Strong first for a triathlon

[drewmeister8]

Hi all, I have been following string first for about 2 years now and love it, I have done the built strong minimalist, strength endurance, and S&S protocols. I have recently decided to do a sprint triathlon and wanted to use kettle bells and string first methodology for my strength training. Other than running, swimming, and biking twice per week each I'm using the quick and the dead kb swings and push ups 1 day a week and jump squats and slam balls the other day. My comp is in 11 weeks and wanted to see if anyone would be willing to provide some advice or give experience so that I can be best prepared for my race. Thank you to any and all who respond.

 

[Justin_M]

Novocaine Base + Endurance supplement making session 7 a long medley LISS day. Train as often as you're recovered or take a deload every few weeks.

 

[offwidth]

Depends. Do you just want to finish the tri, or do you want a decent time and/or feel good when you finish?
How experienced are you in each of the events?

Again… depending upon the answers I might drop all that other stuff and focus more on the events. Especially one(s) I was weakest in.

 

[drewmeister8]

Offwidth:
I've swam, biked, and ran for an okay amount before, meaning I've trained them but never very consistently or for very long, but never all together.

 

[offwidth]

Offwidth:
I've swam, biked, and ran for an okay amount before, meaning I've trained them but never very consistently or for very long, but never all together.

I would just focus on the three events. Again… spending extra time on my weakest one.
Are you doing multiple sessions per day? If not, you might consider doing so.
Once you have this one done, and if you decide you want to pursue further then you can start thinking about how best to incorporate KB strength training in a fashion that address your weaknesses.

Get the basics dialed in first…

 

[Georgiaoutdoors]

I would just focus on the three events. Again… spending extra time on my weakest one.
Are you doing multiple sessions per day? If not, you might consider doing so.

Especially consider simulating race day in the sense of doing mixed training in the order it’s done on race day - experiencing what the transitions are like, particularly from cycling to running.

Even just doing a morning main session and adding a second recovery session in the afternoon/evening can make a substantial difference - 15-30min in Z1 and low Z2, can make you more fresh for your main session the next day.

 

[JPCross]

I am not experienced with tri's but am a fan of the sport. Personally, I enjoy rowing on the C2 and running as my aerobic or endurance activities.

To echo @Georgiaoutdoors, a proper brick session or multiple are paramount. It doesn't even need to be that long per se, but going from one modality to another is going to be crucial. Something like a 15:00 to 30:00 run off a bike will help you get familiar with the feeling you'll experience on race day.

I do some row / run "bricks" in my training not because I am doing a row / run race, rather I like doing both and want to fit both into the week. If I run off a row, I typically can settle into a bit quicker pace earlier into the run than when I am fresh, but my HR is higher overall. The one mistake I have made is going out too fast in the run; its very tempting because you normally feel pretty darn good as you are more than warm and in a nice rhythm, but it will come back to bite you.

Like I mentioned, a relatively short 15 - 30 mins run off the brick to practice what it will feel like and also learn to develop a bit of restraint from going out too quick will really pay off.

 

[intheways]

I recently raced two legs of an olympic distance off-road triathlon. For strength, I did a little bit of 033, but focused primarily on S&S twice a week. It worked really well with 2-3X a week for the other disciplines.

 

[DBuckles]

I personally believe that you will see tremendous benefits when adding a kettlebell cross training facet to your endurance training! However, the more time spent learning kettlebell form is less time spent focusing on your triathlon. I have trained long distance events for years have seen great success (improves strength, speed, and less injury) with KB swings, rack lunges, Get-Ups, and single leg deadlifts (balance and hip activation).
My favorite physical and mental (the stronger your mentality is in endurance sports the more success you will have) is Tabata kettlebell swings (20 seconds of swings, 10 seconds rest X 8) then run a mile. Work your way up to 3 rounds or more if you’re training for longer distances