TRAINING PLAN

Fancy making the transition to off-road triathlon? Our specialised plan will have you pulling up trees in no time

Some of your triathlon friends may have talked about going ‘off-road’, and you’ve probably seen listings for ‘off-road triathlon’ events in magazines and online. But what exactly is off-road tri, and how does it differ from the more traditional form of triathlon?

Off-road tri, also known as cross triathlon, comprises a swim – usually open-water, in the region of 1km; a mountain-bike section that can vary between 20-30km and will take in an assortment of trails, climbs and sometimes obstacles; and then a final trail run of between 6-10km, which will likely be more severe than your average road triathlon (the ability to run hills effectively is really important).

So, how do you prepare yourself for a cross triathlon? The training is identical in principle to standard triathlon, covering the same bases of fitness and technique, and spending an equal amount of time on each discipline. Where it differs, though, is in the kind of locations you’ll be cycling and running, and the equipment you’ll need.

As I mentioned before, the bike section of an off-road triathlon

is likely to cover some pretty unsympathetic terrain, so you should spend as much time as possible on your mountain bike, focusing on balance, handling and using the full range of gears. Putting in the hours on the trails will be well worth it, as not only will it better prepare you for off-road competition; you’ll also be able to transfer some of the skills back to the road.

So, now we’ve whetted your appetite, why not try our eightweek training plan, which is designed to help you make the switch from road to trail. The format and structure of the plan are very similar to all of our previous plans, so expect some longer and steadier aerobic workouts, as well as plenty of higher-intensity stuff to improve your top-end speed and your ability to deal with the build-up of lactic acid.

You’ll notice, though, that this plan includes far more technique work on the bike and run. You’ll obviously need a mountain bike, and we strongly advise that you wear appropriate trail shoes to make the most of the run, especially if the weather is against you and it turns muddy. Enjoy, and best of luck!