Start trying to hit race pace

As the global sporting spotlight will fall on Bahrain again later this year, GulfWeekly has teamed up with one of the world’s top trainers to coach the island’s sports-lovers to prepare to take part.

If you have ever fancied trying a triathlon there will never be a better opportunity. Your community newspaper hopes to inspire you to put your best foot forward and have a go.

Don’t be scared … Andy Price will help you every step of the way!

Here’s your WEEK 15 – 37 Days until Bahrain Challenge

* Training programme for the week starting Sunday to Saturday, October 24

Third week of your last four-week block before the taper starts for the Challenge and then Ironman.

Well done for all those who took part in the Olympic Triathlon and I hope you achieved your personal goals.

For ease I will include a key to explain abbreviations each week:
• F/S – Freestyle or front crawl
• Alt – Alternative stroke. For most this should be backstroke, but for some breastroke
• PULL – F/S with a pull float between your legs
• KICK – F/S kick using a kick board
• R – Rest (normally in seconds)
• Z – Zones (1 – 4)
• RPM – Revs per Minute
• HRM – Heart Rate Monitor

* SESSION 1 – Pool
• Warm up. All R60
200m Swim
200m Pull
200m Kick
200m Swim
• Main set (all at Z3 /Hard)
6 x 150m F/S R60
6 x 200m (Mix swim / pull) R60
• Warm down
6 x 50m Easy R45 (Alt strokes)
Total – 3300m

* Session 2 – Pool
• Warm up x 2
100m F/S R30
100m Kick R30
100m Pull R30
• Main set (all at Z4 /Above Race Pace)
4 x 200m R60
4 x 50m R10
Easy 100m swim as recovery
3 x 200m R60
6 x 50m R10
Easy 100m swim as recovery
• Warm down
4 x 100m Easy
Total – 3100m

* Session 3 – Open Water
Now increase the distance each Rep as we get closer to the races. Start trying to hit race pace.
• 3 x 1000m steady R120 after each.

* SESSION 1 – Indoors / Turbo Trainer
• Warm up – 15 minutes steady
• Main set
5 mins steady / 5 mins hard in middle gear / 5 mins steady in easy gear / 5 mins hard in hard gear Repeat two times in total
• Cool down 10 mins

* SESSION 2 – Outdoors (remember this is a Bike to Run)
• 150 minutes ride
First 10km to be steady (average 28-30km per hour)
1:10 at race pace and see how far you can go
10 mins steady spinning as cool down
Followed by a 6km steady run (Zone 2)

* SESSION 3 – Outdoors
• 90km at race pace. Practice your hydration and feeding.

* Session 1 – Pace Run
• Warm up before you start the run. Try to avoid going straight off.
Mobility stretches
200m Jogs
• Main – 15km at race pace. Mix this up with
First 5km at race pace then
• 6 x 1km above race pace with 500m steady jogging as recovery
1km warm down steady
• Warm down
4 x 200m Strides (just above race pace)

Dynamic stretches. Don’t push the stretches just hold for 20 seconds each. Work from your feet up stretching each major running group muscle.

* Session 2 – 60 minutes Fartlec (Jog, run at pace, walk, jog repeat)
• Start with 10 minutes steady running then 44 mins of
2 mins run (steady), 3 mins at pace, 2 mins walk recovery, then repeat five times
• Warm down jog

* Session 3 – Bike to Run
• Following your weekend bike give yourself 3-5 minutes rest as you stow away the bike then go for a 6km or max 35-minute run at a steady pace (Zone 2) whichever is the shortest.