I think that this fits well with the Carmichael time-crunched cyclist approach (lots of short maximal intervals). At some point I'll poke around those references, but i don't think that they are espousing training the way we do here.
Even Phil Skiba, who agrees that the EN way makes sense, doesn't train his athletes this way. He uses more long Z2 stuff, though not like a Friel style program.
Unfortunately, the studies cited don't seem to speak to the question WE are most interested in: Would a training diet of solely short intense intervals result in the same race performance (in a 112 mile bike time trial followed by a 26.2 mile run) as a progression of intervals to longer efforts over the course of a training season? The studies seem to be about the effect of intervals on cardiac performance and skeletal muscle changes, with inferences from that on one's ability to perform "endurance" efforts (which may be defined as short as 30 minutes, not six hours).
I'm gonna keep adding far to my fast. But this year, at least for my first IM, I'm only going to try about 6-7 weeks of "far" and see what that does; for my second one, it will be about 8-10 weks of IM specific training.
@Al, I am on the comeback trail this year and have some serious IM goals...but I am tempted to play around in 2012 with just doing short stuff for a season with 2 RRs and seeing what I can do.
@ Patrick... Come April, after 14 weeks in the OS, I'll be coming at ya in the Macro thread to ask about my own comeback strategy. So far, my gut tells me sticking with the OS thru May 22, modified with one 4 HR bike per week and one 2hr run per week after week 14, along with M,F, Sun swim, a Big Week 5weeks out, and a final RR should get me to IM CDA all right. I suspect the longer I'm doing this, the less long stuff I actually need.
Al, I did less than what you just suggested in my buildup to placid last year. With the experience in your legs, I'd think you would be fine with a strategy like that, especially given the way you've laid out your goals for the year.
Comments
Even Phil Skiba, who agrees that the EN way makes sense, doesn't train his athletes this way. He uses more long Z2 stuff, though not like a Friel style program.
Unfortunately, the studies cited don't seem to speak to the question WE are most interested in: Would a training diet of solely short intense intervals result in the same race performance (in a 112 mile bike time trial followed by a 26.2 mile run) as a progression of intervals to longer efforts over the course of a training season? The studies seem to be about the effect of intervals on cardiac performance and skeletal muscle changes, with inferences from that on one's ability to perform "endurance" efforts (which may be defined as short as 30 minutes, not six hours).
I'm gonna keep adding far to my fast. But this year, at least for my first IM, I'm only going to try about 6-7 weeks of "far" and see what that does; for my second one, it will be about 8-10 weks of IM specific training.
Mike, glad to get an experiential confirmation of my plan.