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2013-09-30 8:05 PM

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Subject: Building Base?
so, I'm new at all this- I'm just getting started training for some stuff next summer, and a 10K this fall (turkey trot) just for fun. I started out with a Cto5K in the spring through mid summer, now my long run is 7 miles, with 3 mile runs on 2 other days during the week, 2 bike rides a week (10-15 miles training and sometimes another 10 slow bike with my son), and just getting started with swims.

Next summer I'd like to do a half marathon in the beginning of June, a couple sprints (one in July, 1 in August) and then a marathon in October. Seems like a lot, but spread OK, maybe?

Anyway, I'm reading and hearing a bunch about the winter time being a base building time- what do you mean by that? And what kind of base would be thinking of for my type of goals for next summer? I'm not looking for record times or anything, just finishing without collapsing!


2013-09-30 8:08 PM
in reply to: el penguino

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Subject: RE: Building Base?
With marathon in the future you definitely strong running base. Good running fitness and being able to train for marathon requires slow, consistent improvements and building in your running. This takes months and months to do properly.
2013-09-30 9:22 PM
in reply to: el penguino

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Subject: RE: Building Base?
Building Base means putting in a lot of volume in terms of running. Since you are relatively new to this, winter would be a good time to start working on this. The key to this is the "long run." You might consider starting at your current long run (7 miles) and doing a slightly longer run each week with one easy week built in every now and then. It might look something like this:

Week 1: 7 miles
Week 2: 8-9 miles
Week 3: 9-10 miles
Week 4: 7 miles
Week 5: 10-11 miles
  • . . and so on.

  • Hope this gives you a general idea. Given that it's early in the "off season," you will be able to develop a strong base going into the summer.

    Good Luck!
    2013-10-01 4:54 AM
    in reply to: tedjohn

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    thanks! should I be increasing my midweek short runs too? Or is that less important?
    2013-10-01 5:07 AM
    in reply to: el penguino

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    Originally posted by el penguino
    Anyway, I'm reading and hearing a bunch about the winter time being a base building time- what do you mean by that? And what kind of base would be thinking of for my type of goals for next summer? I'm not looking for record times or anything, just finishing without collapsing!


    Building base means increasing volume, and it goes for all disciplines. This improves your overall fitness and endurance. If you want to do even just sprint triathlon, do make swimming a priority and ensure you have the abilities to swim the distance.

    Otherwise, with half and whole marathon being your major goals, focus on the run, and I suggest you focus on your first goal, a half marathon, plenty of things can come up that make you postpone the other races. There are plenty of 20-week training plans available for half marathons.

    2013-10-01 7:31 AM
    in reply to: el penguino

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    Base building generally refers to building one's aerobic fitness abilities. This is often (mis)understood to mean all low intensity, high volume training in order to build a base. While low intensity/high volume certainly has a place with base building, especially for running, aerobic adaptations happen across a wide variety of intensities. When it comes to base building, higher intensities, especially swimming and cycling, should not be avoided but rather be included as a key piece of one's base building.

    IIWY with running as a focus I would check out BarryP's 321 run program; very simple and effective plan for building a solid base of run fitness that sees a reasonable build across short, medium and long runs.

    Shane


    2013-10-01 10:46 AM
    in reply to: el penguino

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    I had a similar set of goals this year.

    First 5k in March
    10k in June
    Half coming up at the end of this month.

    With a minisprint tri thrown in in August.

    This article has a good summary of what training totals are needed for different half-marathon goals:

    http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/131-not-just-half-race

    With advice like this:
    "If your goal is just to finish, the best training, as Daniels suggests, is a scaled-down version of what most people do to achieve the same goal in a marathon. Reaching a peak of 25 miles a week would probably be enough, with a long run of about 10 miles. I ran my first 20K that way. I not only survived, but was only 45 seconds/mile slower than my ultimate PR."

    You will not need your long run to get past 10 miles until you get much closer to the HM.

    Maybe spend the winter working on balance (yoga), swim form, strength to start the new year in better shape, with good core strength and not allready fed up with training miles.
    2013-10-01 12:38 PM
    in reply to: gsmacleod

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    Originally posted by gsmacleod

    Base building generally refers to building one's aerobic fitness abilities. This is often (mis)understood to mean all low intensity, high volume training in order to build a base. While low intensity/high volume certainly has a place with base building, especially for running, aerobic adaptations happen across a wide variety of intensities. When it comes to base building, higher intensities, especially swimming and cycling, should not be avoided but rather be included as a key piece of one's base building.

    Shane


    Agree with Shane. Aerobic ability can be built by training at all intensities. "off season" can also be used to spend time improving inefficiencies in technique, posture, flexibility, work, family life, other hobbies, etc. "Base" is everything that supports you in having a great season next year, which includes improving your consistency & enjoyment IMO. Volume is only a small component and only one variable. If you like two dimensional things (a flat approach!) then increasing volume approach over time is one solution.

    Training has many variables and many dimensions. Think outside the plane.
    2013-10-01 9:16 PM
    in reply to: gsmacleod

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    Originally posted by gsmacleod

    Base building generally refers to building one's aerobic fitness abilities. This is often (mis)understood to mean all low intensity, high volume training in order to build a base. While low intensity/high volume certainly has a place with base building, especially for running, aerobic adaptations happen across a wide variety of intensities. When it comes to base building, higher intensities, especially swimming and cycling, should not be avoided but rather be included as a key piece of one's base building.

    IIWY with running as a focus I would check out BarryP's 321 run program; very simple and effective plan for building a solid base of run fitness that sees a reasonable build across short, medium and long runs.

    Shane


    This still leaves me wondering a bit about one of the OP's original questions... I.e. What do we mean by base building? Doesn't "building one's aerobic fitness abilities" apply to other phases of training as well? What distinguishes base building from other phases of training? And what are the other phases of training? Thanks in advance for any responses to these questions.
    Don
    2013-10-01 11:19 PM
    in reply to: donw

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    General to Specific
    Close to race spend more time training the systems most closely resembling your race needs. E.g for sprints & Olympics, more time in tempo/threshold and use VO2 to top things off. During "off season" aside from working on limiters, aerobic development can be balanced (ie a little long riding, a little tempo, a little threshold, a little vo2). A mixed approach to build global power.

    For long course athletes, closer to race, more long endurance / tempo work, less threshold/vo2 stuff. When you look at overal distribution of time in different trainign zones...what your training stress consists of, maximize race-like efforts closest to race. far from rac,e mix it up and do non specific stuff.

    That's one approach.
    2013-10-02 6:32 AM
    in reply to: donw

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    Originally posted by donw

    This still leaves me wondering a bit about one of the OP's original questions... I.e. What do we mean by base building? Doesn't "building one's aerobic fitness abilities" apply to other phases of training as well? What distinguishes base building from other phases of training? And what are the other phases of training? Thanks in advance for any responses to these questions.
    Don


    Just to build a bit of Suzanne's post, the concept of periodization within the endurance community is often misunderstood and will typically be described as base, build, taper/peak.

    Instead, what should happen is that training should progress from general to specific; the general phase will look very similar for all triathletes, regardless of the distance they are racing as the primary goal is to build aerobic capacity. The best indicator for triathlon performance, at all distances, is one's threshold pace/power so training during the general phase should primarily focus on improving performance at threshold. With running, this is most often accomplished with one key run (at threshold) and several easy runs as the body is generally not able to tolerate large doses of intensity with running due to the eccentric contractions involved. So instead of manipulating the intensity side of training load, volume is increased to increase training load. With swimming and cycling, generally athletes can tolerate much more intensity due to them not being load bearing and since time on the bike and in the pool is generally limited during the general phase, intensity should often be higher. With these, it is generally most beneficial to focus workouts around threshold and VO2max type efforts as these tend to be the most effective ways to raise threshold power on the bike and pace in the pool.

    Then, as race season progresses, an athlete should look at their key events and determine what intensities will be specific to their race demands; for Ironman, this will be lots of long, easy efforts, HIM would be tempo efforts, short course would revolve more around threshold efforts. While it is still valuable to maintain non race intensity efforts (say a long moderate ride for short course athletes or threshold paced swimming for IM athletes) the key workouts should revolve around race demands.

    I find that this chart is useful when considering training intensity in training:

    http://home.trainingpeaks.com/articles/cycling/power-training-level...

    Shane


    2013-10-02 1:36 PM
    in reply to: gsmacleod

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    Subject: RE: Building Base?
    Thanks Suzanne and Shane - I appreciate the thoughtful responses.
    Don
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