General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time Rss Feed  
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2010-04-27 12:01 AM

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Subject: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
I know triathlon is 3 separate, and different disciplines, which each require special needs and attention. Also, it's clear on race day that it's better to be good at all 3 sports rather than extremely good at one and bad on another.


However, I'm finding that it's taking me a lot of volume in each sport to actually get better. Like 12,000+k of swimming per week, running 50+ miles, or cycling 200+ miles per week. I only have the time to train one of these at a time, but I get better, and when it comes to pre-race, even if I dial back to low-volume training (like running <20mpw and biking <120mpw), I find I can get 90-95% of my previously achieved peak performance. 

 
Makes me wonder if a better strategy for us AGers with limited time would be mainly do sport-specific focus during most of the year except for pre-race sharpening.  Any thoughts?



2010-04-27 12:11 AM
in reply to: #2818652

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
What distance are you training for?

I would agree that you can get 90-95% of results training on less time, and triathletes definately compromise performacne because they are training for 3 sports at once.

Given enough time before your event, you can do something Mike Ricci calls "sport rotation" where you spend 6-8 weeks focusing on one sport primarily while keeping the other two in maintenance.
2010-04-27 12:25 AM
in reply to: #2818657

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time

Just a thought, if you really need 12k yards/50m8i/200mi to feel like you are getting better, maybe you need to check the quality of your workouts.  Those are some big numbers, IMO.  I just finished IM training and maybe hit 70% of those on my BIGGEST week.

I have always heard that you need about 35 miles a week of running to get better at that and at least 100 miles biking (preferably a few more).

If you need to do almost DOUBLE that, maybe need to increase you intensity some?  Are you just out there getting 200 miles of casual saddle time and 50 miles of road time or do you have some structure to your workouts?

2010-04-27 2:19 AM
in reply to: #2818667

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
Kido - 2010-04-26 11:25 PM

Just a thought, if you really need 12k yards/50m8i/200mi to feel like you are getting better, maybe you need to check the quality of your workouts.  Those are some big numbers, IMO.  I just finished IM training and maybe hit 70% of those on my BIGGEST week.

I have always heard that you need about 35 miles a week of running to get better at that and at least 100 miles biking (preferably a few more).

If you need to do almost DOUBLE that, maybe need to increase you intensity some?  Are you just out there getting 200 miles of casual saddle time and 50 miles of road time or do you have some structure to your workouts?



Those were my thoughts exactly.
2010-04-27 6:06 AM
in reply to: #2818652

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
Yes, train one sport at a time: the sport of triathlon.
2010-04-27 7:23 AM
in reply to: #2818652

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
Could you post a sample of what your 12k swim, 200 miles riding and 50 miles running week looks like in terms of volume/intensity/frequency?

Shane


2010-04-27 7:43 AM
in reply to: #2818652

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
As said before, I can't train all 3 sports simultaneously like that on a regular basis - too time consuming. \I have to pick one and do minimal maintenance on the others, and it still works out to 10+ hrs per week.

It's definitely not an intensity issue, as well. I'm pretty well known to push the hardest amongst most of my tri club folks, regardless of discipline. I also am very experienced with run training, so I know what it's like to overtrain (stress fx) as well and am accustomed to advanced training plans (like Pfitzinger's 70+mpw Advanced Marathoning plan.)

But I'm being dead honest about those training volumes to improve. Sure, I'm on the FOP end on bike/run which makes it tougher to improve, but I've been surprised at how much effort swimming requires as well considering I'm not FOP there. 



 
2010-04-27 7:44 AM
in reply to: #2818652

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
As said before, I can't train all 3 sports simultaneously like that on a regular basis - too time consuming. \I have to pick one and do minimal maintenance on the others, and it still works out to 10+ hrs per week.

It's definitely not an intensity issue, as well. I'm pretty well known to push the hardest amongst most of my tri club folks, regardless of discipline. I also am very experienced with run training, so I know what it's like to overtrain (stress fx) as well and am accustomed to advanced training plans (like Pfitzinger's 70+mpw Advanced Marathoning plan.)

But I'm being dead honest about those training volumes to improve. Sure, I'm on the FOP end on bike/run which makes it tougher to improve, but I've been surprised at how much effort swimming requires as well considering I'm not FOP there. I'm still relatively young as well (M35) so it's not an age issue. 

Makes me wonder if lots of the folks who say the're not improving fast enough, and particularly if the folks in my tri club who pretty regularly ask me how to go as fast as I do (which I don't consider that fast) just need to spend a LOT more time training each particular discipline at once. I highly doubt that anyone who's running a 22min 5k on 20mpw will ever catch me if they stay at that run volume, but give that person time to build to 50, 60, and 70mpw, and they will almost definitely be running neck and neck, if not outright faster than me at any distance. Even on swimming, there is NO way I would have been keep up with my current self (12,000K+/wk) when I was doing 6,000k/wk, and I was doing so many intervals at 6000k that I strained my shoulder on a pretty regularly basis.

Edited by agarose2000 2010-04-27 7:47 AM
2010-04-27 8:38 AM
in reply to: #2818783

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
the bear - 2010-04-27 4:06 AM

Yes, train one sport at a time: the sport of triathlon.


Perfect.
2010-04-27 8:48 AM
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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
I do think you can spend significant blocks of time during the year focusing on improving one sport (more than 6-8 weeks at a time, too).  But, I also think you may have to do more than just "pre race sharpening".  If your end goal is a triathlon, you will want to have all 3 legs "working" at the same time, which likely implies training like a triathlete for the several months prior to your focus races--even if your big gains in any of the individual legs come in the "off season".
2010-04-27 8:55 AM
in reply to: #2819109

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
My best advancement in training has been when I was putting in on average 20k in the water, 35 run and 100 bike per week.  Between 10 - 15 hours a week.  During that season I set PR's in almost all distances both in running and tris.

To just maintain the "status quo" after doing that for a season I could get away with around 8k in the water, 20 run and 40 bike per week.  Between 5 - 8 hours a week.  So basically a little less than half the higher work load.

It is about quality more than quantity for most AGers.  A well laid out plan can reap just as much benefit as bombarding your system with big numbers.  It is also about your background and years of doing the various sports.  A dtrong swimmer could easily only get in the water once or twice a week and still crush the average triathlete in the water.  A strong cyclist like I have been in the past can get away with one or two rides and still be top 5% and the same for a strong runner.


2010-04-27 9:16 AM
in reply to: #2819176

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Subject: RE: Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time
Road Phoenix - 2010-04-27 9:55 AM
A dtrong swimmer could easily only get in the water once or twice a week and still crush the average triathlete in the water.  A strong cyclist like I have been in the past can get away with one or two rides and still be top 5% and the same for a strong runner.


I think his point is that to IMPROVE, that strong swimmer could not get in the water once or twice a week.  It would require a LOT more work to stress their body enough and force new adaptations to get faster still.

There probably aren't many AGers who can't train in the 10hr/wk area across all three sports and see improvements.  But, at some point those improvements may come very grudgingly.  If one wants to accelerate the improvements in one area, you apply more stress there.  If your time is limited, you are foced to make concessions in other areas and hope you can reassemble the pieces later.  That's my belief (and my plan) and I'm sticking to it. 
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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Seriously wondering if it's better as an AGer to train one sport at a time Rss Feed