In this exclusive member’s only call, which you can download at the bottom of this post, Ben & Kerry answer listener questions, including…

Todd – Calgary, AB, Canada

During an early season sprint triathlon where the swim is in a pool, what is your transition strategy? Do you wear a swimsuit in the pool, and then pull on tri shorts and top in transition? Or, would you wear a full tri suit for the whole race? Or another combination?

Kerstin – San Francisco

Bricks – injury vs best race prep question: How many bike-run brick work-outs would you recommend doing when training for a HIM? Is there a real physiological adaptation when doing bricks during training or do they have more of a psychological effect, meaning getting used to the FEELING of running on heavy legs for the fist 10min after the bike? I am trying to balance avoiding injuries during training vs best race preparation. Thank you!

Kerstin – San Francisco

Another HIM race planning question: What power zone would you recommend to target for the bike ride of a HIM given that it is my first HIM and it is a hilly course. For some additional background, I am a bad swimmer, an OK cyclist (having invested a lot into my cycling training during the last 3 months) and a decent runner. Thank you!

Kerstin – San Francisco

Hi, I have a 2-part question: 1.) My first HIM is coming-up in 8 wks and I am wondering how I should adjust my half-marathon race pace to set a realistic goal race pace for the run of the Half IM? 2.) What portion of my training runs should be done at goal race pace to peak in 8 wks? My current training plan prescribes a lot of interval training (0.5mi or 1mi intervals at HMP) in addition to a slow long run per wk, but I am concerned about the lack of longer runs at goal race pace. What is your perspective on that? Thank you!

Dana – Baltimore

Hey guys, Have been running for about 8 months in the vibram five finger shoes. I know that these shoes are time intensive to put on therefore not too conducive to tris. Is their a shoe that is comparable to the vibrams that mimicks that “”barefoot” type of feeling?

Jeff – Mandeville, LA

I am training for my first sprint march 28th I am 41 and have been training since Oct. 09. Today I did my own sprint and finished in 1 hr 32 minutes. With a sprint would it be ok to do one or two more before my race to help figure out my body. My slow part was the run. Any suggestions. Jeff

Sue –

Ben & Kerry – Have either one of you had any experience coaching someone with arthritis or bad neck pain and if so what adjustments did you have to make? I just found out I have bad arthritis in my neck and the doctor said freestyle swimming should be okay but no breastroke. Also he recommends getting my bike adjusted so that my neck isn’t so bent when I am down on my aerobars. I have a road bike with add on aerobars. I am hoping the bars can just be raised. Any other tips?

David – California

Big Gear, Low Cadence vs. Higher Gear, Higher Cadence? I read a lot of conflicting articles about the benefits of big gear work and I am also conflicted (or perhaps better word would be confused) And from one who uses a power meter, I know a watt is a watt; and one can achieve the same wattage level regardless whether spinning at 70rpm and pushing on the pedals less frenquently or is pushing on the pedals more frequently (e.g. 90rpm). Since two different cadences can generate the same power, and all other things equal will generate the same speed on a bike, what really are the advantages of big gear work if one can hold, for example, 300 watts over some duration regardless of their cadence? I am aware there will be differences in heart rate between cadence levels, but are there any other actual physiological advantages to big gear work?

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In this exclusive member’s only call, which you can download at the bottom of this post, Ben & Kerry answer listener questions, including…

Kerstin – San Francisco

Hi, What is your view on TRX suspension training and its value for Triathlon? Thanks!

Todd Houston – Calgary, Canada

Hi guys, I’m doing alot more high intensity training than I normally do at this time of year, and I feel great. I do 1 hard session of each swim, bike, run, and then my other 1 or 2 sessions are easy, zone 1-2. However, I’m finding that with winter still here, I’m not getting in as many long runs (90+mins) or long rides (2+ hours) as I did last year. Since my race season begins in May with 2 sprint triathlons, is this okay or should I really push to make sure I get in these long slow efforts?

Shane (Triskele) – Toronto – Ontario

Second Question – i was thinking about doing two half ironman races this year. One mid-July one early September. Should I start my program with the first end date before my first race? If so what should I do between races?

Shane (Triskele) – Toronto – Ontario

I am a new member – I have selected the 25 week HIM training program – but based on my race not starting until sept 12th – it gives me a few weeks before the plan starts in TrainingPeaks – is there any suggestion what to do in the mean time in terms of base building or should i just repeat the first couple of weeks and add them manually.

Chuck – Viginia Beach

I’m signed up for a Half ironman in May, and have a olympic distance race the week before that race. Would it be a good or bad idea to do a duathlon the week before the olympic? Would it be good preparation or would I be forgoing too many longer training sessions?

Patrick – Smyrna, TN

What are some of your favorite exercises for functional core strength for triathlon using little to no equipment?

One more question, for athletes who are in cold weather conditions and cant always get outside to run, are there any ways to get around running on days thats its warmer but still icy or slick out?

John L. – Memphis

I just entered the 70.3 in Austin. I was wondering if you could dedicate some time talking about transition. Which distances should I try to get away with no socks on the bike ride? Some priceless secrets to your transition?

Andrew – Orion, IL

Hey Guys, as a beginner where can I get the biggest gains? I see all these gimmics out there saything do this program, or try this technique, but how do I sort these out? If I went and bought all the things that people say help them succeed I would be a Poor poor man. What is your advice for beginners to keep me motivated and not overloaded with information?

Dru – Winter Springs, FL

My only bike is a road bike with clip-on aerobars. I know that there is different geometry on a road bike and a tri bike, so should I be moving my seat forward (and maybe up a hair?) when I do rides with more time in the aerobar position, or should I pick a compromise position and use that for all my training and races? (I also do some group rides where I can’t use my aerobars.)

Bret j – Cedar City

I am training for Ironman St. George and it is VERY hilly. Additionally, I am training indoors because there is still snow and ice on the ground. What is a good way to simulate varying hill inclines on an indoor trainer? I am on a Kurt Kinetic Fluid trainer.

Kallie – Canada

How do I train my body to stop being hungry all the time? I have just started to follow the Holistic Fueling for Ironman Triathletes but I find I am still hungry after breakfast and in the evening. Can I add or substitute an egg to the breakfast for more protein. Is this way of eating just something my body is going to have to adjust to over time? I am currently a carb junkie and would like to loose some weight but I crave carbs and sweets all the time.

Todd – Calgary, Canada

Hey guys, I’ve been doing some more regular early morning swim workouts (6am), and don’t tend to eat before going to the pool. On days that I am doing mainly drills I am fine, but on the days that I’m doing harder or longer sets, I find that after the workout, I’m a little dizzy and drained off energy. Should I be fueling before these swims, or during, or both? If before, what is the best thing to eat if realistically I’m only going to fuel 30mins before the workout. Thanks!

Jennifer – Calif

Even though I consider my swim to be my weakest link, the differential between myself and great swimmers in a IM distance event is about 15 minutes. However the differential in the bike leg are about an hour. To me the best ROI for my training time would be to bike more rather than swim more as I think I can gain more minutes (faster time) by more biking rather than more swimming. Potential maximum gain of 15min in swim versus 1 hour in bike. Your thoughts on my perspective. Thanks.

David – California

What are your thoughts on run training, based on Jack Daniel’s Vdot system in which running is by specific pace intervals as opposed to heart rate based training?

Jim & Viki – Spokane

With all the sanctioning bodies and several “national championships” all with some qualifiers, some are more liberal than others. How does one decide which way to go, if their goal is age group recognition? Oor is the right answer all of the above? Or do you qualify for what ever you can and work your way uup to the more exclusive events?? Are the more expensive events better run?

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Christiann – CDA

I am doing my first Ironman this year at CDA and am following a guide given by another athlete who has done a few Ironmans already. He said he does a slow build to prevent injury. i got on the training peak and got the Intermediate Ironman guide since i have already done quite a few Olympics i figured i could handle the training load. i am a lot lower on milage for runs than what the training peak guide says. i swim twice a week for hour and half and then bike twice a week for an hour doing hills and intervals and weights three times a week. i do a long bike ride for hour and half and run for 6miles on sat. sun is an off day. i wonder am i really far behind as other athletes around me are saying how theyve ran 13miles and biked and hour all in the same day. Or are they over training? thanks any advice would help

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In this exclusive member’s only call, which you can download at the bottom of this post, Ben & Kerry answer a jam-packed series of listener questions, including…

Jeremy Hagerman – St Johns, MI

I am in the build phase of a self made training plan for IM 70.3 Racine. I work 24 hour rotating shifts and I have to change the order of my workouts on a weekly basis. What are the best resources to model a training plan on; or what options do I have for mapping out my own training plan so that I reach the critical volume/peak with the right volume and intensity.

Erik Sanders – Burnsville

I got one of your 24 week advanced half iron man training plans from training peaks. I am doing a couple of tri’s this summer but two in particular i would like peak for, an olympic on June 13th, and the half iron on August 8th. What would be a good way to “modify” this plan to also peak for the olympic in June as well as the half iron, if possible?

Jonathon – Santa Fe

A few weeks ago Rich Roll was on the show and you guys talked a little bit about eating raw vs. cooking food. Can you elaborate a little bit on why you wouldn’t to cook food (is thats what was being said.) I’ve also heard cooking/heating protein powder degrades its quality- is there any truth to that?

Chuck – Virginia Beach

We just got hit with a bad snow storm and I can’t get outside for workouts. My training plan this weekend called for a 14 mile run. I couldn’t do this on a treadmill, so instead I did a 1 hour spin class followed by an 8 mile hard interval run. Is this a good way to replace these long workouts or is there a better way?

David – Ojai

There is a segment of the triathlon world that suggests, for the average age-grouper athelete, that one can have a very successful IM or HIM distance triathlon on only 8 to 10 hours of training a week. Quality over quantity seems to be the primary premise. In your experience, can an average age-grouper achieve a successful long distance triathlon event with such training hours? Thanks

David – Ojai

There is a lot of information in the triathlon-space about how to train, but I find there is limited resources guiding an athlete how to race. In otherwords, how to execute a race plan; for example… correct pacing on the bike in order to ensure a good run, or how should one tackle a hilly bike course. I’ve experienced many times first hand many athletes hammering up a hill blowing by me on the bike, but I see them on the run and they are walking and I pass them running. Question is….are there resources in the triathlon-space that deal with the art of racing a triathlon? Thanks

Bret j – Cedar City

To use big gears or litte gears for an Ironman Race, that is the question. I read an article with BT where Chrissie Wellington shared her tip of riding with a big gear (semi-mashing) versus spinning which she claims raises your HR and builds up lactate acid faster. What’s your take? I tend to be more of masher cuz I go faster than spinning but can see the wisdom of spinning ala Lance Armstrong style.

Todd – Calgary, AB

Hi Ben and Kerry, When I was a competitive cyclist, it was widely accepted that Zone 3 or Tempo training (70-80% of Max HR)was considered to be “junk miles” on the bike. If you want to improve VO2max you did work in Zone 4, and if you wanted to improve aerobic base, you did work in Zones 1 and 2. Now that I’ve been training for triathlon for a couple of years, I’ve noticed that I spend a good amount of time training in Zone 3 (tempo runs, hill repeats on bike and run, etc.). I also notice that the majority of my races are spent in Zone 3. Can you talk a little about the benefits and pitfalls of working in Zone 3, and if I should be spending time in this zone during Base training, or back off on this until a Build period. Thanks!

lorraine – albuquerque

What drills do you do on the bike to go from flats to mountain hills?

lorraine – albuquerque

Hi there, As you swim, how do you balance gliding, power, and the least amount of strokes? Secondly, what drill on the bike do you do to go from flats to mountain hills?

Tad –

Is the sprint distance training plans flexible with switching days occasionally? Example if I am scheduled to bike on sunday and swim on monday can I switch it around and swim on sunday and bike on monday?

Gus – Red Deer, AB

Definately a Newbie question but: I am aiming for my first half iron distance in August, my main goal is just to finish… but im competitive by nature so i always want to do be as fast as I can. Most training plans I’ve been reviewing generally have atleast two days a week with 2 workouts. I’ve been struggling to do any two-a-day workouts. Is it possible to increase fitness in all 3 sports by only training each sport twice a week?

Justin – Washington, DC

What are your thoughts on competing in a HIM 7 weeks before an IM? (Note: this is my first Ironman and I’m aiming for the 12/13 hour mark)

Cindy –

I am going to be starting the 15 week intermediate sprint program this week which will take me to the end of May. I am planning on doing 3 sprints this summer – 1 at the end of May (more a fun race). The second one is 3 weeks later (my ‘B’ race) and the third one 3 weeks after that (my ‘A’ race). Should I be adjusting the program by repeating weeks in the beginning (like do week 1 twice, week 2 twice, etc) so that I peak for my A race in mid July? Or, do I follow the program that will finish just in time for my May race and then repeat weeks 12-14 for my other races? Also, can you tell me which weeks of the 15 week sprint program are base, build, peak.

Becky – Rocky Mountain House

I have a question about adjusting my training plan. The plan I chose for my first Ironman is a ‘beginner’ plan, 20 weeks long and I chose to begin it a month early. I have four weeks to fill in so I am throwing around a few options and wanted feedback from someone that know what they are talking about. As background this is my fourth season of racing, I completed a half ironman triathlon last July, and trained fairly consistently through my off season. I am a middle of the pack athlete, I don’t need to be a podium finisher I just want to have a good solid race. I will be racing IM CDA on June 27th. The plan I am using consists of 4 weeks of prep, 3x 4 weeks of base and 3 weeks of a taper/race period. The hours vary from 8-18. I can repeat one of the base months, to keep it simple, or I could add in a ‘build’ month before the taper/race period. Is four weeks even long enough to reap the benefits of build training? Not sure what I should be looking to do here, I am hoping you will have some words of wisdom. Thank-you!

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