Long and steady pace

As the global sporting spotlight will fall on Bahrain again later this year, GulfWeekly has teamed up with one of the world’s top trainers to coach the island’s sports-lovers to prepare to take part.

If you have ever fancied trying a triathlon there will never be a better opportunity. Your community newspaper hopes to inspire you to put your best foot forward and have a go.

Don’t be scared … Andy Price will help you every step of the way!

Here’s your WEEK 12 – 71 Days until Bahrain Challenge.

* Training programme for the week starting Sunday to Saturday, October 3 Great news! That’s the second block of training over and you have earned a recovery week. Make sure you enter the Bahrain Road Runners Aquathon at Hamala to have a good test of how you are doing.

Remember don’t rest up for this event but use it as part of your training.

• F/S – Freestyle or front crawl
• Alt – Alternative stroke. For most this should be backstroke, but for some breastroke
• PULL – F/S with a pull float between your legs
• KICK – F/S kick using a kick board
• R – Rest (normally in seconds)
• Z – Zones (1 – 4)
• RPM – Revs per Minute
• HRM – Heart Rate Monitor

This week is all about long and steady. Focus on your stroke technique and remember to put together your body position (as streamlined and economical as possible), your legs (just on the surface for balance more than propulsion) and breathing (bilateral, if possible) into the best possible stroke.

* SESSION 1 – Pool

• Warm up
  400m freestyle easy. Focus on stroke technique
• Main set (all at Z2 / Steady)
  6 x 200m R60 after each 200m
  1st 200m swim
  2nd 200m kick
  3rd 200m swim
  4th 200m pull
  5th 200m swim
  6th 200m drills
• Warm down
  6 x 100m easy R45

* Session 2 – Pool

• Warm up
  300m F/S with every 4th length Alt Stroke R60
  200m F/S with every 4th length Alt Stroke R60
• Main set
  10 x 100m Steady / Z2 R45
  10 x 50m Steady / Z2 R30
• Warm down
  200m F/S Easy

* Session 3 – Open Water

• 4 x 500m steady R120 after each

* SESSION 1 – INDOORS / Turbo Trainer

* SESSION 2 – OUTDOORS (remember this is a Bike to Run)

• 90 minutes ride in Zone 2 / Steady followed by a 2km or 15-minute steady run (Zone 2)

* SESSION 3 – OUTDOORS

• 120 minutes steady ride. You should be able to talk to your training partner through the whole ride. DON’T be tempted to push it. This is a recovery ride and the benefit will come from muscle recovery over time.

Unlike the last four-week block this week it’s all about steady and long. Don’t push it. Remember it’s all about longer term recovery. Double your warm up and warm down. Remember you want to feel like you could have done more at the end of each session this week.

* Session 1 – Steady Run

• Warm up before you start the run. Try to avoid going straight off. Mobility stretches 200m Jogs
• Main – 60 minutes at Zone 2 (below race pace)
• Warm down
  4 x 200m strides (just above race pace)

* Session 2 – 45 minutes fartlek (Jog, run at pace, walk, jog repeat)

• Start with 15 minutes steady jogging then 45 minutes fartlek of two minutes jog, two minutes at pace, one minute walk, recovery, then repeat

* Session 3 – Bike to Run

• Following your weekend bike give yourself 3-5 minutes rest as you stow away the bike then go for a 2km or max 15-minute run at a steady pace (Zone 2) whichever is the shortest.