Building an Ironman Training Plan By Greg Mueller USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach


Ironman racing evokes images of a long, hot, grueling day, and Ironman racing is exactly that. There is no easy way to race an Ironman. You are either going faster or going longer. From a coaching perspective, the real issue is attempting to prepare an athlete for the many unknowns of race day. You can always better prepare yourself, but at the same time expect the unexpected. However, preparation does not end with hard training. The course profile and the weather on race day can be the hardest thing to plan for. My focus is on how to design a training program for a beginner to complete their first Ironman event. Athletes are always asking coaches how


long it takes to prepare for an Ironman. I believe that there is no starting or ending point. Rather, it is the evolution of a triathlete that allows one to progress from success at the half-iron distance and gives confidence to succeed at a full. Success can be measured in many ways, but let us just agree that if the athlete can continue to move forward in the half and finishes strong, it might be time to consider an Ironman. At that point, it is imperative to consider the time of year, course difficulty and climate patterns of each Ironman race. I like to have at least six months to work with an experienced triathlete, and more than eight months for a beginner.


Base: Getting Fit The real challenge of an Ironman is not


moving fast, but rather moving efficiently for a long period of time. By this, I mean that any weakness in the athlete’s body is magnified by Ironman. The first thing I do with an athlete is watch them move to better understand where they need work. Early in the base preparation is a great time to build duration in the sport while focusing on good mechanics and technique. As the base phase develops, I like to add


strength specific training. An example of this would be going from a 2-hour bike ride to a 3-hour bike ride while maintaining a smooth, high cadence. Then, progress the athlete to ride at a lower cadence for strength development over the 3-hour ride. The focus of the base phase is to be stronger for a longer period of time. Speed is very tempting as the athlete gets more fit, but it will undermine their ability to be consistent. Fundamentally, I believe that consistency is the key to Ironman success. If there is a phase to extend, it would be the base phase as it causes minimal fatigue, but enhances fat utilization and endurance. With a beginner, this phase could last 4-6 months. I like to see the athlete culminate with a week that looks like the following before moving to the build phase.


Monday Tuesday


Wednesday Thursday


A.M. Off


Swim: technique & strength, 3,000 yards total Optional drill swim


2 x 2,000-­‐yard strength swim with short rest


Friday Saturday Sunday Build: Getting More Fit At this point in the training cycle, we are extending the time the athlete is working out and


pushing their comfort zone. In this phase, we are trying to mimic the course profile and simulate race weather conditions. It is important to listen to the athlete’s body during this phase. Recovery and nutrition are critical for success and consistency during the build phase. The base phase was more general, while this phase is more specific. The runs and rides will get much longer and brick workouts will become more frequent. For weaker athletes, I limit run-offs after hard or long rides and focus more on standalone runs. With stronger athletes, I have midweek run- offs after harder bikes. I also have them ride before their Sunday long run. This prepares the athlete for the “feeling” of running long after being on the bike. The mid-week rides usually focus on speed, strength or climbing, based on the course profile. I still prioritize recovery and consistency by not having them ride so hard that it affects other workouts. This most likely means limiting their hard efforts to tempo training. The sample build week would culminate with something like this:


Monday Tuesday


Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday


A.M. Off


5x400 descending with 30 seconds rest between


12-­‐mile run with drills and strides, possible progressive run


4x1,000-­‐yard swim, descending each effort with 1-­‐minute rest


Optional 2,000-­‐yard hard swim directly to the bike. 80-­‐112-­‐mile ride with progressive efforts and added time at Ironman watts. In some cases, ending with tempo watts to simulate fatigue, 10-­‐ minute to 3-­‐mile easy run-­‐off


Sunday


Alternate weekends of 4,000-­‐ yard straight swim or 1-­‐hour trainer ride with the end of ride at tempo watts. Both workouts going directly to the long run. This run is never longer than 2.5 hours or 20 miles for my athletes. I also encourage beginners to walk every 20 minutes during this run to keep their heart rate low and prepare for aid stations on race day.


PERFORMANCECOACHING | page 13 (continued on next page)


P.M. Off


Medium distance hard ride with tempo work, 10-­‐minute run-­‐off Off


60-­‐mile ride with efforts at half-­‐ Ironman watts, 10-­‐minute run-­‐ off


Short recovery swim with drills Off Off


8-­‐mile endurance run, no efforts


60-­‐70 mile ride with building watts, 15-­‐minute run-­‐off


2,000-­‐4,000-­‐yard swim directly to a 12-­‐mile endurance run


P.M. 40-­‐mile hilly bike ride


8-­‐mile hilly run with drills and a focus on high cadence


50-­‐mile ride. Work on nutrition and focus on high cadence. Spend time around 70 percent FTP or goal IM watts


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