Oxygenaddict Triathlon Podcast · Rob Wilby

The IRONMAN Winter Training Blueprint | Ep 560

·29 min·1 clip

Most adult triathletes are limited by swim technique, not fitness.

1. Oxygenaddict Triathlon Podcast episode 560 focuses on winter training for Ironman and 70.3 racing next summer. 2. Host Rob Wilby, coach at Team Oxygen Addict Triathlon Coaching, uses the episode to frame winter as a foundation phase for age-group triathletes. 3. The episode asks how to turn November-to-spring training into consistent progress instead of drifting through the off-season. 4. Rob says the first step is to write down the next-year goal, whether that is a first 70.3, a first Ironman, or a specific finish time. 5. He links that goal to micro targets such as FTP on the bike and critical swim speed in the pool. 6. He says a clear destination makes daily training easier to justify and reduces the chance of skipping sessions. 7. Rob argues that winter should build durability, consistency, and habits rather than peak fitness. 8. He says the useful metric is frequency and completion of key sessions, not a single hero ride, Zwift race, or club run. 9. He describes a coaching system where sessions are assigned scores and athletes try to reach weekly totals such as 75% or 100%. 10. He recommends indoor platforms like Zwift, the kicker bike, and the treadmill as specific winter tools rather than second-best substitutes. 11. Rob says structured indoor training can be more controlled than outdoor riding because power and heart-rate targets are easier to hold. 12. He explains that athletes often enjoy indoor work because they can tick off each interval and each week in a visible way. 13. He says winter should also address the biggest weakness, whether that is swim, bike power, run strength, or strength and conditioning. 14. He gives his own example of focusing on bike power for a winter and discovering that his running did not collapse when fast running was reduced. 15. He says the best winter bike work is structured FTP work, often 30 to 40 minutes of work inside an hour-long session with about a five-to-one work-to-recovery ratio. 16. He says run training should emphasize frequency and tendon or ligament strength, not speed, hills, or hard track sessions. 17. Rob says most adult triathletes are held back in the swim by technique, not by general fitness or oxygen transfer. 18. He says strength and conditioning should center on core, glutes, hamstrings, single-leg bridges, and, for athletes over 50, muscle-maintenance work. 19. The episode is a solo coaching talk with a practical, instructional tone and repeated references to the Team Oxygen Addict system, training blocks, and winter planning. 20. Listeners who want Ironman or 70.3 structure for winter training will get the most value, while athletes looking for race recaps or short-course speed advice may skip it.

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