I couldn’t find any good threads in the search function, please post any previous relevant threads.
So, I think I’m pretty set for my IM training except for how to handle the long ride. How do you structure individual rides and how do you progress through the build? Is it a linear build or do you do differently structured rides on alternating weekends etc.
Please word vomit as much as you want on the subject, I’m all ears.
get used to riding 200kms
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get used to riding 200kms
yeah but how do you structure it?
Throughout the week i have 3 longer rides. I recommend at least 2. One specific: ~5h with AP of at least 90% of IM power. Another one with quality: at least 30 mins above threshold and just as much close to but below threshold and a total of 3h. So like 1h easy, 6x6 mins at 101-110% ftp with 4 mins rest, 10-20 min easy, 30 min@85->90% FTP, 10-20 mins easy. The third one for me is just 3h at close to IM pace the day after a tougher run day.
Throughout the week i have 3 longer rides. I recommend at least 2. One specific: ~5h with AP of at least 90% of IM power. Another one with quality: at least 30 mins above threshold and just as much close to but below threshold and a total of 3h. So like 1h easy, 6x6 mins at 101-110% ftp with 4 mins rest, 10-20 min easy, 30 min@85->90% FTP, 10-20 mins easy. The third one for me is just 3h at close to IM pace the day after a tougher run day.
And how do you structure the rest of your life around these?
(pink?)
This year I rode 4:55 in Placid, 4:42 at IMMT, and 4:37 at Louisville. I end up doing a lot of riding indoors. I do both a 4:00 ride, and a 4:30 ride in my build up to an Ironman.
The 4:00 ride is 6x20min at 76-78% of FTP, then 1x60min at 77%.
The 4:30 ride is 6x23min at 76-78% of FTP, then 1x70min at 77%.
I find these workouts are great for me to simulate what I will go through in a race. If I’m not on top of my nutrition throughout I really suffer in the final longer interval. I’ve done it outside, but I actually feel like I get a better workout on the trainer because I don’t have stop signs, or cars, and all my nutrition is right next to me so I don’t have to stop for that either. I ‘built’ this workout in Trainer Road and I created a team so that anyone who wants to give it a go can download it (click HERE).
Outside of the time I’m focusing on an Ironman I do some long rides that have intervals of different lengths. I’ll usually string together some different 60-90min Trainer Road rides. I’ll also mix in some long, easy rides just to get more saddle time, based on the other work I’ve done throughout the week. I think it’s important to really push some of your long rides, but I don’t think you need to do that every week.
During summer in sweden it’s only dark outside for 3-4 hours 
jk, when I do this/prescribe something like it, you better have vacation. You need to absorb it as well.
Good stuff, thanks. What IF do you target for the race?
About 75-77% - 240-245W.
So this in not an every week thing then? If not, how often do you do this?
get used to riding 200kms
yeah but how do you structure it?
Apparently, so that you finish in around 5 hours. Duh.
No no, this is in the leading up to the race. 6-10 weeks depending on time available. Before this you simply need to be fit, but not ready to race an IM.
Early season
4-5 rides per week
Midweek: 6x3 mins all out within a 90 minute rideMidweek: 2x20 mins hard within a 90 minute rideMidweek: Additional bike ride depending on how the legs are, but not super high intensityWeekend: 2-3hr ride with 40-45 minutes at slightly above IM effort, but still not so hard, the rest 'easy’Weekend: recovery ride before long run
Nearer a race
4-5 rides per week
Midweek: 2hrs around IM effortMidweek: 2hrs around IM effortMidweek: Additional bike ride depending on how the legs are, but not super high intensityWeekend: 3-6 hour ride with about 45-60 minutes slightly above IM effort, the rest slightly belowWeekend: recovery ride before long run
The periodization is a gradual shift from the first section to the second section. There will be some additional variety and tailoring to whatevers going on, but this is the basic structure. The 6 hour ride will happen once a month, so it’s not very regular and if it’s 6 hours it’ll be pretty much all below IM effort.
Not sure what kind of data you are looking for, but here are some “stats” I pulled up in TPs. You can decide if they are useful or not for you.
55 total ride, 8 IM’s
Longest Ride 131 miles
47 of those rides AVG Power was under 210 (FTP was 325-340 during that time)
17 of those were under 190W
A lot of the rides were just super easy long rides in the saddle. Someone of them mixed in 20-60min intervals anywhere from just below IM effort all the way up to just above 70.3 effort.
I think it really depends on how long you have been doing IM, what your training background is and then working it around that. Every athlete is different, and what works for one may not work for the next. Like you mentioned alternating structured every other weekend may not be a bad idea. But also depends on how you build the training around that “long” ride as well.
If you’ve figured everything else out yourself you should be able to come up with something.
Once a week: Start easy, build during the ride and ride hard at the end. Run afterwards.
I generally do 2 longish rides per week, one with a threshold focus (4x15 or something over 3-4 hours) and then a longer tempo based ride (2-3x30-45min over 5+ hours).
Those rides are consistent in approach for much of the year, but there is some build in the amount of volume and intensity as I move through a season.
Jack
What long ride?
I went 5 hours on the dot last year at Roth so pretty much where you want to be. I was around the 5:20 sort of speed previously. Big thing I did? Extra 70 - 90km flat out 100% effort ride midweek with the race team at my bike club. I did 4 x 100 mile TT’s. Ontop of that I would do another flat out hard ride on a Saturday morning. So, in essence, my weekly training was 2 x hard flat out 60 - 90km sessions, with one in the 120 - 140km range and some 100 mile TT’s.
I would question the point of riding 200km plus. If you are new to the sport then yes, you need to build volume and muscle memory. If you are looking at sub 5 hours and hoping to run off the back of it, I am assuming you are probably not new. If you have a number of years in your legs already, go and hurt yourself regularly week in week out up to half ironman distance. What’s the point in dossing through a 250km ride? Won’t do anything for you.
So you did Louisville at about 31 MPH???
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Oops, 4:37. Fixed it.