How many events should I train per day?
Depending on the competition? you should train 3 times every sport a week swim, run, bike, gym at least 2 times
I agree, somewhat, with Coach Capuano, but that's based on someone who is equal in all three disciplines and, strong enough in the core to prevent injuring yourself. But, if you are a seasoned cyclist, but have never ran, I would schedule you for 2 bike rides per week and as much as 4 runs (or swims, strength sessions, whatever the weaknesses you are working with)
The length of your event, your experience & training level, & your schedule will largely impact how many events you should train per day. If you are about equal in all three disciplines and training for a sprint race, I would most likely try to plan 9 training sessions which would include 3 swims, 3 bikes, & 3 runs. If the plan included a rest day, that requires you to train two events per day 3 days per week. The remaining three training days would include training in a single discipline. If you are weak in one sport, I would focus on that with one or two additional workouts per week adding to your quantity of days with two training events per day. If you are really strong in a sport, if you were a college swimmer for example, I may cut back on your swim workouts so I could add duration or intensity to the other disciplines decreasing your overall training sessions per week.
Beginners generally should train one discipline per day, and 2 workouts per week in each discipline (leaving one day as a full rest day). With more experience, the athlete can advance to two or more separate workouts on some days. The specific plan would depend on several factors, such as which weaknesses need development, the event you are training for, and schedule limitations based on other life commitments such as job and family.
I would recommend two. This depends on what your focus is for the month. For example if your focus is to improve your swimming do that first. Then follow it up with a bike, run, or gym. Each of your workout make sure that every second counts and that the training is not junk miles.
Great question… with many answers.
Obviously, this depends on a multitude of factors: 1) your experience level, 2) your goals and expectations and 3) your life schedule.
1) Experience: If you are a beginner triathlete, you will want to take a moderate approach to training. It may be enough to do one event per day, six days a week to get ready for the race you would like to do. A more experienced athlete both has the base to endure more training and the knowledge to know how to train smart. They probably will do 1-2 events per day, 6-7 days per week. Then there are the pros. I once lived with an Olympic triathlete and he would train 2-3 events per day, 7 days a week.
2) Goals: If you simply want to finish a race without falling down, the time you commit to triathlon training is obviously less than the athlete who is trying to qualify for the World Championships. Be sure to consider this as well when deciding how much to train.
3) Life: If, like my professional triathlete roommate, your only life endeavor is the sport itself, you obviously will have time to train 6-8 hours per day. However, if you are like most mortals, you have a day job and will have to plan accordingly. Perhaps you can only fit in one event each day. That’s fine; that’s part of life. If you can get in more, even better. Try to remember to keep a balance though or those around you may start to shun you.
Finally, as always, finding a good coach to give you direction is always the best approach. They will definitely be able to assess the above factors (and more) and give you good direction.
All the best and happy training!