The 10% rule
The training principles
of overload and progression are key to developing in triathlon. But what’s often
overlooked, says Coach Karl, is that fact that “this must be achieved within
the timeframe the body will allow, to adapt to these changes safely.” Too
many people increase their volume of training a little, and see great results
instantly. The thought process is then to increase massively, to achieve a
massive amount of improvement. “It seems like a logical leap, but unfortunately,
the body can only do this for a very short time before it will break down and
suffer injuries and illness. A good rule is to increase your total volume
of training for a week by 10% at a time. Additionally, every third or fourth
week should be an adaptive week, where you reduce the training to allow your
body to adapt to the training load. You can return to overloading the following
week, and the week when you return to your hard training should be roughly that
of what you did prior to the adaptation week.”
Go long when you need to
go long; go easy when you need to go easy. Too many people work in the 'grey zone'
when training: you’re working hard, getting out of breath, and giving yourself
a good workout, but you know you couldn't manage it for more than an hour or 90
mins. That’s not necessarily going to help you improve, advises Karl. “Yes,
there are times for this zone of training, particularly leading into racing. But
the effort is too low to provide the necessary adaptations for your high end
top speed, and too high to be able to sustain long enough to provide any major
endurance gains.” You’re giving yourself fatigue, which will have a negative
effect on the effectiveness of the next day’s training. And that’s going to
lead to frustration.
Karl recommends sticking
to the 80/20 rule. “80% of your training should be done in Zones 1 and 2, which
are characterized by an easy recovery pace and aerobic base building. You’ll
know you’re in these zones when you can keep a conversation going when training,
and feel you can keep it going for hours. 20% should be in the form of
higher-end work, where you are pushing yourself superhard and to the point of
exhaustion at times. Given the high levels of effort, only short repetitions
are needed for this kind of work, with appropriate recovery time.”
Technique is key in the
swim
No matter how fit an
athlete you are, if you do not have good technique in the water then you will
not move efficiently through it – you’ll just tire yourself out quickly. Coach
Karl says, “Once you can complete your race distance comfortably, then place
more emphasis on the training nature of the swim. But until then, really
concentrate on improving your technique.” A good initial aim is to try and swim
25m taking 10-12 stroke cycles each time. Using drills and focusing on
key areas with a swim coach, you can then try and increase the distance for which
you can hold the stroke count. “The speed will come automatically as your
stroke specific fitness and efficiency improve,” add Karl.
Running isn't just
putting one foot in front of the other and repeat
Of the three triathlon
sports, swimming is the most technically orientated. But that doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t also be focusing on your running technique and cadence. Paying
attention to these, says Karl, “will help you improve your efficiency, enabling
you to run faster for longer and with less effort. It can also play a dramatic
part in reducing injuries caused by improper technique.” It makes sense that there’s
a misconception about running – surely everyone can do it, surely it comes
naturally? Not so, says Coach Karl. Running needs learning, like any sporting endeavor.
“The two most common faults I identify are athletes landing with their weight
behind the landing leg causing a braking effect, and having too long a stride,
which slows cadence and leaves the runner stuck on the ground rather than
floating over it.”
Good news, though; there
are many drills and techniques to help these faults. Karl recommends a simple
one you can try. “Find a song of around 85-90 bpm and listen to it as you run,
trying to co-ordinate your feet hitting the ground with the beat of the music.
You will almost certainly have to initially shorten your stride to do so, but
this will make a more efficient action without you even realising it. And
joining the weekly BritSwim running sessions will give you a supportive, driven
group to practice and swap tips with.”
You can't out-train a
bad diet
No matter how great your
training, if your diet isn't adequate, then your body won't perform at its best
and will likely result in injury or illness. “There is a reason Formula
One cars don’t get fueled by the cheapest petrol from your local petrol station.
Your body is an engine and needs the correct fuel to work optimally”.
There is immeasurable research
(and a whole internet full of opinions) on which diet is best. What does
Coach Karl recommend? “I’m going to keep off contentious ground, but will say
that I have switched to a certain type of diet and found the results were
almost instantaneous. Whichever way you go - LCHF, vegan, vegetarian, high carb
- make sure it covers all essential nutrients and energy requirements. Your
diet should give your body the best chance to perform at its optimal level, and
provide what’s needed for recovery and rebuilding energy levels and tissue
damage from training.”
Stay safe, keep active, and join us soon for more triathlon training tips from BritSwim's Coach Karl.
