Success with CompuTrainer 
by Donna Smyers


    When Japanese efficiency techniques swept through Dilbert-like offices in the 80s, buzzwords weren’t long to follow. “Just-in-time delivery” and “just-in-time manufacture” meant no one was sitting on inventory—everything arrived just in time. The same efficiency techniques can be applied to
triathlon, so you’re not sitting on a huge inventory of early-season training that’s gone stale by the time you really need it. I call it “just-in-time training.”

    Here are some examples of the just-in-time training philosophy for biking that has allowed me to succeed as the best in my age group at events as diverse as the Ironman, Powerman, Olympic distance Nationals and Worlds, and even the Earth Journey Vermont Sun Ultra Triathlon. 

    Take a few months off from biking in the winter. Look at your first important summer event and decide how much training you need to do, then work backwards. Each year the goal might vary. For example, last year I needed to be in Half-Ironman shape by St. Croix on May 7. The prior year, my first focus was the June 2 World’s qualifier in Lake Placid. The year before it was July 15 Ironman USA in Lake Placid. Obviously these goals required different preseason training. 

    The Base: This program is not for couch potatoes aiming for their first Ironman, but you could use it for a sprint or international distance tri. You need to maintain strong legs and good aerobic capacity over the winter by cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, aerobic dance
or even playing hockey—whatever is fun and gives you a winter goal. Running outside is usually feasible all but the worst days.

    Working back: Based on the event, determine how many miles per week and what kind of long rides you need in the month prior to the event. For Ironman, I recommend 150-200 miles/week, for a half IM, 110-140 miles per week; for shorter distances, 100 miles per week. The long ride should be 100, 60, and 40 respectively. You can cut these distances by 20-30 percent if your training is indoors on a Computrainer because of the sustained nature of CT training. Working back, cut about 40 percent per month (note that this translates to the old golden rule of 10 percent increase per week— just average it out and try to hit the goal about three of the four weeks). For example, for IM USA on July 15, I needed to bike 150-200 miles/week most of June, 80-120 in May, and 50-70 in April. For shorter distances, wake up your muscles three months out, bike 60-80 miles per week two months out, and try to keep it over 100 for a few weeks before the event. Taper two to three weeks for Ironman and one week for shorter races. (You need less taper time if you are not over-trained to start with). 

    The Training: Forget all that HR zone stuff. For the first 8-10 workouts, work on cadence to develop neuromuscular efficiency. This is where Computrainer excels. Use spin scan, cadence and short intervals to work your way back to your optimal form. The intervals are for increased cadence, but not at a harder grade or larger gear. The first month is the most important step in preserving your knees for the rest of the season. After the first month, a weekly time trial of 8-12 miles is critical for increasing your muscular endurance. My bike club starts them in May, so before May and when it’s raining, it’s just me and the Computrainer. Don’t race your full bike course if you have the CT program, unless it is a sprint. You cannot maintain the proper intensity for more than 20-30 minutes. After the first month, hills are your friends. Seek them out—embrace them, and pick hilly Computrainer courses. Especially on hills, your power (and therefore speed) drops drastically if you are grinding too high a gear or spinning so that you hardly catch up with the pedals. Use the CT to fine-tune your biking rather than trying to spin like Lance (unless of course, you are Lance).  Intervals on the CT can replace either hills or the TT, depending on their length, intensity, and cadence. They also help the time to pass quickly.

    So, ramp it up, rest, and race before you have time to get stale or injured. Then rest a few days (a month for IM), and target the next race with a new just-in-time plan.

Donna Smyers, a physical therapist at Central Vermont Hospital and a Computrainer user since 1993, is the reigning 45-49 World Champion at the Ironman and ITU Olympic distances. She holds the IM USA bike course record of 5:21 on the hilly Lake Placid course.