Specific strength is a critical component of long-distance triathlon. This session aims to produce large amounts of muscular force with limited disturbance to the cardiovascular systems. What does that mean? We want to build strength without overly taxing your breathing and heart rate. Many professional and top long-distance triathletes include regular strength endurance work as part of their micro-cycle routines. And for a good reason. Research has shown that training at a lower cadence produced more significant power benefits at four mmol blood lactate than training at a higher cadence. These types of sessions are great if you've got tired legs but still want some quality.
This session is designed to improve the aerobic threshold, which for most people is around full-distance pace. However, to make this session as specific to long-distance triathlon as possible, there are some specific higher intensity efforts meant to induce extra fatigue before settling back into full-distance pace. This session also aims to make you more proficient at removing lactate and using it as a fuel during lower intensity efforts, as well as improving your gross efficiency.
This session is focused on helping to build comfort at and around our FTP. This workout consists of periods at a high intensity - 110% FTP, with recovery at a moderate intensity - 78% FTP. Working around threshold values in this way is very effective to push up FTP values, as well as teaching your physiology to produce and use lactate as a fuel source.
Like in cycling, working on specific-strength in running is a great way to improve your efforts off the bike, specifically in long-distance triathlons. This session works around the aerobic threshold. Still, by altering the gradient of the treadmill, the emphasis changes to include strength endurance. Running on gradients has many benefits to triathlon improvement, including improved leg-muscle strength and faster stride rate.
Tempo running is a great session to hone a number of physiological determinants specific to long distance triathlon, one of the main ones being running economy. It's also a great skill to train to be able to maintain form at high speed with some fatigue in the legs. This session decreases rep duration, but increases rep pace. Starting at 12 minutes, the rep duration will descend to 8, 4, and then finish with 2 minutes. However the pace will increase from 85% to 96% of threshold pace. Efficient and fluid running is key during this session as you change pace.
The aim of this session is to develop your threshold running. This session is known as a under-over session, meaning we're doing 4 x 6 minute reps as 2 minutes below, 2 minutes above, and 2 minutes below threshold place. This variable pace stresses your physiology and pushes up your threshold speed. Threshold is the point at which the powerhouse of the muscle cell (mitochondria) can no longer produce energy (ATP) aerobically. As such, threshold training is performed at a high intensity, somewhere around 7 or 8 out of 10 in terms of perceived intensity. Be sure to have your legs tip-top before getting stuck into this session! PS. It's also a great session to do off the bike.
Like in cycling, working on specific-strength in running is a great way to improve your efforts off the bike, specifically in long-distance triathlons. This session works around the aerobic threshold. Still, by altering the gradient of the treadmill, the emphasis changes to include strength endurance. Running on gradients has many benefits to triathlon improvement, including improved leg-muscle strength and faster stride rate.
Tempo running is a great session to hone a number of physiological determinants specific to long distance triathlon, one of the main ones being running economy. It's also a great skill to train to be able to maintain form at high speed with some fatigue in the legs. This session decreases rep duration, but increases rep pace. Starting at 6 minutes, the rep duration will descend to 4, 2, and then finish with 1 minute. However the pace will increase from 85% to 96% of threshold pace. Efficient and fluid running is key during this session as you change pace.
The aim of this session is to develop your threshold running — This session is know as a under-over session, meaning we're doing 2 x 6 minute reps as 2 minutes below, 2 minutes above, and 2 minutes below threshold place. This variable pace stresses your physiology and pushes up your threshold speed. Threshold is the point at which the powerhouse of the muscle cell (mitochondria) can no longer produce energy (ATP) aerobically. As such, threshold training is performed at a high intensity, somewhere around 7 or 8 out of 10 in terms of perceived intensity. Be sure to have your legs tip-top before getting stuck into this session! PS. It's also a great session to do off the bike.