Seven training tips from Jan Frodeno to prepare your best Ironman

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 The double champion of Kona and Olympic gold in Beijing 2008 does not provide seven training tips to prepare an Ironman

 1.- Short series in swimming

 Despite the fact that swimming represents around the 10% of the competition of an Ironman, Frodeno is clear that this segment must be trained correctly, and not only dedicate to make long series in the pool, but also It is also very important to do work in short series of speed.

Frodeno does five swimming sessions a week, being his speed training in days where he covers around 4.000 meters, that is more than the distance to swim in an Ironman, but his opinion is that "I think it's short, but of course it's all relative".

An example of training that Jan proposes would be:

  •  400 m warming
  • 15 x 50 technique, 5-10” recovery
  • 4-8 x 100 (Making 15” sprint and 85m easier), recovery 15”-
  • 3 x [ 8 x 50 ] (the first block every 1', the second every 1'10” and the third every 1'20”)
  • 3 x 200 pull boy
  • 200 soft styles

2.- Bike speed work

Since Jan Frodeno decided to take the step of leaving the Olympic distance and focus on the middle distance and especially the Ironman almost has doubled the weekly kilometers of cycling, previously performed between 350 and 400 km a week, whereas now the volume ranges between 650 and 700. Even so, Frodeno also continues to work intensity and speed in his workouts.

"Twice a week I do VO2 max work, something short and hard with a short rest, about 30-40” intensity followed by 10” easy or 90” intense followed by 30” easy”. They are short intervals without enough rest time to fully recover, and this work oscillates in periods of 10 to 15 minutes"

Example of cycling session

  • Heating, 60 'roll at a rate around 95 ppm
  • 3 x 10' (with 30" VO2max + 30" easy recovery)
  • 30 'easy back to calm

Jan Frodeno on foot race

3.- Foot race work on track and dirt

When Jan Frodeno competed in short distance, he did many track speed training, with short series of 20, 30, 50, up to 150m. But from his long distance journey the series it makes are longer, usually not less than 1.000m but also performs some workouts such as 20 x 400.

Today Jan runs a weekly 100kmwhile when I was focused in Olympic distance I was running from 120 to 130 km a week. THE 60% of the work is done on dirt or grass tracks and the remaining 40% on the track

An example of running training on foot would be:

  • 3 km of soft heating + technical exercises + four progressive 60-80m
  • 5 x 1000 at a steady pace, resting 90” between each recovery.
  • 3km soft trot back to calm.

4.- A winning mentality

Possibly the difference between the good and the best triathletes is to have a winning mentality. Many times before starting the competition you can know who will win or be fighting for the first positions by just observing the gestures before the start.

 Frodeno says that having a winning mentality is very important. Knowing what it costs to get the coasts makes one work harder to try to be better every day. In the long days of great burdens, having this strong mentality of knowing that you will be able to do all the work makes you know that when bad times come you will be ready to face them and fight to do your best.

5.- Ideal position on the bike.

Any improvement in the position on the bicycle It will help you to go faster with less effort. You have to take care of all the details, Cycling covers more than 50% of the competition of an Ironman, and everything that is improvements that make you advance better, will help you to go faster, avoid extra effort and get as fresh as possible to the race on foot.

 6.- Take care of the food

Another factor important is the previous nutrition and during the competition, since the elite triathletes are an average of 8 to 8h30 competing.

Except in Hawaii where there is a lot of heat and humidity, Jan Frodeno always follows the same nutritional guidelines in the race: "Nnormally I drink one bottle per hour and I replenish what is in the race although I usually look for water. In Hawaii I try take some gel in each refreshment, some 5 or 6. They are very diluted and so I do not need water and I do not take solids".

 7.- Active Recovery

After an Ironman it is important to recover well and Jan Frodeno comments. “In Ironman races, most of the stress is mental, so I try to recover mentally first and have a beer with my friends, just to relax. I also take a protein shake immediately after the race

. The next day, I try to do something of active recovery, such as swimming, because if you do not move after an Ironman is the worst thing you can do".

 Source: http://www.220triathlon.com

Photos: www.triathlete.com

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