Peaking for the big race
The final phase of the build up for your big race of the year can give your performance the edge, gaining a 1-3% improvement in fitness. That’s roughly 30-90s for every hour racing. You can only do this two, maybe three times a year, but you do need a solid build up that is putting you right on the edge to get the benefits of super compensation.
The length of the peaking phase is generally 3-4weeks. Although it could be as little as 7-10 days, if you have not had such a big or consistent build up. With the athletes I coach I split the peaking in to 3 phases:
1) Recovery – 1 week to reduce fatigue and allow the body to go in
to deep repair.
2) Peaking - 1-2 weeks to get the zip back and add the final touches.
3) Race Week – warming up, some race pace and pick ups.
I have found that 4 weeks works best for an Ironman distance event for an athlete that has had a consistent, higher volume preparation and 3 week works well for all other distances and a lower volume or less consistent Ironman preparation. Many people don’t like backing off so early, but it is better to be race ready a week early and maintain fitness, rather than be on the start line fatigued and not quite ready.
During the recovery week reduce your training volume to 40-60% of normal and cut out the intensity during the first part of the week. Towards the end of the week include some 30-60s pick ups in each discipline and then have a normal weekend with slightly reduced volume, but finishing each session strong around goal race pace or quicker.
Peak week 1 of a 4 week plan will have a hard session of normal volume in each discipline and a long ride and run. The distance of the longer sessions for an Ironman athlete would be 4hrs on the bike, with race pace efforts and a 1hr30 to 1hr45min run. Try and use terrain similar to that in the race, clothing you will wear and practice you nutrition plan. All other session are at easy aerobic or recovery pace. I find that a sprint race at the weekend works very well. If you do this then the sprint becomes the hard session for the week. You just need to fit in the longer sessions. I do this by running long on the Thursday, riding long on the Saturday and racing on the Sunday. This works even better if you can find a Saturday race, to ride long on the Sunday.
Peak week 2 (peak 1 of a 3 week plan), will have a normal hard swim, whilst the hard bike and run with have half the amount of intensity and a long ride of no more than 2hrs and run no more than 1hr.
Race week usually looks something like this:
Mon – Very easy day.
Tue – Swim with a man set of 4x150 as 50 fast, 100cruise, with 15s rest.
Run 4x90s @ 5-10km pace with 90s easy
Wed - Bike 5x2mins at or slightly above race pace with 2mins easy
Thur - Swim 4x100 as 50 fast, 50 cruise with 15s rest
Bike 30mins with 4-6 30s picks ups with 15min run off the bike
Fri - REST
Sat Short swim, with 4x50 fast with 15s rest
20mins bike with 3-4 x 1min build to fast with 1min easy.
10min run off the bike with 4x20s fast 40s easy.
Sun RACE
The hardest part of the peaking process is that you are likely to feel sluggish and heavy at times. This is all part of the process. Your body can’t be fast when it is in deep repair. You do need to take a flexible approach and go with how you feeling. When you are sluggish and heavy, focus on staying relaxed, maintaining good technique and being smooth. This reinforces all the positives. Most importantly you have to resist the urge for one last hard or long session as this could spoil your race. If in doubt do less or go easier. Finally when the demons enter your head, remind yourself of all the hard work you have done and your best sessions.
