KET Fitness

If you are training for a triathlon or a one sport event such as a 10k run or marathon tracking the time or mileage for each session and each week can help plan for the next day or the next week. Often the question is How much should I do? This can be answered considering a few parts of the session.

First: How hard was the last run, bike, or swim? The answer dictates the plan for the next session. If it was hard or a high intensity session such as sprints with rest periods then the following session may be a day off or a short easy session. This allows time for the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to recover. If it was a slow easy session but long in miles or time the next day may also be a rest day or a short easy session. Now if the previous day was a short easy session or a day off it might be time for a high intensity session or long slow easy session. Do you see the pattern? Alternate your hard and long sessions with days off or short and easy sessions.

Second: The week. Was it a high duration week of say 6-8 hrs? Then the following week may be a 4-6 hr week. This helps the muscles recover as well. In most cases the weeks are in 4 week chunks with an exampl being 5 hr week, 6 hr week , 6 hr week followed with a 4 hr recovery week. That example is a 3 to 1 ratio of training weeks to recovery weeks. The ratio can also be a 2-1-2 ration with a 2 week training week followed by a recovery week then 2 training weeks, etc, etc. You get the picture.

Also when training for a triathlon consider the ratio of time or distance of each event and train accordingly. Meaning if most time during the tri is spent on the bike then most training time should be on the bike. An example is 60% Bike, 15% Swim, and 25% Run. So if 6 hrs are spent training for an olympic tri the time will be spread out to 216 min bike, 54 min swim, 90 min run. This is spread out through the week. Not all in one session.