Build Phase Training

• Posted onjofrancis
• in Masters Article Library, Mixed Bag
• onMay 1, 2014
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By Rich Jones

You have come to the end of your base phase of training and it is time to move forward to your pre competition phase or build phase lasting 6-8 weeks.

You should now take 7 days to recover and relax to allow all of the physiological developments occur. You can still train, though ensure that your volume is low with little intensity.

The purpose of the build period is to prepare for the specific demands of your seasons priority A race, whether it be sprint, standard distance, 70.3 or IM.

Your training should now mimic your targeted races course (hilly, flat, technical etc). It is important to remember that your key focus should be preparing your body to race well over the distance and specific terrain of your priority A race. You should introduce one or two race simulations a week i.e. Brick session (run off the bike) and open water swims. Interval race pace on the bike and run specific to the distance to your target race.

When approaching your race, resist the urge to increase your training volume, as this could possibly have a negative impact on your training due to the increase in fatigue when you should be increasing your recovery time between sessions and intervals to ensure that you are completely rid of any fatigue and are in great condition for race day.

What should your key sessions look like? thetrilife.com refers to these sessions as Breakthrough sessions (BT sessions). Obviously the distance and intensity would be dependant on your priority race distance, but examples could be:

Swim

Open water swim sessions or a swim test set of 10-20 x 100 off a set turn around time

Bike

Turbo at a specific intensity/HR/wattage or course at race pace intensity.

Run

Interval session for Standard: 3 x 3km @ Goal race pace with 5min recovery.

Interval session for IM: 2-3 x 5km @ Goal race pace (this session could also be introduced into a brick session)

Brick

Race simulation bike 2-4 hrs followed by a 45 – 60minute run at goal race pace/effort

Your BT sessions require at least 36 hours to recovery. Avoid recovery at your peril! It is as important as the session.

Make sure that you follow each BT session with a protein shake and 10 minutes of stretching to aid recovery. Avoid crowded places and ill people for an hour if at all possible.

Good luck with your priority A race.

Train Hard and race SMART!