I am planning on doing IM Florida this year 3 weeks after Kona. My plan is to use the 3 weeks for recovery. First week after I plan to lay around on the beach no workouts. Second week I may swim once and maybe do an easy spin on the bike. Race week at Florida I will swim in the ocean a couple of times. Probably ride the run course to check out my bike. Maybe do a couple of short easy runs to shake out the legs. We will see how it goes.

helping my GF get through it?

So be a true supporter, and be on the sidelines for her and help her get through it!

Why do you have to do it to?

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I'd be happy to just support but 10mins into the swim I'd be wishing I was racing, isn't that a normal feeling? And the bike course there is awesome...

I just went through this with IMLP + Tremblant. First week was swimming every day, walking daily and bike commuting in the second half of the week. Second week I added several 15 minute jogs on grass, bike commuting to work with some intensity (like 1 min intervals) and a lot of swimming. 2nd weekend I did a 4 hour ride that actually included a 20 min TT and when I saw my TT numbers were as good as before IMLP, I started thinking about using my Tremblant entry. Monday and Tue were 40 min treadmill runs on business travel (essentially my only two real runs). Wed did a CT ride at 90% FTP for an hour which felt good.

After the Sun-Wed and the "metrics" it seemed like I was pretty recovered so on Friday before Tremblant I decided it was worth a shot to use my entry. In the end, I was 4 min slower at Tremblant than LP. At LP I had a flat to contend with...in Tremblant I had some bad neck issues in the swim from an old accident that I aggrevated bumping into a wall on Friday night....putting the excuses aside, the race results were similar. My run at Tremblant was 12 min slower, but I can't say it was because of legs....more like totally screwing up my nutrition in the second half of the marathon and being on empty.

After this I signed up for Whistler + Tremblant 2014, also 3 weeks apart. It was kind of nice getting two Ironmans off the training for one. You don't go into the second one with any expectations and all that rest in between is probably a good thing.

The Cairns + Nice double sounds perfect....do it!

Dev

Hi I'm entered in Ironman Cairns for 2014 and also planning a trip to UK/Europe late June.

Why don't you focus on doing the IM in Cairns and then take a holiday in Europe?

There is no good reason for doing 2 IM's within a few weeks except to be able to tell others that you did 2 IM"s in 3 weeks. It's very hard on your body and do you really want to do that just for bragging rights? You are not really helping your GF get through it at all, you are doing it for yourself. Support her from the sidelines where you can be of some help. If you are racing beside her you are just getting in her way.

Do your IM and then let your GF do hers.

I was of the same mindset as you before I tried it. Using your logic, there is actually no good reason to do an marathon, or an Ironman. It is just bloody long and there are a zillion better things to do on any given day beyond going that far. I am sure the first people who did an Ironman thought it was totally stupid. Doing two in three weeks, at least for me was a deeply personal challenge for a variety of reasons that I covered elsewhere. I had no clue if I could pull it off without having to walk a lot of the marathon (training metrics are great but you don't know what will happen until you hit mile 16 of the run). It's not like people have not done two in 3 weeks 2 weeks or on back to back weekend (Matt Russell, Paul Amy). But for each person it really is a personal challenge to see what they can pull off. When I try this next year, my goal will to be to have a faster race in the second one than the first one. This year I was 4 min short. Now that I know it is possible (for me), I'll be working towards the challenge.

For some it is doing an Ultraman. On the surface to outsiders, it seems like there is no good reason to do an Ultraman other than bragging rights....talk to the Ultraman guys and everyone of them are far away from bragging rights...almost the other end of the spectrum where they are trying to push their bodies and minds for deeply personal reasons in an event that is on the fringe of the sport.

All this to say, don't judge why people do something that seems silly. It does seem silly on the outside, but we each have our own values in terms of how to challenge ourselves and push our personal envelopes.


Dev

Thanks for the tips ill be sure to follow them. To be honest I am totally doing it for personal reason, the same as everyone who comes to IM we have a story that lead us here. I had my worst IM in France the first time I raced it a heat wave and arriving from Australia 32 hours before race start didn't help but I finished with a smile and had fun along the way. I don't do IM to brag I do it because I love the challenge and the feeling of hitting the carpet and being around 2000 other people who I have never met but feel like we are part of a family that is growing every year.

More then likely I won't see my GF till we pass each other on the run. Smart training will defiantly help prepare for it and I will enjoy a nice European holiday before during and after it.

I almost entered IM Whistler yesterday...

#1. Listen to your body. That's the first thing you should always do.

Pedro Gomes had some great success with two Ironman in 3 weeks. He actually won them both. If you look at his website, he has a blog post on it.

I think there are really two approaches:

A.) Race 1st Ironman then recover the following week. 2nd week incorporate some volume with some intensity. 3rd week start the taper for the next Ironman.

B.) Race the 1st week and then recover/taper into the next one.

Pedro and I would choose A. I think if you recover fast option A is best. Keeps the system sparking.

If you do not recover fast, I would choose option B. Since I recover fast I also loose my fitness fairly quick and would go rather flat with option B. That is why you need to listen to your body. What works for one person might not work for another.

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http://www.MattRussellTri.com -Pro Triathlete -Tri Coach

No matter what you do to recover, you don't need to do much. Don't take more than a few days fully off after your first, then keep the intensity around without getting injured. I didn't do much long stuff in between the 3 weeks, kept the tt bike packed in the box and rode my road bike like 5 times in 3 weeks, ran like 8 times and swam twice.

A little BDB but had the best Iron distance race 3 weeks after Kona at Florida last season and got another KQ out of Florida. It's like getting two opportunities to race fast back to back. 3 weeks is a PERFECT time to take in between fulls.

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Matt, when you choose option A you mention intensity rolled back in on week 2. How much on the run? I just did intensity on the bike and swim late in week 2 and early week 3. Almost did zero run intensity other than few treadmill hills (7 day and 6 days out from the second IM). Just wondering more than anything as I know it is all personal and how badly one trashes himself on race number 1.

Tnara, did IM France 2010 and really want to go back. I don't think I will have a chance till 2015 (my son's high school graduation is the weekend of IM France next year).

Dev

Not that much intensity on the run as the running is the sport that really breaks down your muscles. More about volume on week two.. My easy running is about my ironman marathon pace. Week two I would probably run 40-50 miles (60-80k). Long run of about 1:30-1:45 at the end of the week. I'd maybe throw in a 15-20minute tempo if I felt good later in that week. Obviously this all depends on how one recovers (both mentally and physically). I also have a competitive background in running for the past 14 years. I know how my body responds and what works well for me for the run. For others in general I would say about 35 miles...give or take a few.

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http://www.MattRussellTri.com -Pro Triathlete -Tri Coach

I found this thread while searching for some advice on racing 2 Ironmans that are 3 weeks apart. With the announcement today that IMCDA (8.21.16) has open slots and are offering 25 additional Kona Slots for 2016, does it make sense to add this to my race schedule? I'm already signed up to race IMWI 3 weeks later (9.11.16.)

I think there are plenty of reasons aside from bragging rights. I'm doing IM South Africa and 4 weeks later will do Challenge Taiwan Full. My reasons? Always wanted to go to SA, give it a go for another KQ, and see part of the world with my wife I have yet to see. Why Challenge Taiwan? My friends, family, and training partners will all be there and I am super excited to be on course with them! Timing isn't perfect, but I look forward to learning how I recover and see what happens. Might make for a late autumn KQ attempt this year too if I can bounce back in 4 weeks. I actually think this is entirely reasonable. After Kona last year, I did my best 70.3 on Nov 1 at 4:12 (bike course shorted by 13km) in what turned out to be a very hot day. Wasn't sure at all what I had going in, but a few turns of the crank and I knew I was better than I'd ever been. Crush both IMs OP! In between the two races, I did my long runs starting 2 weeks after, shortened by 30% and at a lower intensity. For the bike, I mixed very very easy long rides and 45-60 minute trainer sessions with short intervals at max intensity. Swim...I have gills...I just did my normal thing.

Aside from cheering on two or three time during the race, you are not allowed to support athletes as a spectator...so I think it's completely up to the OP and his GF about whether racing together helps her. I will also be doing the same; the day after Challenge Taiwan I will do the swim leg of a 5150 as part of a relay with my wife who will ride and run. She is still new to swimming and simply cannot finish the distance using any stroke, never mind doing so safely and comfortably. Originally, my friends' and I wanted to do the entire 5150 just for fun and easy recovery (this event is marketed as "we tri" so it's a beginner focused event, not an all out dash. I also considered supporting my wife on course (not good for her or me...I know my competitive instincts are hard to suppress, and rather than pace her, I will lead her out too fast), so the relay is perfect for us as a couple!

Also...anyone in Asia...Challenge Taiwan May 7...226, 113, and 5150....it will be a great weekend! (The full and half run on same day, 5150 on sunday. Wicked course and awesome atmosphere.)

I'm doing Florida as well after Kona this year, and it's 4 weeks not 3 weeks by my count. Last year I did IMAZ after Kona, which was 5 weeks difference, and had a career best. I think 3 weeks could be a bit rough. My plan for Florida, based on what I did for IMAZ last year is: Week 1 - rest for the most part, swimming and light cycling with no running; Week 2 - moderate training (I was still feeling used up Week 2 after Kona last year); Week 3 - moderate training with more emphasis on interval work; Week 4 - taper baby....

Frankly, I like a 4 week interval better than a 5 week interval because by that time of the year I'm pretty burned out on training, and with a 4 week break there's really only 1 decent week (week 3) of what feels like regular training.

When I did IMAZ in 2010 there was a guy in my age group (Miroslav Vrastil/55-59 at the time) who had done EVERY IM on the calendar thusfar that year and his goal was to complete them all. He had several that were one week apart. He still managed second. So, anything is possible.

Done the double many times. I wouldn't worry about it if the second one if is just for fun - you will be fine. Would advise you to swim 3x a day, the monday, tuesday, wed, and thur following cairns. Do nothing else. Those swims are 1k each so 3k total all super easy of course.

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You're replying to a question from 3 years ago. Not sure if that was your intent or not :)

To be fair, Robinson3 resurrected the thread by asking the same thing

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Swim. Overbike. Walk.

wasn't even thinking, clearly... I guess I just love those double IM questions and have some experience.

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I'm considering doing two in two weeks later this year, xtremrun did you do both? How was it?

Go for it. Youll be fine.

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2x Deca-Ironman World Cup (10 Ironmans in 10 days), 2x Quintuple Ironman World Cup (5 Ironmans in 5 days), Ultraman, Ultra Marathoner, and I once did an Ironman.

Ha nice, just what I needed! :)