If you’re anything like the rest of us veteran TriGeeks you most likely started the sport by training for and racing sprint distance races. I know from personal experience that my first sprint race seemed like a major task to train for and race, and the thought of moving up to an Olympic distance intimidated the heck out of me. In fact, my first race season was full of about eight sprint races, and no Oly’s. It was not until my second season that I “graduated” to Olympic distances. Olympic distance training does require a new level of commitment and discipline. For the most part, with the proper training and attitude, almost anyone can step it up and go to the next level. With the 2007 season about to begin, I know that several of you out there are excited to race your very first Olympic race. With this being the case, here are some strategies that should help you with your journey.

Equipment

Well, it may be time to retire that old mountain bike and buy a road or tri-bike. While your mountain bike served its purpose for a sprint race, twenty-five miles is a long way to ride on an old clunky mountain bike. You don’t have to break the bank when you buy a new bike. You have several options and can spend as little as $800 for your first road bike. Other than upgrading your bike, there are really no other “major” purchases that you’ll have to worry about.

Swim Training

Since you are going from the traditional 750 meter swim to a 1500 meter swim, this will obviously require more pool time. The nice thing about increasing your pool time is that it is a non-impact sport, and really does not “hurt” when you increase your distance as running might. Most of your workouts will fall in the 2000+/- meter range, and you should always mix up your workouts that would include drills, tempo work, speed-work, and so on. Don’t get caught in the rut of just swimming 2000 meters straight on a regular basis (triathletes are notorious for this). Sure, make one of your weekly swim workouts a straight swim, but your other two workouts should be mixed up. And always wear a watch so you can track your time. I suggest 3 swim workouts per week.

Bike Training

Your distance is now increasing from about 12 miles to 25 miles. Not only does this wear you out a little more, but it takes a while to get used to longer distances in the old “sit-upon-bones” area. It also gets a little trickier finding new and/or longer locations to ride at. If it’s winter, I’d suggest a stationary fluid trainer for your new road bike. If you do not have a fluid trainer (they cost about $230), then a spin bike or stationary bike will do the job for now. BUT, I strongly suggest that you try to get as much saddle-time in as you can on your own bike if possible. It is very common for riders to develop bad habits on spin and stationary bikes. As for how far and how many workouts, I’d say to ride three to four times per week, with the shortest ride being around 15-20 miles, and the longest ride being around 25-40 miles. And again, you want to mix up your workouts, with tempo rides, intervals (or hills) and even LSD (long, slow distance). You can even throw in some short time trials just for the fun of it.

Run Training

This is where I find some athletes suffer the most. It was kind of comfortable running 3.1 miles, but now you have to run 6.2, and that extra three miles can feel like a marathon if you are not prepared for it. If you are only running around three miles right now during each workout, you’ll need to increase it, but do it slowly. Follow the 10% increase per week rule. And I always have my athletes avoid running two days back to back. I try to stager the days so there legs are fresh for the next run. As for how many runs, I’d suggest three times per week, with the shorter runs being between 4-6 miles, and one long run around 7-8 miles. And again, throw in tempo runs, intervals, LSD and some hills in when you can. When you get comfortable with your run, and barely get your heart rate up, it’s time to step it up a notch again. Oh, and don’t forget to do bricks (bike to run) about once a week. Ride for 25+/- miles and follow it up with a shorter run.

Total Hours

When done correctly, sprint distance training should take about 5-7 hours per week. Olympic distance training will now require about 8-10 hours per week so you’ll need to “budget” your time accordingly. Remember to train “smart” and avoid over-training.

Happy Training,

David Pruetz, C.F.T.
USA Triathlon Certified Coach
Owner/Coach, In Training, LLC
www.intraining.biz

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