Can I bike too much in week 18 of 70.3 plan?

Larry Peters

Hi, I've listened to the sport specific taper podcast many times, I have done a couple 70.3 races, and I did look in the wiki briefly for more guidance on this question. But I'm still wondering what the team thinks. Based on the podcast and the EN  training plans, I try to make week 17 my biggest running week, week 18 my biggest cycling week and week 19 my biggest swim week (for a 70.3 program). I am hoping to have extra training time next week (week 18 for the race in question 8/12 Steelhead), so I'm wondering if there are diminishing returns at some amount of cycling volume....I'm thinking 450-500 miles would be a fun number to chase and I"ve got some fun rides I can probably do to get there.

If I try to cycle over 450-500 miles in week 18 of a 70.3 plan, would that do more harm than good for my 8/12/2018 70.3 race? I'm planning on relatively flat Michigan roads, so this will be relatively less work than EN cycling camps that typically involve lots of climbing (my next 2 A-races are flat).

I saw this in the "big tri week" wiki guidance, but I'm guessing that is more relevant to a 140.6 plan:

"Happens in the 10 to 8 weeks to go Range — Any further out and it won’t match up well with your race specific build; too close and you’ll carry the cumulative fatigue into your race day."
http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage/ENFULLPlanResources/VolumeStrategySeriesPartIII.aspx

Is week 18 too close for big cycling volume pop? In conversations I've had with some of you in person, you thought it was a reasonably good time, but I want to ask the question again: is this ideal?

Before my 06/24/2018 race (CdA), I did Al T-tude camp & cycled orders of magnitudes more than I had ever cycled before (390 miles at altitude with tons of mountain climbs). That was also week 18 of my 70.3 plan, but that race (CdA 70.3) ended up being more of a training/B-race, so I wasn't as concerned about over-doing it in week 18. The race did go pretty well for me.

THANKS!

Paul Hough

Larry - I would think 450-500 miles in a week is pro-level Ironman volume.  If I even hit 300 miles in an IM build that is something.  I think you would be much better served with a 200 mile week and a lot more intensity, but neither the volume nor the intensity increase should be orders of magnitude above what you have done before that week else you might go into your race flat.

Paul Curtin

Rob -- you asked "Is week 18 too close for big cycling volume pop?"   Yes, it is.  You won't absorb the volume in time, and would likely carry fatigue all the way to week 20

Didn't you just pull of a 100-miler?  Seems to me you have plenty of base miles under your belt.  You're better off fitting in a few speed sessions on the bike ... something like Monday FTP 4x15'; Tuesday ABP; Wednesday Stoopid Easy; Thursday 8x1' Z5; Friday Even Stoopider Easy; Saturday Bike 56 at Race Pace; Sunday ABP

Limit the week to 200 miles and add 10,000 yards of swimming

Larry Peters

Awesome, thanks a million Paul and Paul! That makes a lot of sense and I will plan accordingly. (yes, I did do a 100 miler yesterday Paul since I knew I want going to be able to ride this weekend.)