Jim Kelley's (aka Birkierunner) General and Long Course Group (OPEN) (Page 4)

Always an interesting topic.  In your case, your schedule dictates what you have to do so there is no reason to worry about it.  I can understand arguments on both sides of the issue.  One camp says to do your long run before the weekend (Thursday is a common choice) so that you have a quality run on "fresh legs".  I often hear people say this will make you a better runner...the same argument is used against using brick runs in training.  The problem is...I'm not trying to make my athletes better "runners".   I'm trying to make them better "triathletes".  If I wanted to make them better "runners" I'd have them quit swimming and biking (partly tongue in cheek).  They don't give you a couple days break after an IM bike to let your legs recover so that you can run a marathon on fresh legs.  So, why in the world would you ever totally avoid running on "not so fresh" legs?  I can make this same argument for both brick runs and long runs the day after a long bike.  Can't make up your mind which is "best"?  Try both and see what works best for you.  I'm training triathletes so I know which one I'm choosing. 

I see no reason you shouldn't incorporate a half marathon into your IM training plan.  9 weeks is plenty of time to recover and then leave you with enough weekends to get your long rides/runs in before you start tapering.

Your swim approach seems reasonable.  Be sure to get some workouts in where you are doing multiple 500s.  You should also try to get some open water swims in as well, with total distance approaching race distance. 

As for bike workouts...if your race course is going to be hilly then I'd advise getting some hill work in.  In general though, I'd recommend more traditional interval work.  You really just need to find a training plan that will give you a sensible approach to building your bike fitness and gradually increasing your work load as you make your way to your A race.  The 16 week winter bike plan right here on BT is a good place to start. 

I'm not going to give you a minimum number of hours/week to run.  However, I would strive for building up to at least 4x/week and preferably 5x/week eventually.  Start off with at least 30' runs and build up to longer runs based on how your legs hold up.  There is nothing sexy or "fast" about IM run training...just get a repeatable weekly template down that you can get done over and over again.  The frequency will build the durability.  Again, this is a vague answer but there are too many unknowns.

'zactly...it doesn't need to be any more complicated or sexier than that.  You can play with mixing up the intensities of the 500s within a given workout.

Hi Hector.  You're very welcome to join our group.  Start firing away with questions.

You have plenty of time before March 2017 to get ready.  There really isn't a need to distinguish building your bike fitness and training for your race in 2017...its all part of your long term program.  I'm not one of those coaches that says you "start" your Ironman training x weeks out from race date.  So does that mean the training you do x+y weeks out isn't preparing you for your Ironman?     Its all training...you just incorporate more race-specific workouts as the race date approaches.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the 16 week winter cycling plan here on BT is a great place to start.  You don't need a power meter to do the plan, which can be done using only heart rate.  You can gradually build up your longer rides this summer and also enter a few races to keep the interest up.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've really gotten into audio books while I run...makes the treadmill sessions and really long runs much more enjoyable. I'll add this one to the list. 

it's a little cheesy, but I recommend "You Are an Ironman"...especially if you're training for one. The story is pretty good and focuses on age groups competing in IM AZ in 2009. Great motivator for those of us new to the sport. 

Last year I ended up keeping my mentor group open and never closed it.  I likely will do the same this year, so I just wanted to let folks know that they don't have to wait until the group "closes" before diving into questions.

I'll be on the trainer tonight and tomorrow (Iowa State games make great trainer entertainment), planning on a 5 mile run tomorrow morning and some pool time on Sunday before heading to the rock climbing gym for a couple hours. 

Heading up to the Birkie Trail to ski 40km this afternoon.  More skiing this weekend.  I have a 50k xc ski race at the end of Feb I need to get ready for.

Ice...lots of ice. 

I've used compression sleeves with good success...they seem to keep the muscles from separating too far from the bone while I run, which allows me to keep running through the shin splints. Might be snake oil...but it worked for my half marathon last fall.

Some good runner friends also recommended a softer shoe and making sure to rotate through a couple different pairs of shoes while training. Haven't experimented too much here, but thought I'd pass the advice along.