Article from June, 1999 Issue of TRIATHLETE Magazine

13 Weeks to a 13-Hour Ironman

Intermediate triathletes listen up!
You can do your first Ironman
without giving up your life.
Here's the easiest way to get there.

By Gale Bernhardt

You've been racing a while. You've been doing the same races year after year and are looking for a new challenge. You would like to do an Ironman, but jeeze, there's just too much training involved. Or is there?

If you are contemplating an Ironman-distance race and simply want to complete the event without illness or injury (the world-record performance comes next year), this article is written just for you. The plan that is outlined here is certainly not for beginning athletes, but is for beginning Ironwomen and Ironmen. It is a 13-week training plan that culminates in the successful completion of a first Ironman race in about 12 to 14 hours. Since you don't have much time to train, your heaviest training week will be about 13 hours.

Athlete Profile. You are an experienced triathlete. You have completed spring and Olympic-distance races. Life, however, has your clock in a stranglehold and training time is at a premium. Before beginning this plan, you are capable of swimming three times per week, about an hour each time. You estimate you could hold a 1 minute 45-second to 2-minute pace per 100 yards, for the 2.4-mile swim (total swim time of 1:12 to 1:25). Cycling currently includes being able to comfortably go an hour and a half or so. You're thinking you could average somewhere between 15 and 16 mph for 112 miles (total bike time between 6:15 and 7:30). Your long run is in the 1:15 to 1:30 range. You think you could manage a marathon pace of 10- to 11-minute miles (total run time between 4:15 and 5:00). up to this point, you've been training around eight to 10 hours each week, which is very comfortable.

Your typical training week is fairly light during the week, due to a long list of commitments. However, weekends are open for longer training hours. You need at least one day completely free from training each week because it keeps you healthy and in good spirits.

If this athlete profile fits you, your estimated completion time for an Ironman-distance race is between 12 and 14 hours. If necessary, you are willing to walk to comfortably complete the race. What this means is that even if you're on the top end, estimating your finish time at 14 hours, you still have a three-hour buffer to complete the race under the time limit of 17 hours for many Ironman-distance races.

Plan Description. The schedule that follows presents a 13-week plan to prepare your body for its first Ironman, while minimizing injury risk and training hours. When you look at the first week of the plan, you should be thinking, "Wow, that's too easy." If the first week will be a struggle, you need more training time before embarking on this journey.

With this said, let's look at the plan in general. Notice that the Saturday and Sunday training hours build throughout the 13 weeks. Weekend cycling begins at 1:30 and builds to 5 hours, two weeks prior to the race. The long run begins at 1:30, building to 3 hours in week 11. Swimming begins at 1 hour and builds to just 1:30 - so the emphasis is on cycling and running.

In the first four weeks of the plan, mid-week workouts and weekend workouts increase to build overall endurance. Intensity (which we'll cover later) stays fairly low. In the second four weeks of the plan, the weekend volume continues to grow, not missing a beat until after the rest week (week 4). Because weekend workouts will be the main focus, there are more days of rest during weeks 5, 6 and 7 to allow for recovery. By the end of week 7, you will train a total of eight hours over the two weekend days.

The weekend hours continue to build to about 9.5 by the end of week 11. The long run on Sunday of week 11 will be your last long workout before reducing training volume and resting. Weeks 12 and 13 are designed to allow you to recover and stock your muscles full of glycogen. Short workouts with short accelerations are designed to keep your arms and legs feeling fresh. Warning: Do not be tempted to increase training volume during weeks 12 and 13.

Workout Details. For each day of the play we tell you what sport to do, how long to work out and what type of workout to do. For example, the first Tuesday of the plan has you swimming a one-hour form workout. You will also complete a 30-minute "E2" run, an endurance run which will keep your heart rate in a designated zone.

The training and racing zones we'll use for this plan are indicated in the chart to the right. We'll use a heart rate monitor to designate the intensity for cycling and running workouts. This intensity is like the tachometer in your car - it tells you the pace of the engine. Keep in mind that heart rate can be influenced by fatigue, heat, hydration and other factors, so it is not a direct measurement of pace.

For all three sports, we will stay well below lactate threshold heart rate - the heart rate you've held for Olympic-distance races. Since you're an experienced Olympic-distance racer, you know you've produced heart rates in the 4 and low-5 zones during training and racing. You'll want to avoid those zones during your Ironman race.

One way to estimate lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR) is to use the average heart rate you produce during an hour time trial on a bike, or a running race that takes you about an hour to complete. A second, and probably easier way to estimate LTHR is to just time-trial on your own (not in a race situation). Do a 10-mile, all-out-effort time-trial on a flat course. Take the average heart rate you achieve and divide it by 1.01. For example, if your average heart rate was 162, your estimated LTHR is 162/1.01 or 160 beats per minute. Using the bike LTHR, you can estimate your run LTHR by adding 7 to 10 beats. For the example above, the athlete's bike LTHR is 160 and her run LTHR is 167.

Using the percent-multipliers on the table, the example athlete's training zones are:

We didn't determine the higher zones for the example athlete because all of the training and racing for this plan is done in Zones 1 to 3 or a full 10 to 56 beats below lactate threshold. Tope-end speed for our journey to Ironman is 10 to 16 beats below lactate threshold, or roughly Zone 3.

Since it is difficult to check training heart rate in the pool, we'll use use pace instead. For the pool, Zone 3 pace is in the 1:45 to 2-minute per 100-yard range (your race pace). For example, for 100 yard repeats with minimal rest (five to 10 seconds), shoot for your target race pace. You can swim faster on short work intervals with long rests.

Now that you're armed with training zones, it's time for some workouts specifics. For all three sports, the descriptions follow. Just remember that your target heart rate for the bike is different than for the run. Target pace in the pool depends on the length of the work and rest intervals. For all sports:

Form. In the pool, a form workout includes lots of drills and no concern for the pace clock. Your RPE is in Zone 1. For the bike or run, a form workout is one that is done with your heart rate mostly in training Zones 1 and 2. After a good warm up, include four to eight x 30-second accelerations with 1.5- to 2.5-minute easy recoveries. Acceleration means gently building your speed, not gut-busting sprints.

E1. The entire workout is done at a heart rate or RPE in Zone 1. In the pool, you can work on technique and do lots of drills. Or you can do an easy workout, including strokes other than freestyle. On the bike, it's best to do this workout on a flat course. The run is best done on a flat course as well, and ideally on a soft surface like grass or a dirt trail.

E2. Because there are so many options for pool intervals, use the RPE and the clock to determine your pace. During bike and run workouts, keep your heart rate in Zones 1 and 2. As you gain fitness, you can spend more time in Zone 2. It is not your goal to see how much time you can spend in Zone 2. A rolling course for the bike or run is fine.

E3. In the pool, use the RPE and your goal race pace to determine your training pace. The workout is done in Zones 1 to 3 for all three sports. As you gain fitness, you can spend more time in Zone 3. Keep in mind, though, that it is not necessarily your goal to see how much time you can spend in Zone 3. A rolling to moderately hilly course for the bike or run is fine. (Hint: Shy away from extremely hilly Ironman courses for your first event.)

Some of the workouts need more detailed instructions, specifically the bricks and a few of the swimming sessions. The total brick workout time is shown in the top row of any week containing a brick. The breakdown of the brick is shown in the bike and run rows.

Brick - Week 4. Ride your bike for an hour, in Zones 1 and 2 for the first 30 minutes and Zone 3 for the latter 30. Go right to your run, allowing your heart rate to be anywhere in the 1 to 3 zones. If you feel great, spend more time in Zone 3.

Brick - Week 12. Ride your bike for an hour, in Zones 1 and 2 for the first 40 minutes and in Zone 3 for the latter 20. Go right to your 30-minute run, completing the first 15 minutes in Zones 1 and 2 and the last 15 minutes in Zone 3.

SWIMMING DETAILS

Weeks 1 to 4. Include at least one 1,000-yard steady swim. On Saturdays, complete the main set of the swim workout in the 1,000- to 1,500-yard range.

Weeks 5 to 8. Include at least one 1,650-yard steady swim followed by 2 to 3 minutes of rest and then another 500 to 800 yards of swimming. On Saturdays, perform the main set of the swim workout in the 1,500- to 2,500-yard range.

Weeks 9 to 11. Include at least one steady swim, with minimal rest, lasting about 45 to 60 minutes. On Saturdays, make the main set of the swim workout in the 2,000- to 3,000-yard range.

LIKELY QUESTIONS

Q: If I find I'm getting tired, what can I do to make some modifications without killing the plan?

A: It is OK to:

• Totally skip an E1 workout and rest instead.
• Reduce the Saturday bike by up to 30 minutes or the Sunday run by 15 minutes.
• Do an entire E2 workout with your heart rate in Zone 1.

Q: If the schedule calls for a swim and a run on a particular day, do they have to be done in that order?

A: No. If your masters swimming group meets in the evening and you run in the morning, that's fine.

Q: If I miss a Thursday run or bike, and Friday is shown as a day off, can I move the missed workout to Friday?

A: Yes, just be careful not to start "stacking" workouts on top of each other. Missing several workouts during the week can't be made up in a couple of days on the weekend.

Q: What is the absolute minimum number of hours I can train and still complete the Ironman race?

A: There is no absolute answer for this. The plan shown here, along with the modifiers already suggested, is along the lines of a general minimum. The true minimum really depends on each individual athlete. The more you cut training hours, the longer and more torturous the race will be and the greater your chance for injury.

Q: Can I do some Zone 3 intervals on an E3 day?

A: Yes. Try to keep the work-to-rest ratio at 3 to 4:1 and slowly build up your Zone 3 time, beginning at about 20 minutes total.

Q: What will happen to me if I get into Zone 4 heart rate during training and racing? Will I flame-out and die?

A: The plan is intended to keep you burning fuel at an aerobic rate. During training, you are trying to teach your body to be an efficient fat-burning machine. When you get into the heart rate zones near lactate threshold, your body prefers to use more glycogen as a fuel as opposed to fat and oxygen. On the other hand, short bouts into Zone 4 will not send you on an irreversible path toward flameout. Although heart rate monitoring is a good tool, it is not a precise measure of aerobic metabolism. A few beats to either size of the zones won't be a problem.

Going the Distance. As you progress through the training plan, remember to drink fluids at a rate of about 20 ounces per hour in any workout lasting more than an hour. Consume calories at approximately 150 to 250 per hour in any workout lasting longer than an hour.

Rest, recovery and refueling will go a long way to keep you on track to reach your goal.

On race day, wear your heart rate monitor and stay in Zones 1 to 3. One of the biggest mistakes beginning Ironman racers make is to start the race as though they were doing an Olympic-distance race. Relax, control your speed and be willing to walk whenever necessary. If your heart rate monitor malfunctions, use RPE as your guide for pacing. Most of all, look around, have fun and enjoy your incredible fitness.

Gale Bernhardt coaches age-group and professional endurance athletes from her office in Loveland, Colo. Look for her book, "The Female Cyclist: Gearing Up a Level," available from VeloPress. She can be reached by e-mail at www.ultrafit.com.