contemplating ironman next year...

shansey

Hi all,

Would appreciate all the advice and sarcastic comments I can get here.

I've been racing short course for a couple of years now. Times are fairly average 1.15 for a sprint and 2.25 for an oly. Don't kill my self with training but put in some solid efforts and have some good weeks.

I'm 32 now and as I've always wanted to do an ironman I think I best just bite the bullet now before more life obstacles get in the way.

All last season I suffered with ITB issues where my knee would hurt on runs longer than 8k. I've recently got this up to 15k pain free and I have no pride issues with having to walk a bit if I get sore in the.

Looking at IM Mallorca next sept.

I suppose what I'm curious about is the amount of training other (average) people do. I don't want to qualify for Kona or anything, just get around without dying in around 12hrs.

What are peoples normal weeks looking like?

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

shansey wrote: »

Hi all,

Would appreciate all the advice and sarcastic comments I can get here.

I've been racing short course for a couple of years now. Times are fairly average 1.15 for a sprint and 2.25 for an oly. Don't kill my self with training but put in some solid efforts and have some good weeks.

I'm 32 now and as I've always wanted to do an ironman I think I best just bite the bullet now before more life obstacles get in the way.

All last season I suffered with ITB issues where my knee would hurt on runs longer than 8k. I've recently got this up to 15k pain free and I have no pride issues with having to walk a bit if I get sore in the.

Looking at IM Mallorca next sept.

I suppose what I'm curious about is the amount of training other (average) people do. I don't want to qualify for Kona or anything, just get around without dying in around 12hrs.

What are peoples normal weeks looking like?

There is no reason why you cannot get around on 10hrs training a week with perhaps a lift to 16hrs for a few weeks in the 12 weeks leading into race day. For me you are training yourself prior to those 12 weeks to be ready and prepared to start the IM training properly.
If its something you really want to do then go for it as life can be short!

Shedite27

This was my Ironman Experience. With regards training.....

The “Super Simple Ironman Training Plan” was picked for a number of reasons. Firstly it was the shortest timewise (max ~16hrs) and also the sessions seemed to fit to my schedule. It focused on intervals rather than just going through the motions for a longer period of time. My week was…
• Mon – Rest Day
• Tue – AM Swim – PM Bike
• Wed – PM Run
• Thurs – AM Swim – PM Bike
• Fri – PM Fartlak
• Sat – Long Cycle
• Sun – Long Swim and Long Run
Did probably 90% of the sessions in that, missing a few weekends for weddings etc, and a handful of “it’s cold” days. Entered races/events when they suited to break up the boredom, including Tour de Foothills, Tri Athy Double Olympic, Howth and Bray Aquathons.

Sitting here 3 years later with twins just born, I know there's not a hope I'll get to do it again for a few years, glad I did it when I had the chance. Still something that people talk to me about, stilll see the medal on the wall every day. Definitely recommend it.

mossym

First ironman this year. signed up before i switched jobs, likely wouldn't have done it if i knew how tough a task balancing both would be, especially with two young kids at home. came down with more sicknesses in one year than i have had in the last 15 years before that, found training tougher than i have before, not physically but mentally. the highlights for me in terms of toughest points were:
1) leaving before 7 every morning, not getting home until after 7 every evening, and still trying to get 2 sessions a day in. tough but sometimes doable to run at lunchtime. this would have been tough with shorter distance training, but IM made it even harder
2) blocking off 6 hours on 1 weekend day for training, 3 to 4 hours the other weekend day.
3) trying to get a long run done on a weekday evening and fitting it in around kids bedtimes and making sure wasn't stopping the better half doing her classes.
4) i wondered when i started this year was i ready for IM, in terms of the body being ready for the training load. it was, just about i'd say. you need to be fairly confident in that though


it looks like you are doing it now as you have the time and no distractions, which would make a mute point of the issues i raised above. however, the biggest concern i'd have from what you said was the running, your itb may be fine now, and you may be happy to walk come race time, but i'd be curious about how it would hold up in the middle of weeks of training with a long run in the middle of lots of other sessions. you'll have to run more than 15k on one day, then possibly run the next day or the day before, are you confident it will hold up?

i ask about the confidence because IM races do not do refunds, not good ones anyway. have you a race in mind? why not pick one that doesn't sell out, get through the winter of training aiming at one, and see how you are in March? that will allow you to judge yourself whether you can do it.

agree with what has been said though, the long weeks come in the weeks leading up to it and no reason you can't get around with the workload JB posted. to be honest when i look back that's pretty much what i did, and i was shocked when i looked back post race and saw this. more scary was the numbers of weeks all year with very low levels of training, 5 to 6 hours or less due to illness. avoid that, conistent weeks of training, and you'll be fine

golfer555

Not wanting to hijack this thread but I'm in a similar position. I'm very keen to do an ironman next year. Not worried about time, around 12ish hours would do me.

I'm quite new to triathlons. Did my first one in August, got on great and just did a 70.3 IM. Apart from stomach cramps in the run I got on fine. Prior to that I did three marathons, so I've got a bit of endurance work behind me. I did a lot of swimming as a child so find that fine but I'm a new cyclist and need to work on that.

I'm going to sign up for another 70.3 in May to improve my time and then see how I am and hopefully sign up for the Copenhagen IM in August. The problem with full ironman events is they (particularly the good ones) fill up quite fast and signing up in late May might be leaving it too late. Also after just having done a 70.3 my enthusiasm levels are sky high, I wonder what they will be like in the new year. As the last poster said IM don't do proper refunds.

The one issue I have and it sounds terrible that I'm not a fan of winter training, I'd have no interest running or cycling in the pissing rain! That said I'm a very good gym trainer which isn't quite the same. With a 70.3 in May I know I could get away without full on outdoor training till March. However that said I'd still do 100k on the bike in January or February if I knew it was forecast for a nice mild day but there few and fair between then.

Like the OP I've no commitments right now and feel next year would be the year to do it. My body feels fine and provided I put in the long training sessions I could cope with an IM, I say while drinking a beer in departures looking at my 70.3 medal!

68 lost souls

golfer555 wrote: »

Not wanting to hijack this thread but I'm in a similar position. I'm very keen to do an ironman next year. Not worried about time, around 12ish hours would do me.

I'm quite new to triathlons. Did my first one in August, got on great and just did a 70.3 IM. Apart from stomach cramps in the run I got on fine. Prior to that I did three marathons, so I've got a bit of endurance work behind me. I did a lot of swimming as a child so find that fine but I'm a new cyclist and need to work on that.

I'm going to sign up for another 70.3 in May to improve my time and then see how I am and hopefully sign up for the Copenhagen IM in August. The problem with full ironman events is they (particularly the good ones) fill up quite fast and signing up in late May might be leaving it too late. Also after just having done a 70.3 my enthusiasm levels are sky high, I wonder what they will be like in the new year. As the last poster said IM don't do proper refunds.

The one issue I have and it sounds terrible that I'm not a fan of winter training, I'd have no interest running or cycling in the pissing rain! That said I'm a very good gym trainer which isn't quite the same. With a 70.3 in May I know I could get away without full on outdoor training till March. However that said I'd still do 100k on the bike in January or February if I knew it was forecast for a nice mild day but there few and fair between then.

Like the OP I've no commitments right now and feel next year would be the year to do it. My body feels fine and provided I put in the long training sessions I could cope with an IM, I say while drinking a beer in departures looking at my 70.3 medal!

The winter (t)raining period is made easier in the bike with the assistance of a turbo, that however means being able to cycle for hours in the same spot which is tough but a triwnong buddy of mine did all her IM bike training on the turbo 2 hours at a time midweek

mossym

honestly, i'd say if you are not ready to do the training over winter, then forget about IM. if you really want to do it, look at a really late season one like mallorca or barca which will give you the biggest window to do the training

if what you mean is you don't want to be outside, but are okay with 3 or 4 hours sessions on the turbo, and long treadmills, that's a different matter

shansey

thanks to all who responded.

i know some people doing IM Mallorca/Barca so i might sign up for either of those.

The ITB holding up is the main concern if I'm honest, I've no kids and my work hours are ok at the min.

What I'm hearing is keep training at an average with some distance until about 12-16 weeks out and then ramp it up?

mossym

pretty sure mallorca doesn't sell out so that's not a bad choice if you want to do the wait and see approach. barca does i think.

if you are going to do the wait and see and book in spring, i'd look to get a solid winter of training in. get the run up to where you are doing a weekly long run of 90 minutes or so, a long bike of 3 to 4 hours, and start building the swim volume with a long swim of ~3km they are on the volume side, obviously other sessions as well.

if you are getting that done by spring i reckon you'd be good to go to sign up with a view to building

bear in mind i'm speaking from having done one IM, there are more knowledgeable on here who may have different advice

golfer555

mossym wrote: »

honestly, i'd say if you are not ready to do the training over winter, then forget about IM. if you really want to do it, look at a really late season one like mallorca or barca which will give you the biggest window to do the training

if what you mean is you don't want to be outside, but are okay with 3 or 4 hours sessions on the turbo, and long treadmills, that's a different matter

Oh sorry what I mean is I'll still be training 4-5 times a week over the winter months but will have a max of two outdoor sessions a week (long cycle/long run totally weather dependent etc). If I know it'll be a shocking morning but decent afternoon instead of a long spin I'd mix it up to avoid the bad weather and do a quick hilly 50k. I know later in the year around March and April time I'd have to put more time in the saddle so there's no getting away from it then however I'll be working off a decent fitness base.

Then 2-3 sessions in the gym where I've no problem putting in the hours.

mossym

4 to 5 sessions a week? most here would be doing double or even more than that

golfer555

Thats over the winter months I would do more from March onwards.