10 replies to this topic

[Samo]

Hello All.
I am new to triathlon but have a background in endurance sports. eg. paddling, running, some ocean swimming and surf sports.

I am learning to ride a bike and have done a few duathlons and a sprint tri. ANYWAY...I am planning on doing the Gold Coast Half Iron or Port M. half iron in Oct or Nov and have been looking at the various beginner and intermediate programs on the net as a general guide. The swim volumes all look small to me. I currently swim between 3 and 5km in the pool two or three times a week depending on life. My sessions are compound sessions made up of 50's,100's 200's 400's (in general). Many of the programs Iv seen seem to start out at about 1km and increase to 2.5km over 18 or 20 weeks. Should I be looking at shorter very high intensity work in my swimming and give my current sessions away? I guess it may leave me with more energy to spend on the bike each week? I normally get out out of the pool and knock out about half an hour of 4min on 1 min easy on the stationary bike after one or two of my swims each week.

I know my swim program will work but not sure how it will integrate with this new cycling thing??

Thanks for any advice.

[shotis]

Samo,
Perhaps you should consider dropping back the swim volume for the first few months of tri training to allow your body enough recovery and adaption time whilst learning running and swimming skills. Once you are coping with this load then feel free to swim up to 5 sets a week. 5 sets a week is still overkill for anything under Ironman distance and even then plenty of folk will tell you stories of swimming under an hour on 1/2/3 swims a week.

Just my two bobs worth

[Freetoez]

You're an established swimmer, it may be better to focus on the beginner program for your bike and run training. You need to be getting some serious miles into your legs. Aim for three sessions of each discipline each week, around 12 hours of training each week as a base level. If you want to do well, get yourself a coach and utilise your natural talent well.

[Ninja]

Or if you are like me turn up to a half ironman on doing a couple of sessions in the pool (most weeks) and averaging only 1.5k. On the day of the half it wasn't pretty but I survived and ended up doing backstroke practically the whole way. Was on target to get my goal time but in the nutrition got the better of me and I had to run/walk the run leg.

Shotis - they were the days back when the ninja could train, wish I was still in sydney training with the balance crew as my body would be in better shape.

[TynoMite]

Samo, on Feb 25 2010, 12:02 PM, said:

I know my swim program will work but not sure how it will integrate with this new cycling thing??

If you're a decent swimmer, you're one up on alot of new triathletes - me included.
Only thing I could suggest would be maintain the swimming, but try to do one of the sessions on a sat/sunday morning and try a longer bike off the swim.
See how you feel after that?

If you cope OK, leave the swim as is and continue increasing the bike.

If you feel horrible, shorten the swim initially and gradually increase the bike.
Given that a HIM swim is only, at most 2/3rds of your current training sessions, I'd say you'd be fine.

[miners]

Just as the other guys suggest, you won't need to do that sort of volume for building yourself into tris. Even more so if you're aiming at half ironman where the swim takes on even less importance (the proportions are unfair on us swimmers!)

If you still enjoy your pool swimming (urgh), then keep it up. But yes, with your background you won't need more than 1 or 2 sessions a week. Spend the time on the bike (most important leg imho)

[Goughy]

Agree with miners. I'm not fast, but I'm confident in my swimming and I try to do 2 sessions a week, a 1hr and 2hr, getting in say about 5 to 6k. But riding is my weakness so I need to try and do 3 or 4 sessions of it a week. Ease up the swimming a little, increase the bike.

[Mouse]

Agree with Miners too. You will get more bang for your buck racking up bike time instead. In a HIM the difference between first and last is minutes for the swim but is hours for the bike.

I am a swimmer more so than a cyclist, and I can get by with 1-2 swim squads a week, I don't notice much of a difference anyway if I do more than that.

[runbike]

you cant win a tri, in the swim leg but you can lose it there. i like to maintain my strengths, and work on my weakness.

[Samo]

Thanks for all the very helpfull feedback. It is Exactly what I was looking for.

I know this is off topic a bit but......Im averaging about 21km/h on the bike for a three hour ride that has constant hills. Obviously I neec to improve my average speed. (there is no real flat ground in my area.) Im doing three rides a week. Is there more to be gained by adding a fourth ride or stretching out the length of my middle ride from 1hr45 to 2.5hrs?

[shotis]

Samo,
Speed improvements for riding are the same as running. No need to increase the amount of riding you do at the same speed but you definately could find rapid improvements with strength and speed sets during one of your existing weekly rides. Try some short big gear work maybe starting with 3*5 minutes of biggest gear on flats with a 2 minute recovery and the rest of ride just cruisey. Effort sets should be done with uncomfortable intensity. You can do the same with a speed set using whatever gear you like but trying to hold maybe mid 30kphs again on a flat ride. As the weeks go by you can increase the effort time to 10-20 minutes over same sets.

Keep your longer week ride in the hills for some strength endurance reward. This ride can have 1 or 2 efforts but is mainly for time on the bike.

Shot'is