Does anyone look at whether they follow the 80/20 rule?
Since I became self coached I follow a certain well known coach of good female kona winners training plans and have copies of multiple different ones which I mesh together (different race lengths and time commitments).
They all seem to be between 60/40 and 70/30 depending on volume and where in the plan you are, which I am wondering if is a bit much for my aging body.
(you count rest in intervals as the ‘20’ right?)
Brett Sutton?
I have a rough training plan, which I sometimes follow, sometimes I don’t.
I don’t get hung up about it.
My Intensity Factor on Training Peaks for the year is currently 0.80.
This includes recoveries, which lets me know I’m 80/20. But in reality, I’m not.
It doesn’t include stressful work days, feeling anxious about general life, three hours of back breaking gardening trying to remove bamboo, the daily 8-12km we walk the dog, lack of sleep, crap food, too much booze, general malaise…
…life’s too short to worry about some “method”
Don’t think too rigidly about things - it’s all holistic innit 
Yeah,
Sometimes you have to remind yourself it’s all just ‘exercising to get (or stay) fitter’.
Other times you have a nagging feeling that you want to be your ‘best self’ on the start line.
Apologies for megansim, I heard Stephen Sailer use it on a podcast so thought I’d poach it.
Broadly I agree it doesn’t matter, unless you are peak block when it is easy to overdo it.
Just get sick, that stops you overdoing it 
But yes, I’d agree it’s easy to overdo it in a peak block when you’re getting really fit and want to “test” yourself.
But surely you’re now old and wise?
and know the place to test your fitness is in the race?
And not the roads you train on?
I couldn’t test myself properly around here if I wanted to! :-).
Roads far too busy and run routes are far far too bumpy and hilly.
The pool might get the odd thrashing if I am in the mood.
(pre lockdown, now it’s lucky if it gets a light slap and tickle)
In order to do that, you need to leave the ego at the door and just execute the session in front of you.
The ego gets it’s day on race day 
I can say all of this, as since coming back, I’ve had my best results off pretty haphazard training, but I’m not smashing myself in training.
It’s also good to take a look at what I did wrong in the past (not biking enough, smashing most runs - 4:15/km “recovery” run??? Ha ha ha)
100%
I’ll alter sessions to make sure the ratio is 80/20 each week.
Not sure I would be able to do that if I was doing shorter stuff
I think I have tried to this year.
80% of sessions in Z1 of a 3 zone model
20% of sessions in Z3
Normal week will be 12 sessions
1 interval session each week for each sport
The rest just LSD
First brick since injury, only static bike- t mill.
Do exactly the same bike, which went well, then 5 k at 12 kph 1% incline.
Felt really really easy, hr av 130 and I’m a Hampster.
I try to follow 80:20 in running, but suspect am guilty of doing most of the 20% too easy and much of the 80% a bit too hard.
I understand the 20% is meant to smart a little if done right?
I could be doing this completely wrong….
80% of my training is done strictly below 148 average, which is 80% of my max hr.
I actually try and keep it nearer 140.
20% is over but I try and make this as hard as possible, as I understand it, the easy should be easy and the hard should feel exactly that.
For someone with limited talent and genetics tri wise it’s worked ish so far.
I think these generalised principles are just too generic, and don’t take in the myriad of considerations (liek the stuff @Poet mentioned above like work/life stresses etc) as well as the event type you’re aiming for, history of exercise and training etc etc etc.
It’s a decent, grounding principle but it doesn’t work for everyone, in every circumstance. Though of the various methodologies, i guess you’re less likely to do something negative (injury/over train etc) with the 80/20.
80/20 is just a guide. The hard stuff should be hard, the easy stuff should be easy, if you can’t hit your targets for the hard stuff then either (i) you are trying to do too much of it or (ii) your easy stuff isn’t easy enough.
My problem is I like doing the hard sessions, but I end up trying to do too much and all too often everything is just tempo.
Since Zwift came along my limited bike training has been more hard than easy 
Only doing perhaps 2 hours of Zwift per week, but most times end up nailing some part of my anatomy to the wall.
I guess a proper athlete might throw in 8 hours of “normal” cycling too, to make 80:20, and would be a lot better for it too. Kind of sense this would be a good idea, but never really get round to it what with running, going to work, reading tri talk, and occasionally swimming.
Indoor sweat fest vs outdoor sweat fest tonight
Went for 90 minutes on Zwift
221W NP / 0.67IF / 104HR
Back in the pool this morning, not feeling as special as yesterday, though.
2.1km 30mins 1:26/100m
Main thing I’m learning is that a slight lapse in concentration costs a couple of seconds per 100m. Add that up over 38 reps and you’re looking at a couple of minutes lost 
Lost concentration on the 1:27 rep.
The 1:24s are putting in a bit extra to hit the turn before slower swimmers.
50 pacing is abysmal, but that’s probably lazy turns.
Piece of pie this getting wet malarkey
Warm Up;
100m pull (1:33)
100m pull and paddles (1:33)
100m paddles (1:32)
4 x 25m hard (18, 19, 20, 20)
Main;
All just a touch above Target Race Pace
8 x 100m (1:26, 1:26, 1:24, 1:25, 1:27, 1:24, 1:25, 1:25)
8 x 50m (42, 40, 41, 42, 40, 41, 42, 41)
8 x 25m (21, 19, 19, 19, 19, 19, 19, 21)
Cool Down;
100m paddles (1:31)
200m pull easy (3:16)
It’s never really clear whether this 80/20 is time/distance/HR? I am guilty of running too much grey zone, especially since I’ve gone a bit longer.
Easy runs are easy enough I lose motivation to go deep, so hard runs become grey (and are probably too long). I’ve tended to drop that ‘short sharp’ 6km daytime loop that I used to do.
I’ve always found it hard to live at ‘both ends’ but since I’ve had an ultra focus, I find it even harder.
Forced easy on the bike I’ve found better by having my XC bike. I like being in my cycling club but the easy ride is Mondays (and not that easy sometimes!) and now I have running mates to go with on Mondays.
So the XC bike is usually just me chilling and looking at the scenery.
From the TTS podcast they talked bout it being 80% of sessions, rather than time or distance.
Swim / Run this morning
15 x 100m of 1:45 - seemed to have found a couple of seconds over the last couple of weeks as all the reps started with 1:2x
500m easy P&P
Up to the gym for treadmill intervals
4 x 4 mins @ 10.3mph - 2 minute recovery
1 x 4 minute tabata set (20s/10s) @ 12mph
As I said in the race report, I’m fit, but tired.
Gonna make it to the end of this week and then next week will be a full on aggressive taper for the MK marathon
FTP test, down 6W.
Just makes me want to quit triathlon altogether.