How much time spent in base training
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bluebirdbiker posted 3 years ago.
First off let's make sure you have it right. Don't stay around 80% STAY BELOW 80%. 70 to 80% of your HRmax is where you want to train to get the most out of your base period. You can essentially spend the whole year in base and before your race, when ever you want to start training for it, increase by doing intervals, etc. However YOU want to train for a race is up to you. Depends on what your goals are. Remember, base time is "LSD" time. Long Slow Distance effort for all three events while you keep the HR BELOW 80% HRmax.
If you race during base training, read this
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=427
There are also several other articles there to help you. I'm sure others will fill in the rest.
BBB
BBB
There are no excuses - so don't look for them. As a product of your own choices, you directly determine your life outcomes.
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CAcyclingFAN posted 3 years ago.
Guides for Periodization in Chris Carmichael's book "The Ultimate Ride" are pretty good. They are not tri specific but you can get a good idea of how to build a base, how long to rest, etc. that can be applied to endurance sports in general.
When it's time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived. - Thoreau
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trihardgal posted 3 years ago.
Thanks BBB. That makes more sense to me now. Appreciate the help.
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PrinceofClydes posted 3 years ago.
You know, on reflection, I think all I ever do is base training.
I did no intervals in the 9 months previous to IMC although I rode the bike route 7 times.
I ran "long" several times prior to the race but never ran hard.
I swam only 14 times prior to the race: 3200m 7 times in the 3 weeks leading up to the race, but they were all long steady swims.
But you, trihardgal, are doing sprint triathlons. My feeling is that you need to do enough base training to make you comfortable and confident that when you start stepping up the intensity to go hard for the race, you won't suffer an injury. Base training is conditioning, designed to prepare you to withstand the rigours of intense race preparation without breaking down. You have to learn what your body can stand - and when you need to back off.
My priority was to ensure that I remain injury free and I succeeded in that fairly well.
I went hard in the swim and bike on race day and logged my best splits ever, so it seems to work.
I went 14:38:49 so I think I am a year away from pushing the envelope of my speed. Then again, I may never have any "speed." heh.
We'll have to see.
Geoff
"Pain doesn't last, chicks dig scars, glory is forever!"
- Shane Falco.
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catwood posted 3 years ago.
I would say, with help from Joe Friel, and from my own experience, not to add intensity until 8-12 week before you start racing.. less is fine or good if the races you want to do best in are a few weeks after you start racing... I tend to get burnt out if I do high intensity for more than 12 weeks unless i get a substantial (ie 3 week) break from it somewhere... I race the collegiate cycling season from the beginning of march to the beginning of may and I do very little intensity training before the races start and I just race my way into shape. Then I take most of May and the beginning of June down to low intensity again then build up again for a late August or September Tri. After that I don't do much fast stuff until February. The amount of intensity a person can handle varies because of aerobic base, etc... If i were racing in June and July, I would start my build mid-march to early april...
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brittda posted 3 years ago.
POC- I did basically the same thing. Did several 100 mile + rides and several long runs, but no interval work. I did do lots ot hill runs though so that helped. I only swam maybe 1-2 times a week (did a 1:11) . My main concern was staying uninjured, as I seem to have problems with that. I think next time I may get in the pool some more , so I can get my time under an hour (shouldnt be a problem if I actually train) BUT I do plan to do more interval work on the bike. I want to drop at least an hour off my time (6:58) ...again, should be able to do that if I merely put in the effort. My first goal this time around was simply to finish and feel good, and I did. Not the fastest time 14:28, but I wasn't sore the next day and by Wednesday I was running again (slowly). Next time around I will do things a bit differently though I think.
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trihardgal posted 3 years ago.
Thanks for all the advice. I started doing base training this weekend and I will work at the 70-80% of max until March when I start a plan I found in a book I bought "Training Plans for Multisport Athletes". It's a 15-week plan to a faster sprint. Hopefully I will see better results next year.
Again, thanks.
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PrinceofClydes posted 3 years ago.
catwood wrote:
I would say, with help from Joe Friel, and from my own experience, not to add intensity until 8-12 week before you start racing.. less is fine or good if the races you want to do best in are a few weeks after you start racing... I tend to get burnt out if I do high intensity for more than 12 weeks unless i get a substantial (ie 3 week) break from it somewhere... I race the collegiate cycling season from the beginning of march to the beginning of may and I do very little intensity training before the races start and I just race my way into shape. Then I take most of May and the beginning of June down to low intensity again then build up again for a late August or September Tri. After that I don't do much fast stuff until February. The amount of intensity a person can handle varies because of aerobic base, etc... If i were racing in June and July, I would start my build mid-march to early april...
lol :D
you're absolutely right Cat!
That's just great if you're 19 years old!
You could do a sprint tri in the morning, have lunch, and do it all again in the afternoon! Your rate of recovery at your age is nothing short of astonishing.
I only wish..
I remember back in 1994 I did an Olympic triathlon every day for 6 days the week before setting my best ever time in a race just a week later. I was only 42 then!
I'm with you Britt. Stay uninjured and base-train your way to victory lane!
I am going to do something like Cat describes - do an Olympic distance event to gain a little speed.- and for fun of course.
Geoff
"Pain doesn't last, chicks dig scars, glory is forever!"
- Shane Falco.
I read through the recent post about base training. My question is how long does one need to spend in base training. One month, two, three? Is it okay to mix up the training a bit in base and do say 2-3 weeks at 80% of max and then a week over 80% or do I need to stay that whole length of time at 80% of max? The sprint tris I have beem competing in are in June and July. (I know, so few - hope to do more in coming years) So if I lay low in Oct., Nov. and Dec. and then start picking up pace in Jan. will that help me to go faster?