Weekly Training Programme for Peter Chan

We recently had the pleasure of meeting Peter Chan who politely asked me for my advice on a weekly training programme for IM MY 2010. Peter is 40+ and only took up running about a year ago. He already has a few Marathons under his belt, the Sundown Double Marathon, Kenyir Tri and even beat me at Desaru! Er hello, who should be asking who. Plus he has now done that 200km+ ride. Peter's advantage is that he is slim. If you are a slim Marathoner, you can do anything. Lets not get confident though.

IN A NUT SHELL

• The more you train the better
• Do an obscene workout every two weeks
• Do six 200km rides before IMMY
• Do six 30 km (since you can run) or 20km runs before IMMY
• Do two 3km swims in the pool. Swimming is the least important. As long as you can beat the cut-off, you will make the finish. Swimming in the sea is much easier.
• Taper the last two weeks.
• DONE. You have got it made.

The good ones (i.e. TTH and TriTwins) train twice a day and TTH especially doesn't even have a day off. I presume you can only manage six or seven workouts a week.

SWIM

This is the least important. The idea is to finish it with the least energy. Using a lot of energy is not the end of the world. Devour a swimming book then hit the pool. Try "Total Immersion" (KLCC use to sell it). It advocates relaxed swimming.

Try to swim twice or more a week if you are close to a pool. The body quickly forgets the feel of the water. Thus twice a week is minimum. Don't worry if you can't do 3.8km in the pool. 3km is good going.

Having a long streamlined body is paramount. Roll your body, reach out as far as possible, high elbows and let your thumb graze your thigh at the end of your stroke. Unfortunately we are not fishes and don't know whether our body is streamlined. Someone has to go in the water and observe you. Join a swim group to go faster or just use a watch.

CYCLING

You seem new to cycling. You don't pedal when going downhill, you drop gears too quickly when approaching a hill and you don't use aero bars.

As explained in my e-mail to you, a bike trainer would be a very good buy (TBB you have a customer).

Have you got your cycling position properly done? Get it done by Nick Flyger, nickflyger@gmail.com. He is with MSN. Don't need to buy an expensive bike lah. Training is what counts.

Depending on body flexibility, not everyone can do the aero position for long periods. You might be able to do it as you don't have a tummy. The trick is to have your elbows at 90 degrees and the knees very close to the elbow (look at photos of TTH, not too long though). Just by going aero, the bicycle will go faster especially downhill.

Cycling training is a no brainer. The more kms, the better. If the position is correct (including the shoe cleats) and you don't fall, it is injury free and very pleasurable.

Langkawi is a very hot place. Ideally one should also train in the sun. But after being in the air con the whole week, I am very adverse to the sun. So I will go to Genting Sempah, Bentong and Fraser. You can do more kms and more hours in the saddle.

Heavy vs. easy gears is a personal preference.

RUN

Running is the most important event. It will determine whether you will have a good time or a slow time. Even though running is your forte, you still have to keep it up, otherwise you will loose your running muscles.

BRICKS (CYCLE AND RUN)

If you wan't seriously good times, you have to do bricks often just like "the good ones". Go for a run after your long bike. Otherwise do the long ride on Saturday and the long run on Sunday.

ROUNDING UP

I havn't given you a "weekly programme" ha ha. I suppose its one hour each day (Monday to Friday), an obscene long ride on Saturday (if a non working day) and a long run (20km minimum) on Sunday. You got life made.

Next posting, I will talk about the actual event at Langkawi.