Ironman training questions

[gregnemes]

Ironman guys - was wondering what your longest/most intense workouts are leading up to your event(probably a lengthy brick), and how far out they are from the race? Do you give these workouts everything you have? Is it part of a build series of long workouts?

Im currently arranging plans for an IM next year. Right now my longest workout is a 100 mile bike, 3 hr run - 4 weeks out from the race.

thanks,

greg

[Aussie Rob]

3 hour run after a century is a lot imo. It's borderline an IM in and of itself and will probably tear you up more than help. I'd probably split them up, or modify them to be something like up to 1 hour run off the bike (similar to an epic friday), or 2ish hour run after riding 50.

I think the massive massive summer workouts like you posted are overrated. I'm hardly the most experienced IM competitor, nor am i that fast, but i think what you do October-May and what your monthly volume is in June, July, August is more important than any single or short series of workouts.

To answer your question though, a 120-130 mile bike ride followed by a 45min run is about as big as ill go in any one day. Anything more than that just buries me for the following days.

[robreddy]

i ride 160-180 and then run 3-4 hours regularly during IM training

Suggest you do at least 5 of these days in your 1st IM prep - & make sure you take Aussie along with you starting next week - he really needs the training since he is so far behind this year and probably going to crumble at KY in 3 weeks if he does not get one more EF in

r

[gregnemes]

whats an epic friday?? sounds pretty epic

[Brandon]

Greg, I'm just about to taper for my first IM and if I would have attempted the volume mentioned above I would have died...or at least been injured. Remember, jedi Reddy has been in the sport since everybody raced in speedo's! Even at that, I want evidence of these 3 hour run-off's

My strategy was consistency...trying to hit 10 workouts per week. My thinking was that my weekly volume was more important than one epic workout that took me all week to recover from. Longest workout was a 6 hour ride with lots of climbing, including a few hill repeats to close out the ride followed by a 1 hour run-off the bike. It went well, so I was done with huge bricks for the season. That was about 2 months ago.

Mostly, I've been hitting 4.5 to 6 hour rides every weekend (typically solo, so no drafting) and mid-week long runs around 2 hours. I tried (if my body was up to it) to get in some tempo work in the long workouts, both bike and run. An example would be 2x30 min. hard on long bike or 2 or 3x1 mile hard during long run. Long swims also once a week around 4000 yds. Other workouts included one medium ride and one medium run (in terms of duration) and most of the rest was recovery work. No speedwork this year...just trying to adapt to the volume.

Will this work? I hope so We'll see at the end of the month...

[MattCollister]

Aug 10, 2009 14:06:38 GMT -5 robreddy said:

i ride 160-180 and then run 3-4 hours regularly during IM training

Suggest you do at least 5 of these days in your 1st IM prep - & make sure you take Aussie along with you starting next week - he really needs the training since he is so far behind this year and probably going to crumble at KY in 3 weeks if he does not get one more EF in

r

And do them all wearing nothing but a Speedo. It'll keep you cool.

[watchman]

In two weeks I am doing first Olympic but then my eyes move to a Half IM next year.

I would like more input on workouts for this and IM

maybe some details the year leading up

then some specifics the 3 months leading up

any more opinions and example would be great

mike

[jimdehner]

I just did my first IM - the longest brick was 5 hour ride and followed by a 2 hr run - it was done on a Saturday 3 weeks before the race and was followed on Sunday by a 4 hour bike - they were the last "big" workouts before the race - then started the taper

[gregnemes]

mike - this is my second season training for 1/2s. my biggest thing is getting a consistent long workout routine on the weekends(some may disagree). but i build from a 30-40 mile ride+30 min run, up to 70-80 mile ride+60-90 min run. for example my last big workout was 75 mile ride + 12 mile run. My longest before the half will be 100 mile ride + 60 min run, two weeks out.

as far as the year leading up to it, since we live in a colder climate, i do distance running to get the base up, lots of strength training, some swimming, and trainer rides. my favorite workout this winter was a 90 minute trainer ride followed by a solid strength training session, followed by a 20 minute run. the off season is a very different animal.

check out these books: triathletes training bible, triathlete magazines complete week by week training guide. those two books taught me most of what i know, and help to formulate your own plans.