Powerman Zofingen / Run Training

Triathlon Forum
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For those who have raced Powerman Zofingen, what kind of run workouts were you doing in the 2 months prior to the race (weekly mileage, long runs, etc) and how did that translate for you at the race? I raced Sprint Duathlon Worlds in April and was focusing on short and harder runs leading up to that race to work on my 5k speed. Since that time I have been focusing mostly on the bike for an event I did last week and only running 3x a week with nothing over an hour over the last 3 months. My bike and overall fitness/endurance is pretty solid right now, and my run speed is fine (hitting just under 20’ for flat 5ks untapered), but I need to build my run endurance as safely as I can over the next couple months. Given the short period of time between now and Sept 8th there are obviously limits to what can be done. My current plan is to err on the side of being uninjured and making it to the starting line healthy by running 4x a week this month with a weekly 1:00 to 1:15 long run, and then if that goes well, build the long run to 1:30 or 1:45 in August. I also live in a place with zero hills which I know presents a separate but serious challenge for this event. I have done 9 IMs so I have sense of how to slog it out if that’s what the day ultimately calls, for but I’d like to train as smart as I can between now and then.

Given the above, I’d be most grateful for any helpful thoughts on the above plan or how to better utilize time I have before the race. Thanks in advance.

2

I did it in 2014 at age 56, and I was a lot slower than you. I live in Tampa and did some “hill” training on one of the few inclines I could find. I don’t recall exactly but was probably running in the 35-40 mpw range. I doubt you’ll have problems given your speed but I would offer the following two recommendations based on my experience:

  1. Do NOT start too fast. The start is on an uphill and folks went out like they were running a 5K race. Unless you are trying to podium, most folks run the initial 10K way too fast given the difficulty and length of the entire course.

  2. While it may be tempting to wear lightweight flats knowing that much of the run is on trails, take something with a little more cushioning due to the downhill segments. Your legs are going to take a pounding on some of the descents. I was truly beat up after the race and about 10 days afterwards, I collapsed in the street mid-stride during a run. Found out that I had torn the poplitius muscle behind my left knee, and oh, by the way, had a stress fracture in my left femur and another in my left foot. Thank you Powerman!

BTW, I’ve done 14 IMs and countless running races over a 50 year span of endurance racing. If someone asked me what the greatest race I ever did was; I would say Powerman Zofingen.

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Thanks alot for the advice. I am in the M50-54 age group and will definitely not be in search of a podium, just to race the event properly as it deserves to be raced (and end up with no stress fractures!!!). As you suggest, I plan to take the first run very easy (hoping to go around 50’, I’d guess), push some on the bike as that will be fun given the setting, and then suffer the last run. The hope is that I can do some smart work over the next 2 months so that the real suffering begins 1 to 2 hours into that second run, not 20 minutes into it. As you further suggest I will most definitely not be taking my usual racing shoes (Saucony Kinvaras) but will be running in my Hokas. Thanks again.

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Are you racing it with Team USA or independent of the ITU part of the race?

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Team USA
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I did it with Team USA … maybe 30 total on the team and something like 8 DNFs … absurdly high. I think part of the problem was USAT using essentially a short course duathlon (our qualifying race was in Greenville) to select the team for a long course event. For an experienced Ironman, the hills were the primary challenge not the distance; but there were definitely some people who weren’t prepared for a brutally long course; or who toasted themselves in the first 10K.

All women (ITU and Powerman only) start one hour before the men and get that extra hour for the final time cutoff. The ITU WC men start one hour after the women and then independent men start 2 mins later. ITU and Powerman age groups are scored separately; no cross-over.

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Powerman Zofingen is special. It’s also a brutal run course. But if you know that going in your good! I haven’t done it since 2012 I believe but I would second the notion that you should take the first run a bit easy. The first run I can remember spiking my HR a few times per lap depending on where I was within the group…you may want to run a bit more even if you can!
The second run is what separates the men from the boys. I’ve fallen apart there in grand fashion and I’ve also run from way back to a podium spot, so anything can happen! You have big uphills and some short, steep downhills so it’s like taking a hammer to the quads for a few hours.
I don’t know you’re running volume but I would look at combining some speedwork with longer bricks if you can. The runs are kinda opposite ends of the spectrum there in Zofingen; one is fast, the other is grinding it out in the woods on gravel trails.

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I read this with interest, as Powerman Zofingen has been on my radar for years. I’m targeting 2020.
The comments here make me wonder, but I had been thinking I’d be reasonably prepared mentally and tactically based on my experience with the American Zofingen long course.
I did Du Nat’s this year b/c in the past it was a qualifier for Team USA. Alas, I guess they changed their minds on that so I guess I’ll just be a random American participant.

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I read this with interest, as Powerman Zofingen has been on my radar for years. I’m targeting 2020.
The comments here make me wonder, but I had been thinking I’d be reasonably prepared mentally and tactically based on my experience with the American Zofingen long course. I did Du Nat’s this year b/c in the past it was a qualifier for Team USA. Alas, I guess they changed their minds on that so I guess I’ll just be a random American participant.

Yes, AMZOF would be excellent preparation. From what I’ve read, it might even be more difficult. I have not done AMZOF but have read many race reports about it and concluded that it is an old school, informally organized, cult race. Powerman Zofingen is the complete opposite. It is professionally organized with top-notch race production. The only thing the two races have in common is that they are both crazy hard.

Here’s a 3 1/2 minute video they made of the 2014 race I did to use as a trailer for the 2015 WC. The race management quality is evident throughout. And I felt like I was riding in a Swiss postcard the entire time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjYXEeQ5vdg

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Hey I’ve got a question. What do you think are the main experience differences between those who sign up for this event as random adults, vs those participating as part of Team USA? I’m on a fence about aiming to qualify, given the qualifying event was changed from the event I had already signed up for (Du Nat’s), and the long course nationals requires another flight and hotel stay. What would I “miss out on” by not being part of Team USA at PM Zofingen?

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Apart from starting 2 minutes behind the ITU Men, it’s the same friggin’ race and the experience would be 99.9% the same. The only thing I can think of would be that you wouldn’t be wearing a Team USA kit, you would miss the team pic (if there even is one) and you would be scored in the open division. USAT did not even send a rep(s) to the race like they do to ITU Multisport Worlds and other events. There wasn’t anyone there (at least when I did it) handing you a small USA flag to carry across the line. There were no team events, no team meeting, no team nothing. We simply got together before the start, took our own team photo, and went on our merry way.

I recall that Powerman allowed people to register early for the open division; and if they were later picked up by their national team, they would simply switch the person’s registration into the ITU scored race. If they still do that and you change your mind and go to the qualifier than you would be fine (unless you are thinking of 2019 and it’s already past).

ITU will only show the WC results on their web page, but you should be able to check the Powerman page to see the results for each version in the same AG to see how many are racing in the open division. I vaguely recall that at least a third of the long course athletes were non-affiliated. There is a also short-course version that starts after the long-course so they are 100% non affiliated with national teams. Bottom-line; you shouldn’t feel like you are missing out.

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Thanks! That’s very helpful. I don’t have a lot of experience traveling over seas and when I have I have never been the one to make arrangements. So I’m a bit nervous about that and wondered if that would be one of the smoother / easier things of being part of a team. Plus possibly also feeling like I had “buddies” there.

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I’ve done Team USA several times and enjoyed the camaraderie, but for this race Team USA was of no assistance in making arrangements; probably because it is too small. I don’t know if that’s true every year though. The only interaction I had with Team USA was an e-mail about when/where to meet for the photo. At other races, they have a team hotel and transport to make things easier if you like. I simply flew into Zurich and spent a couple of nights there before taking the train to Olten. Zofingen is small and the hotels there book up quickly. There are plenty of hotels in Olten that are a lot cheaper. I took the train back and forth between Olten and Zofingen (about 8 mins). It’s only about 3 blocks from the train station in Zofingen to the stadium area which is start/finish and transition. Whatever you choose to do, good luck!

14

I will be competing at Zofingen in 2019 for the fifth time. I have completed the race the last three consecutive years. The bike and second run course changed last year. For what it is worth I have set up a closed Facebook page for USA Team members going to Zofingen, on the Facebook platform search for “Team USA Members Zofingen World Duathlon Championship 2019” and I will let you in. The last three years we had USAT support (mechanic, team manager etc), flags were given to finishing participants before they crossed the line, there was a social event before the race and there were scheduled practice runs and bike rides. Overall, if you wanted to be part of a team effort, the opportunity was there.

Competing in open versus ITU: Competition is equally fierce in both races. I have talked with europeans who race open because they wish not to have to pay extra for country dues and purchase race uniforms. A good friend of mine raced open and was on the podium last year. He also got first at the long distance nationals last year - a great year for him! The ITU events, as others stated, basically provide the ‘prestige’ of competing for world championship status and you get the opportunity to be part of group activities leading up to and during the event.

I am an old guy, last year was the first year that I raced in the separate old man’s wave of 65 + which takes off 8 minutes after the women at 8:08. It was pretty cool to see your competition in one wave. I shook everyone’s hand before the race.

My training this year has been all over the place. Perhaps not the best strategy for such a long race but due to the different types of events I scheduled this year… I also participated in the standard distance worlds this year in Spain, also raced gravel races (Land Run 100 and Dirty Kanza 200) and will do the Leadville 100 mile mountain bike race August 8th. I also trained for a week road cycling in Colorado in June to get some hills. While my cycling is firm, the run will be weaker. I have been ramping my runs up in July and August. Your strategy for building up your runs I think is sound. It is difficult to try to simulate and train for this race unless you live in an area that has half mile to one mile climbs. If you can find such terrain, I suggest you ease into running up and down such inclines, or perhaps run on an indoor trainer in an incline position. This is what you will face on the 10k and the 30 k runs. It is not uncommon to see folks walking up and down these long stretches in the race. For most participants, the quads will be trashed by the end of the race. They say the race really starts at the beginning of the third bike loop. The new 30 k run has two big climbs and descents on a four loop course. Part of the loop also runs through the couple streets of the Old Town. It is very spectator friendly.

For the pro’s and younger racers, race flats might be fine but I recommend running in shoes that have more support, you may even consider trail racing shoes - especially in the event that it rains and you have to navigate muddy trail.

The bike course last year was changed so that it is raced within one Canton (I think they had some issues with the other Cantons (counties). While many lament the demise of the old bike course, the new course has some challenging hills (two major ones). I personally think the course is now more technical: there are more corners, turns, and the major descents are on narrow farm roads with many turns and curves so your line of vision is shortened. Part of the loop also goes through the Old town on the cobble streets. I raced a TT bike and I was on my cow horns on many of the descents. I am considering taking a road bike and putting areo clip ons on the road bike. I figure the road bike is lighter, handles better on the technical descents and the brakes are better than those on my TT bike.

I look forward to seeing you in Zofingen. It is a tough race which I respect and I admire all who toe the line. As someone said in this thread, you might be crippled for a week afterward :slight_smile: - that’s why I now take a week vacation with my wife before the race…usually it is the other way around but I found I could not do any hiking in Switzerland after the race.

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I agree with everything that has been said. My experience level there extends across 12-15 years including 3 finishes, 2 out-on-time and 1 injury year (bike tumble). The experience is nearly identical to completing a hilly century ride (term intentional) and then doing a marathon run-walk that afternoon. Yes, I am aware of the run-bike-run format. Adjusting nutrition to meet the demands of the day is crucial. Due to the length of the event I actually eat a light lunch (of sorts) following the second bike lap. Unless someone is an elite I would forget racing altogether and just get through the bike ride on any basis. One feature that is very subtle is that there is a lot of attention about rules violations while the pro’s are on the course ($100K on the line). They will yellow/red card individuals for all the usual violations - don’t even think about drifting over a center line because they will send anybody to the showers.
Here are my “secrets.” I practice slow rides on grassy hills using a mountain bike. I’m looking to be able to comfortably soft pedal - you can use it to gauge your fitness. Work gets in the way but I look for opportunities to get up early, train across running, walking, speed bike riding and even mtb rides. The big difference in training is a stop for lunch (cooking, writing an email about this and resting). I look for weekends to do something long on Saturday and a different version of long on Sunday. As time gets closer I look for one weekend to do 3/4 of time or distance for a long run followed by a long bike. I adjust my time schedule to very early. Despite doing that Saturday night in any of the hotels tends to get noisy about 2 am - bar closing time. I enjoy this race enough that at times I was too excited to go to sleep and then when I finally got to sleep the drunks woke me up. Nearly every hotel has an extensive breakfast buffet - the better ones adjust to accommodating early race morning breakfasts. Many of us know not only other racers but individuals in the shops, hotels and other venues. Best of luck,!

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Just wanted to add a postscript to this thread for those considering doing this race in the future. To start, this race is harder than an ironman, at least all the ones I have done. Its also a really great race, run very well with excellent competition. If you like running up and down hills and are looking for something very challenging that will really pound your legs into submission you will find it here.

I would strongly echo the previous comments about keeping it easy on the first run, it probably the most important advice you could give someone for this race. The hill you run up is incredibly steep and over a mile long and you do it twice. They don’t have hills like this in any race I have done in the US and its right out of the gate from the starting line. The first time down I was shocked at what a pounding it took to get down and dialed it back quite a bit, the result being I was at the back of the pack after the first run but a number of people who didn’t do so did not end up finishing the day. It looked like the DNF rate was around 20% which is very high given the caliber of folks who toe the line for this event (probably didn’t help that it was cold and raining off and on for most of the bike). Even going slower, I found that the first run really took some bounce out of my legs for the rest of the day

The bike course is really great: two significant climbs which you do 3 times each, some flats, some false flats and a fair number of technical descents (at least on a tri bike in the rain). On the tri bike vs road bike question, there are enough flat sections that I’d go tri bike and that’s what most people do but you have to definitely keep your head about you on the descents.

The final run is just hard. About half of each 10k loop is flat on cobbles (ouch) through town then you run on to the top of this climb, do a loop around the top and run down. My legs were barely sort of ok for the first 1.5 loops but were pretty done by the end of the second loop. Near the end even fast folks are walking portions of the steep downhills and uphills. My legs started buckling pretty badly every time I tried to run downhill on the last loop. It felt great to cross the line and stop.

I had no hills to run in training because there are no hills where I live. I knew this would be a detriment but I did not fully grasp how much of a detriment. My last 7 week training block had me riding around 200 miles a week and running 25 miles a week with a 1:30-1:40 long run. While I wanted to do more, I also did not want to get injured and not get to the starting line. If I were to do this race again, or advise someone else doing it, I would try to get the run mileage closer to 40 miles a week with some steep hill work mixed in. I actually think the hill work would be more important than the additional mileage given the course.

Overall, very glad I did it and would highly recommend the experience.