IM Done. 1/2 IM in a month

Hey I'm in a similar situation and just finished IM KY and decided to sign up for HIM Branson in a few weeks and am wondering what type of training to do as well.

-Ian

Recover.  How long this takes will be different for the three disciplines, and also depends on a lot of individual things.

Let's guesstimate two weeks for more or less full recovery.  (That doesn't mean two weeks of no training.  It means two weeks of quite easy training, recovery efforts on the bike, perhaps gradually ramping up.  I would not run for a week.  Introduce recovery riding on the bike as tolerable.  Use the swim to maintain good aerobic fitness, because that will come back more quickly than the others.)  Then you get 7-10 days to do some more serious training before you take it easier for the few days leading up to the race.

Meanwhile:  STUDY the run course for MB.  Imprint it in your brain.  Write it on the back of your hand.  The run course is a mess (unless they've fixed it).

You wont recover in time....and you'll be disappointed with your time in the HIM.

Don't waste your money.

Well I really do agree with popracer in that DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE RECOVERY.

I think grbelja is a little bit drastic, but if you expect to beat your previous time as grbelja says pull out now!!

The important recovery has already been considering IMC was 10 days ago and I definitely wouldn't underestimate what that would of taken out of you considering temps were over 35 degrees C.

Hopefully the week after you did some light activity, walking, swimming, cycling for 30-45 min per day with stretching and massage (very very light), this helps increase blood flow to muscles for recovery and helps moved those damaged fibres so they heal properly and don't cause scar tissue.

Diet is super important over this time and getting natural antioxidants in to balance the oxidative stress (like what happens to the flesh of an apple once you remove the skin) your body has experienced internally.  Also midday naps, as growth hormone is released during sleep.

Remember you may experience IM blues.  The buzz is gone and all the time and energy occupied by training is gone/reduced. Semi-depressed.

In the second week you can start thinking about swimming and cycling (from a "training" point of view), but you should still keep sessions easy, short, light.  You shouldn't jog for at least two weeks (or at least 3-5 days after soreness is gone). Do a 20 min test jog (if legs feel like bricks stop! you are not ready). Wait 48 hours, then repeat, keep doing this until you can run 45 minutes easily every third day without abnormal fatigue (pre IMC).  You can then progress to run every other day and then continue onward towards your regular routine.

Diet is still super important to help recovery.

As you gradually start training again you are entering a "grey zone".  You are no longer sore but your body is still damaged and recovering.  To understand this use recovery markers as a guide.  Each person is unique - some sleep more, get stressed easily, eat more, get grumpy.  Use these to judge your recovery.

Week three you can take up a more "base training regime" (not what you were doing in the month before IMC).  Your training should still be moderate, you are still recovering!!

After six weeks you can begin more intense training, but because you would of raced by then you can ignore this!!

You can do it, but I would scrap any goal time you have and remember this SHORT time in between is all about putting your body, muscles back together. 

DO THE RACE AND HAVE FUN BUT LIKE GRBELJA SAID DON'T DO IT IF YOU EXPECT TO BEAT A TIME THAT YOU DID WHEN FRESH EVEN IF YOU WERE "LESS TRAINED/EXPERIENCED".  YOUR DREAMING!!

BTW, I'm planning on doing an IM 3 weeks and 1 day after I do another IM.  I expect at least 25% increase in time best case scenario!!!!!  The first one I will race the second I just hope to finish.

DO IT!  And have fun.  Especially because you have no "goals" as such.  But as per my post above listen to your body and take things slowly.  Because it will be six weeks you should be getting close to 100% BUT....... They do say it is closer to 3 months before your body has completely recovered though.

Great to see an Aussie won IMKY!

Depends on the individual.  I PR'd my bike and run splits on an Oly 3 weeks after my IM this year.  And I felt reasonably good 1 week after the IM.

Even if not fully recovered, it's reasonable to assume you improved fitness over the previous year.  Nothing to lose by giving it a shot, other than your entry fee.