So HOW do you train for an Ironman? (Page 2)

^  WINNER!    One step at a time:

1.  learn to swim more efficiently with help from a coach
2.  pick the easiest Oly plan and build a base until you can meet the minimum starting volumes
3.  pick a race that will fit the plan schedule and then execute the training plan
4. do the race and have fun    

If it were me I would keep at Sprints until I was proficient at it before moving to Oly.  Just my KISS approach talking.  You have received a TON of good adive the last few months, now coalesce that into what makes sense to you and execute.  Use your Gold membership to its full advantage.  G?ood luck.?

spin classes are almost worthless. I'd look at them as "better than nothing". Buy yourself a trainer and/or get into some computrainer classes.

I bought myself a magnetic trainer for $70 before finding out they're next to worthless based on what I read.  Chuck that to experience and buy a $250 Kinetic trainer?  Or can I make do with the magnetic one?  It seems like it goes/stop/goes/stop and it's a bumpy ride, what should I adjust to make it a smooth ride?  I have a mountain bike that will stay there while I use the road bike outside.

How do you get into Computrainer classes? I can't afford one right now. 

Edited by GatorDeb 2010-12-30 2:45 PM

So not true , just make sure if you have a good teacher.  The spin classes I go to, my teacher has done IM, and a ton of HIM races, she is excellent.  Now I live in the North, so I only do spin classes during the winter, or if it's bad weather outside.  If you live in the North and belong to a gym, then SPIN classes with an excellent teacher is great to keep your legs in shape.  If you live in the South, then stay outdoors.

The weird feeling on the trainer could be that you have your mountain bike on it.  you definitely want to make sure that the bike on the trainer has slick tires.  It would also be beneficial to make sure you are riding the bike you'll be racing on on the trainer, otherwise, you might as well be in spinning classes instead.

I used to think that too, until I bought a trainer and started taking computrainer courses. Improvement came ample in winter time as opposed to spin class which basically only maintained. Spin class isn't long enough or sophisticated enough to do much good. But, I guess that's just my opinion. I'll let my bike splits speak for themselves.

I have a kurt kinetic and train with a powermeter. It doesn't get much better IMO

Edited by Meulen 2010-12-30 2:53 PM

This user's post has been ignored.

If your race goal is still 2 years out, you'd be way better off to take time, build slow, and give yourself time to get better and more confident. 

Training 101:  It is great to have long-term goals, like an ironman 2 years out.  But, in the meantime, focus on breaking that up.  Maybe a sprint and an olympic this summer, an olympic and a half next summer, and then a half and full the following summer. 

By the time you're ready for an ironman, a 1.5 mile swim, 70 mile bike, or 16 mile run seems "short" to you.  Again, give yourself time to build fitness and confidence before just blindly training for an ironman. 

Certainly, most able bodied people are able to train to "complete" an ironman in a whole year, but if you want to have a little more success, you'd be better off to stretch it out. 

^^ x 10000. 

That's what I did on my first year and I still managed to do 4 sprints.  I felt I could have done an OLY based on my fitness bu chose not too.  Of course it differs from person to person.

I WOULD like to know though why the magnetic trainer "stops and go," I don't think that's normal, and I'm pretty sure it's set right.

Call or email customer service maybe?  Or, if you bought it from a retail store, ask them for help? 

It was this one:

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3462936&cp=&sr=1&kw=cycle+trainer&origkw=cycle+trainer&parentPage=search

Bought online at Sports Authority.  I guess I can always call them Monday when the holidays are over. 

there's probably something wrong with it.

So Deb....

Are you planning ironman this season or taking a 2-3 year aproach? It makes a difference in the advice your getting. If you on the fast track then computrainer/trainer miles/swim coach are your best bet. If you want to take it slow.....have fun and SBR!!

I WANT to do an Ironman tomorrow  I can run 3 miles, bike 20, and swim 1.

Over 3 hours for a SPRINT is a VERY LONG TIME. No offense, and congrats on finishing... but you want to go from doing a 3 HOUR SPRINT... to an IM... you are asking for 1) injury or 2) failure.

While I am sure you are a great person... and I certainly don't know you... reading your posts online... well, you seem a bit crazed and completely unwilling to listen to reasonable advice.

Wasn't there another post you started about IM training... that was completely wheels off? Maybe I'm wrong?

4 minutes PER 100? You DESPERATLY NEED SWIM COACHING. If you are that slow, really... get a coach. At this point you have inefficient form and the more you swim, the more you reinforce it.

10 mph on the bike? Mountain bike? Hills? I hope all of the above. No offense, but if it's not hilly you have a lot of work to do on the bike.

12 minute miles running? At least you have that going for you.

You need a lot of work before you start thinking Ironman. Work on it. Things will get better.

No, you are not wrong, KSH.

Needs a lot of work before he/she should even be thinking about doing a triathlon.

 

I'm in.  Want some popcorn?

Well, already did a Sprint, so not really a lot of thinking before doing a triathlon, already have.

That's the difference.  I WANT to do an Ironman.  But I can do a Sprint.  So that's why I have a goal of 2013 but no set date of an actual registered one and why I'm looking for a plan that takes you from nothing to Ironman.  I don't care how long it takes me to get there.  Bike, swim, run, and sooner or later, you build yourself up to do one.  It's just a matter of incremental training over time.

Going to go to 2 masters swim classes a week and one swimming for triathletes class, that's all I plan to do on the swimming for now other than my own 3 sessions  a week to work on drills or whatnot or just swim.

The bike, that's just time on the saddle.

I just to be under 8:30 per mile but I had some health issues and got deconditioned. I was in much better shape around April of this year. 

It really doesn't matter where you start from. You do something enough for a long enough period of time, most people can get to the point of completing an Ironman eventually. 

 And I'd say I'm NOT naturally gifted. I started working out on 9/3/09 and lost 80 lbs so far and want to lose 20 more. Up to then I was obese or overweight my whole life and my physical activity was the clicked remote control up and down and hand from bag to mouth. I just enjoy moving Now I got hooked on endurance sports.

Edited by GatorDeb 2010-12-30 4:50 PM

Deb I normally don't get in on your threads because you don't listen. But here we go. STOP thinking about an Ironman. It is a great goal, but STOP. You need to be doing the couch to sprint plan. I know you have already finished a sprint and that's great. Based on your times you are at the very beginning of this journey. RELAX. Get a swim coach now, 4 minutes for 100 yards is painfully slow. You are not even close to being able to train for an Ironman. Remember the race is the smallest part. It is the training volume that leads up to it that is hard. So STOP thinking about an Ironman. Do a few more sprints this year, get ALOT of help in your swim, ride all you can. I know you are signed up for an oly in April, and I hope you are able to make the swim, but in my opinion you are not ready for an oly. If you really want to do this race in April then STOP worrying about Ironman. Worry about April. Follow the plan. You are not experienced enough to change anything in the plan. Follow it to the letter.

PS: I'll take the over.

Well we disagree on that.  I don't know how long the IM journey will take.  Maybe a year, maybe 2 years, maybe 5 years, maybe 10 years.  Maybe I make my goal of by the time I'm 35, maybe I don't.  But I like having the ultimate goal there.  Every mile I run, bike, or swim, it's a mile towards that ultimate goal.  And it's exciting to be at the beginning of a journey that will probably be life-changing and come with memories that last for a lifetime.  

I've addressed the swim coaching part, starting next Monday I have 2 master swim classes and 1 swimming for triathletes class a week.  There's not that many people (5 including me at the one class I went to) so I was surprised at the level of personal attention I got.  We'll see how I progress with those classes and whether more specialized help is needed but since the classes are "free" as part of my membership, why not start there.  The coach is part of some national swimming organization with like 17 years of coaching experience.

I'll start going to group rides with two local riding groups.  There are tons and tons of group rides a week.  And the running, well, that starts with one mile and goes up from there.  I remember when I couldn't run 30 seconds a year ago.

That's the beauty of endurance events.  Do something long enough and progressively enough, sooner or later you get there.

I paid for two Olys already, April and October.  I can do an Oly with four months of training. 

You want a plan to do an Ironman. Check out my logs from January 1, 2008 to September 2008. I started in August 2007 with a sprint, did an Oly in May 2008 a Half in June 2008 and an IM in September 2008. I started at 250 lbs, not knowing how to swim, with a 2:18 PB HM and no bike skills whatsoever.

Get on your bike and start riding, that is good advice.

I disagree with a swim coach, I figured it out. Get in the pool and swim an hour 3 times a week without stopping.

Anyways, regardless, you will be fine completing an IM in the Fall of 2011 with your 3 hour a day workout strategy. It will be a breeze. really, 3 hours a day for 8 months, a 1 month taper, you will be cut.