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Win Carmichael’s new book, “The Time-Crunched Triathlete”
Can you really win a triathlon by training just 8 hours a week?
Chris Carmichael, who took me for a bike ride last summer and gave me cycling tips, thinks so. And he just might know — he trained Tour de France champion and hometown hero Lance Armstrong for years.
Carmichael’s new book, “The Time-Crunched Triathlete: Race-Winning Fitness in 8 Hours a Week,” is designed to prepare triathletes to race faster in sprint and Olympic distance triathlons even if they’re holding down real jobs and have actual families.
It’s a followup to his last book, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist.”
The secret? High-intensity interval training and tri-specific workouts that make you faster in triathlon’s three disciplines — swim, bike and run — rather than over-developing general endurance.
If Carmichael’s right, you’ll be ready for a sprint tri in six weeks and an Olympic distance tri in eight weeks.
The book contains detailed training plans, which include a lot of brick workouts. (Bricks, for the uninitiated, are workouts in two disciplines stacked side by side. So you might do a 45-minute swim workout, followed by a 30-minute bike or run.)
There’s also lots of explanation and detail on how to reach your goals.
Do you need this book? Post here, telling me why. Best answer wins. I’ll pick winners next week.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment Categories: Triathlon
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By Will McKenna
March 4, 2011 11:20 AM | Link to this
I absolutely need this!
I just came off running the Austin marathon which required tremendous amounts of time (and energy!) draining endurance workouts. Now I’m transitioning to Sprint and Olympic triathlons in the hopes of eventually training up to the Longhorn Ironman 70.3, but my friends and family already complain that I workout too much!
I’m tired of losing all of my evenings and half my weekends to workouts. Help!
By Sarah S. Novlan
March 4, 2011 11:21 AM | Link to this
After finishing the Austin Livestron Half and a previous marathon, I decided to start training for my first tri! In the middle of my track coaching season….though. I’m going my swim workouts at 5 a.m., coaching my kids at 6:30, work till 3, then a second kids’ track workout, then run/bike after work. Since Saturdays are spent coaching at track meets, my long workouts are constrained. I could definitely use this book to help me make it to my first tri this summer!
By S.Novlan
March 4, 2011 11:24 AM | Link to this
After finishing the Livestrong Half Marathon and a previous marathon, I decided to train for my first tri.
But, I started my training at the beginning of my own season of coaching high school track! I have my own swim workouts at 5 a.m., coach my kids from 6:30-7:30, work till 3:30, then coach another track practice from 3:30-5, then go for my bike/run workout. I could definitely use this book to help me successfully make it to my first tri this summer!
By Erin
March 4, 2011 4:27 PM | Link to this
Pamela, please, you must pick me, A time-crunched newbie want-to-be. I started with a mile a day, And worked up the old-fashioned way. Last month my first half marathon. Triathlon now? The game is on! I set my sights so very high And registered for CapTexTri I need Charmichael’s tips and tricks; I need his schedule and his bricks. I’ve got the will, I’ve got the way, Just not the hours in my day!
By Paul
March 5, 2011 8:12 AM | Link to this
Sounds like this book was meant for me. I have not done a sprint tri in over 10 years, but want to. Currently training about an hour every other day which I know ultimately will not cut it. If 8 hours is the minimum training per week needed and Chris can lay out a logical format, I am sure I could make the additional necessary commitment. A lack of training time is the easiest way to rationalize not participating. If Chris supplies the bricks I can bring the mortar and build a foundation to hold me up for future training.
By Chris
March 5, 2011 11:19 AM | Link to this
I definitely needs this! In my former life as an employee, I had more time to train. Now, as a small business owner, I don’t have a lot of time to workout, so I miss being able to participate in races. I would love to be able to get back into doing sprint tris, and attempt an olympic tri for the first time!
By Esther
March 7, 2011 7:53 AM | Link to this
I definitely would love to “win” this book. It has always been my dream to do an Ironman at the age of 50; well 50 is looming around the corner & I am not any closer to making that dream come true. I work 60 hr/wk on a short wk 70+ during the “busy” season; have 2 single mother nieces I help out a lot with my great niece & nephew, 2 dogs that I “inherited”, a nephew in jail that I visit 2x a wk but is very time consuming to do so and sell plasma 2x wk. I have done 2 marathons sans training & one with training & attempted a tri with minimal training - my swimming sucks so I didn’t actually complete that part. 8 hrs a wk sounds like something I could work into my schedule.
By Esther
March 7, 2011 8:02 AM | Link to this
It’s always been my dream to participate in an IronMan at the age of 50 since I viewed the first Kona IronMan on NBC. Well 50 is looming around the corner & I am no closer to fulfilling that dream. I work 60 hr/wk on a short wk 70+ during the “busy” season; I help 2 single mother nieces w/their kids, have 2 dogs I “inherited”, a nephew in jail I visit 2x a wk which is a very time consuming process & sell plasma 2x a wk. I attempted a tri w/very minimal training; my swimming totally sucks so I didn’t finish that portion of it - went ahead & did the bike/run but very disappointed in myself. I have done 2 marathons sans training & one w/training - all took me a little over 6 hrs to complete. My nutrition is sorely lacking - 8 hrs/wk sounds like something I could work into my schedule.
By Pam LeBlanc
March 15, 2011 5:27 PM | Link to this
Erin wins the book with her clever poem! Check back for more freebies soon. Pam