All I've got to say is that is a pretty expensive training plan.

Nothing else to add beyond that. But good for you if you go for it.

Personally I'm too cheap to do it. I preferred really long "simulations" as well as an occasional really big weekend back when I was doing IM's but to each his own.

I seem to race more than most, I guess because I love it, open water races, road runs, tris and I'll often do a training session on the Saturday before an OD or sprint which is on the Sunday, even though it probably hinders my performance a bit I don't want to miss the training and I want to race. I just find the more you race, the better you get and the smarter you race. I think to some extent there isn't enough flexibility in people's thinking regarding triathlon and training. They're too rigid. You must do a taper, you can't run long the week before a race, you can't do this, can't do that etc etc I do a 1km open water race the day before my A race of the year - Busso 70.3 and people think I'm stupid for doing that, but it has never impeded my performance on race day and sets me up for the race day swim.

If I was in your boat and had a short summer, I'd definitely be racing halfs and if it wasn't an important race or had an expensive entry fee, I'd probably train the day before. Recovery wise, I trained the tuesday after Busselton 70.3 which was on the Sunday and did feel a bit sluggish all week, compounded by the alcohol, no doubt, but if I wanted to stick to a normal 12 - 14 training week I could have done. So I can't see a problem with it, probably not what a lot of triathletes would do and probably not what a lot of coaches would advise, but it's probably what I would do.

I dont think its that expensive - these are just local events without the IM hype
And by not going out for 'work drinks' the weekend of the race I probably save more than the race fee !

Yeah that's part of the reason why I race so much - keeps me off the grog! And I was entering some cheap, small races rather than the more prestigious sprints and ODs.

My last three tris have been HIM's. I'm considering another as a buildup for IMLou.

Even with the one I'm considering - not being a branded race, the entry fee is still $155. Throw in a night's stay, fuel and meals.....and I'd spend $400 doing the race.

I can see the appeal. But, If I 'raced' the Halves, then I would be too cooked to train properly for 5-7 days afterwards as 21km is hell of a Brick run at race pace. If I was doing a late season IM, then I might consider doing more Halves, but as my A Race is normally July, I just do a big training block with no races in it (once my HIM is out of the way).

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29 years and counting

 
Since a HIM has little in common with an IM in respect to effort I don't see it as a way to "tune up" for an IM.

But if you enjoy racing them and you're schedule allows for them, the only thing you'll lose is a little bit of IM focused training time.

What holds so many back in this sport is a lack of imagination at the front 20% of the field and a surplus of imagination through the remaining 80%.

Hi Jorgan
Agreed - I am doing Vichy which is last week of August. So plan is do some races in June and July, and then a big uninterrupted block in August.
I did Roth before and its mega, but I also like to do cycling sportives, and a July IM writes off all of that.......

That is pretty well what I have always done. Half or Olympic pretty well every second week all summer, if not a hard 4 hour ride and half hour run on non race weekends one day and a half marathon hard run the other day. I generally did one or two weekends where it was an IM swim-bike race simulation. I would generally be very low on long runs usually never running more than 90 min with only a few 2 hour runs all year. Not optimal, but without the super long stuff it worked out OK. Like you, with our short Canadian summers wanted to get out and do many events. I drive a cheap car and spend my free float cash on sport (to the extent that my family is cool with it).

Dev

I don't understand what you are getting at?

I wouldn't be attempting to replicate the effort. It's the simulation of being in a race that I think is good to keep polished up on. I already do bricks longer than HIM's.

It's different when someone tells you to get in the water and GO when the gun fires. THAT is hard to simulate.

I agree with what you are saying but the title of the thread is "Using Half's as training for IM" and I was replying to that.

I like to use a HIM somewhere around 8 weeks out from a full to gauge my fitness.

It great as long as you can train through them and realize you won't race the half on full power, and you get about 1-2 days recovery before you back into full on training. I would typically try to time the half so you have small recovery week afterwards.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

Race simulation days are important in IM training, but you can only simulate so much in training. I find having a 70.3 or two as a B race allows you to simulate all the details outside of the actual race. There is a lot that goes into race prep: diet the week leading up to the race, sleep habits the weak leading up to the race, practicing taper strategies, race morning, etc. and no race simulation day will let you practice managing your race nerves like an actual race. I think that is valuable. If you show up to your A race and it is your first big event of the year, you are going to be a lot more nervous than if you have done a couple already. IMO a 70.3 or two before a 140.6 is valuable, not just for the actual training stress, but for the intangible aspects.

That said, it comes with a cost. My first 70.3 this year (16 weeks before IM) cost me almost two weeks of training. I did a taper the week leading up (not all lost, I got to learn about things that worked and did not work for me in tapering) and the 5 days after the race I was pretty wrecked. I did go very hard during the race, so had I taken it easy I would not have lost as much time. That said, the race period largely replaced a recovery week, so it was not terribly detrimental. I also trained for that race specifically focusing on 70.3 race paces. I have another 70.3 next weekend (8 weeks prior to IM) that I have NOT trained for specifically. After my first race, I went into my IM build and the race next weekend is very low priority. I am still going to race hard. I cannot see my self going into a 70.3 and not pushing the pace. I will still do a 5 day taper and need recovery after the race, but it comes at a good time to allow me to freshen up before a final big block of training leading into my IM.

My IM build has an HIM 8 weeks before. Monday is my normal rest day and I go back to training Tuesday after the race. My plan for the HIM is to be consistent over the entire race and not push the pace. My target finish time is probably 15-20 minutes slower than if I tapered and raced it. As others have noted, I look at this as an opportunity to get comfortable, dial in nutrition, execute a pacing strategy, execute aid station strategies etc. I know that this HIM is used by many in preparation for the IM I am doing. I think those that are saying no are those that will try to crush the HIM and will leave themselves in a hole that won't allow them to get back to normal IM training in a reasonable amount of time. However, if you're smart it really isn't more than a long training day. No matter what, you'll be sore but how sore is dependent on how hard you push.

I probably push the half more than I should, but its hard to pay a race fee and then deliberately slow it down. One of the things I like about halves is it feels a 'race'. On a full IM you are so scared of the distance you are very conservative for 90% of the day
A half is a chance to break lose - how bad can it really get?
The family can also watch a half and see daddy splash in the water
A full is a very very long day with 3 boys under 7.....

And I do agree that if you do only one main race a year you put huge pressure on yourself. This is meant to be 'fun' so why not have more goes at it
The first race I do of the season I am a mess on Saturday - always tinkering with kit. But after 2-3 races the weekend becomes far more relaxing.

Taken to its extreme, one would train 364 days a year and do 1 IM the other day
You would get an interrupted training block !