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Two sessions a day Ð advice needed.

MowfMowf Posts: 272
As a runner moving to Triathlon, I find the same problem with fitting in bike sessions. I only live 1 mile from work so kind of pointless to cycle.

I have just started doing twice a day cycling with a swim in the morning and cycle or run in the evening. I think this works better than doing run and cycle on the same day as that would kill my legs.

But as I'm new to all this there are probably more peoples out there with better advice.

Comments

  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    Hoping for a little advice here as I am getting a little frustrated with my training. Well not the training, so much as the lack of time to fit it all in – especially the running. I’m hoping that some people can give me some suggestions for good sessions that can be done on the same day and compliment each other.



    My training week is fairly standard. And although subjest to variation depending on what the GF decides we are doing on the weekend, it doesn’t really change week on week:



    Monday[/b] – Commute to work. Have been just doing a kind of cycling tempo session, but I’ve just started using the workouts from the current 220. Finding them tough at the minute, but tough is good so no complaints.



    Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday[/b] – pre work swim. Combination of technique focused drills and hard workouts. Again mainly using the programmes picked up in 220. One of these swims is usually my ‘rest/recovery’ day.



    Friday[/b] – commute to work. As per Monday. Started throwing in a short brick run – bloody hard work.



    Saturday – [/b]Long bike (I’ll be throwing some lake swimming in soon, too as I am lucky enough to live near the Cotswold water park and the great facilities there)

    Sunday[/b] – Long run



    Right, now my problem is that I struggle to get decent running in. I’m currently trying to combine my swimming and running days. But I’m finding I struggle to maintain the energy needed for hard tempo and interval workouts. My internal ‘stop’ daemon is literally screaming at me from the minute I leave the door.



    Does anyone else do two sessions in a day? And if so, what works for you?
  • TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
    I do 2 and sometimes 3 sessions in a day. But then I go for shorter more intense sessions. I found it very interesting reading simon lessings article in tri plus as it was saying what I try and tell people who are doing sprint/oly distance, quality intervals are whats important and no need for long runs!

    Thats because any advantage you are getting out of a long run, i.e development of cardiovascular system at aerobic levels is accomplished on a long bike, without the soreness in the legs after.



    What distance are you aiming for?

    I think it should be fine to combine you run and swim days, it more of what you do on the day before/ after that i find important, the only swim session to avoid is a threshold session, on this day its best to combine with the bike. heres an example of my current plan for next 4 weeks



    Monday - Swim threshold, weights

    Tuesday - Bike 1 hour zone 3, run subthreshold

    Wed - Bike cruise intervals - zone 4, swim - recovery/drills

    Thursday - Bike easy to pool, swim threshold/aerobic endurance race pace

    Friday - Bike - VO2 max/anaerobic endurance intervals, running drills

    Sat - Bike recovery, run VO2 anaerobic endurance intervals

    Sun - long bike, swim endurance



    Basically, monday fairly easy, tuesday hard, wed very hard, thursday easy, fri/sat very hard, sunday easy.
  • Jelly legsJelly legs Posts: 278
    Guys, you know your own day and what you work.



    I fit mine in by Swimming at 6 sometimes, and riding or running after work.



    I was riding last night till 10 pm, light on head down.





    If you want it you can fit it in.



    24 hours in a day x 7 days a week = 168 hours



    Most people work 40 hours, but assume you do more i'll give you 68 hours work.



    8 hours sleep at night is 56 hours, that leaves you 44 hours.



    Give the Mrs and the kids half of that still gives you 22 hours a week to train.



    Which is 3.14 hours per day, do that much training i'll say hi as you swim,bike,run past me.



  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    @Mowf, I tend to try and run at lunchtime from work once a week, it then gives time for a quality 30/40 min intervals, tempo or threshold run, plus time to shower get back to my desk and inhale a salad etc whilst starting back at the work. sometimes i find that my stretching can suffer a little if i have a meeting, but that's through trying one more lap of the park instead of accepting that i have to go back to work.



    @Jelly legs. that is great in theory (and if you manage that i bow down to you), but if you take the 2 hours commute per day into consideration (London underground [:@]) on top of the 60 hour work week, plus time to cook, clean, shop for new gadgets, tidy the house, clean the bike/turbo, post on here, have any form of life then training time rapidly decreases... It is a prioritise thing - I could let my relationship with the gf fall apart, my home turn to a cesspitt etc, but it isn't really something that i would want to do. I try and train for about 15hours per week (including once/twice a week comute on the bike) but i often don't manage that.
  • Jelly legsJelly legs Posts: 278
    15 hours a week is great my friend.



    The point being your making time for it, i get infuriated when people say i cant fit this in or i cant do that.



    You can your just being lazy and moaning about it.







    As i said those that want it, will do well.



    Those that dont, will get DNF, its as simple as that.



    Maybe i'm lucky cause i live in the country and dont have to contend with underground and or tons of cars in the way, green fields and open rodes is the way ahead.



    I'm not having a go at anyone, but i think sometimes its easier to type, God i wish i could squeeze a run in, when they should just go and have a 20 minute quick 3k run and be done with it.
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    @jelly, Ok sorry missed your point. i agree, there are some sessions that i can't fit in, but i try and make up the time where i can. And i agree it's better to fit half what was planned than nothing and complain about it!
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    Jelly legs wrote:


    I'm not having a go at anyone, but i think sometimes its easier to type, God i wish i could squeeze a run in, when they should just go and have a 20 minute quick 3k run and be done with it.



    Um ok, thanks for the advice?



    My issue isnt fitting it in. You're quite right that if you want it enough, you will find time. My issue is that the best way i have come up with at the moment is to combine my morning swims with evening runs. I just dont feel like the running training is great quality. The advice i am after is what sessions best compliment each other - i.e so both sessions are good and beneficial rather than just ticking the box for the week.



    I am willing, i have the time and i am willing to use it. A little more knowlege on how to make it count is all i ask!
  • al_fordal_ford Posts: 119
    how far is your commute each way?
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    My commute is 14 miles each way.
  • al_fordal_ford Posts: 119
    The Friday brick is a good idea.



    So on Tues/Weds & Thurs you do a swim - no run or ride?

    I would put in a quality run interval session on Weds.

    On the commute look at doing one easy session into work and a toughie on the way back.



    You can't go 'balls out' in all sessions and expect to get faster - you just get more fatigued as time goes on.

    Highlight your quality sessions and make sure you get them in.
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    al_ford wrote:


    The Friday brick is a good idea.



    So on Tues/Weds & Thurs you do a swim - no run or ride?





    Yea, it's the swim days where i could use advice. I want to get my hard running sessions in then, but my energy levels tend to be quite low. It could be that it's normal to not feel great and that i need to suck it up and plough on anyway. If that's the advice, I'll gladly take it.
  • Jelly legsJelly legs Posts: 278
    well for me, i combine my swim and run days and have a seperate bike day.



    So in my case i would



    Mon Run or Gym in the morning------- Swim in the evening



    Tues---- bike always followed by two or three mile run



    Wed same as monday



    Thursday bike( slow long easy) and i swim for 30 mins( easy) in the evening and have one hour swim clinic after.



    Friday same Monday



    Sat/Sun if i have my son are rest days and if i dont i try and pick out weaknesses from the previous week and work on those, i tend to use those days to practice transition tips.





    For me i have in my mind specific goal's, although i'm looking to do as well as i can this year in the tri's its a massive learning curve and you have to work out for yourself how to fit your training in and what your body is capable of, i do roughly two hours a day training, and i know its not a, enough and b, intense enough, but i'm working to bigger goals.



    What are you trying to acheive, complete a tri, do an olympic or sprint or an iron man.
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    I am training for Sprint and Olympic distance this season, 2 Olympic and 3 sprints. Although i may add a local sprint in May as a sharpener.



    My real aims are to go sub 2:30 in the two olympic distance tris. The sprints are mainly for fun, but i am doing Cotswold in September and I would like to get in the top 3 in my age group. This will mean a drastic improvement in my cyling.



    Next year, the plan is Ironman. But i dont want to do it unless i can commit the time and do it to the absolute best of my ability. Just finishing doesn't interest me.
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    Funny thing happening to my posts...

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