How Much Training is This Gonna Take?

That question rolls around in my head a lot these days... While I know my current program is more than adequate for sprint distance and probably close to enough for Olympic distance, I do have Ironman delusions or - at the very least - marathon delusions, and I've thought about how much more training those longer events would require.

Stumbling upon this entry by Ray Britt was a real eye-opener for me and has caused me to think that maybe I can go longer without my family forgetting who I am. Don't miss the post, as Britt goes into detail (and includes his logs for all to see), but here's the money quote:

I’ve tracked every minute of my training since starting endurance events in 1994. And looking back over the years, here are my benchmarks:

• First Real Triathlon season: 5 to 6 hours training hours per week
• Seasons as a top 25% or better finisher: 6 to 7 hours training hours per week
• Seasons as a top 10% or better finisher: 7 to 8 hours training hours per week

Comments

  1. Joy | Love | Chaos9:43 AM

    I don't know...I'm a tad skeptical. Not just because I'm all wrapped up in my own plan that is definitely more than 7-8 hours. But I think it's a tad unrealistic for those who aren't natural athletes. By that, I mean people who need more than 30 minutes in the pool to have any meaningful yardage or, like me, run slower than a herd of turtles. Bully for Ray, but I may need a few more minutes (read: hours) on the training horse to make it through without injury, much less top percentages.

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