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Ironman training starts today.

According to www.ironman.ch website, I have 308 days until Ironman Switzerland. Should I panic yet.

I posted a few weeks ago i was entering Dublin marathon and half marathon. Since then, ITB is causing grief to my running plans, so Ive scrapped that idea and looked ahead to the bigger goal is Switzerland. While i relieve my knee problems (through foam roller and some physio) I decided that I am going to get my swimming training started 6 weeks earlier that previously scheduled.And I need it. This year I have only swam a max of 800m in any race(all sprints), so I have a long way to go before I can hit the 3.8km mark.

In April i purchased Don Finks Ironfit, which will be the basis of my training for the next 10 months. I'll be taking the competitive program, and to do that ill need to create some sort of time machine to get the most out of my days since work takes a huge chunk out of it. But I want to enjoy my first ironman, dont want a DNF stamped across my forehead.

So the next month is mainly swimming, and core work, (and diet ) My knee should be in decent shape then to start running again. (can only manage about 4k at the moment before the itb appears in the background). Doing some light spinning on the bike now at the moment, but nothing too strenuous on the knee.

(TT bike saving is also in progress shhh WAT officer is lurking )

Looking forward to getting fitter and healtier..

IK

Comments

  • huwdhuwd Posts: 228
    Good work - I would be interested to see the progress and how you manage to stick to the program, a few people have recommended it
  • Good luck with Ironfit. One thing I will say is that it's very strict, and the training plans are if you live in the "perfect world".
    Eat well, sleep well, and keep stretching those tired muscles!!
  • I've started mine as well, gone for the IronFit Competetive schedule. It's been tweaked slightly so it ties in with other races and plans for the year, just need to stick to it now.
  • Right there with you on this one Ironkav. Entered IMCH as well, purchased BeIronFit too.

    Suffering with my shins at the mo, so swimming and cycling for me. But from now until 25th July 2010, its all about IMCH.

    Oh god.
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    I'm about 3/4 of the way through BeIronFit, and one thing i notice is that he keeps repeating its all about being organised to get the most efficiency from your training...b*99er. Outside of work I am almost the least organised person i know - there is one person I know less organised than me which makes me feel better.

    I am also aiming for the 'competitve' plan in there - although being notoriously bad at following instructions I am unlikely to stick to it very well. More likely I'll use it as a guide on what to do, and hope that it goes well. Still I'm going to be relatively fit when I start the plan at the beginning of December - until then i'm going to finish this season off well, have a (semi-training) holiday in Australia and then come back fresh - with ample supply of mojo to see my through until after IMCH!
  • ironkavironkav Posts: 259
    would be interested to hear what tweaks are being made to your programs. I think the swim programs will be the only ones that I will follow exactly. With the winter months coming Ill probably stick to spinervals and spin classes at the gym, and then long cycles on a Saturday.

    I have a question though.

    At this stage I have a lot of base training done. Should I stick to the base training in the book, or should I keep to my long runs, long cycles at the weekend?

    IK
  • IMCH is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way away folks...........

    You would do very well to keep up a training program for a race thats 10 months away!

    I would put the program on the back burner until January and up until then concentrate on making yourself a better runner/cyclist (swimming can be kept "ticking over", most gains to be made in bike or run)

    Becoming a "runner" for a few months bought my running to the next level faster than I could have dreamed of, better technique, more pace and more miles..........people forget that running (like swimming) has alot of technique involved, crack this and you'll be more efficient. Join a RUNNING club (best option) and be a runner (not a triathlete) for a few months and you'll return to your tri-training more motivated than ever. Stick to a drab training program for 10months and you'll be hating triathlon/yourself/life half way through and your motivation will be gone.................
  • The tweaks I made to the program was once I'd typed all the various workouts into a spreadsheet, and separated them into the varying differing disciplines, I then slotted in my other events I'm hoping to do during the year, London Marathon, IMUK70.3, various other Sprint and Olympic distance Tri's. I also scheduled in my usual weekly training, to include running club, spin classes, core conditioning, ParkRun etc etc etc, along with other known family comittments.

    Generally blanked out Wednesdays and Fridays as Rest Days, and Tried to highlight period before big events as Taper periods and after as Recovery periods, with the durations varying on the type of event. I then had to swap a few weeks around to tie in with known events.

    I also input my Marathon training program, with an end date for the London Marathon (hopefully I'l get in this year).

    I now have a program split into Swim / Bike / Run / Other (Core, Pilates, Yoga) that is mainly running based from now until mid January, when the Tri's specific training kicks in. It also includes general swimming drills, core condtioning, pilates and yoga. However, where there's a clash between IM and Marathon, then the Marathon takes priority.

    From late April onwards it's IM / Tri all the way. I'll try to stick to it as best I can, but I know I'll have to be flexible, and It'll need tweaking as other things kick in as well. But at least at this moment in time I know what I need to concentrate on between now and August 2010.
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    My plan to tweak the plan is based on other events that I am doing - i am running a marathon in April - and am already and have been for a while running half mara distance in training - so the plan to base train running will be well off if I follow the plan. i will be marathon distance ready by the end of feb - then i will aim to peak for the marathon in April. from there i will mostly be working on keeping the run ticking over and the HR dropping - throw a little speed and hills in to build further strength but mostly keeping the LSR between 14 and 20 miles from the time of my mara on. Unfortunately I run to distance not to time. I have tried, but it just doesn't work for me.
    i will also look to get used to swimming for an hour or longer non stop - plan to join the Serpentine swimming club and get more used to swimming in OW than the pool - thankfully i work near by so I can go before work for an hour or so - again once I'm back from holiday i will look into this. And the gf has persuded me to join her in doing pilates too.
    i will try and follow the bike pretty closely. Mainly as i wouldn't know what else to do - except lots of hills

    Oh and I will also try and enjoy it all. because otherwise there is no point to doing it.
  • You would do very well to keep up a training program for a race thats 10 months away!
    Agree with this entirely. Enjoy your training while you can. Plenty of time for it to get boring later. 6 months should be enough for anyone who has reasonable fitness to ramp up.
    Set yourself short term goals at this point, like to improve your technique in one discipline. Plenty of half and full marathons around - enter one and aim to get a good personal time, and like firstarter says - join a running club.
  • alrite there IronKav - I'm another Irish man (up in Tyrone here) who has signed up for IMCH next year - similarly I have purchased the old Don Finkster to help me along the way.

    I started Triathlon last year (2008) with my main race of the year being my first Olympic distance - done that, then this year was a half ironman distrace Tri (also done a couple of sprint Tris and 4 half marathon races) - done those and so the next step is the full IM.

    I'm planning on just tottering along from now til Xmas with a weight program, good nutrition and some medium level cardio to keep me going - want to lose a stone or so, so as not to have to carry it about Zurich, and also to leave me in good shape to start the 30 week Finks plan.

    That, Im going to start the week after Xmas and follow it best I can

    So have you your flights and accomm booked yet? We're flying from Dub on the Thur back on the Tue - so should be a nice break albeit a bit tiring on the Sunday! lol. Theres 4 of us heading over but just me doing the IM so hope to have a few shouts of support and a great big Irish flag flying on Heartbreak Hill!

    Keep in touch fella

    Chrs

    G
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