Finer Strategic Points in Multisport Training: November

What are some hallmarks of a strategic training plan?



First, take a serious stock of your strengths and weaknesses. If you are training for a distance that is longer than you have ever run, then you need to build running minutes, not speed. Long runs and frequent short- or medium runs in the aerobic zone. Speed distracts from your endurance training. Sure, do some fartleks once in a while, but if you are going to the track and running hard intervals then you are working in a counter-productive manner. What does your goal call for in terms of targeted training?

I'm not opposed to intensity training. In fact my clients thrive on it. But speedwork is the icing on the cake, and many athletes go for the frosting before they have had any cake. The most ridiculous example of this is doing lots of high intensity spin classes and masters swims in the middle of winter. Please people, take time to build your base first! Anerobic sessions should account for no more than 1 or 2 sessions per week during base training.

If you have a weakness in multisport, address it with a single-sport season. Swim-bike-run...if any of these is a major limiter, build a schedule where you can spend 2-3 months really focusing on the one sport. Do not try to keep a balanced schedule. You will never see big improvement in your limiter sport if you try to "juggle" the other two sports.

Many adults enter the realm of fitness swimming, ahem, like a fish out of water. These people can't go back to childhood and join a youth swim league. But you can take a few months and really develop your swim stroke. Three months of intensive swimming(4-5 swims per week, 12-20K/week for age group triathletes) and you will be in good shape for the whole triathlon season.

Make time for strength and stretch. I subscribe to the point of view that an endurance athlete should spend 3-4 months per year really focusing on strength and flexibility training. I am talking about 4 times per week for 1 hour each time. This is because endurance training only develops a narrow slice of total fitness. You need to work the other areas as well. Training this way will result in better training and better race results the rest of the year. Once the base training kicks in and race season gets near you should scale this back to 2-3 x :30-45 minutes per week.

Why would an athlete resist these variations to "normal" training? Quite often success is accomplished through lots of endurance training with some speed work thrown in. There may be a mental laziness or insecurity to look at innovative ways to improve training. Your friends may meet at a certain time for a certain workout, and that is what you are used to. Or simply a fear that "I need to keep training or I will lose what I have worked so hard to gain. "

If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?

Research shows that the most effect training program changes over time. You need to shake up your program if you want to go beyond your current achievements. And this isn't just the "add more endurance and speed" model.

MY SUGGESTIONS:

1. Be willing to shake things up. Accept help from someone who can push you and provide innovative training ideas. Get out of your self-imposed rut.
   
2. Make sure that the coach is taking into account YOUR strengths and weaknesses. Don't accept a one-size-fits-all training plan.
3. Your training plan should prioritize strength/stretch for part of the season, for most people, right now.