Be Prepared for Your Race Distance – From Sprint to Long Course Training & Racing
~ by Sophie Hotchkiss, CLPT coach, elite triathlete & cyclist
Most people choose to start with a Tri-a-Tri or Sprint distance triathlon when they are new to the sport. Starting with the shorter distance means when they’re ready to increase to a further distance, they will already know a lot about triathlon, and will be familiar with what goes into preparing for a race. However, many people can get through a sprint distance without doing too much training. Taking on the challenge of an Olympic distance means the focus on training becomes a lot more important. Here are some of the things to expect.
Training Time & Distance
To be fully prepared for a longer race, training distances and times should match or slightly exceed those of the race. For example, in an Olympic distance Triathlon, the swim is 1500 meters. The training plan should include swims that are 1500 to 2000 meters in length in the weeks leading up to your event. Same with the bike and the run which are 40km and 10km respectively. The training plan should include some bike rides that are 40-50km and some runs that are 10-14km long.
Building up to those distances takes time to avoid injury and burn out. That’s what training plans are for. How long should it take? Find the event date on a calendar and count how many weeks until that event. An athlete that is comfortable with running a 5k distance can increase their long run by 1-2km each week, with the goal of reaching a total distance of 10-14km the week before the race. Ideally, they will have a few weeks of running 10 or more kilometers to get their body really prepared for the distance. But doing even one lets them know they are capable of doing that race distance!
Keeping Track & Coaching
The training increase can be difficult to deal with at first but having specific and planned workouts can help make the most of training time. Mark workouts on a calendar to stay on track with the training increase or get a triathlon coach to help make the most of training time and progress. Every athlete has unique abilities and needs, and a coach can help them navigate their individual challenges more successfully.
The longer distance doesn’t have to seem impossible. In fact, after doing a few longer races, the sprint starts to seem much shorter! It’s all in the training to prepare for race day.
