Let’s say you’re training for an event.
Could be any distance.
What would a “good” week look like for you?
Something consistent, repeatable, adaptable and enjoyable.
For me, I like a pseudo rest day.
But also like to split my long run and ride up.
I’ve always done something like this, but haven’t recently
Mon: Swim/Easy or Speedwork run + gym S&C
Tue: Swim/Bike with efforts (chaingang or TT)
Wed: spin/long run
Thu: Gym + 1km pull buoy/bike with efforts (as Tue)
Fri: Swim/Rest
Sat: Parkrun/rest
Sun Long bike/Optional brick run
I’ve been playing with this a bit lately, with the added complication that I go to the office 2-3 days a week, and try to coincide them with swim squad days which are Tuesday and/or Thursday. Then add in that I can cycle commute, but don’t like to carry laptop, so cycle on middle days, or throw the bike in the car and cycle home, then in the next day. Final complication is I can do a long midweek run as a run home from work if I’m super committed, but that leaves either bike or car marooned at work.
Add in open water morning swims in the summer and it’s a fun jigsaw, but for winter my outline plan is:
M: turbo session
T: am swim, lunch run or evening bike or run home
W: bike commute
T: am swim, lunch run
F: easy turbo?
S: brick or hard run or hard turbo
S: long bike or long run
Sat/Sun are interchangeable. In the summer I was doing longer OW and a run on one day, long bike on the other.
Work has been pretty crap of late and I rarely get the chance of a lunchtime run. Can run after work too, but prefer daylight if possible.
For me it’s fairly standard at the moment, as I’m not running with my foot still causing issues.
M - swim (bike to and from pool)
T - 45k climbing ride route
W - nowt
Th - quick 25-30k lunchtime ride flat route incorporating 20mins of loops round the outdoor cycle track
F - swim
Sa - spend the day taxying kids between clubs and friends houses, takeaway
Su - ‘long’ ride, which for me is anything between 60-110k depending on weather, how much time I have, what the family are up to, whether I had a curry and a few beers etc…
It’s obviously low scale compared to most on here but it’s manageable for me and also easy to fit round work/family, and simple enough that things can be swapped days if needed without me feeling like I’ve missed and need to catch up. My brain can’t cope with complexity with this stuff. I’ve got about a dozen different swim sets written down that I work through semi-randomly again based on how I’m feeling, what I’ve got on etc…
With winter I’ll end up with less bike and putting in gym those days, and hopefully in another 6 weeks be running again so I can incorporate that back in and do a couple of small bricks.
It may surprise you that I have no routine whatsoever. Even when I was in a ‘training block’ the only real regular was a Sat or Sun long ride (2-4hrs). That would depend on weather and what we had on as a family in the day.
Everywhere else I grab, nip, nick and squeeze whatever feels right depending on the opportunity that presents itself.
This is what I have settled on as working best for me, though I don’t recommend trying it at home
Mon 18k/6k easy
Tue 13k(7k tempo)/12k(5k beer race)
Wed 25k/6k
Thu 20k(8-9k threshold intervals)/4-6k
Fri 8k easy
Sat 18-21k(maybe a PR in there, maybe some MP long intervals, maybe easy)
Sun 25-30k easy
A lot of fucking running, 4 double days, 3 single, 1 supportive wife, 1 job that has hours to suit, 2 more resilient than most legs.
I have essentially dropped any speed work as I think that is what causes me most chance of injury
Monday off
Tuesday Run (intervals) AM Bike PM
Wednesday Bike (intervals) AM easy run PM
Thursday Run (intervals) AM Bike PM
Friday Run AM Bike (intervals) PM
Saturday Long Bike and brick run
Sunday Long slow run
I tend to find that the family like to know what I’m doing and when - so slotting the actual workout in is the “easy” part, I then just the time needs to flex depending on the cycle.
Although, in my situation, changing a 30min easy run to 14km is neither here nor there. Same with all of the swimming, upping that from 1.5km to 4km. Wednesday long run can be done before work, and Sunday long bike just get up earlier or book a day off/take TOIL to do it.
But, it’s what works for you
@YKK - I used to have a job like that Last time I was doing 2+ hr runs, I could use my lunch “hour” and just work later. Which was good for getting used to midday-2pm hotter jogs.
Also, that’s a 165km week
I have six
Then do either 100, 200, 400 repeats on top of that (so that’s nine)
Then a straight through swim (ten!)
Plus I’ve a great 4km IM set to boost my ego and tell me that “I’m IM ready” (eleven!)
Best way I’d say
Although people also say that variation stresses the body, too. But I just like knowing what I’m doing and how to do it
Same for running, no real “sessions” as such, just one easy, one tempo (parkrun) and one hard (or long…Oi oi! )
Bike is simple pimples; Sunday long, some midweek spin filler and follow the Zwift TT Tune Up 12 week programme
OH OH!! And SINGLE LEG DRILLS
Why? Because they help you clip in without looking and you can pedal across junctions whilst out IRL without looking like a total tit!
C’mon folks, get ‘em done
I try to have a balance 3 run sessions 3/4 bike sessions and presently no swim sessions keeps my balance about right.
All days/timings depend on work, netball, puplington duties…will be getting back to prioritising my stuff over the autumn.
Run sessions standard stuff 2 x 20 mins, steady 8+ plus miles and long.
Bike is a bit ad hoc but 2 or 3 Zwift rides either workout or race depends on what is available when I log on and a 50 mile minimum road ride weather dependent.
Swim when I get back to it is generally 100m repeats off around 2 mins or long steady depends on how busy the lanes are.
No more swim clubs for me training is great but it’s too early or late and too hard!
EJC nailed it with the earlier schedule now that’s where the true athlete lives!
Well, combing over my history, cycle commuting didn’t make the difference I thought it might. Unless of course you’re in a job/family where you’re time crunched and it’s the only viable option aside from a weekend ride. As a rule though, my OCD always liked 3 of each discipline a week, with Sat as a rest day.
Anchor points: Long S, B & R if going HIM+. Position these in your week first; everthing else falls in around them. It’s hard to recommend an actual schedule, as everyone’s life and proximity to swim venues is different. But I would recommend:
‘modular’ approach to filling the week.
Consistency.
better to be a little ‘undercooked’ for race day.
enjoy as much of it as possible (how).
make it Tri specific e.g. brick runs.
be flexible (it’s the key to Air Power y’know)
be creative (if you can only Zwift, do that then run off it)
Last time I was doing 2+ hr runs, I could use my lunch “hour” and just work later. Which was good for getting used to midday-2pm hotter jogs.
)