Base Building Myth: Long Slow Distance vs High Intensity Workouts

One of the more memorable presentations from a Coaches conference I attended in 2010 was on “Myths”.

The myth that caught my attention was the idea that there was another way of building base on the bike other than “hours and hours of long, slow” bike rides (a.k.a. “LSD”). There is more evidence that the judicious use of high intensity workouts would give the same overall physiological, muscle adaptation and VO2 Max improvements as the tried and true long slow aerobic base ride.

While we are luckier than most in regards to weather here in Northern California, our outdoor time is still limited at this time of the year, and it seems that if anything could give us the same conditioning in significantly less time would be of interest. Of course you should not interpret this to mean “ride shorter distances at a faster pace”. The high intensity efforts that are called for in this theory are very HIGH – all out efforts – usually 5 minutes or less and should be approached with a certain amount of caution. Also, if you try to attempt a Half Ironman or Ironman distance event with just a few weeks of wind sprints, or worse yet just the Beer Mile as your base, you will be asking for a certain amount of trouble including injury.

There is still research to be done in this field to understand all of the implications, but there seems to be enough evidence in favor of adding these workouts in to your routine especially if time, weather and other factors are conspiring against you in terms of finding time to put in the traditional base work.

That said, if you’re curious what we recommend for this type of training, follow us on Twitter and Facebook; and contact Kain Performance for more information about Winter Training and Base Building Plans.

Coach John Magee

Related links:
http://www.active.com/cycling/articles/high-intensity-training-the-latest-evidence regarding high-intensity cyclinghttp://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/03/training/the-basics-of-triathlon-base-building_24518 more on base building, including a ratio of high and low intensity

2023-11-02T21:39:28+00:00

I joined Kain Performance in 2003 and since then this team and triathlon have become a huge part of my life. Pete and Shari have created a great program lead not only by their coaching but their team concept. We train as a team, we push each other to improve, and on race day we support each other like no other group out there. In the past 7 years we’ve traveled as a team to races in Europe, Hawaii, and of course all over the US. I’ve made great friends along the way and have improved at the sport more then I ever expected. I’ve gone from a middle of the pack finisher to actually winning my age group in a triathlon this past year. I’ve competed in National Championship races and have finished 50 triathlons including 3 Ironman’s. In 2009 I was part of the Kain Iron team that went to Ironman Austria. The trip and event was a perfect example of a Kain destination race. The 20+ athletes competing combined with their supporters made for a great group of people and an incredible experience on race day that I will always remember. At Kain it’s all about the team and weather you are an age group winner or a triathlon newbie you’ll fit in. If you’ve got a triathlon goal Kain Performance will help you achieve it.

Russell

I ran into Pete at my gym in early 2010 and told him about my desire to start competing in the world of triathlons. Of course, I couldn’t swim more than a couple laps in the pool and hadn’t ridden a road bike since I delivered newspapers on a Schwinn Varsity back in the 70′s. Pete got me a great deal using the Kain Performance team discount on a new Specialized bike and all the accessories to go along with it. I began swimming, doing the Tuesday night team brick workouts, and Saturday team rides. Within two months, I completed my first sprint tri. Because I felt so prepared, it was a very positive experience. I had gained a lot of knowledge and insight from Pete, the coaches, and the other people on the team…everything from strategy, to transitions to preparation. I was hooked! Now, eight months later, I’ve completed six triathlons, including two Half-Iron events. I can’t wait to take on Ironman Austria in 2011, with the 30+ people going from Kain Performance. I enjoy the energetic and supportive nature of the folks that comprise Kain Performance. Pete and Shari have a unique way of making training fun and enjoyable and they’ve created a team environment like no other. I couldn’t have picked a better group of people to train with!

Wayne

After several seasons with Team in Training, I joined Kain Performance to step up my training. I have really noticed an improvement in my running. Pete and Shari are a great team, and you never know what to expect in terms of the workout. Pete can take a hard workout and make it one of the best workouts ever. The other team members provide a lot of energy and team spirit, and make me not want to miss a workout.

Judy

I joined Kain Performance on a Sunday during a Labor Day weekend, back in 2003; I remember that day very well because we had a great swim and run workouts finishing up the day with one of the best parties I have ever been to, just ask Jody!! I started doing triathlon back in 1993 and since then I’ve joined a few different Tri-clubs but when I came to Kain Performance, I found everything in one place; the best coaching, a great bunch of people with different backgrounds, a diverse variety of workouts year round with weekend training trips, team destination races and of course, lots and lt’s of fun. Pete keeps a good balance for his training programs; be prepared for some serious training and racing but also be prepared for some even more serious FUN. Personally, my training has improved so much that I think I’ll have a shot to qualify for worlds this year. The only problem training with Kain Performance could be that, after a while, you might not be “Street Legal” any more…

Jorge

I was bitten by the triathlon bug after a season with TNT. Since joining Kain Performance this summer, my swimming has really improved through practicing the assigned drills, listening to the technique stuff and having one-on-one sessions coached by Becky Gibbs Lavelle. The running economy workouts have helped me make significant improvements in speed, with new personal records for 400m, 800m and 1 mile. I really enjoy Pete and Shari’s coaching style and applicability.

John

Base Building Myth: Long Slow Distance vs High Intensity Workouts

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