I"m not an IM, but I do have experience with water running as training for Olympic - it worked well. Paula Newby Fraser is rumoured to have done mostly water running pre-Kona one year and she won.

If it's a wear bearing issue and not form of running issue that's stopping you from training, maybe it will work.

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Tri Hard !

This may not be the answer you wanted to hear, but have you considered pulling out of the Ironman race that you have scheduled for Sept. Then take your time and get the knee better.

Doing an Ironman tri is hard. Training for one is even harder. Think about the investment of time and mnoney that you will have to put in.

Do some other races in the fall once the knee is 100% and then focus on next year.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I blew up my Achilles tendon in June '01, and between then and IMH had a longest run of 45 minutes. This was on the Wednesday before the race, in which I think I ran around 3:30. I pretty much substituted a bike workout for each of the runs I would have done, and did some pool running although I have to admit to finding it REALLY dull. I wouldn't recommend this as the winning approach to IM racing, but it is possible at least to finish on not a lot of running.

I finished Ironman Florida with little run training. I had shin splints and no one could figure out how to fix them. Anyways, I don't think I ever put in more than 200 miles on the bike in a given week, but I did 6 or 7 centuries the last few months. I started out in August (race was early November) running 10 minutes or so at a time skipping every other or every two days. I was able to get in a 20 miler 5 weeks out or so. Anyways, I finished with a 6:14 bike and a 5:13 run.

The thing is, I had shin splints, which take only 2 weeks to heal. There are the significant risks associated with running on them like there are running on messed up knees. You definitely can get in shape to finish just biking, the question is how much damage are you going to do to yourself running on those knees at Wisconsin. That'd be the only thing I would worry about, long term damage.

Good luck, I know injuries are frustrating.

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"What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind and body can achieve; and those who stay will be champions."

I did IMC last year after I broke my ankle in January. I spent the next two months on cruthces with no weight on my foot otherwise I would have needed surgery. It took me another two months to finally walk without a limp before I could even think about attempting to run (I wouldn't really call it running). No one says you have to run the marathon. I know I walked more than half of the run but hey I finished. If your knee doesn't hurt while walking who says you can't use walking as your run training. Just go out and do long walks for the training. Gillian Baker walked the entire marathon last year and she's a pro.

ejs,

My fastest of my 12 IM runs (none of them fast) came at IMC following an injury and only ran 3 miles 3 times a week. I did some pool running; but, as Gordo suggested, I got my biking, for me, in really great shape. Can you finish, certainly.

Good Luck,

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
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