Cycling for Aquathlon Cross Training

I would do nothing but long and slow (to build endurance), everything else (intervals, hill repeats, etc.) will only really help you on the bike but doesn't translate well to running improvements. Overall endurance will however.

Agree--I've trained for these in the past and a further issue is that prolonged hard efforts on the bike (intervals, hills) will tire your legs out for run training, particularly speed work. That's not such a big deal with tri, particularly long-distance tri, since the nature of the beast is running on tired legs, but in an aquathlon, everyone's running on much fresher legs, so there's more of a premium on run speed.

If maintaining some degree of bike fitness for tri is a goal, you could limit the bike to one longer/slower ride and one harder effort per week (on an easy run day or day off running, with at least 24 and ideally 36 hours before a harder run workout), or do an easy run as a brick after the bike workout. If you're not too concerned about bike fitness, then just do a weekly longer/slower ride for a while.

If you do want to include a more intense weekly cycling workout, one thing to consider might be some shorter big-gear intervals followed by a short run with some strides or pickups. I'm not sure about others, but I find I always have really good runs after that kind of workout (as in running faster with less effort, feel like my run form is better). My coach claims it activates fast-twitch muscle fibers. (I was not aware I had any, but it does seem to do something neuromuscular in my case.)

Edited by Hot Runner 2016-11-04 6:49 AM