For most athletes, training time during the week is relatively finite, while the weekends are more flexible. Most athletes can fit an hour a day during the week, but things get very hairy at two to three hours.

Because of this simple fact, your training schedule should be based completely on the hours you have available to train, not necessarily on the number of hours you "need" to train. Question: "How many hours a week should I train to finish an Ironman?" Answer: "How many hours do you have available to train?"

I use three tools to manage the training schedules of my athletes...

Focus on "Training Events" rather than on "Training Hours"

Most experts agree that to finish an Ironman, you need to have accomplished the following at least ONCE before race day: 4km swim, 6 hour bike, 2.5 to 3 hour run and 6+ hour brick. Therefore, rather than focusing on weekly hours, focus on a sensible progression of smaller "events" that lead to the successful completion of these larger EVENTS at least one time before race day. I call these larger training events "Training Milestones," or events that we must accomplish in route to a successful race.

A less experienced triathlete may take six to eight months to work up to these Training Milestones. His focus should be on just completing these training events once. A more experience triathlete may be able to complete several of these events before race day, the first within four to eight weeks of starting his training. In this case, he can complete these training events more often and can even include training that develops more advanced athletic abilities.

Break the training week into "Work Week Hours" and "Weekend Hours"

A typical working athlete might have four to ten Work-Week Hours, and three to nine Weekend Hours. Let's take the work-week. You begin with an hour each day. You eventually work this up to two hours per day, which is all your personal schedule will allow.

From this point forward your work-week hours will flex very little. What will change, however, is the character of your Thursday bike. For example, in January this might be an easy spin. In February it might be climbing; in March, tempo.

Regardless of the week, month, or training period the volume of the ride is two hours, only the character changes.

Prioritize your weekly workouts

"A" Priority workouts are your long weekend events. Again, these follow a sensible progression toward the successful accomplishment of your Training Milestones. You should do everything you can to hit these workouts every week. "B" Priority workouts are weekday Break Through (BT) sessions. The character of these sessions reflect the focus of each particular training phase. Do everything you can to hit these workouts. "C" Priority workouts are "other" stuff: base building, recovery or strength workouts. If something needs to slide or be skipped altogether, these go first.

When you apply these tools to your training week, the following occurs:

1. The majority of your weekly volume changes occur as you flex your Weekend Hours, progressing toward the successful accomplishment of your Training Milestones.
   
2. Your Work Week Hours stabilize at the level dictated by your personal schedule. The character of these hours changes from cycle to cycle and reflects the focus of each particular training phase.
   
3. Prioritizing your workouts ensures accomplish the most important sessions.
   
4. Most importantly, this tool reduces the risk of putting in junk miles caused by feeling compelled to hit the weekly volume numbers in a training plan. Remember, it's just a number on a spreadsheet. Focus on your Training Milestones and priority workouts, and let the hours just happen.

In summary :

1. Throw out (sort of) your weekly hour "goals."
   
2. Build your Work Week Hours to a level that works with your personal schedule, given the requirements of work, family and recovery.
   
3. Keep your Work Week Hours at this level, with the exception of recovery weeks.
   
4. Focus on a progression of Weekend Hours that leads you to successful completion of your Training Milestones. The more times you can complete these key events, gravy.
   
5. Prioritize your workouts, so that you can make good decisions when Murphy comes knocking.
   
6. If your weekly training hours are very limited, start your training plan far enough out from race day so that you can hit your key events more than once.

Rich Strauss is an Ironman-specific coach, having successfully coached, one-on-one, over 300 Ironman finishers since 2001. He is also a Joe Friel Ultrafit Associate, a former NCAA Division III All-American swimmer, an Ironman World Championship Finisher, and the founder of the Pasadena Triathlon Club . His training articles have been featured in Inside Triathlon Magazine, various triathlon training websites, and published in “Going Long,” by Joe Friel and Gordo Byrn.

Rich's services include:

• One-on-one coaching by Rich or one of his Crucible Associates
• Off-Season, Half and Full Ironman training plans . Rich has leveraged his extensive coaching knowledge and experience to create affordable and comprehensive training packages that combine the features of a state-of-the-art online training system with over 100 pages of exclusive supporting documentation. In less than two years, over 470 athletes, including over 200 powermeter users and many Kona qualifiers, have used his training plans to prepare for their Half or Full Ironman racing season.
• Computrainer MultiRider classes at Vicious Cycle in South Pasadena .
• Ergomo powermeter sales and support. Having coached, trained and raced with power since 2002, Rich is widely recognized as the Guru of triathlon power training.

By: Rich Strauss
Head Coach
Crucible Fitness - Los Angeles County