Training for my 1st IRONMAN, please advise

Triathlon Forum
1

A few years ago my dad came to town to join me for a half marathon. After packet pickup he said he’d buy me a bike if I did an IRONMAN with him. At that time I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to finish the half marathon. I wasn’t training regularly and the longest I had run was 10 miles. Needless to say, I wasn’t thinking too seriously about it.

The next day at mile 11 of the half marathon, I started catching the BUG. I was enjoying myself and thought that if I finish the race without walking I wanted to run a whole marathon. I’ve since run 3 marathons and 3 olympic triathlons and am registered for IRONMAN Louisville October 13 of this year. I am pretty excited!

I’m coming off of an April marathon so my fitness is decent. Here’s where my training is at almost half way through the 4 month training block:

M-Off
T-30 mile bike, 8 mile run
W-6 mile run, 45 minute pool swim, 1 hour strength training (upper body)
R-72 mile bike, 3 mile run
F-1 mile open water swim, 6 mile run, 20 minute strength training (legs)
Sat- 6 mile pace run
Sunday 15 mile long run

August 4 Olympic Triathlon (“C” race)
August 10 Half IRONMAN (“B” race)

Starting August 12-September 9 (THE BIG MONTH) my schedule will shift to: (Week 3 of this month will be a cut back week, but the long run will alternate 20miles then 15 until I get 3 20’s, then I’ll taper the long run 3 weeks out)

M-Off
T-36 mile bike, 8 mile run
W-2 mile open water swim, 1 hour strength training (upper body)
R-36 mile bike, 4 mile run
F-45 minute pool swim, 6 mile run, 20 minute strength training (legs)
Sat- 100 mile bike, 4 mile run
Sunday 20 mile long run, recovery swim later in the day

Then taper down for the race…

For anyone that has done an IRONMAN or has training knowledge, thoughts? I know that my program is “run heavy” compared to what I’m seeing on other sites. But I like to run and figure that fitness will translate???

2

I would skip the strength training.

3

Why?

4

Maybe for last three to four weeks before your event, make the lifting super-light or cancel it. But I totally disagree with ditching the strength training altogether. It gives you variation in your plan, and it’s just a good idea.

5

Yeah, I will definitely taper the lifting in the last month. And probably not lift the last week for sure or even the 2nd to last week… That was my schedule during the last marathon and it seemed to work pretty good for me…

6

Don’t skip upper body strength, you need to look good when they tell you: “You’re an Ironman!”!!!

Leg day might be useless, because you’ll kill all the gainz by running fast the next day.

Seriously, if you’re able to keep several weekends 100mi+4mi brick and 20 mi run on the next day, you are in shape to finish in top 10%

7

I don’t know about top 10%, doubtful. (I’m a 3:51 marathoner and a 3 hour olympic tri)
and I don’t know what riding 100 miles is like either. The furthest I’ve gone so far is 67.
But I did run over 700 miles in my last 4 month marathon training block and had 3 20 mile long runs…

We will see…

Are you saying 3 hundred mile rides is too much?

8

I don’t know about top 10%, doubtful. (I’m a 3:51 marathoner and a 3 hour olympic tri)
and I don’t know what riding 100 miles is like either. The furthest I’ve gone so far is 67.
But I did run over 700 miles in my last 4 month marathon training block and had 3 20 mile long runs…

We will see…

Are you saying 3 hundred mile rides is too much?

That’s the sort of volume a top 10% guy is capable of. You may find you are biting off more than you can chew with that amount. On the other hand, you might pull it off and do much more awesome than expected.

9

@ask77nl I’m thinking about that, and I was running 10 mile pace runs the day before my 20 miler… So I’m sure if it’s too much I’ll have to adjust. We will see

10

I am no expert and currently training for my first full as well, but have done a number of half distance races.
Your run training will serve you well but I have been told and have read numerous times about how important the bike side of things is for your Ironman. You have to have good bike fitness to be able to run well after riding that far. Your current program looks a little light on bike fitness in comparison to running.
There are some great stories about too Kenyan runners who were shocking when they tried to do triathlon, for a variety of reasons but just realize that with iron distance events, run fitness will only get you so far, you need good bike fitness to be able to survive the marathon in a time that is close to your stand alone marathon time.

11

That’s a good word. Obviously running 112 miles off the bike is different than 26… But last year I used one of my dad’s old bikes for my 3 olympic triathlons… The only training I did was what the running training I was doing for my marathon. I had noodle legs for all 3 runs.

I’m now riding a trek speed concept and can not believe the difference it makes running off the bike. But that is some good feedback. I’m sure after I do my half ironman august 10 I’ll have a better gauge on what I need to work on.

that’s some good feedback. thanks

12

I am curious to know two things, and these might help those reviewing your post:

  1. Do you have a goal time for each discipline or overall for your Ironman that you are targeting?
  2. What about nutrition, often times referred to as the fourth discipline, are you using your race nutrition during training, etc, etc?
13

Don’t run every day for sure. Skip the strength training, or limit it to like stability/RoM exercises 1x a week. Swim 3-4 times a week and bike at least 3x times. Gaining 45 mins on the bike is worth way more than going say from a 3:45 marathon to a 3:30 marathon.

It’s funny but my IM training is always run heavy since I like running. But run fitness never translates into bike fitness for some reason…

14

Overall I’d keep “some” strength training right now. But drop down to one day per week for the next three weeks and then focus purely on taper of course.

15

I’d advise you to get off ST :slight_smile:
.

16

Time Goals: I’ve never done an IRONMAN so I just want to finish, I’ve only swam 1.5 miles and gone 64 miles on the bike, so these might change. but here are my comfortable paces and what I think I’ll be capable of…

Swim: 1:35
Bike: 6:20
Run: 4:45

And yes, I’m working out with (and experimenting with) the same nutrition I’m planning on using on race day, which might change after I get into longer rides…

17

Unless you came from a swim background, need to swim much more, cut the strength training. Have you ever ran an open half marathon before? Struggling through the ironman swim is the equivalence of sprinting the first mile of a half marathon race and expecting to have a good day.

18

You will get more benefit by swimming, riding, or running during that time.

19

I hear you!! If I start struggling with my 2 mile open water swims I’ll add some more swim workouts… But I feel pretty confident in my swimming. I’m not very fast, but I’m a strong swimmer. I swim in the open water regularly. I takes me 33-35 minutes to do a mile in the open water. The furthest I’ve gone is 1.5-2 miles. Not sure the exact distance but it was in the ocean on a choppy day and I was in the water for 1:07 and felt great afterwards… But yeah, if I start struggling when I increase the distance, I’ll for sure add some more.

20

It’s good that you feel comfortable swimming in open water, but I am pretty sure that you would get faster if you were swimming in a pool and doing sets like 20 x 100 with 15 seconds rest.