I have an ambitious plan; in June 2020 I want to do my first ironman 70.3 (Hoorn, netherlands). It will be in the netherlands so very flat, good to make a nice time.
The ambitious part is that I want to make it under 5 hours. I’ve started this year with this magnificent and addictive sport. Previous sporting achievments:
OD (latest): 2:46 (1500m swim in 35 min , 40k (with a lot of hills) 1:12 and 10k (again, a lot of hills) in 48 minutes)
1/4 triathlon: 2:20
sprint: 1:18
1/8 triathlon: 1:10
1/2 marathon 89:30 minutes (my proudest achievment)
10k run in 39:00 minutes
5k run in 18:45 minutes
I think my strongest point is running and (by) far my weakest point is swimming. This year I took up cycling and I think I’m improving quite rapidly.
Size (not sure if important): 1.68m and weight is around 63 kg.
My question is how would one train for this knowing that, despite training, swimming isnt my strongest point, my affinity for running and rapid progression with cycling? I know 5 hours is ambitious but I think its is possible to achieve this in an “easy” course with wetsuit. I’m also aware that I have to work on my transitions.
Edit: what time should I aspire in each sport?
With your running history that is by no means ambitious but the low hanging fruit for you will really be your swimming. This would be your major limiter followed by your bike.
My question is how would one train for this knowing that, despite training, swimming isnt my strongest point, my affinity for running and rapid progression with cycling. I know 5 hours is ambitious but I think its is possible to achieve this in an “easy” course with wetsuit. I’m also aware that I have to work on my transitions.
thank you for your reply. Knowing my history, what times (for every part) would be handy to aspire?
35’ wetsuit swim
5’ T1
2u30’ Bike
5’ T2
1u35’ Run
This would bring you over the finish line in 4u50’ . Anyway, that’s my plan for a 70.3 but my stats look alot like yours
flat in NL can mean windy as hell too. Same effect as a hilly course. Focus on swim and bike and keep your current run fitness i’d say. Good luck. I’m already registered for Sables d’Olonne July 5th, otherwise, we could try to do it together
5 hours should be achievable, but don’t focus on times for now, focus on making progress in biking and swimming.
For swimming train with a club with trainers or get a coach. Or do some sessions in the endless pool of Tri2one. Many report good results with them (for others: Dutch training/coaching platform/organisation). There are many other good swimming coaches in The Netherlands too (check for example ‘zwemliefhebbers’ on fb). The key in swimming is a good technique, and you are unlikely to learn that yourself.
For biking do structured training, for example with trainerroad or swift to make keep making progression.
Then next year, do a race early in the season to see where you will be at and what times you can aim at in West-Friesland, but it will still depend on local conditions on the day (heat, wind) and length of bike course (will it be short or long, 88 or 93 km makes a difference of 7-9 min), is the run short or long (can make a difference of a few minutes) and how long transition zone is. In smaller half distance tris I’ve had transition take 3-4 minutes in total, my next half distance will be Challenge Almere, where the bike is long (92km) and transition is superlong (I think people average about 12 min).
It’s doubtful there’s any value in assigning target times at this point.
By all means have the vague aspiration to beat 5hrs in the back of your head if it motivates you, but beyond that, it’s just playing with numbers. I’ve done it myself, but its just a game when you’re bored, not a useful planning activity. Not yet anyway.
You’re the guts of a year away from the event and you say yourself that you’re developing quickly. So wait and see where that leads.
If beating a specific time is a big priority for you, I’d suggest working on the swim. Not just because there’s time there to be gained, but because a bad swim can also harm your times on the bike and run. I’m not a great swimmer myself but I do this for fun, and don’t love swim training, so I take the hit in races in exchange for spending more of my training time doing the sports I enjoy more.
thank you for your reply. Knowing my history, what times (for every part) would be handy to aspire?
35’ wetsuit swim
5’ T1
2u30’ Bike
5’ T2
1u35’ Run
This would bring you over the finish line in 4u50’ . Anyway, that’s my plan for a 70.3 but my stats look alot like yours
flat in NL can mean windy as hell too. Same effect as a hilly course. Focus on swim and bike and keep your current run fitness i’d say. Good luck. I’m already registered for Sables d’Olonne July 5th, otherwise, we could try to do it together
Good to know. I am doing my first 70.3 in September. I don’t have a hard set goal time as I am not quite sure what the distance will do to me, in the back of my head I have been toying with the breakdown for a sub-5. 5’ transitions seems like a lot! But that’s more finagle room when your making math during the race My race will have a hot run, so I am really worried about that leg of it. I always, ALWAYS, blow up after the bike in the heat. So far I have a 1’24" open, but I just feel like I will have more of a 1’44" type of run. Hoping my training this year will counteract that though, but I don’t want to assume.
thank you for your reply. Knowing my history, what times (for every part) would be handy to aspire?
35’ wetsuit swim
5’ T1
2u30’ Bike
5’ T2
1u35’ Run
This would bring you over the finish line in 4u50’ . Anyway, that’s my plan for a 70.3 but my stats look alot like yours
flat in NL can mean windy as hell too. Same effect as a hilly course. Focus on swim and bike and keep your current run fitness i’d say. Good luck. I’m already registered for Sables d’Olonne July 5th, otherwise, we could try to do it together
My run stats used to look a lot similar to his as well (until I started running real volume) but we need to emphasize how much work OP needs to do on swim and bike to be able to run a 1:35 in a tri, which is barely 5 minutes above the standalone PR. Sure even 1:40 gets OP there, maybe even 1:45 with practiced transitions (total time <6 minutes, easy with some practice) but even then, 2:30 is a tough ask on the bike. It’ll take a couple years of work to be able to ride 2:30 and run a 1:35-1:40 off of it.
OP- I agree with other posters, ignore the time goal and just focus on training and gaining, if you hit sub-5 on your first, great! if not, fine, just keep working at it. No sense in setting up for disappointment.
Point: Train hard and smart and get to the starting line as fit as you can and injury free. Then take what the course and weather give you.
I’ve finished in 5:10 and would like to break 5:00 but I recognize that I need help from Mother Nature. I’ve started the run in 85-degree temperatures with high humidity. A great time won’t be had (by me at least) on that day.
You’ve got 10 months.
Make a plan and follow it.
Train with the fitness you have not the fitness you want.
Be consistent.
Don’t be afraid to race sprints & oly’s next season prior to the half
there is no need to do a winter half marathon or marathon
Breaking 5h if you do that isn’t as difficult as it seems.
You’ll be fine. It will not be easy, but definitely doable. My 2nd 70.3 was ST.G (one of the harder) and I did it in 5:38, and that’s with being slower than you in every discipline. You’ll have to hustle and hope for a near perfect race, but I got faith in you.
Shouldn’t be a problem for you. I’ve been training for 8 months starting at ground zero, as in can’t swim more than 100m without stopping, 160ftp, and 10min mile running pace for 5k. I’m targeting sub 5:30 for my 70.3 next weekend. I plan to go 35 swim 2:50 bike 1:55 run. So, with consistent and effective swim/bike training, you’ll smash it.
