If the following article talks about the perfect training week, then this is to be regarded as ideal. Only a few triathletes will be able and willing to organize their daily routine in this way. Nevertheless, it makes sense to train according to a specific scheme and to coordinate the individual intensities and volumes with each other.
The distribution of the optimal load within a microcycle from Monday to Sunday is shown in the weekly schedule. The load is made up of intensity and volume, so this plan can provide a starting point for all triathlon distances.
Mon: regenerative training or rest day
Tue: sprints
Wed: GAI long
Thurs: G2/EB
Fri: regenerative
Sa: full
So full
The perfect training week, load distribution in the form of bars (I)
Day 1 / Monday
After an intense weekend, either complete rest or active relaxation is the order of the day. This could be an easy, technical swim, a leisurely 1-2 hour bike ride, or a 40-minute run in the recovery or GA1 zones.
Day 2 / Tuesday
Short, hard intervals integrated into a relaxed basic training are on the agenda for day two of the training week. For example, an endurance run of 60-80 minutes, in the course of which 4-6 sprints of 20 meters each are integrated. Alternatively, a swim or bike workout with sprints of up to about 6 seconds.
The reason for the brevity of the sprints: They do not cause excessive production of lactate and are not too taxing. Rather, the short bursts of speed represent an additional training stimulus, which can lead to sore muscles when running, even for well-trained people.
Day 3 / Wednesday
This day is ideal for a long run or a combination of cycling and running. The focus here is on aerobic endurance training. Overall, this unit must not be too much of a strain, as the intensity increases the next day.
Day 4 / Thursday
In the middle of the week it's time for a hard session in the GA2 or development area. This means that competition speed should be trained, integrated into a medium-length endurance unit. All three disciplines are suitable here. One of the following units would be conceivable. For swimming, it could be 4-8 x 400m at race pace for long distance swimmers or 15 x 100m for short distance. A running unit with 6 to 10 times 1 km load would also be conceivable. A coupled unit with hard cycling and a subsequent intensive run would also be possible.
Day 5 / Friday
After the last three days with increasing stress, training like on day 1 or a complete rest day is recommended.
Day 6 and 7 / Saturday, Sunday
After the rest day, quality and quantity can be increased again on Saturday and Sunday. Depending on the weather, this can be: Long bike rides or runs with intensity in the second half of the unit, combination and coupling units, swimming in the lake, test competitions, etc.
The rest days are important within a microcycle. If these are not adhered to, this can lead to overtraining, an increased susceptibility to infections or injuries. "Your muscles grow on the rest day," a wise coach once said.
