Ironman on nothing but CrossFit and CrossFit Endurance

Sounds like Monday may be painful.

A little off topic but thought people might want to know.

I emailed the author of the article and got this response about Evan's nutrition plan for IM.


"Evan will be using water for hydration, GU for nutrition and Saltstick brand salt tablets for electrolyte management.  Water and electrolyte volume will be based on the heat index of the day, but he will be eating 3 GUs per hour (1 every 20 mins) for nutrition."

I Did IMWI with nothing else but CrossFit...   I trained a guy whose first triathlon was IM Wisconsin with nothing but CF...   We both finished strong..   

for us, CF works..  

Hahaha!!!  LMAO.  Sounds like something I would say.

I know many are skeptical of Cross Fit in the endurance sport arena, but I think you should also look at Cross Fit Endurance, which is geared more towards endurance athletes. I have done quite a few sprint tri's before with the long slow method and did not feel like I was making progress in either of s/b/r. I recently trained for( using cross fit endurance) and completed my first HIM solely using cross fit endurance and posted a time of 6.5 hrs, 30 min off my goal time. 

I agree with the need to actually get out there and do the mileage required for each event, which I incorporated into my training schedule. But the benefits rewarded to me from the "cross fit" workouts helped create a solid base performance level that your body can draw on at any time during the race or real life, plus when you are limited on time for actual training (which is really everyone with a real job and life) who has time to put in 4-5 hours a day of training? 

I think this is largely a subjective subject and to each there own. What works in training for one person may not work for the next. I can personally say it worked for me and I will continue using cross fit endurance as my training for a IM FL next Nov. 

Just food for thought!

Crossfitter's hangup on the term "LSD" or "long and slow" is rediculous.  Not one of the 11 athletes I train with who did an Ironman this season did nothing but LSD.  We all do tempo days, threshold days, hill repeats, intervals and *gasp* a long slow day.  For me, this style of training was across all three sports.  (Not to mention I was doing strength training with the TRX two days a week as well!)

I PEAKED at 16-17 hours for one week and that was with a century ride and a 20 mile run.  Most weeks were ~10 hours until my last big build.  I went 12:07 on a wicked-hot day in Canada (and I was the slow one out of my group.)  I keep hearing Crossfit proponents telling their lemmings that everyone training "traditional" is doing 20-30 hours a week. . .I believe that is so not true, the only people I personally know who train that much are the couple pros here in Eugene (one won Wildflower and the other podiums at both the 70.3 and IM distances.)

On a side note, training for sprints doing nothing but LSD is a huge mistake.  If you train slow, you race slow. . .and sprint does not equal slow. 

XX hours a week of smart SBR will always make someone faster than XX hours a week of CF/CFE.

Strong finish?

From the blog linked in your sig...

Reading through these threads reminds me of the investment banker (I think that was his profession) who finished an IM on almost no training. I think he came in around 15 hours.......I guess no-one really needs to train.

Anecdotes do not equal data.

Just read a race report about a guy who used only CFE....http://livingagainstthegrain.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/ironman-canada-2011-race-recap/

Now I'm assuming that this guy started with some base level of fitness.  Can't imagine myself doing an Ironman on such limited LSD training, I'm a novice and I wouldn't have the base fitness or stamina (and hence muscle memory). 

If you are an endurance athlete who trains pretty much all year then I think the program would be great - but for a humble newbie like myself I'll stick to the tried and tested formula of increasing the load !  I'll incorporate some CFE too coz why the heck not! 

I'd like to see some more race reports from first timers....