Periodisation Training

(Simon finishing GE Pacesetters 30k run. Photo by Jason Lee/Hon You)

A few years ago I used to ride with a guy called Reuben. Reuben was into his Lance Armstrong training schedules, Joe Friel, Chris Carmichael etc... he kept harping on about Periodisation Training! I just didn't get it - when I felt good I went long and I went hard, when I didn't feel so great I still went long and as hard as I could. If I was ever in doubt the answer was harder, faster and more! Mmmmmm!

Last year I eventually "got the idea" and decided to get into this Periodisation malarkey. I altered my schedules to do 4 week intervals - Easy, Medium, Hard and Very Hard. It took me about a year to work out that this was still too much as I struggled to get through the Very Hard week and never completed two rotations of this plan.

Before Bussleton Ironman I reduced it to Easy, Medium and Hard and that seems to work. I am now training for the Langkawi Ironman which is just 4 short weeks away. Today I completed another Easy week. Quite honestly I've felt knackered and beaten up all week and arriving for a 21k run this morning I felt similarly fatigued.

HOWEVER, I was feeling positive (a good sign no doubt brought on by the reduced training volumes this week). I decided that it was only 21k so I'd be very positive and be "in control of the run" rather than be "a victim of the run". Anyway, the long and short of it was I completed the run in my second fastest time ever without really over-exerting myself. (You may be interested to know that my fastest time was during another "Easy Week" in periodisation training).

Sorry to my running buddies and they were none too impressed by my antisocial behaviour; but when things come together you just gotta do what you gotta do! The fact that I felt rubbish all week was a clear sign of the previous two weeks build up and demonstrated that I needed an "Easy Week" to recover. I feel great now, remotivated for the next two tough weeks and then I have a two week taper.

So if you've been interested enough to read this far I strongly recommend to read up on Periodisation Training and embrace it. Abandon "perceived effort" and "ad-hoc" training, log your distances and then follow the numbers - IT WORKS.

If anyone is interested, for Ironman training my numbers are: -
Easy Week - Swim 10k, Bike 200km, Run 40k
Medium Week - Swim 15k, Bike 300k, Run 60k
Hard Week - Swim 20k, Bike 400k, Run 80k

I get one long swim, one long run and one long bike in each week and I also try to get one high intensity swim, one high intensity bike and I try to do a brick run after most bike sessions.

I stay away from running speed work for Ironman training, solely for the reason that I usually end up injured as my ego always ends up coming to the track with me - especially if Kevin Chan and his ego is there too.

So there you go Periodisation Training (thanks Reuben) - believe your numbers, follow the plan and not only does it work physically but you will find that you don't get mentally burnt out or fatigued either, which I think is a huge and often overlooked factor.