I will be starting the taper for IMWI ~August 18 or 19th. There are 3 races around this time I can use for a good speedworkout and sharpening up before my first IM. I can do a .5k,30k,5k on August 11th or a 1.5k,40k,10k on August 18th or a 1 mile, 34 mile, 10 mile on August 25th or 26th. Which race would you recomend? I was leaning towards the Olympic or wanna-be half ironman. Thanks for help.
there is no need for speedwork before a ironman, speed isnt needed for ironman. To do a race one week before your taper would be wasting your last big key weekend where you should be riding long and getting a run off the bike. not a good idea at all. As for starting your taper with a race? you already have to recover from the hard build up, why add the stress/recovery of a race? nothing to be gain. so, my only reason for you to race in the month before a ironman is if you really feel like it, but it wont give you anything positive in a performance perspective,
focus on arriving at ironman rested and with a good load of endurance training and forget right away about speed, time will be better spend focusing on endurance as ironman is 100% that.
But Jonnyo, you go so fast.
What do you mean, speed isn’t important?
nothing to be gain. so, my only reason for you to race in the month before a ironman is if you really feel like it, but it wont give you anything positive in a performance perspective, <<
So a 1/2 IM two weeks before an IM isn’t a good idea? 
I’ll let you know how it goes.
clm
Cathy, as you know, I always do the Peterborough Half Ironman 2 weeks out from Ironman LP, but frankly, half Ironman racing is more important to me than Ironmans. I do agree that it is tough, but if you have the training taken care of, no reason for not recovering in time for the Ironman.
Dev
well Gordo had recomended in Going Long to race a HIM 3 weeks out from an IM. Wouldn’t a race this far out serve as a great BT workout before the taper begins?
let see if gordo do a race 3 weeks from ironman canada this year… i m 99% sure he wont.