The Plan

The Actual Training Log

Training Plan: To download an Excel version of the training plan head over the Programs Tab

Advice From Coach

Tips from Bob:

Race Day:

“Here are some triathlon tips I put together a long time ago for some folks new to triathlon. I think they still hold up. Only differences with your race is that your transition gear may be in bags. Same principles…pack them in a logical sequence so you can be as quick as you can be in transition. Also, they may have wet suit strippers at your race. If so, same deal. Get you wetsuit halfway off as you exit the water. You will get the picture if there are strippers just go down on your back and they will pull it of for you.”- Bob

Setting up transition:

· Rack you bike on the rack indicated by your race number and lay out a towel next to it

· Place your bike shoes and running shoes side by side at the end of the towel. Plan to use the front of the towel to wipe your feet on during the swim to bike transition (T1). A bucket of water, as some folks suggest, really isn’t necessary.

· If you are going to wear socks, turn them half way inside out so you can slip your toes into the front of them and then roll the them back over your heal. Place them in your bike shoes so they are readily accessible when you get to T1

· Lay your helmet upside down on your aero bars or on the ground with your glassed inside, open and ready to go on your face.

· Have lace locks on your running shoes and have them open and ready to slip on.

· Have your race number attached to a race belt and place it under your running shoes.

· If you plan to wear a hat or visor, place it on top of your running shoes

· Make sure your bike computer is reset and that your bike is in the gear you want to start the ride in. Also check to be sure brakes are not rubbing and adjust if necessary

· Wear something that you can wear for the whole race – swim, bike and run.

Swim

· Make sure you have your wetsuit, goggles, race provided swim cap and timing chip with you before your leave transition.

· Warm up several hundred yards before the start of the first wave.

· Make sure you know what wave you are in!

· After your warm-up, fill your wetsuit with water down the front and back of your neck and then walk out of the water and let all the water drain out of your wetsuit. This gets the air out of the suit giving it a skin tight fit which is supposed to make it a little faster.

· Don’t start out too fast. Try to find a spot that is not too congested or that is in front of obviously slower swimmers than you. This will help you avoid getting beat up during the start

· Starting off to one side will result in you swimming only a few extra yards…do the geometry. This is another good way to avoid contact at the start.

· Try to find a good draft as soon as possible.

Transition one:

· Unzip your wetsuit and get it off to your waste while you run to transition

· Remove it the rest of the way when you get to your bike and put it next to your front wheel or somewhere else in your transition area. Don’t spend any time on this.

· Wipe your feet on the towel and slip on your socks and then your shoes.

· Put on your glasses and helmet, being sure to snap the strap.

· Walk or run you bike to the T1 exit and mount in the mounting area that will be clearly marked and marshaled.

Bike:

· Ride at a controlled pace

· Stay to the right except to pass

· Do not draft. Maintain at least 3 bike lengths between you and the bike in front of you.

· Be sure to look before you move left to pass.

Transition 2:

· Dismount where indicated and run your bike back to your transition area.

· Remove your helmet, bike shoes and glasses (unless you plan to wear them on the run)

· Put on your hat or visor if you plan to wear one

· Slip on your running shoes and close the lace locks

· Pick up your race belt with your number and start running out of transition. Put your race belt on as you run.

Run:

· Run! (haha)

Miscellaneous:

· Hydrate well for several days prior to the race. Stop hydrating 1.5 to 2 hours prior to allow excess to evacuate.

· Leave a bottle of water or Gatorade (or something similar) in transition so you can grab a quick sip before the race and during your transitions.

· Take a Gu or a similar energy gel with some water 15 minutes before the start.

· Make sure you have a nutrition and hydration strategy appropriate for you race, particularly if it will be longer than 1.5 to 2 hours.

My Background (Before I Started Ironman Training)

I did mostly CrossFit, with maybe 1-2 runs per week (less than 1 mile)

My last long distance run was a marathon in 2020 (4 years ago)
On average I ran a 5k once every 2-3 weeks.
On average I swam about once every 2-3 weeks
I previously never rode the bike (indoor or outdoor)

How I Felt Race Day

1.2 mile Swim: Took me about 1,000m to find my stride and calm down. Then the rest was fun! (avg 1:49/100m)(37:28 total)
Bike: Went way faster than expected. (avg speed of 20.2 mph)(2:44 total)
Run: Miserable. Legs hurt the entire time. But also was able to hold a pace way faster than expected. (avg speed 8:22/ mile)(1:52 total)
Total: 5:25:44. Very happy with that!

What Would I Have Changed?

A bit-fit. This is something that was highly recommended by a lot of people.. But I was already over budget on my race, and I decided to watch some DIY videos and go down the rabbit hole of biking. Luckily it worked out and I didn’t have too many issues. 2-3 hours on a bike on race day can be very uncomfortable if your bike isn’t set up properly!
Push the Swim a bit more. If i had found my stride earlier, could have improved my time.
During training: More group rides on the bike. This was really fun, but also an invaluable experience.
During training: Getting more open water swims in. This was tough due to scheduling & logistics. Luckily we did find a great group that swims daily outdoors nearby!
During training: More long runs & long bikes. I did skip out on a couple long runs and long bikes, and I felt it! That race day volume is really a smack in the face (5-6 hours of total work). So a few more long runs would have been great.
Nutrition: Day before the race. We tried to crush the whole “carb-loading” thing (chipotle, pannin’s, smoothies, etc). But ended up pretty bloated and uncomfortable that night & the race morning. This may have been a good thing to test out a few weeks prior to see what types of food our stomachs agree with to Carb-load properly.

What Am I Glad I Did?

Nutrition: Felt great with Gu packets every 40 min, and gatorade sips every 30. It also gave me something to do to take my mind off it
Invested in a nice bike. This was a game changer. With the help of Bob, I was able to located a nice Cervelo Tri bike on FB Marketplace. $1000 well spent.
Proper gear: Tri-suit (2Xu), Wetsuit (Xterra), New running shoes (Brooks- from Run Newport). Huge difference in comfort & performance).
Train with friends. 10x more fun.
Get a coach! Or in the least…a good training program.

Half Iron Man (70.3) Training Program