Crikey, is that semi-pro or AG pro training! I’d be lucky if I’ve achieved that a handful of times and that includes holidays or weeks with a long race.
The guy I know who did Taupo finished in 5:03, had cramp on the run which cost a bit of time but still did a 1:43 run split. Bike looks a bit undulating but unsure of the surface.
Ok, I’m going to throw my hat into this ring as a 2025 goal
I’ve done sub 5s before but can’t really count them as the bike course was short such as Vitruvian or the swim had be shortened or cancelled (Grafman and Cotswold).
Anyway one of the Cotswold races is where I am aiming for but this is going to be a stretch for me now. So assuming 7 mins for combined transitions that leaves me with
Swim 35mins
Bike 2h 40mins
Run sub 1h 38mins
The swim and run I think are doable given unbroken training. I am close to a high 36 now and plan to have some coaching on technique next month. But really the key is to train as close to three times a week as possible from now onwards. The same applies to the running. I got a 1:40:47 at Erkner and that was with very interrupted training.
The bike is my real challenge or more to the point a 2:40 split is. Its my least favourite discipline so I skimp on the training; particularly outside. I did 2:42 on the 113 course in 2021 so as I have my training from logs from then I know what I need to do.
The other thing that I have started doing is seeing a PT once a week for strength training. This plus regular sports massages I hope is going to fend off injury; which is the only way that I will achieve this. The strength work also seems to help with my swimming.
Anyway will update on here from time to time. Really really motivated for this
Its a good point and one to work on. Just checked and typically I seem to be nearly 5 mins Swim to Bike and nearly 3mins Bike to Run. Did I mention that I am crap at transitions
Well it looks so easy when you put it like that (except the swim)
Add two minutes to each though, which is much easier and you are 6 minutes off.
I think I forget that often… knocking 2 minutes (4 for the swim for me) for each is hard.
This is the thing; for me going sub 5:10 to sub 5:00 is a lot of work. So any ‘free’ time such as transitions is to be explored. I think that with swimming there is also free time in the sense that technique can be improved. Or to put it a different way swim faster with the same effort. I have leaned a lot from the Swim thread on here and tried to apply it. I am hoping that the upcoming coaching will give me some more of that ‘free time’
