1/2 Ironman training questions

[Radioactive Man]

I've done many sprint triathlons over the last 1 1/2 years and I'm currently training for an olympic
distance event at the end of June and probably a 1/2 ironman event at the end of September. I'm not
that fast at the swim (~50 M / min on long distance open water swims and 53 - 55 M /min in the
pool), but I don't have any problem finishing a 1500 M or longer swim.

Long distance running would be my biggest impediment to finishing a half IM in a decent time.
Lately, I've been doing my better bike rides in the 19 - 21 mph range for 15 - 25 miles and doing my
recent 5k's in the 19:30 range, but last fall it took me about ~1:41 to finish a 1/2 marathon.
Training for this included several 12 mile training runs done at an easy pace and a 15k race 2 weeks
before. The problem is that it took me several months to feel like I'd fully recovered from the half
marathon. Since then, I've been afraid to attempt any run over 10k. Fortunately, I do not have a
similar problem with longer bike rides.

Given my issues with long distance running, I am wondering what the best training strategy is for
doing bricks / race simulation for a 1/2 ironman. Here are some possible ideas (feed back is
appreciated):

(1) Start out with the full race distance swim and bike ride, but a shorter run (maybe 3 miles at
first), then gradually build to up to a full race distance run. If I went with this strategy, my
longest run would be done on a different day.

(2) Start out with the full race distance swim, but do a shorter run and bike. Gradually build the
distances on both as equal proportions of the race distance. For example, I could start out with
the swim, plus 50% of the bike ride and 50% of the run, then build to 60% the following week,
and so on.

(3) During the hottest and longest days of summer, I would consider using a duathlon simulation -
something like run 7 miles, bike 56, then run up to 6 miles with the swimming done on another
day. This would allow me start the first run before sunrise while it is still cool.

 

[Jeff Cook]

Radioactive Man <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

>
> Given my issues with long distance running, I am wondering what the best training strategy is for
> doing bricks / race simulation for a 1/2 ironman. Here are some possible ideas (feed back is
> appreciated):
>

If I understand you correctly, it seems to me that you are trying to do something that is
impractical.

For sprint and Olympic distance, you can do simulations of the whole race - maybe one discipline at
race pace and the rest at a AT pace - but as the distance go up this isn't practical. You wouldn't
expect to an IM race in training - you'd be to beat up for weeks after to get any decent training
in. I think that the same applies to a lesser degree with 1/2 IM.

My preference, up to but not including 1/2 IM is to use 150% sessions in combination with a brick.
e.g. for a 1500m/40km/10km race, my long workout for the week might be:-

2500m swim + 20km bike, or 60km bike + 5km run, or 30km bike + 15km run.

For 1/2 IM brick, I cut back the minor part of the workout e.g. 110km bike but still only a 5km run
- just enough to tell the body that it hasn't finished yet when you get off the bike and to get out
of the post-bike funny legs feelings.

Because it is hardest on the body - I don't think that it is necessary to overdo the run. You won't
find many marathoners who run in excess of 40km as a training run. The cross training of the biking
will give you the aerobic fitness. I reckon 15km runs are the most you need to do for 1/2 IM
- will be enough to keep the joints and sinews OK.

Cheers

Jeff

P.S Anyway, regardless of the training, unless you are a super athlete, you'll still have to guts it
out on race day.

 

[Radioactive Man]

On Mon, 26 May 2003 03:04:35 +0000 (UTC), Jeff Cook <[email protected]> wrote:

>Radioactive Man <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
>>
>> Given my issues with long distance running, I am wondering what the best training strategy is for
>> doing bricks / race simulation for a 1/2 ironman. Here are some possible ideas (feed back is
>> appreciated):
>>
>
>If I understand you correctly, it seems to me that you are trying to do something that is
>impractical.
>
>For sprint and Olympic distance, you can do simulations of the whole race - maybe one discipline at
>race pace and the rest at a AT pace - but as the distance go up this isn't practical. You wouldn't
>expect to an IM race in training - you'd be to beat up for weeks after to get any decent training
>in. I think that the same applies to a lesser degree with 1/2 IM.
>
>My preference, up to but not including 1/2 IM is to use 150% sessions in combination with a brick.
>e.g. for a 1500m/40km/10km race, my long workout for the week might be:-
>
>2500m swim + 20km bike, or 60km bike + 5km run, or 30km bike + 15km run.
>
>For 1/2 IM brick, I cut back the minor part of the workout e.g. 110km bike but still only a 5km run
>- just enough to tell the body that it hasn't finished yet when you get off the bike and to get out
>of the post-bike funny legs feelings.
>
>Because it is hardest on the body - I don't think that it is necessary to overdo the run. You won't
>find many marathoners who run in excess of 40km as a training run. The cross training of the biking
>will give you the aerobic fitness. I reckon 15km runs are the most you need to do for 1/2 IM
>- will be enough to keep the joints and sinews OK.
>
>Cheers
>
>Jeff
>
>P.S Anyway, regardless of the training, unless you are a super athlete, you'll still have to guts
> it out on race day.

With that in mind, it would seem adequate to do something like a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride,
plus a 5 or 10k run as the longest training brick, but also do a stand-alone 13.1 mile run on a
different day after sufficient recovery. That way, I will at least have done everything but the last
hour or so of the race. Am I right?

 

[Jeff Cook]

Radioactive Man <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> On Mon, 26 May 2003 03:04:35 +0000 (UTC), Jeff Cook <[email protected]> wrote:
>

>
> With that in mind, it would seem adequate to do something like a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride,
> plus a 5 or 10k run as the longest training brick, but also do a stand-alone 13.1 mile run on a
> different day after sufficient recovery. That way, I will at least have done everything but the
> last hour or so of the race. Am I right?
>
>

Sounds good to me ... but I'm neither a coach or an expert ;-)

Cheers

Jeff