Just like eating pancakes I like to stack my training into short stacks and big stacks. Short stacks are usually super focused 2 days – either big volume or high intensity – followed a a day or two of easier training. I modeled this approach from my ultra running days – where it is quite common to try and decrease the number of days you do a certain distance in. For example: when training for a 100 miler, you might begin with it taking you 10-12 days to get that distance in…and as you get fitter, better prepared and see your body is able to handle the load(s) – you might be running a 100 miles in 3 days with little recovery windows. So – back to triathlon: After some bigger volume and training with a fair amount of intensity sprinkled in the last 3 weeks, I wanted to throw in a short stack this week. A lighter Sunday (just a swim) and an early Saturday run (20 miles on trails in Bend) – I had 48 hrs of recovery with only a long – stretched out swim…I should be recovered.

My short stack consisted of 3 hrs bike with 10% over and unders with a 6 mile tempo run off the bike. I do this later in the day in order to finish the training, eat, sleep, wake up early and continue the short stack: in this case a swim and 16 miles speed changes run. Therefore in 20 hrs I got in 6 hrs of quality training. Then I planned to keep things simple again for 48 hrs.

3hrs on the bike included 5×10-15 minutes over race watts by 10%, with recovery at under race watts by 10% in between. Due to terrain, this means I started my ‘work at 25 minutes into the ride, and had to shut it down after 2:25hrs. It worked out to being a great quality ride with 5 steady rounds of under overs. Off bike and go for 6 miles, ran a little hot, but kept the RPE dead on a tick slower than 70.3 feel. Home by 6pm, eat, drink, little work, eat and drink some more…bed…5am wake up, coffee, to the pool, and in the water at 5:40am. Quick 4000, then home – eat, hydrate and 16 miles run at 5-5-5 build. 5 miles at IM pace, 5 miles at tick faster (12-15 sec) – 5 miles another tick faster (15sec)..1 mile back off on feel of IM pace. Done by 10am. Got ‘er done in just over 20 hrs.

What is a big stack? 3-4 days in a row, but being real smart on the intensity vs. volume. Since the big stack also has little recovery time (since the training hrs are longer), you can’t ask for both – so back off the intensity – until the last day – then – if things are still clicking – go! Have fun – work out all the ‘patience & restraint’ you showed earlier. But if you stack it right – that should not happen. The real big stack? What I did with Rich Roll and some of my UltraMan guys.. Day 1 was a 8-10k swim + 50 mile bike – Day was a 100 mile bike – Day 3 was a 40 miles run….basically 80% of the race distance..if you can resume ‘regular’ training after that…you are ready…!

After my short stack I ate a lot – quality = carbs! After 20 hrs of recovery it was easy to resume regular Wednesday intervals in the morning class and today worked a quality swim (3900yrds) with a quality run (2x{3×1 mile build to 30 sec faster than race pace} continuous).

Class in the morning and off to Boulder. Another short stack in the mountains please!