70.3 vs. international distance

[Bjarke Thor Iversen]

Hi.
I am training to race in a 70.3 event in the summer of 2010 and am excited to be using this training plan. I have been using the ultra distance plan, but find it a bit to hard.... Will I be able to use this international distance plan to train for the 70.3? Where should I tweek it (my aim is pretty ambitious, I want to finish with a respectable time in a international 70.3 event)...


thanks
Bjarke

[Mike Llerandi]

Hi Bjarke,

If you want to train for 70.3, I would suggest using the International Distance plan for the workouts during the week, and then the Ultra plan for the weekends -- should be a good mix of shorter/harder work and longer work to help build your endurance.

Have fun with it!

Mike

[Matthew Greenberg]

Mike,

Thank you for all the advice on this group. I just joined and have a quick question. I am headed to Galveston April 25th to do the 70.3. This will be my second 70.3 but would like a good 25 week program to get ready through the winter here in Boulder Colorado. Do you have any advice on programs that may work for this time frame. I like the idea above of combinging the two programs, I just did not know if you had anything less than 36 weeks. Thank you again.

[Mike Llerandi]

Hi Matt,

If I were you, I'd take a look at the International Distance program matrix (the page that shows you totals, by sport) and see where you are in terms of your training today. That may help you lop off a few weeks from the front end of that program, and then you could further collapse the schedule by, say, skipping every 4th or 5th week (or whatever aligns the program weeks to the time left before Galveston).

It shouldn't be too hard to get the timing in sync, and that way you can be sure that the focus and balance is in place to get you ready.

Make sense?

Have fun with it!

Mike