I believe JZ is 55-59 in 2020... looking forward to having him in Kona next year if he decides to KQ.

For whatever reason, it feels like it would be more satisfying beating Vino than Jaja. Jaja, I'd love to sit with him in a bar and chat about his protour days. Vino, well, he's Vino. It would be more satisfying beating Vino than all the caste of characters going downhill for the stage win to Gap when this happened in 2003:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr89ku-K2WU

Not that this applies to me, I can barely beat myself into shuffling on the treadmill at 10 kph, so we need to live vicariously thru you guys. I do need to come out of my post Kona slumber in a different capacity. I went there to watch all you guys and put in a 30+ hrs training week with ultraman guy Rob Gray, and I was completely inspired to have a chance to do some fast Olympics and halfs next year when I go to 55. Its actually really motivating seeing all you fast guys (or read articles like this). Then you come home and you're the fastest guy in the local gym (which really does not say much) etc etc and there is no one around you really doing inspiring training, so you get sucked back into the tasks in front of you.....professional life and home life and training goes to the back seat.

 

How about an interview with Hambini?


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Once, I was fast. But I got over it.

I pick my own - nose. Need no magician

I enjoyed the interview - I am in his age-group and think about one day returning to KONA to have another go at the race. I am not sure that as a 6 foot 5 - 190 lb guy I can ever find a way to cheat the heat. Its interesting that 13-15 hrs a week, is optimal for him. I also find that I cant really train anymore than that these days - I just cant recover. I also agree that you have to make sure you get the workouts in that matter, at race pace, and enough duration to push your system without burning you out. Running 1:20 off the bike is pretty solid, and puts you in elite territory for the AG.

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Michael Hay - helped on the journey by the great folks at ZiZU Optics, (for the custom fit), and Bialkowlski's TRYSPORT

3 flat is amazing. I guess I‘m a bit heavy for running, 5‘8“ and 152 at race weight. Even then my wife starts to complain I look like a squirrel on a dry summer.

Anyway, now waiting to fly home after 2 week business trip in China most of which spend ill with some kind of bird flu, running in general feels like a stretch

Here is how this might look based on 20 hours of training in a week - this information is based on real workouts of top age groups athletes that I personally know

Note in my previous post I mentioned 20-35% at higher intensity training - this means in Z3 (tempo work or race pace work) or above. It is definitely a balance between duration and intensity which can be measured in many ways these days including things like TSS, time in HR zone, time in watt zones, etc.

Swimming (5 hours)

• typically 4 or 5 sessions in a week
• a week might look like this: 5 x 1 hour with many sets performing repeats at the 100, 200 and 400 metre distance at race pace or faster; warmup, warmdown, drills, etc, are done at Z1 and Z2. A typical distance for a top age grouper in 1 hour would be close to 3000 metres give or take based on ability, background and the actual workout.

Cycling (14 hours)

• (5.5 hours) a long ride of 150 to 180 km with something like 3-4 x 30 minutes at race pace inserted in the middle with 10 minutes recovery between
• (3 hours) two recovery rides of 60 to 90 minutes performed prior or after active recovery running days
  
• (2.5 hour) warmup; tempo ride for 90 minutes at slightly faster than ironman goal pace and slower than 1/2 ironman race pace; can be divided into 3 x 30 minutes or 2 x 45 minutes
  
• (2 hour) Climbing - something like 4 x 300+ metres, recover is coasting down - typically in the 1200 to 1400 metre range; Z3-Z4 climbing; Z1 descending
  
• (90 hour) Interval workout - warmup; 8 x 5 minutes in or close to Z4 range on 3 min recovery then maybe 5 x 1 minute sprints in Z4+ on 4 min recovery
  

Running (5 - 6 hours)

• (2.5 hours) Long run of 30 km - mostly at Z2 and sometimes a bit of Z3; typical workout is 5 km easy, descending km times from from 5 to 20 km, 5 km easy OR 5 km warmup, 5 km at ironman race pace, 2 km easy, 5 km at slightly faster than ironman pace, 2 km easy, 5 km at Ironman pace, then the rest at Z1/Z2
• (1 hour) Tempo work - warmup; 25 to 35 min at Z3 effort on undulating terrain; warmdown
• (1.5 hours) Easy 30 to 45 min active recovery runs - on soft surface such as trails or grass
• (1 hour) Interval workout - warmup; 5-8 x 1 km (at track or paved flat pathway) at or close to 10 km race pace with 3 min recovery; warmdown

Sound like a lot, but it is representative of what top ironman age group athletes undertake in their larger training weeks.

I assume these are non work or part time work weeks. The run week with 2 hard longish sessions looks like a recipe for injury on top of the 3ish hard bike workouts

That is a great observation and question - yes, in almost all of the cases I know of when top AGers are reaching the 20+ hour mark in training they have the week fully off work (holidays, maybe retired, etc.) . The effort needed for 20+ hour weeks also needs significant attention to rest, sleep, nutrition, hydration, sports massage, etc.

Remember most of these athletes also have large bases over many years so they have learned to adapt to a higher amount of duration and intensity so this is a progression from their normal 12-15 hours per week. A big week or two like this is almost certainly followed with complete rest days and easy active recovery days. The idea is to over stimulate the body and mind without breaking anything then allow the training to be absorbed.