One of the issues I ran into when considering preparing for the full Ironman distance triathlon was what plan to use. At the beginning of my time in triathlon, I was just improvising it, picking up tips from here and there. As I got further into the distance I started using Time Crunched Triathlete plans which are based on doing your workouts in the week with less time.
The book describes these plans as being best for Sprint and Olympic Distance races. I can certainly attest that they worked for these distances.Nutrition During Ironman
The book included a 70.3 plan that tells you the plan will work to get you there, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll be competitive. I felt the plan worked well to help me get past my 70.3 runs.
I knew that going into this year of triathlon training, I would have to change my plans.
He also knew that these plans could be expensive and was doing all of this on a shoestring budget. I started looking for an ironman specific training plan that incorporated all facets of training but was sensitive to my work week.
This would mean that the plan would need 4 days of higher intensity but shorter workouts in each of the disciplines, but would also need to include the long weekend workouts.
After searching for a long time, I found TriFuel’s SuperCoach program on the internet.
You can find the plan here. This plan worked very well for me this year. The workouts include 22 weeks of in-season or off-season workouts that focus on building your body’s aerobic system. The training plan then includes a 12-week competitive season that focuses on putting in long workouts to prepare your body mentally and physically for the grueling 140.6-mile course. Finally, the plan includes a 2-week taper.
The swimming part of the workouts focused on mixing the swimming styles with butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and also freestyle. I found that the variation in strokes kept me from getting bored in the pool, but also helped me with form and function in my freestyle stroke. I was nervous when I got to the big 2.4 mile swim because I hadn’t swum that distance before with these workouts, but I was more than ready and finished in better time than I thought I would.
The race portion of practice focused on form in the 22-week season plan. These workouts helped you with some exercises. In competitive season training, I would normally have a long run on the weekend, along with a brick workout around the bike. During the week, you focused on sprint work and speed work. Once again, I felt that the plan allowed me to be fully ready for the ironman marathon. I didn’t do as many of the brick workouts during the competitive season due to the weather and I wish I had done more of them. It wasn’t a problem with the plan, but a problem with my time management.
The bike part of the practices prepared me very well for the bike part of the race. Training during the week spent a lot of time maximizing power and trying to get faster. You also worked on single leg exercises. The practice portion of the weekend focused on riding increasingly longer distances to prepare for the ironman distance race. I felt like the bike part of my ironman was much faster than I ever imagined, averaging over 20 miles per hour 70.3 Taper Plan.
Race day nutrition should also be considered. Sprint triathlons rarely require more than water or a sports drink, but longer triathlons may warrant some type of meal replacement product like an energy bar or gel. This is a very personal choice, but still an important one. Some energy gels or food and drink combinations can upset the digestive system; This is definitely not a situation you want to be in during a five-mile run. Try various combinations until you achieve the most desirable result. The goal should be to replenish lost calories and replenish electrolytes, giving a feeling of renewed energy.
After a training session, proper refueling is crucial for repairing muscles and facilitating the body’s recovery. Eat another small meal about 30 minutes after a workout, as this is the optimal time to replenish the body’s glycogen energy stores. A high-protein snack immediately after a session can also help prevent muscle breakdown.