T H E B O O K Keen and ambitious i.e. performance-oriented masters who have already completed the Olympic/Short triathlon a number of times begin to strive for higher sporting achievements. The new challenge now is the Middle Distance and of course the 'magical' Ironman Distance. This book accompanies you on your way to success in the Middle Distance up as far as the enobled IRONMAN itself, guiding you in your entire training preparations as well as through competition. THE AUTHORS Dr. Henry Ash was born in 1947 and as a triathlete he has been tackling this fascinating sport both in theory and practice for the last twenty years. The writer is known for his clear and vivid style and has become a trainer, training companion and motivator for a great number of triathletes. He has successfully taken part in more than 200 triathlon competitions worldwide, including several Ironman competitions in Hawaii and 30 Ironman distances in total. Dr. Barbara Warren is a doctor in psychology in San Diego, California. As an athlete, Dr. Warren is setting an example for leadership, discipline, health and high performance. Practicing what she preaches, her life is a demonstration of barrier-breaking accomplishments. She has set thirteen records, two world records, won three national championships, and has a long list of winning ultra-distance races, including 18 Ironman events, which make her an authority in the field of lifelong success. www.m-m-sports.com is a registered trademark of World Triathlon Corporation T R I A T H L O N Lifelong Training Ash / Warren M& M Lifelong Training T R I A T H L O N Advanced Training for Masters By Henry Ash and Barbara Warren with a Foreword by Mark Allen
Lifelong Training Triathlon Advanced Training for Masters
Ironman Edition Lifelong Training TRIATHLON Advanced Training for Masters By Henry Ash, Barbara Warren with a Foreword by Mark Allen Published by Meyer & Meyer Sport
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Ash, Henry and Warren, Barbara: Lifelong Training Triathlon Advanced Training for Masters Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd., 2004 ISBN 1-84126-104-1 All rights reserved, especially the right to copy and distribute, including the translation rights. No part of this work may be reproduced including by photocopy, microfilm or any other means processed, stored electronically, copied or distributed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. 2004 by Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd. Aachen, Adelaide, Auckland, Budapest, Graz, Johannesburg, Miami, Olten (CH), Oxford, Singapore, Toronto Member of the World Sports Publishers' Association (WSPA) www.w-s-p-a.org Printed and bound by: FINIDR, s. r. o., Ceský Tĕ sín ISBN 1-84126-104-1 E-Mail: verlag@m-m-sports.com www.m-m-sports.com
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON iii Contents Foreword by Mark Allen...viii Introduction...xi Masters - an Example to Young Men and Women...xiv Seeing the Entire Aspect of Sports Activity...xvi 1 Performance-Oriented Training...3 The Medical Examination...4 2 Training for the Middle and Long Triathlon Distances...9 What Requirements Should I Fulfill for the Middle Distance?...11
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON iv What Requirements Should I Fulfill for the Ironman Distance?...13 Target Competition Times...14 Partner-friendly Training...16 3 Planning the Triathlon Year...19 The Preparation Period...21 The Competition Period...23 The Transition Period (Major Regeneration)...24 4 Running: The most Difficult Discipline?...27 General Errors in Running Training...27 A few Hints for Running...30 Forms of Running Training...39 Best Time over 10,000m...49 Half-distance Marathon Training...51 Marathon - a Cornerstone for the Middle and Ironman Distances...56 Running a Marathon in the Preparation Period...59 Marathon Training Plans - Working towards specific Finishing Times...63 * Plan 1: Target Marathon Finish 4:12h...64 * Plan 2: Target Marathon Finish 3:31h...67 * Plan 3: Target Marathon Finish 3:15h...70 * Plan 4: Target Marathon Finish 2:59h....73 Marathon Finishing Times According to Age...76 Running a Marathon at the End of the Competition Period...77 Running: Regeneration and Winter Training...79 5 Cycling, the Easy Discipline?...81 Regenerative Cycling Trips...84 Fat Metabolism Training...84 Basic Endurance...85 Speed Endurance Training - Fartlek on the Bike...86
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON v Tempo Rides for 6, 12, 18 Miles...87 Strength Endurance Training...87 Cycling - Emphasis Training...88 Cycling Training 'Holidays'...89 Some Points of Advice for Cycling Training...92 Cycling in Competition...93 The Heart Rate Phases during Cycling Training...94 6 Swimming, the most Difficult Discipline for Masters!...97 Swimming Training...99 The 14 Swimming Workouts for Pools and Open Water...100 Swimming in Open Water: How Do I Prepare Myself for this?...104 Some Points of Advice for Swimming Competitions in Open Water....106
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON vi 7 Combination Training...109 Transition: Cycle/Run...109 8 Training for the Middle Distance...111 Training Plans for Newcomers...112 Training Plans for Competitive Masters...120 Performance Levels in the Middle Distance according to Age...137 9 Training for the Ironman Distance...139 Realistic Goal Planning...142 Training Volume and Requirements for Finishing in 14-15 hours and 12-13 hours...144 Training Plans for a 14-15 hour Ironman Finish...149 Training Plans for a 12-13 hour Ironman Finish...155 Training Volume and Requirements for Finishing in 10-11 hours and under 10 hours...161 Training Plans for a 10-11 hour Ironman Finish...164 Training Plans for the Ironman-Hawaii Finish of 9:48 hours...171 Training Plans for the Ironman-Europe Finish of 9:55 hours...181 10 It's not Going to Work without Training Principles...189 11 The Day Has finally Come!...193 The Last Two Days before the Ironman...193 The Magical Day (Race Day)...195 The Day after an Ironman...214 12 Regeneration: The Basis for Performanceoriented Training...215 Regeneration after a Training Session...216 Regeneration within a Training Week...219
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON vii Regeneration within a Training Month...220 Regeneration after a Competition...221 13 Overtraining - Those Athletes who Overdo Things!...223 14 Triathlon and Nutrition...227 15 Triathlon Highlights - Ironman Events around the World...231 The Fascination of the Ironman Hawaii Triathlon...233 16 Power Thinking for Masters...239 Appendix: Tables...245
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON viii Foreword By Mark Allen We all have a Story "Shortly before Kailua-Kona the first professionals came running toward me with long endurance strides. Mark Allen and Dave Scott were having their duel of the century. When I looked at them they gave the impression as if they had neither swum 2.4 miles nor cycled for 112 miles. Totally unbelievable! Later on I heard that they finished their marathon run in 2:40 and 2:41 hours. That's faster than my best time of 2:44 hours!" Age-grouper Henry Ash s eyewitness account of what has become one of the greatest moments in triathlon history.
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON ix My human side wanted to have the perfect race, you know the one where you feel invincible every moment of the 140.6 miles an Ironman covers from start to finish. The movie projector inside my mind had played out a scenario where I led my greatest rival from the cannon blast and never had a chance to witness his race as he dropped further and further behind. This had nothing to do with the reality on that day in 1989. I had bad patches where my legs screamed for me to quit. Scott was so strong I wasn t able to pull up even with him until mile seven of the marathon. The now famous decisive move came with less than two miles to go in the race, nearly 139 mile after the start cannon sounded. This was nothing like the parade of confidence and ease that I played out in my vision before the race. This was the kind of race that unfolded in its own time, not on my schedule. It was seven years in the making, and took exactly 8:09:15 to mold into form. The rewards were many. But perhaps the greatest was an affirmation of life, of living powerfully and humbly, of overcoming the often noisy side that wants everything to go smoothly and uncovering the peaceful side that knows the greatest moments in life are rarely delivered by the hands of laziness and inactivity. These are the riches of self-discovery that triathlons can provide, no matter who you are or what level you approach the sport with. All it takes is a modest amount of training and the will to throw yourself into the world of unpredictability that defines racing. In that realm you are the conduit that bonds together the duel worlds of control and surrender, of patience and speed, selfdoubt and self-confidence, of knowing who you are and of discovering what that really means moment to moment. The foundation for these experiences is built in training. Micro races happen each time you set foot out the door for a workout.
LIFELONG TRAINING - TRIATHLON x Every time you exercise you transform not only your body, but also enrich your heart and soul with the power of the air moving through you. Take away the distraction of figuring out how to train, and you become limitless in your ability to find peace through your workouts. Remove the guesswork of building your workout plan and you are free to tune into the body wisdom that can become your ultimate resource as a coach. Do your runs with friends who make you laugh. Bike with a buddy and use the first few miles to spill your guts about what has been bothering you. Swim in a group and use camaraderie as motivation and inspiration for effort and consistency. These can become tools that are as essential in your journey through the sport as the information you have at your fingertips with this book. We all have a story to tell. Mine has a happy ending, culminating six years after that first win with my sixth Ironman title. But the richness that I hold dear from all those years is universal. It is something called Joy. Not the ecstatic joy we often think about, but more the steady joy that comes from learning along the way. It comes by exploring. What is your top-end performance? Find out! What can you learn? The possibilities are limitless. Why read a book on triathlon training? Give it a glance through and be touched by the stories and experiences of others that lie inside. Then discover the story you have to tell as it unfolds before you. This is life in the world of triathlon! Mark Allen Six-times Ironman Triathlon World Champion