Our new eBook, Triathlon 2.0: Building a Proper Season will be released very soon, but we wanted to give you a little taste before we do. We started off with the chapter Manage Intensity, Not Volume, then talked about our intent in writing the book. Now, we define who the book is for.
Defining the Age Group Triathlete
Now that we’ve given our intent for this resource, let’s discuss who this resource is intended for and the assumptions we’ve made about you, the triathlete interested in becoming a smarter self-coached athlete.
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You are primarily interested in training and racing for Half or Full Ironman® events.
While this resource is certainly useful for short course athletes, please understand that we have written it from the perspective of coaches who have primarily worked with long course triathletes. In other words, please don’t be intimidated or put off by our frequently framing of our conversation with you within the context of the Ironman® world.
- Good Example: I’m a triathlete in my 1st to 31st year interested in learning more about how to better apply lessons and experience to my triathlon training and racing.
- Bad Example: I’m a Cat4 road cyclist looking for an edge in the last 5k of my local criterium.
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You have at least six months of consistent, injury free endurance training under your belt.
That is, this is not a “couch to my first triathlon” resource. The advice we’re about to give you, especially on the run, assumes that you’ve built a minimum of running durability. Bottomline, if you’ve completed half a season or more of typical triathlon training, you’re probably good to go.
- Good Example: I have one season of consistent triathlon training and racing under my belt. I’ve been able to put together 12-16 weeks of consistent, injury free running.
- Bad Example: I’m looking for tips for training for and finishing my first triathlon. I’m working with a physical therapist to rehab a running injury and am looking for a training program that will be frequently customized to my constraints.
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You have limited time to train.
Our advice is aimed squarely at the typical age group athlete, with time commitments and constraints typical of real world people. As such, your time is limited and you want to make the most of it. If this is you, keep reading!
That said, we understand that some people have more time than others and/or they’ve adopted high(er) volume training as an expression of their lifestyle. If that’s the case, our advice may not be the best fit for you.
- Good Example: I’m interested in learning how to accomplish my goals within the fixed amount of valuable time that my life gives me.
- Bad Example: I have the lifestyle, time, and flexibility to devote five to seven hours per weekend day to my training. This life allows me to train consistently seventeen to twenty one hours per week. Peak weeks north of twenty five hours are doable.
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Triathlon is one of many things you do.
You aren’t willing to sacrifice other things such as your job, your home life, your social relationships and any other interests you might have…just to be a better triathlete. Our job as your coaches is to help you fit the best possible training into your schedule. To summarize: You have a life. You want to excel at triathlons. You want to do both to the best of your ability; no sacrifices.
- Good Example: I’m a father, mother, husband, wife, accountant, baker, candlestick maker who does triathlon as an expression of my commitment to a healthy lifestyle. I consider my training and racing to be one component of a balanced life, but it shares that space with other more importantly goals and obligations, including creating a secure future for my family.
- Bad Example: I’m a 20-something, single neo-pro who basically lives to train and race.
Next Up
It’s time to move on to the first half of our book, where we review various myths and misconceptions about triathlon training. In an era of instant communication and increased knowledge, it’s still possible to find athletes training with outdated methodologies varying from interesting to potentially life-threatening.
We approach this with our usual tongue-in-cheek fashion, having some fun as we show you there is most definitely another way to be a better triathlete than dedicate 20+ hours a week to become the six-million-dollar-age-grouper.
Let’s get started!
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