Training for a non-standard distance race

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2012-04-12 5:50 AM

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Subject: Training for a non-standard distance race

Hi. My first Triathlon will be the Laguna Phuket this November. The distances are not an Olympic standard. They are:

  • 1.8km Open Water Swim
  • 55km Bike
  • 12km Run

I've been looking at some of the training programs here on the site and they seem to be for the standard distances such as Olympic. If I train with an Olympic program will that properly prepare me for the race? Or should I use a factor based on the ratio of my distance to Olympic distance and modify the training times based on that?

For example, My swim is 1.8km, an Olympic is 1.5km. So mine is 120% of Olympic. Should I multiply every swimming time in the Olympic training program by 1.2?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks. Andy

2012-04-12 12:51 PM
in reply to: #4145046

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Subject: RE: Training for a non-standard distance race

pretty ambitious first race. I would say that if you can complete an olympic, no reason you couldn't complete this. very few people follow a training program to a tee, so if you have been hitting every workout on the olympic plan, you will probably have built more of a base than 70% of the participants out there anyway.

If you can't finish Phuket, there's always another race (see what i did there?).

2012-04-12 12:57 PM
in reply to: #4146292

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Subject: RE: Training for a non-standard distance race
cschuman01 - 2012-04-12 12:51 PM

pretty ambitious first race. I would say that if you can complete an olympic, no reason you couldn't complete this. very few people follow a training program to a tee, so if you have been hitting every workout on the olympic plan, you will probably have built more of a base than 70% of the participants out there anyway.

pretty much this. I might only add a few more km's onto some (not all) of your training rides since an extra 15K is added on there. But in reality, you can usually race a longer distance than you have covered in any one training session (within reason), especially when the distances-over are as small as they are in your case. Consistent training is the key. 

2012-04-12 1:03 PM
in reply to: #4145046

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Subject: RE: Training for a non-standard distance race
I would just increase the bike miles a bit.  I wouldn't consider the swim and run significant enough to change much.
2012-04-12 10:22 PM
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Subject: RE: Training for a non-standard distance race
OK thanks, I'll just train as the program is laid out.
2012-04-12 10:55 PM
in reply to: #4145046

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Subject: RE: Training for a non-standard distance race
If you go to free plans- and then choose custom from the drop down you can change the lengths within some limits.  I did that for my plan since the Xterra I signed up for isn't a standard distance.

2012-04-13 11:33 PM
in reply to: #4145046

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Subject: RE: Training for a non-standard distance race
Thanks for that info moonrocket
2012-04-14 8:30 AM
in reply to: #4145046

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Subject: RE: Training for a non-standard distance race
Laguna Phuket was my first tri last November, and you can read my race report here on BT. I followed one of the free BT 20 week Oly distance plans, and that worked very well for me. I finished solid MOP and felt well prepared. Perhaps, were I to do it again, I would have done a bit more bike-run brick training, but otherwise the volumes suggested by the plan met my needs.

Laguna Phuket is hilly on the bike and hot on the run, but it is a beautiful course, a fun crowd, and a very well organized race. It was really perfect in almost every way. Enjoy!

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