running races on ironman training

If you read some other posts I´ve done here, you will see I´m a big believer in Big Gear bike sessions, BUT for your situation, who want to run on fresh legs, I would advise to keep your bike cadence 85+, this way our legs will still be quite fresh for your training and racing.

As you plan on the half ony later in 2008, and your running races are on Feb and March, why not do only some maintaince work on the bike, with 50´-1h easy spins alternating days with your run training, and after the marathon you get back with it, and hopefully the swim injury will be healed too.

Vinnie

Hi Vinnie,

Thank you for your reply.

I am trying to use biking as part of training for the running races. I find it too tiring to run everyday and it was one of the reasons I decided to focus on tris. i was thinking of doing some of the training (hills, tempo) cycling on the trainer,using DVDs, instead of running so i could do something to help me with my running everyday and still have fresher legs.

In your experience, does light fast spinning translate into fast running? Can I use fast training on the bike to get faster on my runs? Will cycling improve my running?

I notice that I can do a lot of big gear, slower pace on the bike and keep my HR low but, if i start to go lighter, with faster cadence 95+, my HR goes up very quickly and i feel very tired. why is it? Can I do something to fix it?

thank you very much

hi spider,

Cycling will improve your overall fitness, and as you have those tri races at the end of the year, you should keep riding at least as maintance training. YOu are right about the big gear riding, it is the most EFFICIENT way to ride a bike, specially in triathlon races as you want to lower your heart rate from the swim and save those beats for the run, but in training, if you ride big gears all the time, it will make your legs a bit heavy for the run sessions and kill your leg speed, and as you want to do well in the running races, I would limit those heavy gears sessions.

It will be better if you focus your training at the run sessions, those are the specific ones for the half and marathon and will delivery better results on race day, use the bike training just as easy recovery days, low impact, you stay fit and lean and you keep some bike fitness for those late in the year tri races.

From what you said you are doing, you could set yourself a weekly routine like this:
Mon: OFF
Tues: Long intervals at 1/2mary pace
Wed: easy 50´ ride on trainer
Thu: High Intensity Run session
Fri: Easy ride in the hills
Sat: Long Run
Sun: Bike strenght maintance set

With this plan you will still ride a bit of big gears to recruit those legs but not kill it, but having a day off after it, and you will do the hard runs on fresh legs.


Vinnie

I ran a marathon in the middle of my IMAZ training this past year and did very little marathon specific training. I kept to my coaches schedule and he just up'ed my run volume a few eeks before the marathon and gave my a brief taper going into it. I ran a PR 2:59 and qualified for Boston. I think all the bike base mileage I was doing was a huge help to my overall run fitness. I didn't even do any speed work, it was all base.

Hi,

Wow Vinnie! Thank you for the schedule. It's a big help!

Hi Bryan,

a big well done to you. I did a 1/2 marathon last month with no specific training as well. I just ran very comfortably, not worrying about pace or effort. I was thinking I was going to finish in 2h+ and was very surprised to finish at 1h56m.

I am doing most of my training on the bike these days and i think it helped a lot with my running.