The Traffic Light Approach

So, I currently have 2 athletes doing Eagleman 70.3 in June, LL and Dick. They are very different in a number of ways. LL loves training to the point she gets grumpy if she doesn’t workout, can already swim 2.4 miles (double the race distance), hates outright competition (and feels uncomfortable with group swim workouts), can workout at low levels for hours and hours on water and a very occasional snack (therefore appears metabolically efficient to me), eats a very clean diet and drinks occasionally. Her goal is to enjoy her first half ironman. Dick is less self-motivated about working out and that is part of the reason he signed up, is built like a rugby player (big chap with amazing strength), has already done a 70.3 on a tougher course, drinks more alcohol than he probably should but has the mentality to really focus on training as a race approaches, and works a 9-5 job. His goal is beating his previous time of ~7hr30min.

Given I’m not their full-time coaches I provide them an outline training approach each month (and will begin tailoring it to each if necessary) and then they go off and complete the training. Given I have personal relationships with them I provide them feedback on all areas on their training from time to time, but am not coaching them within sessions on technique related matters. LL works an irregular schedule and Dick’s social commitments vary, so giving either a fixed schedule doesn’t necessarily function well. I’m trialling a traffic light approach with them to identify a list of workouts that are most important for them and therefore they should prioritise into their week. Then there are amber sessions which are nice to do; red sessions they can do if they have spare time and energy.

The pros: as I’m not even their full-time coach from a scheduling perspective it’s easier for them to know which sessions to focus on.

The cons: they may make sub-optimal decisions sometimes if they feel like they’re catching up on the week. E.g. if they have one day remaining and two sessions left to complete the temptation is to do them back-to-back to check the box (which may be good or bad depending on their situation).
Additionally, they are taking responsibility for the amount they workout. I provide some upfront advice (i.e. the importance of consistency of training and gradual adaptation, recovery, etc) and keep an eye out for over/under-training.

We’ll see how it goes; I’m fully aware this is not the best coaching setup but I feel it’s better than nothing and as the race becomes closer the athletes have agreed upfront to more fixed training hours each week.

The sessions for the first month were:

Swim/Bike (1 hour): 30 minute swim focusing on technique and drills. Do not count laps or focus on pace. However, never rest for more than 30s. Once finished, get onto the bike for 30 minutes and do the following: 5 minute warm-up, 10 minutes with heart rate at 140-160. 5 minutes easy spin, 10 minutes with heart rate at 140-160. Swim drills should focus primarily on the pull: Sculling drill (you should both do lots of this), single arm swimming, breaststroke (focusing on the pull at the beginning) and any drills swim coaches may have given you in the past. Don’t worry too much about body position for now. We want to focus on generating propulsion first.

Bike/Run (1 hour): 30 minute bike ride increasing intensity with the last 5 minutes being a hard effort. Example heart rates (for each 5 minutes): 100, 120, 135, 145, 155, 160. Feel free to hammer out the last 5 minutes if you’re feeling great. Then get off the bike and run as soon as possible afterwards.  Run for 30 minutes doing this: start slow and let your body dictate the pace for the first 15 minutes, don’t push. Do form drills for 5 minutes and then run again this time trying for a brisk controlled run but with the best form you can muster. Do any of these drills: http://running.competitor.com/2014/05/training/essential-drills-for-speed-and-efficiency_58730.

Long Bike (1 hour+): Go out for a bike ride that is as long as you feel comfortable. Must be 1 hour plus. Try to keep heart rate around 140. If you’re on the trainer just hold it steady. If you’re outdoors then allow your heart rate to spike as you go up hills but try and keep it controlled and continuing pedaling as you go down the hill.

Swim/Run (1hr 30): Swim 10x100yds with a 30s break between. Always maintain form. Feel free to use a pull buoy for the whole set. You’re trying to go as fast as possible but being able to repeat that speed for all 10. This will take a few weeks to get a feel for the pacing. Record the time reps 1,2, 9 and 10 (or all of them if with the watch). Run for an hour with your heart rate below 140 at all times.

Stretch (30min): Spend time stretching your shoulders, chest, back and legs. Good one to be done in front of the TV.

Strength (30min): Push-ups/Pull ups/Deadlifts/Abs. Do no more than 3 sets of 10 and you’re not trying to do the biggest weight possible. You’re just trying to have enough resistance that you have to focus on form. These are anti-injury exercises rather than trying to build muscle or power.

 Run (multiple of 30mins or less): You can do as many of these as you can. Keep them easy (below 140 bpm) and focus on form the whole time. If you find your “ideal form” elevates your heart rate above 140 then go with it, but don’t do more than 15 minutes. The goal of this session is to find improvements through efficiency, not to run fast. If your heart rate is going up to 155 then that’s okay if your cadence is high and your footsteps feel light. Over the months your heart rate for that pace/feel will go down. When we get to June we’ll want a pace that feels smooth but keeps your heart rate low.

Bike (multiple of any time): Cycling between 140-150bpm after an easy warm up. Do not go really hard on any of these. Keep it aerobic.