Week 13

This is the first week of the fourth and final block of training. Throughout this final four-week period, we will be increasing the overall mileage and time, while maintaining the intensity, particularly in the first couple of weeks.

As with the previous four-week block, you will be documenting your training intensities during key sessions, and I would like you to calculate approximate training zones. Check your heart rate in each discipline while working at different intensities, and use this information to determine your heart rate at 70 percent, 85 percent and MAP (maximum aerobic power, or simply your highest documented heart rate). For example, if you’ve found your maximum heart rate in the pool to be 175 beats per minute, and you are trying to calculate your 70-percent training zone, grab a calculator and type in “175 x 0.70,”’ which will give you around 123 beats per minute at a 70-percent effort.

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: Swim 30 minutes

100m warm-up choice
6 x 25m kick freestyle (25m easy kick, 25m very hard kick, with 10 seconds rest after each 25)
8 x 25m freestyle (as 1 easy, 1 at 70% of MAP, 1 at 85%, 1 at effort, with 15 seconds rest)
3 x 150m freestyle (as 50 easy, 50 at effort, 50 double arm backstroke, with 30 seconds rest)
200m easy cool-down, choice of stroke
Total: 1200m

Wednesday: Run/walk 30 minutes

5-minute warm-up walking
1 x (15 seconds stride, 45 seconds jog, 1-minute walk)
4 x (2-minute jog, 30 seconds at 85% MAP, 2-minute walk)
5-minute cool-down walk

On the strides, pick up your leg turnover and incrementally build to maximum speed, focusing on good technique.

Thursday: Bike 50 minutes

10-minute warm-up spin
2 x (45 seconds left leg spin, 15 seconds both, 45 seconds right, 45 seconds both)
2-minute recovery spin
1 x (30 seconds @ 90 RPM, 30 seconds @ 100 RPM, 30 seconds @ 110 RPM, 30 seconds @ 120-plus RPM – check heart rate – 2-minute recovery spin)
3 x (2 minute at 70% MAP, 1 minute at 85%, 3 minutes recovery)
10-minute cool-down spin

If you do not have a bike computer that displays your cadence, then, every few minutes, count how many times one leg rotates in 15 seconds then multiply this by four to calculate your cadence.

Friday: Swim 20 minutes

200m warm up (as 50m freestyle,100m kick,50m choice)
6 x 25m freestyle with fins (25m easy swim, 25m blast with 15 seconds rest after each 25)
3 x 100m (as 50m freestyle DPS/50m backstroke, with 30 seconds rest)
100m cool-down, choice stroke
Total: 750m

Saturday: Run/walk 50 minutes

8- to 10-minute warm-up walking
4 x (45 seconds jog at 75% MAP, 15 seconds stride, 2-minute recovery walk)
4 x (2-minute jog at 75% MAP, 1 minute at 85% MAP, 3-minute walk)
5-minute cool-down walk

Sunday: Bike 55 minutes

10-minute warm-up spin
1 x (30 seconds left leg, 15 seconds both, 30 seconds right leg, 1:15-minute both)
2-minute recovery spin
5 x (30 seconds @ 90 RPM, 30 seconds @ 100 RPM, 30 seconds @ 110 RPM, 30 seconds @ 120-plus RPM -- should be reaching MAP, 3:30-minute recovery spin)

TOTAL TRAINING TIME: 3 hours, 55 minutes
Again, the mileage has stayed around the same as last week, but we have added in a longer run and ride while decreasing a swim for recovery purposes. I have also added some heart-rate-zone-specific training for you to get comfortable with the concept and to help you understand yourself a bit better. Again, it is very important to keep focused, rest up and eat properly.

Remember that if you would like to add a few minutes to the end of a workout, proceed with caution, and if you feel that it is too much load, go back to last week’s training. If you are fairly serious about your goals and specific training regime, and have many unanswered questions or concerns, consider consulting a coach to add some personal touches to reflect your own individual strengths, needs and overall well-rounded development.