In this write up, I’ll share 2 things:
Gordo’s 3 tactical tips for Ironman training (1 x swim, bike, run)
A basic at-home test protocol for you to develop a FEEL for important transitions within HR Zones
On Tuesday, I jumped on a call with Gordo Byrn in search of:
a fresh perspective on my 2022 training history & tips to improve ahead of my 4th Ironman
guidance on how my new knowledge of lactate and Power/HR zones can best be applied to my Tribal Training athletes
There’s endless info online. I like learning directly from people who have done what I want to do. That’s Gordo.
If you missed my lactate test and results with Gordo, you can read his write up HERE. That gives good context to what’s covered in this write up.
Gordo is special because he encourages I share what we’re working on with my athletes, which let’s me learn and teach in an honest and ethical way. That matters to me.
So many people hoard knowledge. He does the opposite. He sets a standard I’m striving for - in triathlon and beyond.
Now for the tips and test protocol:
Note: His feedback and factual data is written in plain text. My comments are in italics.
1. Gordo’s #1 Takeaway From My Training History:
My swim volume was low.
A look at my frequency and distance in the 9 weeks leading up to Ironman Florida:
Low is right.
The 2 week gap came from a road trip to California with no swimming access.
Looking back, it’s obvious why I had my slowest Ironman swim. I swam 1:13 at Florida, 1:05 at IM Texas and 1:09 at IM Indiana.
Why would I benefit from swimming more?
It’s not just about swimming faster.
The goal is to be less tired coming out of the water in an Ironman, so that I’m not overly fatigued in the first hour of the bike and can take more energy to the run.
I had my best bike and run Ironman performances at IM Florida, so this isn’t about saying anything was “wrong” in my training. It’s about looking for room to improve.
How to get better in the swim:
3 swims per week with 1 x 75 minute session.
A long swim on Sunday before my typical endurance ride or run would be a good implementation.
How to get better on the bike:
Big Gear Sets in my Heavy Domain.
Here’s his sample Big Gear Set to add in at the end of an endurance ride:
5 x 8 min at 225W to 250W (my Heavy Domain) // 60 RPM
To be done on a flat road, in TT position and with 2 min recovery between sets
20 min cool down at sub-150W // 90-95 RPM to finish ride
Doing this 1 x per week will help me bring my avg. Ironman power up from 188W to 200W and higher.
Overall goals on the bike:
use low cadence work to develop more power
continue to develop a wide range of comfortable cadences
A look at my Top 5 rides of 2022 with power and cadence charted:
Brining my cadence up was a big focus of 2022.
I was doing lots of my endurance rides in the mid-70s during my build to IM Texas. I started bringing my cadence up after that race (April).
My best ride of the year (Patriot Half) was also my highest cadence (97).
How to get better on the run:
“Just run” 3 x per week.
Running during the offseason can stay easy for me.
The goal is to keep frequency and miles up. Fatigue does not need to be generated from pace.
A look at my frequency and mileage in the 9 weeks leading up to IM Florida:
This looks low and inconsistent to me. My run focus this year was on improving my form/efficiency and fueling on the bike. I did well on those.
But I let frequency/volume become secondary and let life dictate my availability. It’s good for me to see data that says the obvious: run more to get better at running.
Overall recommendation on training frequency:
3 x 3 of each sport per week + 1 strength training session.
Important note: I’m a serious athlete with 3 Ironmans under my belt and goals to qualify for Kona.
2. How To Use My Lactate Test Experience To Help My Athletes:
The #1 takeaway from my lactate test was clearly feeling my Aerobic Threshold (AeT).
My goal is to use my test experience to help my athletes develop FEEL for their zones, so they can better understand perceived effort and maximize their training.
Aerobic Threshold is:
the first deepening of breath
the boarder between Z1 and Z2
the sensation you get when lactate kicks up from baseline
It’s important to keep endurance sessions hovering around AeT to avoid drifting into too high intensity.
If you don’t have a lactate meter, you can use the test below to find the same result.
At-Home Heart Rate Ramp Test To Teach AeT:
Start with a VERY EASY spin and HR around 100 bpm
Slowly ramp effort with 5 bpm increases every 5 minutes
Pay close attention to how you feel and note the first “light pant”
The “light pant” is AeT, and where Z2 sessions should stay close to.
The bike is the place to teach zones because beginner endurance athletes may not have any aerobic range when running.
These are “2 speed athletes” and they can benefit from run/walk sessions to build aerobic range.
Note: for some athletes, this test will be the first time they do a true warm up in their life. It can be a helpful revelation.
Why is feeling AeT important?
It will teach athletes how to intuitively “check in”, so they can manage effort and avoid over-training.
Many Heart Rate models give too wide a range for Z2. Athletes naturally sit at the TOP of Z2 and drift into the Heavy Domain.
The “work” of endurance training comes from hitting all your workouts in a week and doing that for a month straight. Not from making every session feel hard.
If zones are wrong, it’s going to be really obvious for hard and long workouts.
Summary:
3 x swim per week with 1 x 75 min session.
Big Gear Set on the bike 1 x per week.
3 x run per week with all runs staying easy.
Use at-home Heart Rate Ramp Test to find AeT.
Questions? Comment below and I’ll reply.