Since we were pretty inexperienced when it came to triathlon training, at least so far, we asked our triathlete Claudius Pyrlik to give us a brief insight into his winter training:
I'm currently in the middle of general season preparation with the goal of being in the best possible shape at the end of May in Holland at the European Triathlon Championships over 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run.
Before I started training, I thought about how I should approach it for a long time because the same content as before is unrealistic. When I did my last competition at the World Championships in Belgium in 2009, my training volume was 25 to sometimes 30 hours per week. Not only am I more busy at work now, two children also take up a lot of my time - which is nice and something I don't want to do without. So what to do? Less time budget, lower fitness level, 8 years older and I still want to be competitive on the starting line. Due to the lack of training over the last few years and at the age of 45, my VO2 max is naturally no longer that high. As in 2009 at the European Championships at the end of May 2019, it will be the most important performance limiter. So I decided to focus on improving this size. To improve VO2 max, high-intensity training is most important, so all out! My goal is to integrate intensive and high-intensity interval training into the training plan as much as possible without risking injuries and overtraining. The advantage is clearly that these units take less time than, for example, threshold training, which I used to do often and with pleasure. This requires a high activation potential; the head also has to cooperate for intensive or high-intensity stress. Without the will to “hurt” yourself repeatedly and sometimes massively, HIIT and HIT make no sense.
Outside of the HIIT and HIT days, I train calm endurance sessions or even in the relief zone. In terms of training science, this approach would be called polarized training. So far I'm doing well with the training change. Once a week my physio makes sure that muscle tension doesn't cause any hardening, etc. I've added stretching back into the program, my Swiss Bionic magnetic field mat promotes my regeneration and strength training to prevent injuries is an integral part of every week. Although I am absolutely convinced of the benefits of strength training and want to do it all year round, its effects give me a headache. Regardless of the number of repetitions I train with, I react quickly with an increase in muscle volume. That's what you call a high responder. Since I want to reduce my weight by 2kg before the European Championships, strength training certainly doesn't make my plan any easier in this regard, not to mention the Christmas season.
I completely forego the MTB training that used to be an integral part of winter; my new Cube Aerium C:68 forces me (in a positive sense) into such an aerodynamic sitting position that I need every session to adapt and, if possible, complete the entire 40 kilometers of racing can endure this position. Because what use is the fastest bike to me if I have aerodynamics like a truck by riding on the base bar. The shorter cranks on the C:68 in particular are already having a positive effect as I can drive at a more favorable hip angle.
I'm glad to have already found a challenging competition goal for 2019, which makes it easier to lace up my running shoes in the morning in the wet and dark and run 24 short and crisp mountain intervals.
Have a nice winter time everyone!
Claudius
Remarks:
VO2max: VO2max refers to the maximum oxygen intake of an athlete under stress. This size can be used to measure an athlete's endurance performance. It's not about the amount of air inhaled, but rather how much oxygen the body can actually process. This depends on a number of factors that can be influenced through targeted training. E.g. the number of oxygen-transporting red blood cells.
HIIT and HIT (High Intensity Interval Training and High Intensity Training): Refers to high-intensity training that aims to increase endurance performance.
Base Bar (for non-triathletes): The side part of the triathlon handlebar that allows a more upright sitting position than the triathlon attachment
