People for the most part are inherently social ... OK not all people. Because of that nature, as endurance athletes (triathletes specifically), it's not uncommon for us to stay in our social mode and gravitate toward group training. (masters swims, group rides & runs etc.) I often say to my athletes, when it comes to group training, you are going to have to compromise. Now this isn't always a bad thing, it's just a fact ... and in that fact it can be a good thing if you "use" the group correctly ;-) When I say compromise, it's a reference to simply not doing the exact training YOU need to optimize performance. So what do most people compromise?
* The workout being too long or too short
* The workout being too intense ... very rarely does anyone end up in a group and have it be too easy ;-)
* Time frame ... meaning, group sessions ALWAYS take longer than doing it solo. When I say longer it's usually longer because of group dynamics, not because of moving speed!
* Terrain ... group training can take you off the specific terrain YOU need to be training on for your key event(s)
So ... how can you "use" the groups to get your social connectivity and get proper training? Lets start with generalities ...
* Use groups for extra motivation ... whether it's just getting to a certain place to meet the group or that extar push on a scheduled hard day.
* Use the energy of the group / group session as a challenge for you to do the right thing in YOUR training (more on this as we get into swim, bike or run specifically)
* Create your own training group of people who are "on the same page" or are training for the same event(s)
Lets start specifically with Group Swim Training ... more often referred to as "Masters".
As we look at most Masters Programs they tend to be comprised predominantly of the following:
* Hard / Fast Swimming on tight or long rest intervals
* Work intervals tend to be short ... 25's to 100's
* At least a couple days a week with lots of non freestyle swimming
* Swimmers
.
As triathletes our needs / trends tend to be the following
* Swim 3 x per week (I hope at least that much)
* Race distances (non-stop I'll add) ranging from 1500 meters to 3800 meters
* Because of cycling and running volume, the need is for specific muscular load and patterns NOT cardiovascular system improvement (we get plenty of that from bike and run)
With just those simple points, where / how do we fit in Group or "Masters"?
* Pick a program or group that fits your "needs"
* Use the group sessions 1-2 x per week if your race demands include itensive swim effort
* Swim up or down in a lane OR in different lanes to manage the intensity you need on a given day
* Again, put together your own group as mentioned above
I'll leave you with three swim session "Main Sets" that are specific to different distances. See if any of these are similar to what "your group" does OR even what you are doing:
OLYMPIC DISTANCE MAIN SET - 1500m continuous on rest intervals:
-5x50 fast @ :10 rest --> 250 strong @ :20 rest
-5x100 strong @ :10 rest
-500 mod / strong
HALF IRONMAN MAIN SET - 2000m continuous on rest intervals:
-400,300,200,100 moderate all @ :10-:15 rest
-400, 300, 200, 100 slightly faster than the set above @ same rest interval
IRONMAN MAIN SET (no warm up) - 3500m continuous on rest intervals
-500,400,300,200,100 moderate @ :15 rest
-2 x (250,200,150,100,50) @ :10 rest
-5 x100 moderate @ :05 rest
.
NOTE: can you maintain "moderate pace" over the entire set? What does moderate feel like in the last 5x100 compared to first 500?
From my view? By picking the wrong swim groups/squads/coaches for their needs, I'm seeing alot of triathletes justgetting tired as opposed to be coming better swimmers and understanding their pacing needs.
Think it over ... back with more next week on cycling groups!
No comments:
Post a Comment