I’m a recreative triathlete from Belgium, much slower than Rutger Beke
In 2002 I did IM Austria, last year Half IM UK. I’m not new to LD racing and I’m fully aware what it takes to finish … that’s why I do those silly things
Since this year, my training time has reduced hugely, since I became a father in January. This year was a waste, once in shape I broke a finger and that was it.
Next year, I’m thinking of doing Roth (former Ironman Europe). It’s an Ironman distance race. Searching for training plans, I came across Gale Bernhardt’s 13 week schedule. My big question : does this prepare you appropriate ? The goal is just to finish, not beating any records.
I figure I could follow that plan, but not much more. I’ve looked it over and feel it’s a bit light on the bike part. If I was to follow it, I would make it 17 weeks, just adding one four week block, by doing week 9-10-11-12 twice …
Any comments, idea’s, do’s and don’ts are welcome and very much appriciated !
Many regards, stay fit,
Rikkert (Belgium, Europe)
ps : If there are any mistakes in my English, excuse me, it’s not my native language …
I followed her plan for my first IM, but increased the long bikes in duration and began the 5-6 hr rides earlier. I think it was a very good plan especially if modified this way. You cannot really bike too much for a solid IM.
For more detailed information and input from some coaches you might want to try Gordoworld.com.
First off, I think with your experience it work work just fine. You already have a well established fitness base and the technical skills to finish Ironman. That is an enormous benefit.
You already know the key to success at Ironman is consistency and persistence. I bet you’ll do fine on this program.
Rikkert, with a good background, you can do it. I didn’t do nearly the prescribed volumes on any discipline with a similar program, and had no problem breaking 13 hours on a tough course. Longest run for me was about 15 miles, longest bike I did was 99 miles, longest brick was a couple of 55 mile rides followed by 2 mile runs, and one 76 mile ride followed by a 1 mile run. Never put in more than 250 points per week (1 point per 100 yards or meters in the pool, 1 point per mile ridden, 4 points per mile running), and only two of those before the race. Just remember not to taper as long if you aren’t getting the prescribed big days done. Good luck!
i followed it verbatim in 2001 and went 12:39 at IMFL. I had a mechanical on the bike and probably would have been 20 minutes faster. I know a lot of people who have used it and went under 12 - men and women alike. she has several programs though - the best is 13 weeks to a SUB 13hr Ironman.
Sometimes you may feel like you’re doing to little on the plan but trust me and trust it - it works!
I would guess with your base it would work. I did around a 12-14 wk training cycle last year with a smaller base than you, 15-20hrs a week and did a 12 (but damn that run/cramp/stagger/repeat was tough) last year in Kona. My girlfriend had never done anything longer than oly, trained 12 weeks maxing out at 100m bike, 16m run, and a couple of long swims. Besides the 100m bike, she never broke 60. Trained 10-15 hrs a week and did 13hrs on saturday. I think you’ll be okay.
I’ve got a hard copy of Gale’s 13 Hours to a SUB-13 Hour IM. Send me a PM with your snail mail address and I’ll send you a copy. I used this plan for the Blue Devil IM last Saturday. My final time was 13:20 but this was my first IM and the wind was wicked during the bike. Overall I would recommend this plan with the possible exception of the long bricks near the end of the plan. She has you doing a 6 hour brick with a 4 1/2 hour bike and a 1 1/2 hour run 2 weeks before the race. Then one week prior to the race you do a 4 hour brick with a 2 hour bike and run. I felt this was too much for me so close to the race so I shortened each run to 1 hour. I have come to believe that bricks with runs more than 1 hour are not necessary and risk injury. Of course, my time was not that great either however, I did feel great at the end of the race and finished strong.
I’d recommend buying a copy of Gale’s book called ‘Training Plans for Multisport Athletes’. Also check out ‘Going Long’ by Gordo. Also ‘Angels & Demons’ by Dan Brown when the others get too boring!
If you are already in good shape and have done several shorter distance races I would recommend any of Gale’s IM plans. As she points out in her book, most people need to modify the plans for their individual needs.
I studied that plan closely and almost used it (spoke to Gale about it a few times too), but went with a coach for my first IM. I think it is a solid plan. I still only trained about the same volume with the coach and had a great race.
The two tweaks I would make are the following: (1) separate the long bike and long runs. My recollection is that she mostly has you doing these on the weekend. Try to do your long run mid-week. You’ll run and recover better with this separation. (2) Do more bricks. Her plan is light on bricks.
I think her plan, and those that have followed it or slightly different ones, show that you don’t have to kill yourself, or your personal life, to have a safe, decent IM.
The prerequisites for doing the program encompass an athlete that can “already do a 13-hour IM” … what then is the special feature of this plan?
I hear everyone say great things about it, but I don’t see where it necessarily lowers one’s time significantly, nor brings everything together in a super-secret, highly-unique format?
Now that is a funny prerequisite and certainly begs your question!
When I looked at the plan about 2 years ago, the prerequisites were that you could run like 1.5-2 hours comfortably and had a base of reasonably training.
I don’t think there is anything secretive or super-special about her plan. What make it decent is that, at the time it came out, it was the only plan I found that laid out a workable training schedule for people with limited training time. There is no magic to this plan other than it is a nice template to work from. It’s well thought out. And it used to be free!
The prerequisites I remember were like … “Swim 1:45/100y for the distance”, “bike 16-18 mph for the distance” … the run may be just “run for 2 hours” … I don’t remember it verbatim.
But, adding it all up, the person could swim and bike at the required pace, and then duse the “run-walk” strategy, and finish in under 13 hours.
I am not saying there needs to be something special about a program. I brought it up b/c I see the “13 in 13” program talked about and recommended at every website I’ve been too. I read the prerequisites, did the math, and thought … “marketing genius”.
From the TrainingPeaks website, the plan reads as:
This is the sister plan to the famous “Thirteen Weeks to a Thirteen-Hour Ironman Distance” plan and is appropriately titled “Thirteen Weeks to a Sub-Thirteen Hour Ironman Distance Race.” If it is possible to train to successfully finish an ironman distance event in 13 hours with 13 weeks of preparation, not training over 13 hours in any given week; how about breaking the 13-hour mark in 13 weeks of training? It is that very question that inspired me to design this plan.
This plan is for the experienced triathlete, who currently averages 12 hours of training per week. You can swim two to three times per week for about an hour. You ride two or three days per week and a three-hour ride is easy and normal for you. You run two or three days per week and can comfortably run long for between 1:30 and 1:45.
“Before beginning this plan, you are capable of swimming three times per week, around an hour each time. You estimate you could hold a 1:45-2:00 pace, per 100 yards, for the 2.4-mile swim (total swim time of 1:14 to 1:25.) Cycling currently includes being able to comfortably go an hour and a half or so. You’re thinking you could average somewhere between 15 and 16 mph for 112 miles (total bike time between 6:15 and 7:30.) Your long run is in the 1:15 to 1:30 range. You think you could manage a marathon pace of 10- to 11-minute miles (total run time between 4:15 and 5:00.) Up to this point, you’ve been training around eight to 10 hours each week, which is very comfortable.”
however, I did feel great at the end of the race and finished strong.