Triathlon Training Asia Pacific

With the Lombok and Phuket Triathlons now almost upon us we enter the final structured and focussed phase of training for 2008. By this point you should have worked on your endurance base and strength and you should now all be starting to feel ready for the final races of the year. This month is about adding the finishing touches to your training so that you can race with confidence knowing that you are fully prepared for the events. However, due to events taking place this month the Tribob team will be out of action for 3 sessions (1^st, 8^th and 9^th) – although these sessions are cancelled and will not be lead by a Tribob coach it is especially important for those athletes whom are racing in Phuket that you do not skip the training at this point in time. For this reason, session plans and training tips have been included into this schedule for those sessions where a Tribob coach shall not be present. Please feel free to contact Mike (mike@tribob.com) should you have any questions relating to these sessions that are posted below. We apologise for any inconvenience caused but we hope that the session plans help you to continue your training uninterrupted.

As well as the monthly Saturday and Sunday bricks (Saturday 15^th and Sunday 30^th) there are also 2 training biathlons this month. Held at Sentosa these sessions are not only for those athletes wishing to sharpen up their race skills in a semi-competitive environment, they are also an excellent base training session for those who are looking for longer/lower intensity training – please note that these are training sessions and NOT organised races. The dates for these 2 sessions are the 15^th and 29^th.

Finally, please note that the Thursday run sessions this month move from the Botanic Gardens to the SPE Track (as per Tuesday’s sessions). Due to the popularity and positive feedback received of the pace awareness/fartlek sessions these are included into the schedule alongside the speed work carried out on a Tuesday evening. Remember however that these two sessions are not enough to make you a stronger runner – remember to schedule your own long runs during the week alongside either 1 or both of these sessions.

Date	Training	Time	Location	Details
Sat 1	Bike	07:00-09:00	SPE Running Track	SESSION CANCELLED – OSIM CORPORATE TRI Due to Tribob staff competing at the OSIM Corporate Triathlon there is no scheduled ride. However, for those wishing to improve their climbing performance and whom are not racing, the following ride is recommended: Easy ride (warm up to Rifles Range Road) 2 sets of 3 climbs to the top (Easy, moderate, hard, easy moderate, hard) Easy ride home (warm down) Focus on a definite change in pace but don’t start too fast so that you are capable of riding faster on the final rep of each set. Try to attain a fast yet controlled cadence.
	Swim	16:00-17:00	Sentosa, Tanjong Beach	OPEN WATER SWIM INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVELS The focus of the open water swims this month is on developing swim speed endurance through short to moderate length uninterrupted swims in a safe environment. Specific race practice for Phuket and Lombok (starts, entries, exits and dolphin diving) will also be covered.
	Run	17:00-17:45	Sentosa, Tanjong Beach	RUN SESSION ALL LEVELS A transition run of around 5km. It is key to ensure that the intensity is high enough to achieve some overload for the 5km.
Sun 2	Bike	7:30-11:30	Meet at MacRitchie Car Park	KRANJI + LCK LOOPS (75km) INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVELS With only 5 Sundays until Phuket, these sessions will now look to develop your speed endurance. By incorporating threshold intervals into a longer endurance ride you will be training your body to deal with high intensity riding when fatigued. Fixed training times around the LCK Loop will allow you to focus on settling into a good rhythm as well as providing you all with the opportunity to ride in the aerobars at a high level of intensity.
Mon 3	Swim	19:30- 20:30	Farrer Park Swimming Complex	Speed development ALL LEVELS ENDURANCE GROUP + TECHNIQUE GROUP Moving on from the strength development work in September and October – the Monday swims are designed to help you swim faster with a specific emphasis on the race start. The start of a triathlon is frantic and heart rates rocket up before you have to then settle into a rhythm – the sets incorporated into these sessions are designed to train your body to do this efficiently and effectively. Technique drills shall also be incorporated into intermediate swim set to ensure that the swimming stroke remains at a high quality.
Tues 4	Run	19:30- 20:30	SPE Running Track	TRACK SESSION THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS (1000’s, 800’s 600’s) Remember that pacing is important on the track – do not see these “speed” sessions as sprinting. These sessions are constructed in a way to help you run at a higher constant pace over an extended distance. Your running pace should not exceed your 10km flat pace – you should be able to maintain your running for 40 minutes to an hour!!
Wed 5	Swim	6:30-7:30	Farrer Park Swimming Complex	THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVELS Following on from the threshold development sessions conducted at the end of October, these sessions continue to build upon this. As well as swimming at race pace the sets will also see you swimming slightly above your race pace; it is difficult to begin swim faster if your body has not be trained to do so. PLEASE NOTE THAT BEGINNERS SHOULD JOIN THE WEDENSDAY EVENING SWIM TO RECEIVE CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK AND TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.
Wed 5	Swim	19:30 - 20:30	Buona Vista Swimming Pool	TECHNIQUE AND THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS ENDURANCE GROUP + TECHNIQUE GROUP As per the morning session these swim sessions focus on developing speed endurance. Session content will differ between the morning and evening sessions allowing you to double up on sessions should you wish to. Beginners should join this swim set to receive coaching and guidance on stroke development.
Thurs 6	Run	19:30- 20:30	SPE Running Track	TRACK SESSION PACE DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS Moving away from the Botanical Gardens for this month, the focus of this session is on Fartlek running to develop pace awareness as well as increasing your physical capabilities of clearing lactate more efficiently from the muscle cells. This session will be performed as per the Tuesday track sessions throughout September of running for a fixed time period (e.g. 10 minutes) with differing paces being included within this time frame.
Fri 7	No Training- rest day
Sat 8	Bike	07:00-09:30	SPE Running Track	HILL REPS SOUTH BUONA VISTA ALL LEVELS Moving on from strength development, the focus of this session is on riding the hills fast. Your cadence will increase and your speed on the climbs should also go up. This is excellent preparation for the hills of Lombok and Phuket.
Sat 8	Swim	16:00-17:00	Sentosa, Tanjong Beach	SESSION CANCELLED – LOMBOK TRI Due to Tribob staff being in Lombok hosting the Emaar Lombok Triathlon there is no scheduled swim. However, due to the impending Phuket triathlon it is recommended that athletes racing do participate in a swim. The following swim set is recommended: 12 mins own choice warm up. 100m easy (+10 secs rest) 200m moderate (+15 secs rest) 300m moderately hard (+20 secs rest) 400m hard – above 1500m pace (+30 secs rest) *Repeat set twice* 200m own choice cool down The aim of this session is to increase your pace as the distance increases. It is important that you do not swim too fast too early in the set otherwise the longer swims become difficult. As the pace increase, focus on using a stronger leg kick and a super efficient catch allowing you to propel yourself through the water in a efficient and effective manner. PLEASE NOTE THAT SWIMMING IN THE OPEN WATER IS DANGEROUS AND YOU NEVER SWIM ALONE. TRIBOB RECOMMENDS ALWAYS SWIMMING IN A SAFE LOCATION WITH A PARTNER AND LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER. A POOL SWIM IS THE RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE.
Sun 9	Bike	07:30- 11:30	Meet at MacRitchie Car Park	SESSION CANCELLED – LOMBOK TRI Due to Tribob staff being in Lombok hosting the Emaar Lombok Triathlon there is no scheduled ride. However, due to the impending Phuket triathlon it is recommended that athletes racing do ride at their own leisure. The following is recommended for those athletes racing. I suggest that the intervals are conducted either at the Airport on East Coast or at LCK on the Kranji loop. 1 hour steady warm up to training loop. 40 mins to 1 hour interval training: 1min 90% effort, 1min recovery 2mins 90% effort, 1min recovery 3mins 90% effort, 1min recovery 4mins 90% effort, 1min recovery 5mins 90% effort, 1min recovery Intermediate Riders = 2 sets Advanced Riders = 3 sets 1 hour steady warm down home There are a number of key points to follow when performing this session: 1. HYDRATE: Ensure that you have plenty of fluids with you. 2. AERO: On the loops remain in the aero position as much as you can – train as you would race. 3. PACE: This is a long session, ensure that you pace it correctly. A good thing to remember during the intervals is that you should be able to maintain that pace for 45 mins to an hour. This will ensure that you control your effort. 4. FUEL: As well as drinking remember to be correctly fueled for this ride – don’t skip breakfast. As it is race practice, practice your race morning nutrition prior to your ride.
Mon 10	Swim	19:30 – 20:30	Farrer Park Swimming Complex		Speed development ALL LEVELS ENDURANCE GROUP + TECHNIQUE GROUP Moving on from the strength development work in September and October – the Monday swims are designed to help you swim faster with a specific emphasis on the race start. The start of a triathlon is frantic and heart rates rocket up before you have to then settle into a rhythm – the sets incorporated into these sessions are designed to train your body to do this efficiently and effectively. Technique drills shall also be incorporated into intermediate swim set to ensure that the swimming stroke remains at a high quality.
Tues 11	Run	19:30- 20:30	SPE Running Track		TRACK SESSION THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS (1000’s, 800’s 600’s) Remember that pacing is important on the track – do not see these “speed” sessions as sprinting. These sessions are constructed in a way to help you run at a higher constant pace over an extended distance. Your running pace should not exceed your 10km flat pace – you should be able to maintain your running for 40 minutes to an hour!!
Wed 12	Swim	6:30-7:30	Farrer Park Swimming Complex		THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVELS Following on from the threshold development sessions conducted at the end of October, these sessions continue to build upon this. As well as swimming at race pace the sets will also see you swimming slightly above your race pace; it is difficult to begin swim faster if your body has not be trained to do so. PLEASE NOTE THAT BEGINNERS SHOULD JOIN THE WEDENSDAY EVENING SWIM TO RECEIVE CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK AND TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.
Wed 12	Swim	19:30 - 20:30	Buona Vista Swimming Pool		TECHNIQUE AND THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS ENDURANCE GROUP + TECHNIQUE GROUP As per the morning session these swim sessions focus on developing speed endurance. Session content will differ between the morning and evening sessions allowing you to double up on sessions should you wish to. Beginners should join this swim set to receive coaching and guidance on stroke development.
Thurs 13	Run	19:30- 20:30	SPE Running Track		TRACK SESSION PACE DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS Moving away from the Botanical Gardens for this month, the focus of this session is on Fartlek running to develop pace awareness as well as increasing your physical capabilities of clearing lactate more efficiently from the muscle cells.
Fri 14	No Training- rest day
Sat 15	Bike	07:00-09:30	SPE Running Track		MINI BRICK SESSION MT FABER + SPE TRACK ALL LEVELS Following the regular hill reps session at Mt Faber, there will be a short 30min brick session around the SPE track. Those athletes participating in the Phuket race are strongly recommended to participate. REMEMBER YOUR TRAINERS AND 2 X $1 COINS FOR THE LOCKER.
	Swim	16:00-17:00	Sentosa, Tanjong Beach		OPEN WATER SWIM + RUN BIATHLON INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVELS With Phuket looming, this session is designed to sharpen you up for race day. Following a progressive warm up (which also allows drafting and sighting practice) a swim/run biathlon will take place with no break in between the 2 disciplines. This is NOT an organized race, it is a training session where times will be recorded for reference. This week will be a mass start session the final session prior to Phuket being held as a handicap event. This is a great opportunity for those of you racing at the end of the season to sharpen your skills in a semi competitive environment.
	Run	17:00-17:45	Sentosa, Tanjong Beach
Sun 16	Bike	07:30 – 11:30	MacRitchie Reservoir		KRANJI + LCK LOOPS (75km) INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVELS With only a few Sundays until Phuket, these sessions will now look to develop your speed endurance. By incorporating threshold intervals into a longer endurance ride you will be training your body to deal with high intensity riding when fatigued. Fixed training times around the LCK Loop will allow you to focus on settling into a good rhythm as well as providing you all with the opportunity to ride in the aerobars at a high level of intensity.
Mon 17	Swim	19:30 – 20:30	Farrer Park Swimming Complex		Speed development ALL LEVELS ENDURANCE GROUP + TECHNIQUE GROUP Moving on from the strength development work in September and October – the Monday swims are designed to help you swim faster with a specific emphasis on the race start. The start of a triathlon is frantic and heart rates rocket up before you have to then settle into a rhythm – the sets incorporated into these sessions are designed to train your body to do this efficiently and effectively. Technique drills shall also be incorporated into intermediate swim set to ensure that the swimming stroke remains at a high quality.
Tues 18	Run	19:30- 20:30	SPE Running Track		TRACK SESSION THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS (400’s, 300’s) Remember that pacing is important on the track – do not see these “speed” sessions as sprinting. These sessions are constructed in a way to help you run at a higher constant pace over an extended distance. Your running pace should not exceed your 10km flat pace – you should be able to maintain your running for 40 minutes to an hour!!
Wed 19	Swim	6:30-7:30	Farrer Park Swimming Complex		THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVELS Following on from the threshold development sessions conducted at the end of October, these sessions continue to build upon this. As well as swimming at race pace the sets will also see you swimming slightly above your race pace; it is difficult to begin swim faster if your body has not be trained to do so. PLEASE NOTE THAT BEGINNERS SHOULD JOIN THE WEDENSDAY EVENING SWIM TO RECEIVE CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK AND TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.
Wed 19	Swim	19:30 - 20:30	Buona Vista Swimming Pool		TECHNIQUE AND THRESHOLD DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS ENDURANCE GROUP + TECHNIQUE GROUP As per the morning session these swim sessions focus on developing speed endurance. Session content will differ between the morning and evening sessions allowing you to double up on sessions should you wish to. Beginners should join this swim set to receive coaching and guidance on stroke development.
Thurs 20	Run	19:30- 20:30	SPE Running Track		TRACK SESSION PACE DEVELOPMENT ALL LEVELS Moving away from the Botanical Gardens for this month, the focus of this session is on Fartlek running to develop pace awareness as well as increasing your physical capabilities of clearing lactate more efficiently from the muscle cells.
Fri 21	No Training- rest day
Sat 22	Bike	07:00-09:00	SPE Running Track		HILL REPS RIFLES RANGE ROAD ALL LEVELS Moving on from strength development, the focus of this session is on riding the hills fast. Your cadence will increase and your speed on the climbs should also go up. This is excellent preparation for the hills of Lombok and Phuket.