The Buildup!

With the help of Aqua Crest's coaching mastermind, David Wright, I am jumping into a 10-week, aerobic buildup. Wright wrote me an elegant triathlon program, involving 200 miles of cycling, 20 miles of running, and 21km of swimming every week. I started the program on Monday, and I am feeling more fit already!

The program is based on a Lydiard style training program.

David is as good as they come, as a person and as a swim coach. He's coached Olympic medalists, Ironman Hawaii competitors, Florida youth champions, Masters World Champions, and me. He coached for many years in New Zealand. He's also a very accomplished running coach. He coached alongside Arthur Lydiard for many years. He coached his wife to a New Zealand 1000m running record over 20 years ago that still stands today!

Here's what Amazon.com says about Wright and his books:

For nearly a decade, Wright and Lydiard, collaborating every week, experimented with the conversion of long-distance aerobic endurance training, hill running, bounding and springing, steps running and sprint sharpening from the varied terrains that a runner encounters to the confines of a swimming pool's still, flat water. This volume presents the method they have developed, and is designed for all swimmers, beginners and advanced, who are looking for new ways in swimming training.

Anyway, I am doing the swim part of the program with Aqua Crest's swim team. This is a blast, as the team is talented, motivated, and FAST! The main reason I am jumping into this ten-week buildup is so that I can participate in the Aqua Crest program.

Here's what a weekly schedule looks like:

Monday - 40 mile bike
Tuesday - AM - 7km swim ... PM - 6 mile run
Wednesday - 40 mile bike
Thursday - AM - 7km swim ... PM - 6 mile run
Friday - 40 mile bike
Saturday - AM - 7km swim ... PM - 8 mile run
Sunday - 80 mile bike

The swims are the most structured part of the program. Each swim involves a 2km warm, a 5km main set, and a few laps to cool down.

Tuesday's swimming main set is 'short' intervals, such as 20 x 250 m. Thursday is a longer main set, such as 4 x 1250 m. Saturday is a bruiser, with the practice being written as 100 x 100 m. Hopefully, I'll survive 70 of them to hit my 7km goal.

Wright's program, for me, his swimmers, and his runners, is written to build a big aerobic base. After this 10 weeks, Wright's athletes do 4 weeks of anaerobic training. Then, for another 10 weeks, they do a 'trials and coordination' period, that involves racing, time trials, and focused technique work.

You'll notice that the main difference between Wright's program and most endurance training programs is that Wright's separates aerobic, anaerobic, and racing into three distinct periods. Most endurance programs combine them into one, season long program where athletes do aerobic, anaerobic, and time trials all within the same practice, day, or week.

I'll keep you updated on my progress!