Xterra Triathlon Build phase 11 weeks
Author
Nick de Meyer British Triathlon Federation level 3 Coach, Training Bible Master endurance coach
All plans by this CoachLength
11 Weeks
Typical Week
2 Bike, 3 Swim, 1 Brick, 2 Run, 1 Day Off, 1 Strength
Longest Workout
1:20 hrs swim
2:30 hrs bike
1:20 hrs run
Plan Specs
triathlon xterra beginner intermediate advanced masters hr based pace based
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Summary
This build phase training plan is prepared to provide you with improved strength of your major muscle groups used in triathlon, it will involve more force and muscular endurance sessions, and is a time for eliminating muscle imbalances. This will follow a 4 week cycle of easy, medium, hard and recovery weeks based on hourly volume, with a progresssive reliance on carbohydrate as a fuel, moving into zone 3 tempo workouts during the course of the plan
You might be a beginning triathlete or maybe you have a couple of races under your belt from previous seasons. In either case you are fit and are NOT a beginning athlete. Before beginning Week 1 of the plan you are capable of riding a bike 30 to 60 minutes two days a week and completing a long ride around two hours on a third day. You can swim 100 yards (or meters) nonstop and swimming for 30 minutes a couple of times per week is easy. You can run two days per week, one 30-minute run and a longer run of 45 minutes.
Weekly training hours range from 5:15 to a maximum between 8:15 and 11:00. There is some flexibility built into the plan to accommodate individual differences. For example there is no time posted for the swim workouts. Obviously there can be big differences in swimming abilities between people with a competitive swim background and those just getting into swimming. Some of the run and bike workouts also have ranges built into the workouts.
Stats
Sample Day 1
BT: On a 2% hill or into a headwind, do 4-5 x 3 minutes to the heart rate 5b zone (3-minute recoveries) on your time trial set-up. 90-105 rpm. Smooth pedaling. Long, easy cool down.
Sample Day 2
WU: 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 swim, 100 kick.
MS: Pyramid intervals: Choose a pace for the 300 interval that is below your T-pace. Then maintain that pace for the “step-up” portion of the set. For the “step-down” portion try to make each interval faster than the previous so that the last interval is the fastest of the entire set. But never faster than T-pace. Recoveries are seconds in parentheses.
50 (15”) 100 (20”) 200 (30”) 300 (30”) 200 (30”) 100 (30”) 50.
CD: Easy stroking for 10 minutes varying strokes.
Total: 1900
Sample Day 2
Transitions. Practice swim to bike and bike to run. Review stall set-up, wetsuit off, helmet on, shoe changes, etc. Focus on rehearsing the transition you have the most trouble with.
Sample Day 3
BT: Heart rate in zone 1-4 on hilly course. A few seconds with heart rate in zone 5 is OK. Don''t force heart rate up--allow it to rise with hills.
Sample Day 4
Warm Up
200 FC
100 BC
4 x 25m holding breath underwater as far as SAFELY possible. Try not to skim surface
Main Set: Improving Lung Capacity
10x 200m (40 recovery) as:
1st 200m Hypoxy Breathing every 3,5,7,9 on lengths 2,4,6,8
2nd 200m (30 recovery)
Drills (200m each) in between Hypoxic swims
1.Zips and Drag fingers
2.O – Ring
3.Catch up
4.Spearing on entry phase
5.Breathe alternate / weaker side
Cool Down
4x 25m sculling
100 BC
Sample Day 4
BT: Criss-cross threshold. Flat course. Warm-up and then ride 20 minutes in heart rate 4-5a zones. Criss-cross from low 4 to high 5a zone every 1-2 minutes. 85-100 rpm.
Sample Day 6
WU: 4 x 100 swim done as 25s each of kick, R arm only, L arm only, swim.
MS: The even intervals are done at 5 seconds slower than 100 T-pace. The others are relaxed swims with good technique. Recoveries are in seconds within parentheses.
50 (15”) 100 (30”) 200 (40”) 300 (60”) 200 (40”) 100 (30”) 50.
CD: Easy combination of kicks and strokes for 10 minutes.
Total: 1900