GET TRI STRONG IN JUST 8 WEEKS!

It’s all about the base this issue, specifically building a strong one from which to launch your 2019 season

At this time of year, the bulk of the work in your training schedule will be focusing on the word ‘base’, and while it’s right to be building foundations for 2019 it shouldn’t mean that you only focus on low-intensity miles. This time of year is also great for developing the key to unlock greater speed, and that key is power. In the same way that knowledge is power, for an athlete strength is power, which in turn provides speed.

Strength for a triathlete encompasses many areas – the amount of force generated into every swim stroke, the amount of power produced through the pedal strokes or the ease in which you can run an uphill section of a race. Strength for an endurance athlete should not be confused with an explosive power athlete; as endurance athletes we need to generate optimal strength over many thousand arm or leg revolutions and attempt to find the holy grail of optimal powerto-weight ratio.

This eight-week plan is targeted at an Olympic-distance triathlon, so the duration can be increased or decreased depending on your targets. At this time of year it’s still important to get outside for training and a number of the sessions are better executed outside, especially the long runs, so try to find some hills on an ideally off-road (and maybe muddy) route. On the flip side, if the weather is rubbish then the bike and run interval sessions are great on indoor equipment, and in some cases better as you can control the session structure more.

Swim training shouldn’t be left out, as we can use training aids like pull buoys or paddles to focus more on the strength needed to improve technique and create better force in each stroke, which leads to more speed. The plan also includes twice-weekly, short-duration conditioning sessions, which are ideal at home with minimal equipment. The key to improving strength through conditioning is to not underestimate how effective a 20min session can be. Don’t let this be the one session that slips!

For this kind of plan to be effective, embrace muscle soreness after training – it’s just adaptation to the stimulus. At the end of the eight-week plan you’ll be a force to be reckoned with!