Happy Weekend, High Performance Humans,
Are you a strong cyclist? Would you like to get even stronger?
I know that these are questions that many triathletes have on their mind building to their goal races. You can choose the traditional way, riding 2-4 times per week with some well structured intervals and a weekly long ride. Commuting to work is also a good way to add in extra volume.
One option you might not have considered is a multi day cycle trip. A few years ago I rode Lands End to John O'Groats (LEJOG) with a group of friends. We covered the 900+ miles in 9 days, averaging roughly 100 miles per day. It was mostly steady riding but there were plenty of hills to push you into Zone 3-4 if you chose to go that hard.
2 weeks later I did a standard distance triathlon, expecting that the lack of running and swimming I'd been doing would limit my performance. The opposite happened. Unexpectedly, I had one of my best races ever. Average swim, awesome bike and a better than average run. The 9 day cycle had no doubt boosted my FTP and my aerobic threshold, and the massive bump in endurance helped me to carry this through the run as well.
My point is this: If you really want to give any of the 3 tri disciplines a quick boost, try dedicating a week or two of your training this winter almost exclusively to one sport. If it makes you anxious to sideline the others, then by all means include 1-2 sessions just to maintain some skills. You don't even need to train that hard! Just give the volume a massive lift and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
This week's guest, Matt Spooner, has done just that. At the end of July he took on the TransContinentalRace, cycling 4200km through Europe from Roubaix in France down to Istanbul in Turkey. This event isn’t just about cycling for many days. It’s also a logistical challenge, and a heaven for any one who likes planning. While Matt was super focussed on this event, he also has half an eye on qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in 2025. He is currently preparing for Ironman Portugal in a few weeks and has already noticed a huge uplift in his bike performances.
In the chat we talk about:
- Some of the problems he encountered along the way
- Equipment choices and daily nutrition on the road
- Whether executing the plan is more satisfying than the time and position
- Sleeping in a hotel each night versus camping by the side of the road
- Why finishing an event like this is more about being able to eat as much as you can than having a high FTP
- Mindset for tackling TCR
You can find this episode on all of the major podcasts hosts, including Apple iTunes and Spotify.
P.S. Loving these emails and podcasts? Feel free to buy me a coffee.
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I really appreciate you being a part of my tribe.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Simon Ward
Health, Wellness & Performance Coach
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