Ironman Training Plan
Choosing an IRONMAN Race
The possibility to take part in an IRONMAN race is high, considering that there are a lot of them scattered throughout the world, so you will likely find one that is not too far away. When choosing a race for an IRONMAN race, consider the height of the territory, how widely known it is, and when it takes place so you can make sure it is the ideal competition for you.
Events like IRONMAN Arizona, IRONMAN Florida and IRONMAN Western Australia are great selections for newcomers and people aiming to compete in the IRONMAN World Championship, nevertheless, keep in mind that a total of 140.6 miles will have to be run, no matter which race is selected, therefore the best way is to pick the race that seems pleasurable and exciting to you.
Think about what weather conditions the race will be in (especially if the weather is different from the place you are practising in) and if those conditions match your athletic abilities. For instance, if you don’t have much experience with swimming, it would be best to avoid a race that doesn’t allow participants to wear wetsuits.
Think about the expenses required to take part in an IRONMAN competition. Enrollment charges can range somewhere in the range of US$700 and US$850 (contingent upon when you register), and plane tickets, transportation, nourishment, and convenience can rapidly include a couple of thousand dollars all the more when everything is finished.
Balancing Training With Day-to-Day Life
Thorough mental preparation before beginning IRONMAN training should not be discounted; it is pivotal for a successful journey, both for yourself and for your family and friends.
Think about your job duties, family matters, and normal social engagements, and communicate openly with your loved ones concerning how your leisure time must be cut down for a few months.
Having good time management skills is beneficial for any IRONMAN athlete. It’s time for those who have never written lists to start writing down what they need to do each day so that both IRONMAN preparation and regular life can exist in harmony.
Coach Meredith Atwood suggests writing down a list, abbreviated as SRS (Sucky Rotation Schedule), which includes a few activities or tasks that are pushed aside for a limited period.
Choosing Training Strategy
There are three main options when it comes to preparing for an IRONMAN: employing a coach, buying a training program, or training independently.
Acquiring a Trainer: Trainers can aid you in designing the perfect program for the duration of the season, calculate your physical capability goals to provide you with reachable but stimulating objectives, evaluate and keep tabs on your advancement, and make necessary modifications to your exercise routine as necessary.
Coaches offer either electronic or face-to-face individualized help, and they may help you with IRONMAN nourishment, capabilities and rivalry systems, weight training, and even psychological conditioning.
Following an IRONMAN training plan can be advantageous as you receive pre-set daily workouts tailored to your fitness level to over-training. Furthermore, plans of this type make it feasible to adjust the intensity based on personal data.
Even though you will not enjoy the extra expertise, personal interactions, and backing that a mentor can give to you, it will be difficult to alter a training program depending on work duties, injury, and other everyday disturbances.
Training for an IRONMAN can be done without any professional coaching or involvement. Many athletes have managed to accomplish this by simply searching for books on the subject, downloading a practice plan from the internet, or asking a fellow triathlete for tips and advice.
Nevertheless, the potential hazards you may come up against and the rewards that you may miss out on are quite numerous, the most notable ones being excessive exercising, wounds, and dejection as a consequence of saturation and absence of guidance.
The Structure
This is the last period of training for an athlete who is getting ready for their initial Ironman event.
The initial six weeks have a design of trading off two weeks of construction and one week of recovery. Week 7 is the highest point, with the following two weeks being 8 and 9, which are the tapering weeks.
During important practice periods, there are three training sessions for each sport every week. There are numerous opportunities to hone your nutrition strategies during extended periods and plenty of practice running after biking.
Types of workouts:
Maintaining a threshold pace helps you achieve great cardiovascular fitness. If your threshold pace is at a higher speed, your endurance “base” pace will also be faster.
• Stamina: The core and basic essentials of an Ironman training program.
Using various tools like paddles for swimming, running up hills, and cycling at low speeds can help to build strength and endurance in the muscles.
• Recovery: Get fresh to go hard again.
Aerobic power can be improved with workouts that involve a steady pace or pace that increases gradually at a moderate intensity, resulting in increased endurance while keeping form correct.
• Going out for a run right after your bike ride to get accustomed to the feeling.
• Jog/Stroll: To become accustomed to passing aid stations, exercising replenishment, and sustaining your running strides for prolonged times during training.
Using paddles while swimming regularly, running up hills and cycling with a low gear ratio help to develop muscular strength and durability. Doing intermittent routine exercises at the threshold level will make you very fit in terms of cardiovascular strength – if you manage to increase your threshold pace, your endurance speed will also become faster.
The plan includes three longer run/walk sessions. This is to practice the pattern of going to aid stations, practising how to replenish energy, and increasing the length of time you run After during training.
It is essential to not sprint the whole way or attempt to go quicker or more than specified periods, as the physical pain and recuperation necessitated will disrupt upcoming instruction practices.
After Week 7, there is a two-hour run/walk that follows a 3.5-hour ride, which is the ideal opportunity to test out different pacing and nutrition tactics.
Ironman Training Plan key ( repeat the same process )
Week 1
Monday
Day Off
Tuesday
Go for an 80-meter run and make sure to include six bursts of three-meter hills, alternating between three-meter jogs and three-meter increases up to the fourth level, either on the road or the treadmill set at an incline of four to six per cent.
Wednesday
Swim 2500, threshold. • Include 10×50 (20”) as 25 fast, 25 easy. • 20×50 (20”) performed at your best average pace for the set. all swims should include 600–1000 warm-ups and 200–400 cool-down.
Bike: 90’, recovery and technique.
Include five to eight repetitions of a single-foot movement at a rate of 100 to 110 rounds per minute, with Zinc 2. Flat terrain.
Thursday
Bike: 2 hr, strength.
• Include 3×10’ (5’) at 50–60 RPM, Zn 2. The most efficient way to do this is to ride up a gradual incline or use a bike trainer while pedalling with a bigger gear. Focus on cycling with a big gear, keeping your revolutions precise and your heel close to the bottom of the pedals’ rotation. Keep your upper body relaxed.
Friday
Swim 3500 meters with endurance. This includes one 1000-meter swim with one minute rest, a 500-meter swim with thirty seconds rest and five 200-meter swims with 20 seconds rest. Gradually build pace through the set.
Saturday:
Go jogging for three hours, alternating nine minutes of running to one minute of walking. Finish by brisk walking and filling up your energy. The terrain should simulate an Ironman race course.
Swim 2000, strength.
Include two 400-meter (1-minute) pulls and two 300-meter (45-second) pulls with paddles. Maintain a smooth, even pace with a long stroke. Use small paddles if you are new to this.
Sunday
Ride a bike at a moderate pace (Zone 1) for 15 minutes and then switch to a more strenuous pace (Zone 2) for the remainder of the four-hour endurance session, keeping up a cadence of 85-90+ RPM. Stay in your aero bars as much as possible.
Do thirty seconds of running at a fast pace once you’re off the bike. Make sure you do this quickly and don’t exceed three minutes. Flat to rolling terrain.
Week 2
Monday
Day Off
Tuesday
Bike: 2 hr, threshold.
• Construct 5 feet by 1-foot section from Zone 3 to 4. • Construct 5 feet by 5 feet section at Zone 4. On even ground, it is advised that you do a longer warm-up and cool-down when doing a threshold ride. The desired cadence for Ironman speed outings should be at a rate of 85-95 rotations per minute. Concentrate on making circular motions and keep your torso comfortable.
Wednesday
Swim 2500, threshold.
• Do 6×50 (20”) with 25 being done quickly, and 25 at a leisurely pace. • For 15×100 (25”), swim at your average pace for the set.
Bike: 90’, recovery and technique.
Include 6-10 repetitions of one minute at a speed of 100-110 revolutions per minute, with Zn 2. Flat terrain.
On Thursday, you should run for 90 minutes at an aerobic power level. Increase your speed in increments of Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone 3 every 30 minutes. Flat to rolling terrain.
Friday Swim: 3500, endurance. • Include 4×800 (1’). Gradually build pace by 200 within each interval.
Saturday
This is a five-and-a-half-hour endurance ride that traverses hilly terrain. Riders should remain in Zone 1-3 while they ascend hills, mostly staying in Zone 2.
Run 30’, pace work off the bike.
• Zn 2 (quick transition, <3’). Flat to rolling terrain. While you condition your lower body to go running shortly after biking, train your brain to also be loose and tolerant of the uneasiness.
Sunday
Go for a two-hour, endurance run on hilly terrain. Pace yourself from Zone 1 to 3 on the uphills, mostly at Zone 2.
Do six 200-meter sets of pull swimming, using paddles to work on your strength and endurance for 2000 meters. Rest for 30 seconds between sets. Steady, even pace with a long stroke.
Week 3 – Recovery Week
Monday Day off
Tuesday
Do sixty minutes of biking focusing on recovery and technique. Do six to ten sets of thirty-second sprints at a cadence of one hundred to one hundred and ten revolutions per minute in zone two. Flat terrain.
Wednesday
Repeat 10 sets of 100 alternating freestyle and drill strokes with a recovery period in between each set and do 1500 yards altogether. All smooth and easy.
Thursday
Run 45’, recovery. • Zn 1–2. Flat terrain.
Friday Day Off
Saturday
This bike ride requires 2 and a half hours of endurance and involves riding on hilly terrain. On the uphills, you will mainly be cycling at Zone 1 or Zone 3 but mostly Zone 2.
Sunday
Go for a one-minute run, with a focus on stamina. Uphill sections should generally be run at Zone 1 or Zone 3 (preferably Zone 3 on inclines) while other sections should be run at Zone 2.
Swim a total of 1500 meters, making sure to incorporate 10-100 meter sets with a pull buoy and paddles. Keep a steady and even pace with a full, extended stroke.
Equipment Selection
The items needed to compete in an IRONMAN race can vary depending on individual preference. If this is your initial IRONMAN experience, this collection of items will help you get an understanding of what supplies are necessary to have while you train and compete on race day.
IRONMAN Equipment List
Swim Gear
A well-fitted, superior-grade wetsuit is essential, not just for sturdiness and heightened longevity, but to provide the priceless buoyancy benefits that a novice open water swimmer would benefit from.
Swim Cap
Be sure to get goggles that fit snugly and have a wide field of vision for swimming in open bodies of water.
Investing in a three-piece suit will enable you to stay in the same outfit from start to finish, without having to worry about switching in the changing tent.
It’s your choice to decide between wearing a two-piece or one-piece swimsuit (although most IRONMAN athletes prefer two-piece so that it is less tricky when using the restroom throughout the event), regardless, ensure your swim apparel fits correctly and isn’t likely to cause irritation when you’re working out.
Bike Gear
You should acquire a road bike with clipless pedals for the least. If possible, attach aero bars for optimal performance. If you’re doubtful that triathlon is more than just a passing interest, it might be wise to buy a previously owned one; yet you should get it checked over to make sure it’s safe before you begin practising.
If you are an experienced triathlete, it might be worth investing in a specialized time trial bike and receiving an expert bike fitting to make sure that you can ride in both comfort and maximum efficiency.
Why do a bike fit
Do you experience pain during or after cycling? Or do you want to improve your performance on your bike? In that case, a bike fit is definitely recommended! This way you can professionally adjust your bike and get on your road bike or mountain bike with an optimal position. A correct riding position is extremely important to improve your cycling experience. It provides more comfort, improves your bike handling and provides greater endurance. In addition, it prevents injuries and increases your peak power. It can make a considerable difference to your performance to learn more about bike fitting and the benefits of a good riding position.
What is a bike fit?
A bike fit is comprehensive advice that determines your personal optimal riding position. The optimal setup for your road or mountain bike is calculated based on your personal cycling preferences. The most important questions are: What is the ideal saddle setup for you (saddle height and saddle setback), what is your ideal handlebar setup (saddle to handlebar reach and drop), which bike size fits you best and how can you adjust your bike to obtain this riding position.
An ideal riding position on the bicycle is different for everyone and must therefore be determined personally. Your optimal riding position does not only depend on your height or leg length but is determined by:
- Various body proportions (trunk, arm, leg, thigh, feet, etc.)
- Your physical fitness and flexibility
- Your cycling goals
- Your bike type and your cycling surroundings
Making use of clipless pedals will ensure that your pedalling is efficient, resulting in less strain on your legs when it comes to the running section of the activity.
Don’t worry if you haven’t used clip-in pedals before – just find an empty car park and keep trying until you get the hang of it. Soon, you won’t even be able to recall what it was like to ride without pedals.
Cycle footwear is designed for strength and provides added power with each rotation of the pedals. Be sure to buy cleats that work with the pedals you are using.
It is mandatory to wear a helmet, and it is the smart thing to do, regardless of whether it is a regular road bike helmet or an aero helmet that you choose to buy.
You’ll need to bring a significant amount of water with you when you go biking. There are several hydration systems to consider: those that can be placed on the aero bars in the front, holders that can be attached to the saddle in the rear, and people who opt for a Camelbak for good measure.
Begin training with the system you obtained right away so that you can easily and securely get your liquids.
Get a pair of sunglasses that have polarized lenses and shielding from 100 per cent of UVA/UVB radiation. Sports eyewear is ideal for physical activity since it will stay secure on your face and not move around.
Run Gear
Take your time choosing running shoes that fit well – this will not only make running more pleasant but will also lower the risk of injury. You should switch out your running shoes approximately every 200 miles and make sure the ones you are wearing on race day are thoroughly worn in.
You don’t want to be exposed to the sun’s rays for several hours while racing in a chilly environment, so you should wear a hat or visor to protect your head.
Carrying a water belt or vest can be helpful, even if you plan on taking advantage of aid stations for hydration and energy – it’s wise to have some liquids and snacks on hand.
Technical Gear
Put money into a watch which can both show your location with GPS and measure your heartbeat. Most products with a Bluetooth connection can be directly linked to your TrainingPeaks inventory, allowing for effortless activity transferring.
Depending on your location, you may find yourself having to use an indoor trainer for some of your race preparation. Rides that involve training can be accomplished in a matter of time, making them extremely productive. Consequently, it might be worth buying one of these rides to make life easier.
Bicycle Computers: From prompting when you need to turn to give you an indication of your heart rate and the power you are putting out, these computers do way more than just show you the distance you have travelled. When you go out on a cycling trip lasting more than four hours, you’ll be glad that you have something to monitor your performance.
Think about utilizing a power meter when training, as it will help you observe your training, communicate with your coach about your development, modify your approach as necessary, and get the best out of your bike riding.
Fuel
Nutrition is critical to a successful Ironman. Typically athletes look to get between 250 and 400 calories from carbs for each hour of biking, and between 200 and 350 calories per hour of running.
The amount of fluid suggested per hour is between 750ml – 1.5L, and the amount of sodium recommended to be taken in is 500–1,000mg per litre of fluid. Every athlete has their own particular formula that works best for them.
Keep a record of the food you eat when you’re working out, note how your body is responding, and then fine-tune your routine as necessary so you can discover a successful plan of action.
Numerous professionals can provide guidance on which diet is suitable for your figure and digestive system. Provide an exact plan of action for race day. Don’t wing it.
