Does anyone do any 8-9 hour workouts once or twice in preparing for an IM?? I did a 6 hour bike yesterday followed by a 30 minute run and was thinking I need to run about 2 hours or so to simulate what my IM FL will be like. It just seems like 30 minutes isn’t enough.
It’s enough
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www.GordoWorld.com // gTips // see Big Day Training under my Coaching Long Course Athletes
You need to build up to the Big Days. They are, however, very useful without needing extended recovery. Never run hard or long at the end of a Big Day. More in the article.
g
G:
You BD article points out the “what” aspect of BD training. What about the “when” as in when to begin and end these session in a multi-week race training plan. For example, If I am 8 weeks out from IMFL, when should I drop these in and when should I stop?
Thanks.
I organize a fun training day called Epicman in LP every summer which is 3K swim/180K bike/21 K run and it usually ends up over 9 hours. Its just a fun training day, but for optimal Ironman prep, I would make it a 3K swim - 200 K bike followed by a 30 min run, so that you don’t kill your recovery. Here is the story from last year.
My big training days in preparation for an IM include a 7 hour bike followed by a 10k run in around 45 minutes so not quite up to the 8 hr. zone but close. 6 hour rides with 30 min. runs after will work well for most people.
Before an IM I will do maybe 3 or 4 big days - 3k swim, 150 ride, 2 hour run… stuff like that.
Some of the benefit is mental as well. There’s nothing like finishing that sort of a session for confidence.
I have done none of that. I have done 2 half IM’s this season. I have done 14 OLY’s, and 2 sprints. (Darn, just twisted my ankle at the granite bay yesterday, could not even walk on it last night.) I am signed up for the Californiaman IM distance for Saturday. Have never ridden a bike over 56 miles. Have run one marathon last december. Have swam for an hour a couple of times. So, either I will be the biggest fool and DNF, or I will finish with the IM part of my life, not my life. (I could care less about the time, even though I would love to break 14 hours) We shall see. Looks like the weather will be warm and I expect windy. Based on what I have read of IMWI, I sure plan to take the bike at a smooth pace, and eat and drink a lot, starting right close to when I get on the bike.
Dave
Curious. Are you in the saddle for 6 to 8 hours straight? Or do you stop, stretch your legs, buy a Gatorade at a store, etc many times during that ride?
I too have been riding 6 to 8 hours, but I stop and take 5 minute breaks about every 30 miles.