the ability to focus in on key workouts that will help him or her succeed. Let’s bank on option no. 2!


KEY WORKOUTS FOR YOUR TIME- CONSTRAINED ATHLETES Without a doubt, the two most impor-


tant workouts for your athletes will be the long bike and the long run. Start off by giving them a very tangible duration (around 60-90 minutes on the bike; 45-60 on the run) and slowly increase the dura- tion over the 5-month period. We have found that a 3:1 periodization


program works best in most instances, incorporating 1-3 shorter-distance “prac- tice” or “low priority” races along the way. of course, 2:1 periods work better for those athletes who are up there in age or have trouble recovering. During the long ride and run we always encourage our athletes to stick to the more aerobic zones 1 and 2 (based off their lactate threshold heart rate). Somewhere in the 2-3 month period(s)


(base/build) we will cap off their duration for a bit and start to work on more speed, sprinkling in controlled intermittent “race-pace” type efforts in the longer sessions.


Example: a Saturday long ride. Duration: 2 hours. notes: Today we are going to add some spice into your program and get the engines firing. find a moderately hilly course, either in a group or solo. Warm up 15-20 minutes in an easy gear at zone 1 (Z1). Work on a high cadence and get- ting comfortable in the aero position. As you feel warmed up, slowly increase your effort to achieve a heart rate (hr) of Z2. hold this effort for 15 minutes. Then, bring your hr up to Z3 for 3 minutes, working on a powerful stroke but holding back a bit. This pace should feel comfort- able and one you could hold for an hour or so. After three minutes, slow it back down to Z2 for three minutes. repeat for a total of four sets. ride the rest of the ride comfortably in Z2, paying attention to hydration and nutritional needs.


We find that a workout similar to this


example keeps our athletes fresh, allevi- ates the monotony of slugging through at not-so-fun speeds and gives the athletes more experience for their time in the long haul. plus, many time-constrained athletes only do 60 percent of what you prescribe, and usually the speed sessions mid-week are sacrificed for more time with the pillow. even so, be careful to only do this 1-2 times a month.


THE SWIM Like in all distances, the swim portion


should be prescribed trying to preserve form and prevent breakdown. You want to get the athletes to understand their paces early on and use the clock like it is going out of style. We like using the 10x100-yard/meter T test for this pur- pose. After a warm-up, have your athlete perform 10 100s with no more than 15 seconds rest between each. The goal is to get an average time out of these 100s, and you can use this information to pre- scribe your swim sets. early on in a half-iron program you


should address form. There are count- less drills, techniques and philosophies around, and no matter which one you use, try to help your athletes swim better with less effort. have your athlete swim for less time and more frequently to re- inforce good form. Jumping in the water for a quick 1,000 before a long bike/run is a perfect way to utilize time without adding on too much more volume to the weekend. After 2-3 months of the swim program


— depending on the athlete — start to add more challenging sets, slowly build- ing up the yardage. We like to start with 1,000-1,500 (sometimes more if the athlete has any swimming background) and cap it off in the 2,500-3,000 range. The most important thing you can do


on the swim 3-4 months in is lessen the rest intervals between sets. often times you’ll see athletes hanging around, chat- ting for 30-45 seconds between each exercise. Alleviate this temptation for your athlete by telling them to leave on a certain interval.


Example (2,500 yards/meters): Warm-Up: 300 long and controlled 100 kick 200 pull


Transition Set: 6x50 drill (finger tip drag, fist, catch up, etc.) 8x25 (explode, moderate, fast, easy)


Main Set: 4x100 descending on 1:40 interval 4x75 descending on 1:15 interval 4x50 hard on 1:00 rest 60 seconds


300 timed – beat time from two weeks ago


Cool Down: 200 easy


As you can see, although training for a long-distance race is demanding, focusing in on key workouts allows your athletes the time and confidence to train for this popular distance. They may need more rest days and likely a reduced work-week training load, but with proper planning your athlete will be able to jog across the finish line without sacrificing an inordi- nate amount of time from their work, or more importantly, family. And really that’s our job: helping athletes enjoy all aspects of their life, training for a triath- lon included!


Josh Wolf is a USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach, ACE and NSCA-CPT and Personal Training Instructor. He co-owns Endurance Management Group, an in- novative triathlon coaching service based out of Kansas City. Go to www.emgkc.com or contact him at josh@emgkc.com for more information.


PERFORMANCECOACHING | page 13


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