Jan 7 marked the beginning of my balanced Swim, Bike, Run (SBR) training program. Up until this point, I've been training everyday, but just flying by the seat of my pants.
I have a few short term goals that are the catalyst for my early season training.
-Solvang Camp. For me, having an event that you must get into descent shape for forces you to get your act together. Not hitting this goal has many negative consequences: I won't have fun, encounter unnecessary suffering, or plain embarrassment. These consequences give me all the motivation I need. I suggest that everyone find what works for them. Even though you might love triathlon and the training it requires, there will always be obstacles we need to overcome. Most of the time these obstacles are ourselves.
-Basic Week. I also want to get back to the point where hitting my basic week on the volume end doesn't leave me feeling wrecked. I'm doing this rather slowly to avoid injury or burnout, but I'd really like to shoot for a normal swim week (18-20k)
I've kept my run training rolling all winter long and I'm biking in a way that won't make me hate everything on two wheels, but the swimming is taking me longer to adjust to. I'm aiming my sights on 18k this week. I'll let you know how that goes.
Early Season Training
I was recently tested in our Endurance Corner Lab, to get some baseline values for my early season training. Coming out of the off season, athletes are always in a hurry to get right back to where they left off the previous year. The same power numbers, swim volume, and run speed. I'm well aware that if I attempt to hit those targets in January, I'll be flat on my back by February.
With my bike test in hand, I now have my appropriate zones and power ranges to safely train from as I work towards the goal of being strong in the end.
The data from my test allows me to train at my current fitness level, not a fitness level from the end of last year or the level I wish I were at.
As from my test, I'm in pretty good shape, but do have a weakness on the bike. The way our progressive bike fuel test is designed, an athlete must either be out of shape or very strong to hit their Functional Threshold Power (FTP) on the bike. (I will write more about our testing in a future article.)
I was unable to reach my FTP and need to get stronger on the bike. I'm efficient on a substrate level, but need to work on my strength. Since it is winter here in Boulder. I'm doing a few key bike sessions that Gordo has designed for me to work on this limiter. Many may think that Gordo would have me doing 3,4,5 hour trainer sessions on a regular basis, but this is not the case. I'm keeping the indoor sessions enjoyable and at a length where I don't look at the trainer as my enemy. There is no point putting myself through that this early in the season.
With these sessions, I'm not getting on the trainer and hitting the gas. Most people think that in the winter, since they are on the trainer, and hate it, that drilling it for 30-45 minutes is the way to go. Reverse periodization may work for some, but could be risky for the majority. I've said this before, but most endurance athlete needs to focus on strength, durability and steady state endurance. You can work on strength without having your HR in the 170's.
During your early season training, it can only take one session of getting a bit carried away to put you over the edge, leaving you beat up for the rest of the week. I was reminded of this last Saturday when a "normally" routine run left me pretty beat up. This run consisted of a lot of up hill and down hill running, which is normal for my training, but I went too hard based on where my body is currently at.
Luckily, this was towards the end of my week (Saturday) and I could take Sunday easy to recover.
I'm positive that this run was beneficial for me and the next time I use this session it won't leave me feeling the same. However, this got me thinking about all the time limited athletes that are either drilling it, thinking that every session must count or an athlete in a hurry to get back to last year's fitness.
I think either scenario can be risky and gradually put an athlete in a hole before the season even starts.
I'll leave you with a conversation I had with a friend last week. My friend had called to tell me how out of shape they were. He said he went out for a few rides and felt weak and out of shape. My friend sounded very discouraged.
I asked him what he expected to feel like once he resumed training. You don't hop on your bike after a long off season and start ripping the teeth off your chain ring. You should expect to be out of shape for a while. The early season is one of the best parts of training. You can go from feeling worthless to feeling great in a few months. I really enjoy this transition and am not in a hurry to rush through it.
I feel that rushing through this phase will show itself again in August.
It's a long season,
Mat
