Advice - what are the best intervals for increasing 25 mile TT power?

[gooders]

Hi

I'm a triathlete and I'll only be able to undertake 1 bike interval session per week in order to recover for the run and swim interval sessions. Fitting in quality training is always a difficult balancing act to avoid falling into overtraining.

which interval sessions would be best to improve my 25 mile TT power starting 6 weeks from my first race of the year in May 05?


I'm not sure if I should be doing 2 x 20 min intervals at 105% of my average 25m TT power,

or 7 x 5 mins at 120% average 25m TT power?

.... or maybe both, alternate on different weeks

.....or something else completely different?

I guess these are doing different things - the longer intervals raising LT and the shorter intervals increasing VO2 max ..... but with limited time on my hands for bike training which is most effective for increasing 25m TT power?


Also is it best to undertake these intervals on an indoor trainer or outdoors?

many thanks

 

[Smartt/RST]

Hi

I'm a triathlete and I'll only be able to undertake 1 bike interval session per week in order to recover for the run and swim interval sessions. Fitting in quality training is always a difficult balancing act to avoid falling into overtraining.

which interval sessions would be best to improve my 25 mile TT power starting 6 weeks from my first race of the year in May 05?


I'm not sure if I should be doing 2 x 20 min intervals at 105% of my average 25m TT power,

or 7 x 5 mins at 120% average 25m TT power?

.... or maybe both, alternate on different weeks

.....or something else completely different?

I guess these are doing different things - the longer intervals raising LT and the shorter intervals increasing VO2 max ..... but with limited time on my hands for bike training which is most effective for increasing 25m TT power?


Also is it best to undertake these intervals on an indoor trainer or outdoors?

many thanks

In all of your training, your interval design should get more and more specific to the demands of your sport the closer you get to the event.
While VO2 max training does improve 40k TT performance, in an Olympic distance triathlon, the only time you will reach, or would ever want to reach, a VO2 max effort is in the last kilo of the run. Furthermore, since you have to run a 10k after the bike, your intensity on the bike will be that much lower than doing an open 40k (ie: further below your VO2max). You could choose to do a small amount of VO2 work, but with only 6 weeks to go, training your TT ability should be your focus.

 

[gooders]

In all of your training, your interval design should get more and more specific to the demands of your sport the closer you get to the event.
While VO2 max training does improve 40k TT performance, in an Olympic distance triathlon, the only time you will reach, or would ever want to reach, a VO2 max effort is in the last kilo of the run. Furthermore, since you have to run a 10k after the bike, your intensity on the bike will be that much lower than doing an open 40k (ie: further below your VO2max). You could choose to do a small amount of VO2 work, but with only 6 weeks to go, training your TT ability should be your focus.

Thanks Michael, that's kind of what I was thinking but just wasn't sure. I'll focus more on longer intervals, slightly above my 40km TT power.

 

[Roadie_scum]

In all of your training, your interval design should get more and more specific to the demands of your sport the closer you get to the event.
While VO2 max training does improve 40k TT performance, in an Olympic distance triathlon, the only time you will reach, or would ever want to reach, a VO2 max effort is in the last kilo of the run. Furthermore, since you have to run a 10k after the bike, your intensity on the bike will be that much lower than doing an open 40k (ie: further below your VO2max). You could choose to do a small amount of VO2 work, but with only 6 weeks to go, training your TT ability should be your focus.

So training for a 40km TT you would say 3-4 min VO2max intervals before 10-20 min LT/MSST and neuromuscular training 15X30s intervals before that? Seems a little strange... not what I'm used to seeing. Are you into reverse periodisation for Ironman Tri and ultra-endurance?

I appreciate the merits of this approach, but as well as specificity I think it's worth considering the rate of detraining of the training effect, as well as the speed with which it can be trained. For example there is evidence that 10-15X30s maximal intervals results in a training effect very quickly and may thus be used quite close to race day. Also, the traditional approach to periodisation is a progression from volume to intensity - I know traditional doesn't equal optimal, but I'd be interested if you could let me know a little more about your approach here.

Also, gooders: you might be better to base your shorter intervals on VO2max power rather than a percentage of 25 mile TT power (if you have this data - just a thought).

 

[beerco]

So training for a 40km TT you would say 3-4 min VO2max intervals before 10-20 min LT/MSST and neuromuscular training 15X30s intervals before that? Seems a little strange... not what I'm used to seeing. Are you into reverse periodisation for Ironman Tri and ultra-endurance?

.

Where did you read that he's recommending what you just wrote?

 

[Roadie_scum]

Where did you read that he's recommending what you just wrote?

That seems to be a progression from least to most specific kind of work done. Also, recommending a concentration on TT intervals in the weeks before an event above.

I could have misunderstood, but I'd like a further explanation.