First Ironman - Training Races

I appreciate a minimalist training plan, but you might consider checking out a variety of plans to see how yours stacks up in regards to bike volume. As a beginner, I was the most surprised at how much time I needed to put in the saddle before I felt comfortable riding 100+ miles, let alone swimming before and running a marathon after. Just a suggestion.

For training races, I agree with the other suggestion to move the 70.3 to be 8-10 weeks out from your IM so you can adjust things like pacing and nutrition based on those results. I would also ditch the sprints and olympic races as for a typical training week they will be far too short of a "workout" and you'll need to double up on sessions those weekends. If anything, maybe an olympic race early in your training plan to remind yourself how racing feels.

"Minimalist training" is rarely followed by a great first IM. 

I've completed 11 Ironmans, 8 half IMs, and 12 marathons since 2004. Let me tell you the #1 thing I've learned: a successful Ironman race is centered on the bike leg.  There is no other way around it. 

Swimming is the least important.  You certainly need to finish 2.4 miles without exhausting yourself, but don't need to be faster than 1:25.  Running is least important. You don't need to be faster than 5:00 hours. And since it's at the end, you just need to hang on until you collapse two steps past the finish line.

That leaves the bike as the most important part of the Ironman race. You want to be no slower than 6:30 on the bike.  When you get into 7:15, 7:30 or worse on the bike, then you're in for a long day.  And if you're not well trained on the bike, then you'll blow up on the run.  Trust me, I have seen this time and time again.  The #1 predictor of a solid run is riding well within your limits on the bike.  I have seen countless people walking the run because they pushed too hard on the bike.

In order for a 112 mile bike ride in 6:30 to be well within your limits, you have to be well trained on the bike. For most people, that means a lot of time in the saddle. It means 80, 90, 100 mile rides. It may mean full 112 mile race simulation rides followed by a 3 mile run. Most people cannot deliver a solid 112 mile bike ride built on 4 hour, 65 mile rides or 5 hour, 80 mile rides.  There's just too big a gap.  If you can deliver an 80 mile ride in 4 hours (thus 20mph average), then you could back off to 17.5 mph and deliver a 6:30 112 mile ride.

As for running, if your bike leg is well executed as I describe, then for training all you need is 16, maybe 18 mile runs.  You'll start to suffer at mile 20, but you just have to hang in the last hour.

Ironman racing is a perfect example of "you get out what you put in".  You don't get the race performance you wish for, you get the race performance you trained for within the constraints of the conditions on race day. There are no miracles on race day.

What's your swim, run, and bike background?  What's your best leg?  What are your limiters?

Indoor training on a bike trainer is fine for what it is, but it usually is only a portion of your bike training time.  Very few people can suffer the trainer for long enough hours to effectively train for a IM exclusively on the trainer.  I have a bike trainer and have put many hours on it but my best races come from training long hours outdoors.  I have a 40" TV, BlueRay, streaming video, and noise cancelling headphones to make the time pass.  I have also used online bike training resources like Trainer Road. That makes trainer time more effective. 

Spin classes are good for what they are, which is usually strength based interval style workouts.  Spin classes can build speed, but they won't build endurance.  Bottom line: there is only one thing that builds endurance, and (guess what!) it's endurance training.

I suggest you read about IM training, not just here but some books. I think Be IronFit: Time-Efficient Training Secrets for Ultimate Fitness is an ideal book for you.  That link is to the new 3rd edition, I have the 2nd edition and I think it's a great resource for people new to IM. 

As for limiters, I mean what are your weaknesses vs. strengths?  For example, are you slow but steady?  You can go hours on the bike, but only 14 mph.  Then bike speed is your limiter.  Or, if you can't swim more than 2 laps without stopping, then swim endurance is clearly a problem.  Those are physical limiters.  There are other types of limiters as well.  Do you have 3 small children at home?  Do you work odd hours?  Are you time rich and cash poor, or time poor and cash rich (or worse, time and cash poor)?  You can do IM on the cheap cash-wise, but you can't really do it well if you are time-poor.  Do you hate swimming?  Afraid of riding on the open road?  Have no good place to run?

The reason why your limiters are important is because you either have to work to overcome them (slow bike speed), or learn to work within them (limited cash or time) or somehow do both.

Some more advice:

Learning about IM training is sort of like learning about nutrition.  There is well accepted "mainstream" ideas, a few off-the-mainstream but reasonable ideas, and then "One Weird Trick" type wackiness.  I suggest you find a book or plan that resonates with you and STICK WITH IT rather than jumping around.  Just like you wouldn't expect great results if you vacillate between keto, Paleo, and vegan diets, you won't get great results if you jump for approach to approach. Mostly this means find a training plan and philosophy that resonates with you, and generally trust it to deliver results.

Learn about the basics of sports training. You should know terms like specificity, periodicity, adaptation, progressive overload, and recovery mean (the five principles of sports training, although some people use different terms). Learn about zones, thresholds, lactate, etc.  Learn about heart rate training, the ten point RPE scale (I don't like the 20 point version).  Know the difference between a Z1 recovery and a Z4 interval.

Most workouts should have specific purpose. You should know what the benefit of a session is supposed to deliver, and then make sure you get that benefit. For example, a run workout may be planned as a 40 minute interval workout for speed training.  If you turn that into a 40 minute slow-and-steady workout, then you didn't get the right training benefit.  Same for a 2 hour Z1/Z21 endurance run, if you hammer it at Z3 then you didn't get the right benefit.

Technology can help with your training. Garmin devices, devices that work with your phone, things like Strava are also good for tracking workouts, especially if you have compatible devices that record and upload data. IM can be a gear junkies dream.  Just check out DC Rainmaker.

Most important, remember to have fun!  Calling yourself an Ironman after a race is a worthy destination, but your journey to get there is even more important if you want to be endurance athlete.  2017 is my 17th season as an endurance athlete. I got a late start (I'm 51) but still going strong.

Adding to what Bruce said, focus on being consistent.  Don't do some huge workout that leaves you on the couch for the next 3 days.  Set up your plan with workouts you can repeat day after day and gradually ramp up.  It's better prep for the race and it's also less likely to burn you out.

IM distance has a way of doing that to people when they go overboard and push their way through on willpower alone.  Don't make yourself hate the journey.

Well you certainly have a difficult path ahead of you.  How do you expect to train for a 112 bike ride or a marathon if you have only 2 hours max training time.  Do you have more time during the week?

3 small children, 10 hour days. Ouch.

Are you really sure now is the right time to take on all the training needed for an IM?  If you search this board, you will find dozens of threads on balancing family, work, and IM training.  It is not easy with small children and long work hours, and certainly requires a fully supportive partner, and even so can be hard on the family.

Would you be able to, say, ride an hour on the indoor trainer, then 2 hrs outside, then another hour back home on the trainer (all in a row)?  You'll need to get a bit creative to get those endurance workouts within your constraints.

Also, put a lot of thought into being super super organized.  Make food in bulk when you have free time so you can quickly heat up meals during the week.  Plan ahead and set out clothes for your workouts in advance so you can get it done immediately.

And much as I hate to say it, if your swimming is pretty solid, you might drop a day of that to add volume on the bike.  Can you bike commute to work?  That's another easy win.

So you have to ask yourself then what kind of half IM vs. IM performance do you want to have?  Do you want to "just finish" or do you want to be competitive, or something in between?  You can train for "just finish" in 10 hours a week if you're smart about it.  But you'll need to squeeze in some long rides somewhere.

I've skimped on bike training in the past and still had a good IM experience. I just wasn't fast. I've pasted an image of my spreadsheet of race results.  Green is fastest time, yellow is slowest time).

Arizona 2007 was my fastest.  I put in multiple century rides, lots of 20 mile runs.  6:11 on the bike and 4:05 on the run. Very focused, and I had a coach too.

The 15:06 was IM Los Cabos, with insufficient bike training.  I did mostly indoor trainer rides, and no more than about 3 to 4 hours. I started out slow by plan, got slower (not my plan), faded hard by mile 85 on the bike, and just hung on for nearly 8 hours. Trust me, that was a long slog on the bike. The 5:22 run was mostly because my time goal was already shot, so I just took it easy and enjoyed myself. 

Arizona in 2014 was my comeback year after breaking my collarbone in a bike crash in September 2013.  I had completed a number of 70-80 mile rides, but the headwinds were epic that day thus the 7:10 time instead of my hoped-for 6:30. There's a point on the Beeline Highway were on the first loop I was going 18 mph, the second 14 mph, and the third 9mph, same wattage.  All headwind!  I had a solid run after that.

Boulder 2015 I struggled on the swim (skimped on training, leaking googles, terrible entry).  The bike though was a solid 6:25, with about the same training as Arizona 2014, but no wind and a fabulous course. 

I was also undertrained on the bike for Canada in 2008 (the old course, now Challenge Penticton).  First time on the course, and I had done 60 mile hill rides and 100 mile flat rides, but this was a 112 miles of rollers and hills and I fell apart. You can read all about it here: http://brucemorgan.blogs.com/afc/2009/05/race-report---ironman-canada-2008-ten-months-later.html. 

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I'd like to qualify for Kona some day, but at current speed I'd need to be in my sixties.  :-)  I can get in through the Legacy program if I complete one more IM, but that's not my plan.  I raced the IM 70.3 Hawaii last June.  Kona requires some serious training and I don't have the time for it.

Doing a sprint race a week before a half IM might be dumb, it might not be dumb. Depends on your training and what you want out of both.  If you want to enjoy both races that's different then trying to be competitive in both races. 

I always say that short races like a 5K or a sprint are about pain, and long races like 70.3, a marathon, or an IM are about suffering. They hurt in entirely different ways. I prefer to suffer, so I don't do a lot of short races.