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2004-09-28 12:30 PM


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Subject: need help for off-season training
Hi guys -

I just wrapped up my first season with two tris, and I'm planning more for next year, probably not until late spring/early summer. Now, I'm wondering what to do for the next five months. I want to work on my swimming and running and make both faster and do some strength training.

I am having trouble finding off-season plans - on most sites and in most of the books I have looked at there are plenty of "couch to sprint" or "8 weeks to olympic/ 11 weeks to half-ironman". But I can't find "here's a general plan to follow for a few months to build endurance and speed slowly without risking injury while not building up to a specific events". Does any one know of any online or published resources that address this need?

What I don't want suggestions about: Masters swim classes (already trying to find one possible in my area), private training (can't afford it), advice to just adapt those above mentioned plans to longer term (unless you can very specifically spell out how to do so for maximum effect - distances, frequencies, etc). But if you can send me to a specific resource or give me a version of a good plan, please chime in!

Thanks

Rebecca


2004-09-28 12:56 PM
in reply to: #67378

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Subject: I don't know if this'll help or not....

My plan for this winter. My "season" is almost over too, effectively. I do have one more "A" race in November, but here's my general plan.

1. Lots of work on swim stroke mechanics, drills, drills, drills. I'll let the distance take care of itself. The speed will come too I hope with better form.

2. Major run base work. I'm doing a marathon (my first) in late Feb. so I'll need to get up to 50 mi per week or so. I plan on not violating the 10% per week rule too often. Again I am not worrying about speed work at this point. I'll start sharpening after the marathon is over and I have a strong base to keep from getting injured.

3. I will be limited to the trainer for biking during the week, but that didn't hurt me too badly last year. This year, though, my weekend road rides are all going to be on my fixed-gear.

4. I plan on getting in two weight lifting sessions per week as well. Concentrating on core strength, like last year, but adding some squats.

I don't know if this helps you or not. My guiding principals are to spend time on areas I want to improve and to not get hurt. Your particular goals, strengths and weaknesses, and schedule are going to determine what's going to work for you. The published "plans" are good guidelines. But, I think a better idea is to identify your own goals and structure your training towards achieving them. You need to work out the details so that your training works for you. Schedule speed work just ahead of your "A" races. Find time in your daily/weekly schedule where long training sessions are going to fit.

"Do nothing which is of no use" -Musashi-

2004-09-28 1:05 PM
in reply to: #67390


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Subject: RE: I don't know if this'll help or not....
OK, so no, this doesn't really help, but thinks for replying. You refer to "published plans" - THAT is what I am looking for. I know that I need to swim, that I need to bike, that I need to run. What I am looking for are these mysterious "plans" that you refer to. Where is there a plan that will take me through, specifically, guidelines for how far to be running, how often, at what kind of efforts? How often to swim, what drills to work on, what kind of progression of intervals will help me gradually build my speed? Where this is described for a six-month type of period where I am not trying to get ready for a specific race, but just working on my own speed and techniques - a plan that is long-term sustainable without risk of injury, which I fear if I try to just stretch out and repeat an intensive 2 month plan.

Does anybody know what I should be doing, or where I can find a plan that can take me through this off season? Anyone?
2004-09-28 1:58 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
Rebecca,

The question you are asking is very difficult to answer without some guidance as to what your long term goals in 2005 are. I come from a swimming background so my suggestions will only be relevant for that aspect of your offseason training. If you are seeking to improve your swimming I strongly endorse finding a masters swim program (as you mentioned in your post) this should take care of improving your speed and so on in the pool. If you are looking for swimming drills to improve your technique and speed have a look at Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin. It is available all over the place on the web.

Personally I plan on making my own plan and working on my running and cycling this offseason by slowly increasing mileage and adding in one interval training workout a week.

Mike
2004-09-28 2:34 PM
in reply to: #67415

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Subject: Goals are the key

Mike is spot-on with his post

What specifically do you want to accomplish?

The reason the publicly available plans are so broad in scope is that they goals they assume at the outset are so general. No-one other than a paid coach or you yourself is going to publish a plan that is going to tell you how to do your training long-term.

Once you set your goals, the plan to reach them becomes clear.

2004-09-28 3:08 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
i'm training for next summer for a 1/2 ironman.

so what I'm doing since it is way far off is taking the 1/2 ironman plan and cutting things in half for the first 20 weeks. so if it tells me to swim 2000m i'm planning on swimming 1000. then when these first 20 weeks are done I'm going to start the plan over but do the entire distances recommended.

what do you think about that?


2004-09-28 3:45 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training

A lot of triathletes will just use the 'off-season' to rebuild their base mileage.  Meaning, if they currently run 20 miles per week, they may work on increasing it up to 40-50.  Same with biking and swimming.  You could use one of the plans here to work on increasing your base (i.e., if you did couch to sprint, move to couch to Oly).  If there is one particular discipline that you feel you need more work on, you can look for specific plans for that (i.e., www.halhigdon.com if you wish to work on your running in particular).

Not knowing exactly where you are located, it'd be tough for someone to give you the perfect plan - if you live in the southeast or southwest, you may have more tris coming up that you could do, whereas here in CO, the season has pretty well wound down.  In my case, knowing that there won't be any (major) triathlons until about May 2005, I've got seven months to build my base back up.  Which actually gives me more time to train, than I used this year.  I'll be working mainly on swimming and running, but I'm adding some lifting/flexibility stuff for skiing this winter.

If you wish to concentrate on all three aspects, and you won't be competing until next year, take a look at the Triathlete's Training Bible. 

2004-09-28 4:03 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
Any triathlon book worth its weight will have an off-season plan. I guess the trick is finding one you agree with. I subscribe to Mark Allen's plan ... that is that I believe you have to "decondition" your body between seasons. Deconditioning means stayng in shape through active recovery ... base-building aerobic work and weightlifting with the number of workouts sliced in half. All you want to do during the off-season is keep your body ready to accept the rigors of peak performance training come next spring/summer. No injuries, no stress. He also encourages substituting activities every now and again for running, biking and swimming so you stay fresh. It could be cross-country skiing or chopping wood, any whole body kind of workout. Anyway, that's the plan that makes the most sense to me. Time to get back to the wood pile!
2004-09-28 4:14 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
I have been wondering about this as well what plan to work on now. Living in MA there next Tris are in May...some 8 months away.

I want to get fitter and faster at everything...I'm super slow at everything. Just got my race results...I beat 4 people ...2 of whom DNF. I didn't recall passing anyone but I must have..since I moved up in the bike and run.

I have ordered Total Immersion book and DVD to work on swimming. Biking is easier for me. I really want to improve my running...ordered Chirunning...both is speed and distance.

Building your base...does that mean doing longer distances at lower heart rate zone below aerobic level?

Our Y has a Tri group and starts training in January. I want to continue to improve now.

Kathy
2004-09-28 4:49 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
re: arunning, you may wish to use the first 10 weeks of a marathon training program (Galloway, Higdon, something on Runner's World) and do each week two weeks back-to-back. So it ends us being 20 weeks of a focused running program that builds endurance but does not get into speed work or "peaking"... which you probably wouldn't do until the summer anyways. A little slower build-up, too...even less chance for injury and you're not going the full length in the off season, so you'll have time for some strength training. Just my 2 cents.
2004-09-28 6:04 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training

Hi Rebecca,

I don't really have an on season or off season.  I do the same thing year round.  (I am an enginerd so I have a high tolerance for boredom.)  I consider my routine a good long term maintenance program.

I just try to get an hour a day of good exercise.  My ideal plan is  2 swims, 2 bikes, and 2 runs, each an hour long in a week.  But, the log tells no lies.  The real plan is 4 or 5 hours a week.  I exercise with a heart rate monitor.  I find that my heart rate is between 75 and 85% of max pretty much every time out.  I also do a bit of weights, calisthenics and stretching just after I wake up but not much.  I almost always run the same course every time, ride the exercise bike at the same time of day listening to the same radio program, and swim the same number of laps in the same pool.

I do not give this plan much thought.  I just do it.  It sounds boring but the results are just what I want.  I am injury free and in excellent health.  I am not fast but I don't race so it doesn't matter.  I can do most anything physcial that I need or want to do.  I frequently do a sprint distance swim/bike/run on my own.  Exercise doesn't have to be exciting or scientific.  It just has to burn a fair number of calories per day.

The key things about this routine are that 1) it is well within my capability, 2) it provides good all around conditioning, 3) it doesn't take much time,  4) it is intense enough (75 to 85% MHR) for my goals of health and fitness, 5)it is not so intense that I get burned out or hurt. 

This is so boring.  I can't believe I wrote it down.  I also can't believe I am going to hit submit.

TW



2004-09-28 7:42 PM
in reply to: #67378


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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training: THANKS!
Thanks, folks!

There are some good ideas in here, and the thread on "favorite training books" also has given me some leads. Hopefully I'll take the time this week to map it out - I just do significantly better when I have the sense of following a directed course rather than just having a vague idea of doing stuff a couple of times a week. I think I can use some of this to chart out a course and get myself on a schedule.

See you all in season!

Rebecca
2004-09-28 9:00 PM
in reply to: #67378

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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
The reason why there aren't 10,000 plans for training in the off-season is because it is the off-season. What did I do? Hired a coach. BTW, his plans are harder than my on-season training. I'm doing 3 a week with an additional sport a 4th time a week.

Best of luck and let us know how your off-season progresses!
2004-09-28 10:24 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
"Training Plans for Multisport Athletes" by Gale Bernhardy has multiple training plans that range anywhere from 12-52 weeks and are focused on particular race distances. All the plans are based on "Triathlon Training Bible" another very good read.

Good Luck,
Dave
2004-09-29 1:01 AM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
Here's what I'm planning...

(1) Off season for me means no real speed work, just working on base.

(2) what do I REALLY need to work on??? What's MY biggest limiter? The run.

(3) The Plan.
Sign up for some running races, (cause I have NO motivation if there is no scheduled race day coming up) do all the training at base aerobic levels (no speed). Race day, I'll probably be trying to go fast. However, one speed workout every 2 months or so is not going to be a big deal.

I'll also try and keep swimming and biking in the mix.

(4) Have fun over the winter. Go snowboarding, do other stuff, maybe catch a yoga class, etc. Do stuff I normally don't have time for in the summer with all of this swim/bike/run stuff.

(5) Remember that it's OFF season, which means, I can totally blow something off and go do something else if I want to - it's not going to affect my race planning etc as there will be NO priority A races during this time.

(6) Get my next season planned out so I can figure out my schedule.

PS - I just got "Training Plans for Multisport Athletes" I'll probably do one of her plans, they seem really well thought out.
2004-09-29 4:58 PM
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Subject: RE: need help for off-season training
Rebecca,

How you set up a program in the off season depends on:
- what you've been doing the last couple months for volume/intensity and race results last season
- current physical health (injuries, body composition)
- what you're planning to do competitively next year, or decide other non-competitive goals--are your goals racing or other?
- how much time you're able/want to spend training
- what climate you live in
- what other things you might want to do instead of swim/bike/run (for me, ski season is coming!)

If you can provide some of this info, I can show you an example of what the next few months can look like based on the methodology of how I prepare my athletes. Maybe even find a way to post the document for the group...

As an example, this year I had a specific race goal, so my training was geared around that. Next season my goals are centered around reaching a peak physical health(nutrition habits, body comp, sleep, recovery), and while I'll race and have some race goals, racing will not be my priority. This makes a huge difference in how I setup a plan--on and off-season.

Scott



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