F286_Feature_MarkAllenHalfIM_ce_rr.qxd
12/9/07
6:30 PM
Page 78
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AH, 70.3. IT’S THE MAGIC NUMBER. THE 140.6 MILES OF AN IRONMAN CAN BE DAUNTING AND REQUIRE TIME-MANAGEMENT SKILLS THAT STRETCH THE PERSONAL CALENDAR TO ITS LIMIT. Training for a half-Ironman is more manageable, yet it is still an experience worth adding to life’s logbook. It may be the perfect triathlon distance. A half-Ironman requires both speed and endurance. It requires brute force and patience. It’s the ideal mix, giving you the best of both worlds. Part speedster, part endurance animal, the perfect half starts with the same protocol that all triathlons do: base training. As uneventful as base training can seem, it is what enables you to hold a higher intensity for hours on end. If you refer to the chart on page 82, you will see that base training is going to monopolize your attention for at least half of the time you are gearing up for your goal half-Ironman, which falls at the end of our 12-week cycle. Follow the chart to plan your 70.3 training, but be sure to pay special attention to the four below key workouts during your 12-week training progression.
YOUR 4 KEY WORKOUTS
25662 Crown Valley Parkway #H-2 Ladera Ranch, CA 92694 Phone: 949-429-7784 www.laderacyclery.com
1. BASE-PHASE TEMPO SESSION: During your base phase, tempo is a pace or power output that works the very top end of your aerobic heart-rate zone. This workout will eventually evolve into your speed workout as you get closer to race day. The tempo workout length is 25-50 percent of your endurance workout. The goal of these tempo sessions is to work on specific race-cadence rates while running and cycling and correct stroke mechanics while swimming, all achieved at the high end of a conversational effort. It’s not a casual outing but, rather, one where you are on top of the pace shortly after your warm-up and continue to hold it for the duration of the workout. What makes this workout so crucial is that it is just below the pacing you will eventually hold in your race. Of all the race distances, the half-Ironman is where this workout comes into play the most. It is not a speed or anaerobic session; those come later. But it is a challenging workout because it will work the top end of your aerobic fat78
T R I AT H L E T E
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FEBRUARY 2008
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T R I AT H L E T E M A G . C O M
John Segesta/wahoomedia.com
By Mark Allen
AVIA AVI-TRAIL
12 weeks to a 70.3 PR
ORANGE COUNTY’S LEADING TRIATHLETE HEADQUARTERS
YOUR PERFECT HALF
LADERA CYCLERY