2x Each Sport Per Week Programs

This is one of those things you cannot fake, cheat or get something for nothing.

4x a week of a single type workout will make you better at that workout
3x a week will mostly keep you stable or you'll get better after a significantly longer period of time
2x a week will hold you where you are and gradually lose whatever edge you have. You'll also have a better chance of injuring yourself if that's all you run and you are going for any distance race.

I also think it depends on WHAT you do those 2x per week and how much. Just training more times per week wont necessarily make you a better triathlete. I am trying the new "balanced lifestyle" plan and I like it so far. I have enough volume in my legs for the endurance, but I want/need some more speed. That plan has you doing a ton of intervals every week. The sessions are not long (and its 2x a week per sport), but they are intensive sessions. I am interested to see where I end up in 4 weeks or so. I am feeling faster, but let's see how that translates to race day.

Surely it depends entirely on how much you've trained before, and what standard you are at. I am in my first year of proper training, and am improving a lot doing 2x per week for each sport. For an olympic athlete obviously 2x per week would be nothing.

I think you can manage 2x per week without sacrificing too much. Once you start getting to 9+ sessions per week though, I think you have to give up almost everything else, and dedicate yourself to triathlon.

In any other sport, I don't think you'd find many people doing 9+ sessions per week, other than professionals and those aspiring to become professional.

Why is that?

What is the number one cause of sports injuries for runners? Pushing too far and/or too fast, right?

Yeah, you could increase your distance running 2X a week but you would have to do it over a much longer time to do it safely. You don't work your legs enough to get them up to half mary or so unless you already have a hell of a running background.

But it seems from your postings here that you're wanting to not do the time but still want to do longer course tris. Have at it but don't be surprised if/when you spend a lot of time injured.

very true daniel thanks for the info