IMPROVEMENT TIME LINE
Triathlon and cycling are endurance sports where the physically strongest person is often not the winner. The athlete with the greatest efficiency, sport specific fitness and tactical capacity will come out best. This is developed through technical and physical improvements made in training and learning how to apply them effectively during a race which can take considerable time. As our fitness and performance improves our skills and technique and their application changes also.
Training improvements run on an 8-10 year continuum,
> 2 Years Fundamentals
> 2 Years Train to Train
> 2 Years Train to Compete
> 2 Years Train to Win
This model is as applied to an elite athlete seeking international success, however the same principles apply to everyone, over the years and also throughout a season. At every stage of development and progression skills and technique are vital. Through experience and observation most athletes will do too much hard training, too little recovery training and little to no emphasis placed on addressing the fundamentals – recovery and technique.
Skill technique training is easily integrated into any training session; being aerobic by nature it makes sense to incorporate them into everything as they significantly add to performance. As an example, elite triahletes such as Peter Robertson and Melissa Ashton performed swim sets up to 7-8km. These sessions predominantly focused on skill/technique, recovery and aerobic training – approximately 4-5km which, representing more than 50% of their training time/volume even at the advanced level.
Skill work almost always encompasses aerobic system development so you are getting fitter and also faster with improved technique. Regardless of your age, you have a lengthy time to continue to improve in your sport from when you start regularly applying structured training.
A successful training program allows effective use of time to both apply an appropriate training stress and recovery while integrating skills and technique. Physical training improves physical capacity not necessarily performance – focus on skills at all times.
More from training
> Fatigue feedback
> Efficient movement - elastic properties of muscles
> Technique and physiology
> Efficiency and performance
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