How to successfully train for an IRONMAN

In this article Coach Alan writes about some of the factors that will help you in making the journey from entering your first IRONMAN to successfully completing the distance. What can you do to ensure you get to that finish line successfully?

You have just set your sights on an IRONMAN branded event and want to ‘get it done’, you know it is a stretch, but that finish line will be yours! How do you make sure you avoid the cut-off times and enjoy the experience?

Know the Course and the implications on the cut-off time.

Race selection will be key: flat courses aren’t necessarily the answer as you never get any free return on your investment whereas hills also mean a downhill on the other side; that little breather shouldn’t be underestimated. We have recently seen the pros demonstrate how hard a truly flat course can be on the bike, let alone the run, with plenty of pros cramping up in the infield of the Daytona International Speedway circuit during the PTO Championship event. We need to find a balance: both incessant pedalling and severe elevation gain should be avoided – balance is everything!

Remember the cut-off time for an IRONMAN and 70.3-distance race respectively are 17hrs or 8.5hrs, although these times can vary from event to event. For example, IRONMAN Frankfurt is 15hr50min. You have selected a race, so what should you consider when beginning a training plan?

What are the threats to your training consistency?

Though there are different and conflicting styles of training methods, however, one thing that they all agree on is that consistency of training is the most significant factor of success. Sitting down with a calendar, wall chart or diary and working out the time you have available will be one of the best things you can do. Having a plan will inevitably lead to a more organised training structure and lead to more consistency. It’s okay if this first plan doesn’t work out, but how you respond and adapt and make a new plan is important. You may find that the Friday morning swim isn’t really working so what might work better? How can you manage the training session?

Strengthen your system

Some expert advice that provides a framework for your training can have a huge impact that you reap repeatedly.

Bike Fit
Physiotherapist OR Strength and Conditioning Coach feedback this will be key to your run consistency and performance.
Swim Technique feedback
And the big one. A coached Training Camp! (A Tri Training Harder Camp will definitely include Point 3 and almost certainly some content on points 1. and 2.)

When formulating the plan, the four considerations above are big-ticket items that will go a significant way to assisting your training in being successful. However, the main thing is still consistently doing the training. Without doing this, the four points above don’t matter at all.

Patience

Presuming you have come into this plan off a couple of years of triathlon training and have competed over the sprint and standard distance and perhaps even a middle you will need to focus on extending your capacity to endure the length of the IRONMAN distance. Often short course training involves an intense focus on faster splits, higher power and a faster pace. However, training at this level of physical and psychological intensity for the longer distances can affect and risk overall consistency. A change of approach from the shorter distances in mindset will be key as it is extending your 2hr run pace and 4hr bike pace that is now the key and you are unlikely to be doing multiple reps at the track of 2hrs but you will perhaps still be doing 400m,800m and 1km reps.

During those intervals, those last few seconds really don’t matter, the session tomorrow morning the next day and three months after do. Patience will serve you well in training and will serve you well on race day. Having a constant focus on being the IRONMAN athlete who is potentially dropped in group sessions or slightly below target power or pace on the first few intervals but always finishes strong in training can be a mindset habit that crucially then carries over to your race execution.

Nutrition

Learn about nutrition. Without fuel, you will find training extremely challenging and make ‘being consistent’ impossible. It is also an essential part of race day success. From the very first session ask yourself;

How well fuelled am I starting this session?
What fuel might I need during the session?
How will I refuel and recover after?
Is my diet giving me what I need to maintain my health as well as performance?

Actively engage in this process and record what you think will work, how it goes and gradually refine your plan towards race day. Don’t forget to consider the practicalities and efficiency of how you will carry and access nutrition on the day.

Key training checkpoints

Completing the following benchmark sessions will be key landmarks in your training. You may well already be able to complete one or two of them with confidence, which will have a big effect on how you structure, sequence and progress your training. Consider these when looking at your wall chart or plan and plot them onto the timeline so you can assess whether or not you are on target, behind or even ahead of your plan. It takes time to build up the physical systems to tolerate load. Tendons, ligaments, muscles and aerobic systems all take time to gradually progress, so patience and gentle progression are key. If you get behind, you may be tempted to rush to catch up, which risks injury or illness.

Swim

1km, 1.5km, 2km, 3km and/or 1hour continuous swim. At least six Open Water sessions.

Bike

3hr, 4hr, 5hr continuous ride.

Run

45min, 1hr, 1hr15, 1hr30, 2hr Run (note this can be walk/run-based sessions) and at least one half marathon race.

Preparation Races

Sprint and Standard race for 70.3

Standard and 70.3 Distance race for IRONMAN.

Conclusion

I haven’t personally worked with an athlete who has failed to complete an IRONMAN or Long Distance race. Still, the DNF’s I have come across are often due to injury, life events disrupting training or on the day a technical (always look after your bike!) or nutritional failure. By far the biggest indicator of success rate is the point at which you start your preparation. Experience in seriously ‘training’ for a sport not necessarily triathlon can make a huge difference and allows some athlete to jump over to IRONMAN with rapid success.

A year of training for short distances, followed by a year of training for the middle or 70.3 distance is an excellent way to develop this ‘training’ experience for new athletes.

About The Author

Coach Alan Ward

Alan Ward

Alan has worked with Tri Training Harder since 2014. During this time working with a wide spectrum of athletes from beginner, to youth and junior elite athletes through to 70.3 and Ironman AG winners and Ironman Kona Qualifiers.

An active Triathlon coach since 2007 Alan has been fortunate enough to work with athletes, peers and support staff who have continutally challenged him to evolve and develop. Building on a solid foundation in swimming teaching, Alan has specifically developed swimming coaching experience having worked in High Performance Swimming environments. Alan's other passion is all things fast on a bicycle!

Since 2015 Alan has worked in conjunction with the other Tri Training Harder Coaches to significantly develop collective coaching practice both on camp and online.

Visit Alan's Coach profile

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Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.

The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.

If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.

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Alan WardJanuary 5, 2021IRONMAN, Triathlon, coaching, Training, Alan Ward, 1stironmanComment

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