How to get faster

As far as a training plan I can't really say. But...I can tell you from personal experience that you definitely have to take some time away from hard training. I worked my butt off over the winter and was making some big improvements for awhile. Then when my first race of the season came, I was no better and maybe even a tad slower. Apparently I peaked during the winter and that's not good for anybody. I think you would definitely improve by using that plan but just make sure you have a period of easy training mixed in there.

You improve by training, not racing, but racing can be a great motivation factor and a good checkup on your performance. Why not race the half distance? I think that using the same training plan, assuming you just came out of your last 36 week training plan will mostly maintain your fitness. To build and improve on your current fitness you need to push harder and that may call for revising the training plan.

ETA: I believe that speed should be built at shorter distances, then build up to longer distances trying to maintain speed. So, if you want to get faster, maybe train for shorter distances, once you reach your target aim to build distance.



That just doesn't make sense to me. Recovery is important in order to improve, but recovery is not the same as loosing fitness.

BR

Edited by erik.norgaard 2013-06-27 5:06 PM

You regain any lost fitness from a much-needed break very easily, but you after IM training you should take a couple months of just real non specific, relax and have fun for a while. Go mountain biking. Just stay active If you feel like running go run. I keep up with Pete Jacobs & Andy Potts and even PJ adopted a training philosophy for off season that "If its stressful I am not going to do it. If I don't feel like going for a bike ride, I'll just do something else". Paraphrased

And big congratulations on IM CdA!!

Edited by odpaul7 2013-06-27 5:09 PM

Yeah its possible i could do a 70.3 next year, just not going the Full distance is what i was saying. As far as pushing harder the plan calls for training at certain heart rates and RPE, they say It never gets easier you just get faster.