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2014-09-30 7:10 AM

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Subject: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
Hi guys and girls,

I read a lot of articles about HIIT training and how short bursts of activity will make you stronger and faster. Is this the best strength training even though it gets your heart rate UP?

There are people out there claiming that a lot of sprint training (5 miles a week) is enough for them to run a fast marathon (in the top 3 % runners).

Is this true?


2014-09-30 7:13 AM
in reply to: Martine1975

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
Originally posted by Martine1975

Hi guys and girls,

I read a lot of articles about HIIT training and how short bursts of activity will make you stronger and faster. Is this the best strength training even though it gets your heart rate UP?

There are people out there claiming that a lot of sprint training (5 miles a week) is enough for them to run a fast marathon (in the top 3 % runners).

Is this true?


Running a marathon on 5 miles a week training is suicide. finishing in the top 3%- they would be lucky to finish at all.
2014-09-30 7:18 AM
in reply to: Martine1975

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
Without knowing exactly which article(s) you have read; are you referring to 5 miles/week of fast running plus miles of easy running or just 5 miles of running/week? Also do you mean actual sprinting or some other type of "fast" running? 5 miles/week of sprinting is a crazy amount of sprinting.
2014-09-30 7:45 AM
in reply to: #5055235

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
The person who claims this is Abel James. And he was talking about running a total distance of 5 miles a week (sprint training only). Yet finishing in the top 3% of the marathon.

He was advising people this style of training and I thought 'o, awesome'.

Lol
2014-09-30 8:15 AM
in reply to: Martine1975

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon

Originally posted by Martine1975 The person who claims this is Abel James. And he was talking about running a total distance of 5 miles a week (sprint training only). Yet finishing in the top 3% of the marathon. He was advising people this style of training and I thought 'o, awesome'. Lol

I'm gonna call bullsh*t on Mr. Abel James.

2014-09-30 8:17 AM
in reply to: Martine1975

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon

A solid training program is going to include a variety of intensity, including up at the higher end. How much of any intensity done will depend on the needs and goals of the individual. With the types of claims made, someone is likely not quite understanding their background and also likely they are a very gifted individual whose methods would not work so well for the overwhelming majority of the population.



2014-09-30 10:00 AM
in reply to: brigby1

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
I looked up Abel James and read some of his articles-- I might be wrong but I think you misread what he said about what he did before the marathon.

My understanding is that he was running up to 50 miles per week when training for his marathon, and he cut back to 5-10 miles per week afterwards. He said he was in the top 3% of marathon finishers, and then when he cut back to shorter running he was in the top of 10K races. He also compares his body type from when he was running more for marathon training vs after-- and says he had higher body fat % when doing long distances.

So... his conclusion: running a lot makes you fatter, running less makes leaner. Well.... running is only part of that picture-- what else he was doing during the week (strength training, other activities) how much he was eating, etc. When you're running 50 miles per week there isn't much room for anything else, there are plenty of 50 mile/week runners (or more) that have very low body fat.

As for this question:

I read a lot of articles about HIIT training and how short bursts of activity will make you stronger and faster. Is this the best strength training even though it gets your heart rate UP?


As was said above, triathlon training is best done with mixed intensities. Some activities will get you into higher HR zones-- and that is one way your body will adapt to faster paces. Also lots of training at lower HR zones to build endurance, effect cellular changes that increase mitochondria, etc. But don't get in your head that triathlon training should be low HR.
2014-09-30 12:51 PM
in reply to: #5055249

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
Owe thanks Jennifer,

That cleared up a lot what you wrote. I assumed that I had to do all my training in zone 1 and zone 2.

Sorry, I'm just a motivated beginner and don't know so much yet, but want to know it ALL.
2014-09-30 2:29 PM
in reply to: Martine1975

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Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
There are other guys who do teach super low mileage/high intensity for long races. Brian MacKenzie comes to mind. He is the one who started crossfit endurance, aka CFE. So that school of thought exists...
  • ..and it is terrible. Look up his race history after he started practicing what he preaches and you'll see what that type of training does to an endurance. He started out pretty respectable and now he has yet to finish a race.

  • While there is certainly a benefit of training smart (efficiently using the time you have available), running is a sport that always falls back to volume.
    2014-09-30 2:40 PM
    in reply to: Martine1975

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    Subject: RE: HIIT training and sprinting in triathlon
    Originally posted by Martine1975

    Owe thanks Jennifer,

    That cleared up a lot what you wrote. I assumed that I had to do all my training in zone 1 and zone 2.

    Sorry, I'm just a motivated beginner and don't know so much yet, but want to know it ALL.


    That is a persistent myth/school of thought/valid way to train. if you look at the training composition of elite and full time endurance athletes, most of it IS in zone 1 & 2. Zone 2 training does work to build fitness, but it takes a very long time/large volume.

    There used to be a thought that training at high heartrates "exploded capillaries" and destroyed mitochondria! I've even heard local coaches use those exact phrases in trainign presentations within the past few years. Crazy.

    Mixed intensities, "polarized" training, HIIT, are all valid ways to train in the right context. For example I would not recommend doing 30 second hard running efforts if running form is extremely poor, however even for less fit individuals, doing a minute of getting the HR up followed by a few minutes of recovery is a faster way of buiding cardiovascular fitness that will enable them to continue to do a higher volume of training...of whatever composition they choose.

    But injury risk goes up with higher intensity so building up to harder intensities as a beginner is never a bad idea.

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