Cycling training for a triathlon

[eric1231]

I am going to do my first triathlon next summer and I am new to all the events so I will need to work equally at the events. Right now I am riding a hy-bred style bike. It has a mountain bike style frame with wider street style tires. I plan to get a road bike by next spring. Currently I can average about 15-16mph on the bike @ 80% effort over 90 minutes which is very slow for the road portion. By just going to a road bike will I notice any increase in speed? Any estimates on how much? My next question I have about 1.5hrs a day to dedicate towards training. What do you recommend?

My current training plan is below. I will add running in a couple months and reduce the weight lifting.

Sunday cycle 1.5 hrs 75% effort swim .5hrs
Monday swim .5hrs morning lift 1.0hrs evening
Tuesday cycle 1.5hrs 80% effort
Wed swim .5 morning lift 1.0hrs evening
Thursday cycle 1.5 75% effort
Friday swim 1hr
Saturday rest

 

[DJA]

Not knowing your background, strength and weakness it's a little bit of a stab in the dark with you training. Also what distance tri are you aiming at?
But here go's
As swiming is the most technique important area in tri's I would recomenend finding swim squad and do at least one session a week with them ( if not more)

Sunday cycle 2-3 hrs 75%
Monday swim 1hrs morning lift .5hrs evening 0.5hr run (if you drop the weights increase the runing)
Tuesday cycle 1.5hrs 80% effort
Wed swim 1hr morning lift .5hrs evening 0.5hr run
Thursday cycle/run 1hr brick session ride 5mins then run 5 mins and repeat effort 75 to 85%
Friday swim 1hr
Saturday rest

You need to mix up your effort levels in each session the main goal should be to work hard but still be able to train the next day. Do some interval effort at 5mins and 10mins with 1min recoverys in all sports because if you do all steady effort you will get bored and you what get fast,
Increase your duration first and then the intensity but do both gradually. say 5% a week.

As for the road bike you should to improve about 10% but that will depend on the quality of the bike its fit and more so your current ability which will incease as you train. I quite often use a MTB on the road to give me an inceased load when training. ( it bugs riders when you blow them away on a MTB and their on $5k road bike and they cant hold you wheel).

Daz
former Triathlete
Road Racer - Cycling coach
Personal trainer

 

[eric1231]

Thanks for the input. I planing on doing a sprint tri .5 mile swim, 12 mile bike and 3 mile run.
I am the weakest in swimming. Where do you find a swim squad to swim with?

 

[Not Sure]

Until after you are below 3% body fat, the first 25 answers to your question are, "Eat smaller portions.".

 

[wheel freedom]

everyone is going to tell you what to do but not many will hit the mark until you tell us a bit more about your self.
see if you can find a coach locally through your club maybe. some triathlon clubs actually train together two days a week.
so as a quick help.
1. eat right do not over cook everything lots of veggies pasta is good for energy so a big pasta dinner before comp day is good
2. stretches are really important. do them as regular as your training sessions
3. reduce running time. only run to perfect your technique as this will reduce impact into the joints use you cycling for your cardio workout, technique and general fitness use your swimming for technique and upper body fitness.

always stay within a small amount more of workout than the last session. so increase in increments and keep a journal, good luck