I am planning for next summer's events and will participate in a sprint distance in June, olympic distance in July and a half-ironman in August (Boulder, Colorado Tri Series). I have competed in two sprint distance triathlons but am ready to pursue the 70.3.
Does anyone have any insight into what approach to take with training for multiple events like this back-to-back to back? I am interested in the half-ironman 20 week training program on this site, but am curious how the sprint and olympic distance events would be worked into training for the 70.3. Just trying to work out what the training details will look like for the coming year for this combination of events. Do I train for the olympic and build upon that for the half-ironman? Not sure that last month would give me enough time to build enough endurance, etc.
Any feedback on this would be appreciated. I'm just starting to research this but thought I'd ask.
Thanks!
Josh
With races of that different
With races of that different of distances and that close together, you'll probably want to choose one to be your focus race for the year. I don't mean you won't go all out at the others, but the Big One is what you'll structure your training for. I would recommend picking the half for it. Get a plan for that one, and follow that. Take a couple easier days near your other races, but keep your main goal in mind.
If you just want to finish the half, then you can be more flexible with time off near the other races, and how much you focus on them. But if you want to do your best at a half, you'll have to have it in the back of your mind with each training session.
Train more, Race less.
Train more, Race less. Here's why (and everyone should do this comparativ analysis when planning pre-race "races"). I compared your 2011 race dates for the two events - the sprint and the Olympic - with what you should be doing according to TriFuel's 20-week program.
The weekend of your Sprint is the 13th week of the program and it calls for a 3hr bike on Saturday and a :40min swim/:90min run on Sunday. But the Sprint only has you doing 800m swim, 17 mile bike, 5k run. So, you're short-changing your training. The weekend of your Olympic is the 16th week of the program and it calls fora 3.25hr bike on Saturday and a :40min swim/100min+ run on Sunday. But the Olympic race also falls way short of that. My point is that you can't use races this close to your 70.3 as "training" because the distances are just too short. IMHO, they placed this "series" too close together and too close to the 70.3 ot be of any training and testing value. If you're planning on going out afterwards and picking up more miles (which you didn't indicate), then that's different. Then it just seems like your paying big bucks for a training day.
I agree with Kylie, if you
I agree with Kylie, if you really want to do 70.3 for the first time after only two sprints, then I would suggest that this race be your primary training focus. You are correct in assuming that you don't have time to train short and try and ramp it up before Bolder.
Sooner makes a good point, but I'll deviate from him just a bit. It's perfectly OK to use your sprint and oly as an "expensive training day", but I would absolutely make these large 2x/day workouts. Something like racing in the morning, and putting in a medium brick that afternoon. So for example, the day you race the Oly you might go back out later for a two hour ride/ 1 hr. run brick. That would give you a very long total day with the following totals:
Something like
Swim 30 minutes
Bike1 75 minutes
Bike2 120 minutes (total biking 3:15, per the plan
Run1 45 minutes
Run2 60 minutes (total running 1:45 vs. 1:40 for the plan)
It's not the same as training yourself to go the long distance in one session, but getting some work in at higher intensity at the race counts for something. BUT, be careful that you aren't too beat up from the race and injure yourself later.
I think it completely
I think it completely depends on your goals. If you just want to complete the half ironman, then it probably won't hurt to do a sprint and an olympic race during your training schedule. I have met a lot of people at sprint races who are training for IMs and race in sprints during their training and it doesn't seem to be an issue. However if your focus is to place in your AG, then I would just focus on the IM schedule and not race. Because the program is designed to build your endurance and strength, the timing of the tapering and peak weeks are important, and I think your racing schedule might interfere with that. You can race consecutive races if you are not going full out. I done two sprints on the same weekend before, but I just wanted to go into the events, and treated them more as workouts. Half ironman's are a lot harder on the body, because they are much longer events and it probably pays to stay as true to the training schedule as possible. It also depends on your personality, some people when they race can't help but go full out. Then there is the possibility of injury, if you don't listen to your body. Following a training schedule as accurately as possible will reduce the risk of injury and you will have a good IM race.