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First timer training for Ironman Maryland 2015
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 2014-12-04 1:25 PM |
 7 |  Subject: First timer training for Ironman Maryland 2015 I'm brand new to triathlons and Ironmans and only recently discovered this forum. I'm signed up for the Ironman Maryland 2015. I'm going to use the beginner Ironman training schedule (the free one) from the training plans portionof this website. It's a 20 week program. I'm an OK runner (run multiple marathons in the past but most recent running was a half marathon a month ago) but haven't swam laps in a pool in 20 years until about 2 months ago when I signe up, and I've never been into biking (until 2 months ago). Right now I'm working on getting my body used to swimming and biking and weight lifting, in addition to the running I already usually do. Just curious where other first timers or other somewhat novice people are at in their training for the Ironman Maryland or other Ironman around October. Just trying to gauge where my training should be at currently. I'm trying to swim at least twice a week, bike twice a week and run about 3 times a week. I'm up to a mile swimming, and I alternate between doing intervals (warm-up, intervals, and cool down will add up to a mile) or swiming a straight mile. Biking I'm doing a lot on the trainer. Mostly just doing about 30 minutes on the stationary bike at a time, but I'm pushing myself pretty hard (heart rate usually 150-170), tomorrow going out for a 30 mile ride outside. For running I had to really cut back because I started to get a pre fibula stress fracture after I went too gung-ho with my training after I signed up. Took a few weeks off and just started running a few miles 3 times a week but I'll be back up to shape with my running by the time it is time to start the 20 week training program. This is an ideal week of training but some weeks during the month, because of my work schedule, I'm not able to do all of those workouts. When it comes time for 20 weeks before the Ironman and I officially start that training program then I'll have a number of 4:00 mornings to fit in all the training days that I'm just not motivated to do now at 10 months before the race. Being absolutely new to this I'm just curous what other people are doing 10 months out. I could find a lot of different training schedules online but not a lot of info on what peoples training is like as you are working up to starting your training program. Thanks for any info! |
| 2014-12-05 10:38 AM in reply to: kaywould |
Champion 7547     Albuquerque, New Mexico Bronze member | Subject: RE: First timer training for Ironman Maryland 2015 Welcome to the sport. Where in SC are you located? I led a mentor group a few years back and two of my proteges completed ironman distance races in their first year. Both have been around since as well. Ironman races are all about the training. Get to the start line healthy and rested and you have about a 95% chance of finishing the race and collecting your finisher medal. Overtrain and you risk not starting or trying to hobble through the race from an accumulation of injuries. Training now should be to build your base, learn technique, and probably most importantly, evolve your lifestyle so you expect and enjoy training 8, 10, or even 15 hours a week. I wouldn't spend 3 hours riding my bike on the trainer, but I'd spend 3 hours exploring the countryside and learning bike routes that I'll want to ride next season. I'd spend 3 hours riding with friends (get involved in the local club). You need to be prepared to start the 20-week plan when it starts, and follow it once it starts. Please don't think that you need to do 4-hour rides now or even a month before your plan starts. The risk of doing a lot of 4-hour rides prior to the 20-week plan is that you still want to love riding when you get to the race. Many athletes ride too much too early and are ready to throw their bike into the nearest dumpster a month before the race (about the time of the longest training rides). They dread the prospect of getting on their bike even though they didn't 10 months before the race. |
| 2014-12-06 11:38 AM in reply to: McFuzz |
Member 242 Co Louth, Ireland | Subject: RE: First timer training for Ironman Maryland 2015 Originally posted by McFuzz Training now should be to build your base, learn technique, and probably most importantly, evolve your lifestyle so you expect and enjoy training 8, 10, or even 15 hours a week. I wouldn't spend 3 hours riding my bike on the trainer, but I'd spend 3 hours exploring the countryside and learning bike routes that I'll want to ride next season. I'd spend 3 hours riding with friends (get involved in the local club). You need to be prepared to start the 20-week plan when it starts, and follow it once it starts. I agree with the above - its all about getting in shape now to start the plan. For the weeks prior to starting the plan (I used the same on that you are thinking about using - see http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp... for my thoughts on it) I took the structure of the plan and built my distances up to what was needed - I was very comfortable with the bike & run elements, the swim was still a struggle and I didn't make the 1500 straight in week1 but was still more than comfortable with it at the end of the plan!! My logs start in Jan 2013, think I started the plan in April / May 2013 so you will get an idea from there as to what exactly I was doing. Good luck! |
| 2014-12-06 9:21 PM in reply to: grahamclarke_6 |
| 7 | Subject: RE: First timer training for Ironman Maryland 2015 Thanks for the tips and info. I definitely think I need to dial it down some, with so much time before the race so I don't injure myself. Most training plans, including the one I eventually will be using, have 1-2 workouts a day for 5 to 6 days a week. When I was just running I would run 3, rarely 4, times a week and ran multiple marathons and a half marathon training that way. Currently I am training about 4 days a week and getting in 2 workouts a day for maybe 2-3 of those 4 days. I know that most of us, myself included, have full time jobs and family and struggle with time to train. For the 20 week plan it will be a huge struggle to try to get 5-6 days a week of training with usually 2 workouts a day. But, I can make the sacrifice for 20 weeks so I can accomplish this goal. My worry is what do I need to be able to do now or 1 or 2 months from now, before that 20 weeks starts, so I don't get injured when I really ramp up the training. So, do most people at baseline or during the off season workout 5-6 days a week? Having trained for a few marathons I know at what level of fitness I need to be and what distance of long runs I need to be doing before I even begin a formal marathon training plan. But I don't have that intuition/experience for triathlon training or Ironman training. |
| 2014-12-12 11:09 AM in reply to: #5072100 |
16 Gold member | Subject: RE: First timer training for Ironman Maryland 2015 I'm signed up for Maryland as well and it will be my first full ironman but I've been doing tri's for three years now. This period is all about building a base and working on some technique and fundamentals. It sounds like you're doing well with the swim. My advice would be to do two rides a week (trainer is fine) one like your doing now short threshold rides and another longer one about an hour or longer at a lower HR. As you know from doing marathons it's not really about speed it's about endurance. So you're trying to keep your heart in the aerobic state and not in the threshold state. Anyway that's my two cents...looking forward to it and maybe I'll run into you in Maryland! |
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