Turning Up the Heat
By this point of the season the term "Interval workout" is a pretty common moan in weekly training
strategies.
Without thinking, most triathletes will join in a weekly interval session w/ a
group (or even alone) and by the end, if they've achieved fatigue, nausea, or
lactate-induced pain, then they figure: "Hey, that
must've been a good session."
And while "discomfort management" is a key in
some type of interval sessions
these sessions should be used VERY sparingly. You see what is
most lacking in race-specific workouts is simple: F-O-C-U-S.
So how does one gain
"FOCUS" in your race-intensive workouts?
Ahhh, this is the key to the vault, because when you
master how to answer this question (& know how to adjust the workouts
accordingly) you maximize your time/energy "investment" for the
greatest "return" and do so w/ the least possible damage-effect
to your recovery or volume each week.
The better that you
recover from these sessions………the more you can do. The more you can do (without
over-training), the longer that your intensive training cycles can be. And that means one thing……….improvement.
In determining what a
workout's FOCUS should be, know that the first step is to honestly ask the
question: "Where is my game weak
right now?"
Then ask: "Does this weakness REALLY affect my
race goals?" (For example: If you have an endurance weakness
but are planning for a season of sprint races, then endurance may really be a
secondary issue. If you're targeting sprint races and find that you 'blow-up'
after hard efforts in a race……then THAT is a
race-specific weakness……… because you'll very likely dance the line of
"hard efforts" often in sprint races.).
When
you've honestly assessed where you could stand to most improve…….then you
simply choose from 1 of 3 "intensity-tools".
As a coach, believe me, I
know that the prevailing attitude towards intensity training is that………
"An interval is an interval is an interval".
NOT SO!! Here are the 3
types:
1-Threshold…..This is the least used (and most effective)
race-specific intensity training there is!! It offers a very high 'return' on a relatively minimal 'investment'.
Muscular damage and recovery are compromised very little.
Threshold pace,
subjectively, is a pace that can be described as "comfortably difficult"
& could be held for 20 to 30minutes w/ ease. Very often, I call
this pace "tempo" when communicating w/ our athletes. Because the
pace is sustainable, the
duration of these efforts can be longer. 'Threshold' would be an intensity that
most could sustain for a half-ironman. I find that MOST people tend to want to
over-run their threshold intensity.
Here are some samples of Threshold sessions:
For the
swim: (main set) 4 x 500m, 2 x 1000, or 1 x 300-500-300-500-300
For the
bike: (during a
For the
run: (during a :35 to
The purpose of a
'Threshold session' is to being able to clear
lactic acid accumulation from blood
(ie: blood lactate) at faster and faster speeds while
swimming, cycling, and running.
Going any faster than ''tempo''
pace in these sessions is NOT better for
you because it drastically raises the need for recovery and is, still, not
fast enough to gain any speed-benefit. If you train w/ a heart rate monitor,
'tempo/threshold' pace occurs at about
90% of max-hr.
The goal is not to do these sessions at
harder and harder heart-rates throughout the season. It IS to be able to travel faster and faster at your tempo hr.
2-True
Interval Training………...This,
on the other hand, is the most OVER-used type of training intensity.
"Intervals" are hard……(duh!)……and because of this, they require very thorough &
specific recovery measures.
"Intervals" are
a training pace that stresses one's VO2max………your capacity to deliver oxygen
very fast to working muscles.
The term "interval"
actually refers to the brief rest between efforts…..not the efforts, themselves.
Here are some samples of Interval sessions:
For the
swim: (main set) 6-8 x 200m taking
only 15 seconds between each
For the
bike: 6-8 x 3minutes (seated
climbing or a 'wattage-interval' on an indoor trainer) w/1min. rest between
each
For the
run: 3-5 x 1000m with
a 200m ez-jog (2-3min.) between each
As a rule, most folks will
begin true interval training after a base build…..continue it from spring until
fall……and then wonder why their so tired late in the season?!?!
Interval training is like a grinding stone…….it can
SHARPEN you for a period. But after that, if you keep it up, it can wear you
down.
We employ intervals for
specific "race-prep" cycles (& ONLY after some 'threshold work'
to prepare an athlete)……and then LEAVE
THEM ALONE when we feel that we've milked them for all their worth. As
an athlete gets more "race-fit" {because of them}………interval sessions
positively impact his/her game less, yet the need for recovery
remains high………this is NOT an ideal 'return-on-investment'.
It's best to cycle them
well before A-priority races…….and stay away from them the week before a target
event. In other words……'love-em & leave 'em' and USE them intelligently in your training.
3-Speed
Reps………These
intensive sessions are focused on ONE OBJECTIVE in your training………ECONOMY of movement. That is the
ability to swim, bike, & run faster on less effort.
"Reps" are also
the most fun to do, yet, very few triathletes will make
use of them. They are short, done very fast…..and you are to take FULL recovery
between each in order to keep intensity/pace high. Shortening the recovery
portions (to make it "hurt more") is a huge mistake………because this
diminishes the intensity of each.
Don't think that 'reps'
are all-out sprints. They are not.
But they are as close to sprinting as you can come without actually sprinting.
Here are
some samples of "Rep" sessions:
For the
swim: 20 x 50m (full
recovery)….focus on maintaining your stroke-count and form @ the highest speed/pace possible.
For the
bike: Find a flat road and go to
one of your easiest gears. Spin for 30-40 seconds @ 110 to 125rpms. Repeat 10
times. [This can also be done while hanging on to the back of a fast-moving
pace-line in an easy gear.]
For the
run: 10 x 200m
……..with a 200m WALK between each
To conclude, I recommend
using each of the three types of intensity in your workouts keeping some
'creative variety'……….but ultimately making the focused decision on WHICH type by
reviewing your last race and determining the biggest area of improvement.
Know too, that you can do
"focus-bricks" by combining swim/bike, bike/run, & even swim/run
sessions at threshold pace, in intervals, or w/ reps.
For more information on
the TRImyCoach.com training programs, you can visit our website at www.TRImyCoach.com