Oxygenaddict Triathlon Podcast · Rob Wilby

How to Train for Multiple Race Distances; Injury Prevention for Older Triathletes; Creating an Optimal Fuelling Strategy | Listener Q&A| Ep 579

·32 min·2 clips

Top-end run work can derail a 70.3 build by creating Achilles and calf soreness.

Rob Wilby opens the show by welcoming listeners and setting up a question-led episode. He frames the conversation around real questions sent in by athletes and viewers. That keeps the pace practical from the start. He speaks directly to first-time Ironman and Ironman 70.3 athletes, and he also makes room for people who have already done several races. The episode then turns to how to train across multiple race distances without losing focus. From there, he shifts into injury prevention and staying durable enough to keep training. His tone is cautious, but never timid. He keeps stressing that fitness does not matter much if the athlete cannot stay healthy enough to train. That idea becomes especially important when he talks about running. He urges athletes to be careful with too much high-end work across swim, bike, and run. He is especially wary of hard running when injury risk is already present. The point is not to avoid race-specific preparation. It is to avoid chasing speed in ways that create avoidable breakdown. He uses a simple example of sprint-distance running pace to show how to think about the problem. The pace matters because it is close to the demands of racing off the bike. At the same time, he argues that much of the oxygen and threshold work can be done more safely on the bike. That lets athletes train intensity without taking the same impact load. He explains that the reason for fast running is often mechanical rather than purely aerobic. The goal is to get the body used to the leg turnover and gait required on race day. He does not present that as a reason for endless track work. Instead, he encourages sensible, targeted running that matches the athlete's current needs. Overall, the episode is about building a durable athlete, not just a faster one.

As heard by us

A coaching Q&A that keeps speed work, durability, and race-specific running in the same frame.

Rob Wilby answers listener questions with a practical focus for first-time Ironman and 70.3 athletes, and for repeat racers too, while keeping the talk centered on how much top-end work belongs in a plan.

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Why you'd press play

You want race-day speed without buying yourself an injury.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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