAKING
A few weeks before racing, you should reduce
the amount of time and distance you are training
at and concentrate on speed. You can do this
by doing shorter, more intense workouts. Races
used as practice are also useful. Do some short
cycling time trials or running races, especially
if you're having trouble motivating yourself
to train - they can be fun and a good workout
at the same time. You should be doing some
training in heart rate zones I and II to keep
your endurance, but a good portion of your
training will be in heart rate zone IV.
The idea of peaking is that you have the
endurance base necessary to finish the race,
now is the time to work on performance.
RACING
Depending on the distance of the race, you
need to take a few easy days or more to allow
your body to be fully recovered and refueled
for the race. Everyone is different - some
people
need weeks of rest, others can train right
up to the day of the race and still perform
well. A good sign of how rested you are is
your morning heart rate. If it's higher than
normal or your legs feel heavy and sluggish,
you probably should train lightly or not at
all in order to be prepared for the race. A
good rule of thumb for longer distance races
such as marathons or Ironman triathlons is
to reduce your training time with two weeks
to go before the event to about 70%, and with
one week to go reduce your training even further
to about 30% of your normal time.
If you're racing every weekend, you really
don't need to worry about adding much Intensity
to your workouts during the Racing season.
Races can be your hard workout - train lightly
to
keep active and to keep your endurance between
races. If you're not racing much, you need
to keep doing some hard workouts or race simulation
to keep in race-shape.
As far as what to do during an actual race,
experience is the best factor. For specific
help, pose your questions to triathletes in
your area. Some helpful hints for a triathlon
are
listed below:
* Plan and pack what you are going to wear
and use during the race the night before. Create
a checklist to make sure you haven't forgotten
anything.
* Arrive early enough to the race site so
you can scout out the transition area and course.
You may want to even do this the day before
if it is a long race or you are unfamiliar
with the area.
* Leave more time than you think you will
need for setting up in the transition area,
warming up, and waiting in line for athe toilet.
* Swim starts can be scary, especially if
you are not used to swimming in the open water.
Be prepared to get pushed, shoved, kicked,
and swam over if you want to keep up with the
pack.
If you feel nervous about the close body contact,
start off to the side or back.
* Have landmarks picked out so you can navigate
your way over the course. Those big orange
buoys that are easy to see from shore can be
difficult to see in choppy water. Try sighting
tall buildings or towers so you can swim as
straight as line as possible.
* About 100 yards from shore, start thinking
about how you are going to transition to the
bike. Think about what order you will put your
clothes and shoes on and which way to exit
the transition to start the bike leg. Remember
to strap your helmet on before you get on the
bike!
* For the first mile or so on the bike, spin
an easier gear. This is to get your legs used
to going in circles instead of up and down.
Get aerodynamic as soon as possible.
* Concentrate on catching the person in front
of you. After you pass them, start going after
the next person ahead of you. Avoid riding
at along side someone at their speed - either
pass or back off, as people have a tendency
to group up on the bike
which can lead to packs forming.
* Make sure to drink plenty of fluids during
the bike leg. If the swim was long, you are
probably already somewhat dehydrated at the
beginning of the bike. The bike is the best
place to build up your fluid reservoirs for
the run ahead.
* Coming into the bike transition, practice
the same mental technique as you did when you
were finishing the swim. Think about how you
will transition to start the run - where to
enter the transition with your bike, how to
change shoes and clothes,
where to exit to start the run.
* Your legs will probably feel heavy and
stiff when you start running. Try shortening
up and quickening your stride to turn your
running muscles on.
* Again, remember to keep drinking fluids.
Most people cramp upor slow down not because
they run out of energy, but because they become
dehydrated.
* The run turns into a survival session for
a lot of people, but try to keep moving and
think positive thoughts.
* Finish strong.
After the race evaluate your performance.
Did you meet your goal, whether it was to run
a certain time, place overall, or just to finish?
If you didn't, try not to be negative about
it. Rather, ask yourself what can you do to
improve next time and then work at
it. Remember to keep a healthy perspective about triathlon and how it fits
into your overall life.
RECOVERY
This period follows the racing season and
gives your body the time it needs to fully
recover from the abuse it took from racing.
You shouldn't become a couch potato, or you
have to start from ground zero next year. Do
easy training. Take time to try other sports.
Lift weights to rebuild strength in muscles
that
you do not use swimming, biking, or running
(e.g. your abdominals). Don't worry about losing
some fitness, but try to keep off any unnecessary
pounds.
This is also the time to evaluate your plan.
Did you meet your goals? Were they too high
or too low? Start planning for next year. If
you were injured, look at your training log
to find things you should avoid. (Did you do
four days of running in a row when you had
only been used to doing two?)
After recovering, you are ready to start
the whole cycle over again, beginning with
creating a new plan for the next season.
SOME FINAL WORDS
Just remember, triathlons are only as hard
as you make them. When many people think of
triathlons, they think of the Hawaii Ironman,
but most triathlons are much shorter and can
be
completed by almost anyone with the proper
training. Finishing can be a reward in itself.
Just tri it, but be wary of Dr. Pearce's warning
more is not always better. If you train properly,
you'll stay healthy, be competitive, and probably
end up finding training is just as fun as racing.
Good luck!
5
Why do so
many triathletes get upset about wetsuit usage
in races?
The basic
issue with wetsuits is that in addition to
making open water swims safer by providing
the wearer with added warmth and flotation
they also provide a speed advantage. The speed
advantage comes from the added flotation that
puts a swimmer's body in a higher and more "correct" position.
This is the position that a good swimmer swims
with anyway by using proper technique.
Therefore, wetsuits speed-up a poor swimmer
with poor body position much more than they
speed-up a swimmer that already uses good body
position.
