Ironman Insights

Vicky T
Ironman USA 2007
Lake Placid, NY

The ironman (IM) distance triathlon has been dubbed the most grueling one day athletic event. It’s comprised of a 2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike and 26.2 mi run and for those up for the challenge, it’s a life changing event.  It’s taught me patience, persistence and dedication.  But after almost 10 years of racing ironman distance events, I’m still trying to figure it all out…

I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade along the way that I hope will be informative for the curious, and helpful for the triathlete looking to step up to the distance.

PREPARE YOUR BODY FOR THREE DISCIPLINES

I’ve always been a big proponent of cross-training and believe that sprint and shorter distance triathlons are great for runners to integrate into their regular training regimen.  The ironman distance, however, is one to step up to gradually build up the training.  I would recommend at least three years of varying distance triathlons prior to attempting to race the IM distance. 

When working with three different groups of joints, muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments; it’s important to fully adapt to each discipline in order to avoid injury.  Although running has been a strength of mine, I also have a background in swimming and cycling.  So it was surprising to me that it would take many years to learn the synergies between the three and to train my body to execute them back to back. 

I contend that you could be the fastest swimmer, strongest biker and speediest runner, but unless you can put it all together, the IM will remain a mystery.  Give yourself a few years to work on the combination of swim to bike to run and I believe you’ll give yourself the best chance to have a successful IM.

TREAT NUTRITION AS THE FOURTH EVENT

The average finish time for an IM is approximately 14 hours – that’s the consumption of MANY calories and fluids.  And in my travels, I’ve found that many triathletes (as well as runners) don’t emphasize the importance of nutrition as it relates to performance, recovery and general health.  Having the right fuel during a race is just as important as the training it takes to get you to the starting line.  Although it has taken me quite a bit of experimentation over the years, I can now tell immediately when my nutrition is ‘on’ or ‘off.’

I recommend trying various types of nutrition in your longer workouts to find out what works for you – What flavors do you prefer?  What type of carbs does your stomach tolerate?  Does protein work for you?  Is your sweat rate indicating that you need more electrolytes?  Do you prefer liquids or solids or a combination of both?  All of these questions are important to think through as you are selecting your type of nutrition.

The amount of nutrition generally is based on an athlete’s weight.  The average athlete can consume about 250 calories per hour.  With that being said, we all have different nutrition needs so again, so it’s important to experiment to find what works.  We are all individual and have our own strengths and weaknesses.  Some of us are good in the cold or in hot conditions, some prefer flat and others are better suited to hilly courses. Surface (road or trail) conditions (wind, altitude, humidity) temperature (hot or cold) and efficiency (good or wasteful energy) will affect your caloric requirements.  As we get more fit and even lose percentages of fat, we may need fewer calories for a faster speed than we needed even just a few months ago.

I’ve also found that post-workout and post-race recovery are of great importance.  The purpose of our harder workouts is to breakdown the muscle fibers so that they will then recover, repair and become even stronger.  Therefore it’s extremely important to take in protein and carbs within 30 minutes after a workout in order to assist with that repair and maximize the benefits.  By consuming calories and fluids after a workout, you also are preparing your body for the next workout.  I’ve seen the benefits of this first hand and believe it is key to proper recovery.

I certainly urge IM athletes and runners alike to practice and train for a solid nutrition plan – it will make all the difference in your race season.

A big misperception is that more is better especially when it comes to long distance events.  Although a certain amount of volume is needed for IM training, I believe that the structure and quality of the workouts is of great importance.  This holds true especially for those that have a full time job, family and/or other responsibilities that take away from the hours needed to train each day.

In order to juggle the training demands needed for each discipline, having a defined, structured season plan with mesocycles and macrocycles to incorporate periodization is a necessity.  This means that there are ‘blocks of training’ in your plan where your volume and intensity increase and other times when you have low volume quality weeks.  I’ve seen way too many athletes increase training demands week after week until they get to race day.  This is certainly a recipe for disaster.  Allowing periods for you body to absorb the training gives you the ability to ramp up the next block of training and hopefully avoid injury.

In order to get the most out of your workouts, the quality of each and every session should be considered.  There’s no room for ‘junk’ miles.  Each training session should have a purpose and be adhered to.  For instance, if I have 4 run workouts a week, one will be speedwork, one will be tempo, one will be a transition run and one will be a long run.  Using heart rate or power devices are especially helpful to measure the quality of the workout and help with execution of the training plan.  Getting the most out of each workout has certainly made a big difference in my training.

Vicky T at 2008 Ford Ironman World Championships

MAKE IT A LIFESTYLE

Training for an ironman distance race is clearly a big time commitment.  The big change for me over the years is that it has become part of my lifestyle.  Dependent on the timing of the race, I know there is a certain block of time during the year in which I will be focused on IM.  This means I schedule my teeth cleanings, annual check-ups, visits to out of town friends and trips to the tailor outside of my blocks of training.  I recognize the importance of a focus on proper sleep (see article in Running Times) and daily hydration during that time.  I employ tools to decrease stress such as yoga, massages and listening to music.  Training for an IM can be seen as overwhelming, but I believe if you can integrate it into your life, it’s actually quite enjoyable!  Competing for 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running certainly is not easy, but it’s taught me a great deal about my body and life in general.  The ironman distance race is not for everyone, but for those with the will, I encourage you to give it a tri!  Please feel free to ask me your triathlon or Ironman questions, include your comments, or share your experiences in the comments section*, below.

*Blogmaster's note: You needn't have a Google account to submit a question or comment.  Just click "annonymous" and include your first name and last initial so Vicky will know you're you.  -Dave K.

Vicky T.