From 70.3 to Sprint

If it were me......(and I'm no coach), I'd focus on building a little more speed into my workouts ....in all 3 disciplines.

You should have the base to allow you to do that, safely. How much would (speed) depend on how much (fitness) you have in the barn.

I really didn't plan for anything right after a half, the recovery time wasn't that predictable. The first week especially was very little to nothing, and then lighter workouts near the weekend after. Then just kept building on from there as I felt ready. Especially in the first few days, shake off the heavier fatigue from the big race.

I did occasionally have the short after long, and would tend to at least get a in a little faster work even though it may not be near what a complete workout in a more ideal lead up would have. Just to get used to going that fast, even if it was just strides or a few minutes at the effort. I didn't force things though, still working with the idea from earlier, as I was ready.

So not really plan that may have been asked for, as that may be too rigid, but also not winging it as there are some guiding principles to follow. Read & respond to how things are going.

Edited by brigby1 2017-08-04 12:54 PM

I have actually done this a couple of times, just because of the timing of our local races when I'm in the US. I think I have done sprint and Oly within two weeks after a 70.3.

I think the key is how many weeks you mean by "a few". If it's only two, then realistically, for most people, you're going to want to focus on recovery from the longer event during that time. Everyone varies with that. I find that after a 70.3, I really can only handle light recovery-type workouts for the first week; after that I can ease back into faster stuff, but sometimes it takes almost two weeks for running, much less faster running, to really come around. The last time I did an Olympic two weeks after a HIM (both were PB's for me at the time), I think I was able to put in 3 quality swims, 2 decent bike rides with some Oly-paced stuff (one week after the race, and midway through the second week) and really zero harder runs, just some one-minute pickups about ten days after the 70.3, which still didn't feel that great. But the race went fine--for some reason the bike and run, where I'd expect to maybe feel some residual fatigue, went really well, but the swim, normally a strength for me, did not. No idea why--maybe something unrelated to the HIM, like poor sighting or not enough warmup.

If the races are three or four weeks apart, then you could use those last two weeks before the race to really focus on some shorter, faster efforts at sprint goal pace/effort. The other thing is just mentally getting ready to go hard. The 70.3 is all about sustainable pacing, plus staying on top of nutrition, hydration, etc. Nothing about a sprint feels sustainable, at least to me. It's one notch below "gonna puke". That takes some getting used to, just accepting that it's going to hurt in a different way from the creeping fatigue of a HIM. You've already built the base, so no need for super-long rides or runs, but sprint is really a different animal.