Coach Troy is the Official Coach of IRONMAN and receives numerous emails from athletes of all levels signed up to do an Ironman 70.3 (or half Ironman distance) wondering which DVDS in the SPINERVALS series to purchase in order to prepare them for a strong bike split on race day. The 70.3 distance requires a combination of speed and endurance. The top athletes ride just near their limit (i.e. threshold), but never go over it as they need to run a strong half marathon off the bike. Training for this distance requires that the athlete develop an extensive base of aerobic and muscular endurance, as well as do workouts later in their race preparation cycle to boost their lactate threshold. Coach Troy recommends that the competitive cyclist and triathlete dedicates a 'block' of 6-12 weeks each winter on 'aerobic base' training. This type of training creates the foundation on which greater fitness and endurance can be built in the future. Assuming you've already worked several weeks on your base, you're probably anxious to start reaping the rewards of your patience and discipline.

What is the 'ideal training week' that you can do in preparation for the 70.3 (half Ironman distance) bike leg using the Spinervals DVD Series? Keeping in mind that all athletes are different, here's the coach's general recommendation for your bike training only (Not running or swimming)

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: Spinervals 16- Aero Base Builder I

Wednesday: Spinervals 35 - Develop Technique and Power

Thursday: Spinervals 14 - Totally Time Trial

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Spinervals 13.0 - Tough Love

Sunday: Spinervals 16 - Aero Base Builder I

Breaking this schedule down, you'll notice that you'll be riding for five days in the week (this plan is intended for experienced riders) tackling a block of three workouts and then a recovery day, followed by a block of two workouts and a recovery day. The 'aerobic base builder' workout is to be done in Zone 2. 35.0 - Develop Technique and Power, is a Zone 2 and Zone 4-5 workout. Spinervals 14.0 is a high quality LTHR building workout targeting Zone 3 (high)-4 and Spinervals 13.0 - Tough Love , is a Zone 2-3 Workout, designed to boost your muscular strength and endurance.

This is a tough week of training, and is intended for the intermediate and experienced rider. It hits all of the key energy systems necessary for fast riding over 2.5 hours, as most athletes will do for the 70.3 distance.

We suggest that you do this training block (or substitute other Spinervals Workouts of similar focus/intensity for variety) for 2-3 weeks in a row, then do an 'easy week' of mostly aerobic base training. Repeat this block of 2-3 weeks two or three times, perhaps building the time on the bike on your weekend workouts (i.e. up to 4-5 hour rides on Saturday and 2-3 hour rides on Sunday), and you'll be ready to tear it up on race day!

The workouts included in these recommendations are:

Spinervals 13.0 - Tough Love

Spinervals 14.0 - Totally Time Trial

Spinervals 16.0 - Aero Base Builder I

Spinervals 35.0 - Develop Technique and Power