EvilGoodGuy said:Thanks for the info, I appreciate the reponses...
Ritcho,
I wasn't aware that running would build a bigger motor than cycling. Interesting...I've heard some people claim that cycling improves running but running doesn't improve cycling, is this true? Can I expect one to help the other... If I remember correctly, iron athletes rely on a cross over effect.
I've found bricks and reverse bricks to be effective thus far. When I first started them, I found the typical "jelly legs" but now I can come off the bike or run without any lag.
In terms of the 40km cycling distance, what system should I train the most? I assume this would be mostly aerobic effort. So long slow miles? How far beyond the 40km distance should I go in training? Or is more simply better? In my plan (as of now) I am planning to go upto 6 hour long rides, but is that necessary?
My guess is that running improves cycling and vice-versa up to a point for most people as the improvement to the cardio system outweighs the effects of non-specific training. It seems reasonable that specialist training should improve you more in the discipline in which you specialise. A top athlete in one discipline would therefore gain little or even lose from training in the other, but multisport is different - it is the best package of compromises that wins.
In triathlon, the best runners usually beat the best cyclists. You can see for yourself if you get hold of some results for a triathlon that rank competitors in each discipline as well as overall. Most of the time, the rank correlation between the run rank and overall rank is the highest, the cycle leg and overall next and then a relatively low correlation between swim rank and overall. You also find a pretty high correlation between run and cycle ranks (as you would expect).
As for your training load, you probably have limited time for training, so you have to trade off the benefits of training for each. More training for one is less training for the other, so if you have a higher marginal benefit from cycle training, then you should probably increase the time/intensity of your cycling. A 40km TT is a lactate threshold distance (aerobic), but you want to run before and after as well, giving a total race time of around 2hrs, so an all-out 40km TT is a little different to what you want to do.
I'm not a fan of long slow miles 'cos I don't have the time. I prefer to train similarly to how I want to race - TT intensity workouts and shorter overload intensity workouts.
Ritch
