2009-08-24, 10:57 PM
[sw copy-pasta ;(]
Has anyone done any long course Triathlons? I've been thinking of starting to train for an Olympic-caliber triathlon in 2010, 70.3 Ironman in 2011 and the full Ironman in 2012. This is mostly just an extreme mental and, well, "pineappling" hardcore physical challenge that I want to accomplish. Of course, I'm gonna need to get cycling ASAP, since I haven't really done any hardcore biking. Ever. Running will also be intense. Right now, I can go for like 40-45 minutes at a steady ~8:30 mile pace. Just gotta keep up the endurance. And for those of you who are wondering how long each of these triathlons are...
Olympic Triathlon: 1.5 km (.93 mi) swim / 40 km (23.8 mi) bike / 10 km (6.2 mi) run
Half (70.3) Ironman: 1.9 km (1.2 mi) swim / 90 km (56 mi) bike / 21.09 km (13.1 mi) run
Ironman: 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim / 180 km (112 mi) bike / 42.2 km (26.2 mi) run
And yes, that 42.2 km run is indeed a marathon.
Anyway, I sort of know how to approach this. I'm planning it out now so that once the swimming season is over, I can jump right into running and biking hardcore. Endurance will definitely come first. If you can't go forever, you won't finish. Plain and simple. I think of it as going as far as you can with a good pace, then for the next workout, go farther. Sprint work would come next, next meaning 2-3 months, since I don't wanna be out there in the Ironman for 16 hours (although some do. The pros finish in like 8 hours, while plainfolk like me finish in like 12+ hours). Then I guess a month before my first Triathlon start to taper in volume so I have energy for the real deal. Nutrition is gonna kill me though. I've never been a fan of eating highly nutritious foods like salads and stuff... Just not a fan. ♥ But yeah, protein and carbs after workouts, fiber and stuff everywhere else. I was thinking of getting the JACK LALANNE POWER JUICER. "LOLOLOL???" I know right. But it'll be an easy way for me to cram veggies into my diet. But yeah, after all that, any more advice from people who might have done these types of triathlons in the past? And encouragement is accepted. :]
tl;dr: I'm triathlon training. Advice?
Has anyone done any long course Triathlons? I've been thinking of starting to train for an Olympic-caliber triathlon in 2010, 70.3 Ironman in 2011 and the full Ironman in 2012. This is mostly just an extreme mental and, well, "pineappling" hardcore physical challenge that I want to accomplish. Of course, I'm gonna need to get cycling ASAP, since I haven't really done any hardcore biking. Ever. Running will also be intense. Right now, I can go for like 40-45 minutes at a steady ~8:30 mile pace. Just gotta keep up the endurance. And for those of you who are wondering how long each of these triathlons are...
Olympic Triathlon: 1.5 km (.93 mi) swim / 40 km (23.8 mi) bike / 10 km (6.2 mi) run
Half (70.3) Ironman: 1.9 km (1.2 mi) swim / 90 km (56 mi) bike / 21.09 km (13.1 mi) run
Ironman: 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim / 180 km (112 mi) bike / 42.2 km (26.2 mi) run
And yes, that 42.2 km run is indeed a marathon.
Anyway, I sort of know how to approach this. I'm planning it out now so that once the swimming season is over, I can jump right into running and biking hardcore. Endurance will definitely come first. If you can't go forever, you won't finish. Plain and simple. I think of it as going as far as you can with a good pace, then for the next workout, go farther. Sprint work would come next, next meaning 2-3 months, since I don't wanna be out there in the Ironman for 16 hours (although some do. The pros finish in like 8 hours, while plainfolk like me finish in like 12+ hours). Then I guess a month before my first Triathlon start to taper in volume so I have energy for the real deal. Nutrition is gonna kill me though. I've never been a fan of eating highly nutritious foods like salads and stuff... Just not a fan. ♥ But yeah, protein and carbs after workouts, fiber and stuff everywhere else. I was thinking of getting the JACK LALANNE POWER JUICER. "LOLOLOL???" I know right. But it'll be an easy way for me to cram veggies into my diet. But yeah, after all that, any more advice from people who might have done these types of triathlons in the past? And encouragement is accepted. :]
tl;dr: I'm triathlon training. Advice?