Completing a IM on Minimal Training.
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![]() | ![]() I’m signed up for IMFL and have NOT done any significant training for the event. I completed my 1st half Iron in June (5:58:02) and the plan was to start IM training in July. I have been doing 50-60 mile rides on weekends and runs of 10 miles or so during the week. Life has gotten in the way of training and now my wife is due in March (2nd Child). I really would like to “just finish” the event as I would like to see if my body can handle the distance. Has anyone else completed a IM with minimal training ? |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() SteveinNY - 2009-08-20 8:10 AM I’m signed up for IMFL and have NOT done any significant training for the event. I completed my 1st half Iron in June (5:58:02) and the plan was to start IM training in July. I have been doing 50-60 mile rides on weekends and runs of 10 miles or so during the week. Life has gotten in the way of training and now my wife is due in March (2nd Child). I really would like to “just finish” the event as I would like to see if my body can handle the distance. Has anyone else completed a IM with minimal training ? You've got 11+ weeks. You've got plenty of time to ramp up the training and taper. Or is it weekly time commitments. |
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Cycling Guru ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() If one doesn't "respect the distance" it will do a really good job of kicking their azz. It would be my suggestion to get your riding up to 150 - 200 miles a week from now until then. You can fake the swim, but not the bike or run. And if you do not have the bike fitness then the run will turn into a 26.2 mile walk in no time at all. Welcome to BT and best of luck in your training! |
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Sneaky Slow ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() This guy has. Quote from his IMLP 2008 RR: Since January 1, I only spent 12 hours running; 15 hours swimming; and 87 hours on the bike. This roughly equated to biking once a week (Saturday or Sunday), and swimming and running every other week. That's it." He finished in 16:49 or so. I don't recommend or advocate this, just answering your question. |
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Champion ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Comes down to your definition of "minimal". In my mind, minimal would be no less than 10 hrs/week. I think if one focused on the long stuff they could fininish. That is, swim non stop for at least an hour, maybe 1.5 hrs if you are as slow as I am. Long runs of at least 18 miles and long bikes of at least 5 hrs. The real issue is how much you want to torture youself. It is my experience that they better trained I am, the more I enjoy the event. You still have 2 months to train. I would suggest you get in as many of the long sessions as possible.
~Mike |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I have done it...don't recommend it. Since you have to sign up a year in advance, I had signed up for the 2008 IMAZ race, but then realized that I didn't want to sacrifice anything for training for this race. I had spent way too much time away from my family training for other races and didn't want to do it for this one. About 10 weeks out, I went for an easy run and could barely make it down the street. I had to get serious and I basically trained right up until race day. The swim was fine, the bike was fine, but I was doing the IM shuffle for 26.2 miles and that was no fun. I did get to spend some quality time talking to some BT buddies as we were all suffering together If you can, get your bike and run fitness up now. And just be prepared for a long day on the run course. |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() What Tom and Rick said ... if you start to train now for IMFL and be consistent with your training then you will earn the right to still suffer on race - but finish. If you do not respect the distance and haphazardly train - no matter what shape you are in - then, if you make the swim and bike time cut-offs, you are definitely going to suffer as you struggle to finish the final miles of the "run" before midnight. You need the miles in your body to weather the distance ... and that comes from time + consistency. This is not to say that you will not finish (there is not enough information as to your relatively fitness as of now) just that the 60.6 miles between mile 80 to the finish line are significantly harder than the first 80. Good luck. |
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Regular ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I am doing Silverman in November-I do Olympics every other weekend just a little over 2hrs...But my training is not where it should be for an Ironman-I am scared... |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Steve, If you have been continuing your workouts since the 1/2 but not as intense as before I don't think you're that far off. I did IMFL last year. Looking back at my logs I was up to 60-65 miles on the weekends for my long rides and around 10-12 miles for my long runs. In my training plan, my 1/2 IM was the first week of September. (Your time was better than mine) I think if you have been doing 50-60 miles for your long rides and 10 miles for your runs you can get a little more focused and have a good race. The longest run I did in training was 18 miles and I did that the same weekend as my longest ride, 100 miles. Those were in the second week of October. I was using the middle training plan in Be Iron Fit. There is a just finish program as well. Good luck! |
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Champion![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I haven't done an IM with minimal training, but I believe it can be done. The biggest challenge is setting your mental expectations to align with your training (and race) realities. If you can do the swim in 2 hours, bike in 7:30, you still have about 7:30 available for transitions, run, and any contingencies that pop up on race day and still get the official finish. Accept that lots of people are going to go past you on the bike. Accept that you'll be out on the bike for a long, long time. As long as your butt can handle it, you're free to enjoy the day and conserve as much energy as you can. Once you get onto the run, it may be the IM shuffle, it may be a walk, but again, you're going to be out there on the course all evening with your own thoughts. As long as you can channel those thoughts towards a positive finish, you can enjoy the "run" as well. It might hurt, and you can probably expect that inner voice to spend a lot of time questioning why you're doing this. What you can't afford to do is not train well and go out and try to hit splits as if you did train properly. Nor can you beat yourself up over the difference between how fast you are (with the limited training) and how fast you think you should be if you dedicated yourself to proper training. This really is where people get into the "sufferfest" situation. |
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Master![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Being that you are looking to "just finish", you may notice that alot of these responses say you'll end up walking the marathon. That still qualifies as "just finishing." So, bottom line, yes you can. Get some longer rides/runs in before the race. Don't expect to do anything more than go easy the entire race. |
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Master![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Think about adding some intensity to your workouts. Don't know if you are now, but that will help increase your training load if you're putting in lower volume. Meaning if your long ride is never going to go over 75 or 80 miles b/c you don't have the time, make it a hard 75 or 80 miles, etc. |
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![]() | ![]() I intend to find out, but I'm not expecting a very comfortable day. Like you I did a HIM. Mine was the first weekend of July and I went 5:26. Then, three days later, I pulled a hamstring. At first, with IM Canada looming, I tried to keep hobbling through some runs with lots of stretching. At least, until it became painful to even walk more than a few minutes. It's recovering now and I managed a slow 2 hour run last week. Biking is probably my strongest sport so I let that slip a lot too while trying to work on the leg. So now I've got an IM in a week without even your current level of biking and running over the last 7 weeks. I'm hoping to finish, and might even call it fun in some masochistic sense, but I know it's going to be uncomfortable. You've got the time to get some longer rides in. At the very least, try to build up to some of those. |
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Cycling Guru![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() PennState - 2009-08-20 1:43 PM Wow, Jenn you are sounding more and more like a coach. Serious kudos! No, she's sounding more and more like HER coach ........ There is more than one way to skin a cat you know. ![]() |
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Member![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Given your current fitness (based on the HIM) I would think that you could finish within the 17 hours. You'll probably be tired and have to walk all or some of the marathon but if you are willing you are probably able. |
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Iron Donkey![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I have with minimum of 6 hours avg per week training for IM Moo 2007. You can check my 2007 training months information, and then read my IM Moo 2007 RR. I think you'll be entertained, to say the least. End result is an Ironman finish time (on a very tough bike course) in 15:13:46 I need to add that this was the 2nd triathlon that I ever did. Yes, it can probably be done, but would NEVER recommend doing that. Edited by 1stTimeTri 2009-08-20 3:51 PM |
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Master![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Daremo - 2009-08-20 1:58 PM PennState - 2009-08-20 1:43 PM Wow, Jenn you are sounding more and more like a coach. Serious kudos! No, she's sounding more and more like HER coach ........ There is more than one way to skin a cat you know. ![]() HAHAHAHA! Yes Fred, I'm learning! And Rick, shut it. ![]() OP, so yeah, it's all about figuring out the ideal total training load (volume + intensity) for you based on both your goals and the time you have available to train. Then DO THE WORK. Don't cut corners. Doesn't matter how good your training plan or your coach is, if you don't do the work it won't matter. You can & will enjoy your day if you can nail the plan, do the work, then execute on race day. And in case anyone wasn't sure...."Cramping is NOT caused by lack of electrolytes. Think about it, if it was, every muscle in your whole body would be cramping, not just one." Who am I now boys?!!! |
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Extreme Veteran![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I'm guessing that if you up the training a bit between now and then you will "get through it". But is that enough? Are you really prepared to be in pain, questioning yourself, and not loving the experience? Ok the first 2 are going to happen no matter how much training you do, but "just getting through" would not be enough for me. I would want to know I am fit enough to love the experience rather than only being in pain. Gerrard |
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![]() | ![]() I really want to thank all of you for your feedback. Big Thanks for sharing the reports about finishing with below par training. This gives me hope. With that said I’m on a quest to ramp up training in the next 11 weeks to make sure I cross the finish line within the allotted time. I DO understand its going to become a Walk Fest for me, but realize if I don’t attempt this now I really don’t see myself going the distance in the near future (Family & Work). I know during the race I will have my moments of WTF, but reading about the trials and tribulations of others will give be a bit of Zen during my quest. |
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Pro![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() but realize if I don’t attempt this now I really don’t see myself going the distance in the near future (Family & Work). I dont want to sound harsh here and dont know your situation, but know that there are tons of folks out there with big life commitments that do still get in the training. Look at the things in your life, filter out the noise and do what you can, hopefully above and beyond the minimum so the race is more enjoyable. You will find a lot of people on BT that are juggling work, kids, coaching, etc, etc. And you know what we all have in common? We chose to put ourselves in the situation to train for these events. So give it its due and stack the deck so you can do the event and not have signed up and gone through everything for nothing. Good luck! ![]() |
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Extreme Veteran![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I've done some IMs on pretty minimal training. In 2004 our first child was born in July, and for the 8-9 weeks leading into IMWI my training consisted of nothing but one long workout per sport per week. One long swim, one long bike, one long run per week. I'm sure my average weekly volume for my main build into that IM was less than 10 hrs per week. Here's the report, if you're interested. I made sure to get in at least a couple of century-plus rides, built my long run up to 3 hours, and built my long swim up to 90 min. But, that was it. I considered that "minimal", and it worked out fine for me...finished in under 13 hrs. But, this was my 3rd IM, so I already had a reasonable residual endurance base, and knew what I was up against. Based just on my personal "experiment of one", I'd worry less about total weekly volume, and work on building your long rides and runs up to the 6 hr and 3 hr range, respectively. It's been my experience that the weekly long ride and long run are key. Don't skimp on those. |
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