1/2 ironman training plan?

Capt_Apollo

yup,. fully aware of the distances you're doing. i did my first half iron man in September, after having done a few sprints and olympics, and a handful of half marathons. fyi, running a half marathon and running a half marathon after swimming 1.2 miles and cycling 56 miles are two very different things.

do you think that this is something you are going to want pursue, or are you just going to cross it off your bucket list?

dee_thurman

I loved running my marathon. It wasn't all pretty towards the end but I loved the training and the race. I have never done anything like it before in my life. The most I had ever ran at one time before that might have been 6 miles ( I am not even sure if I had ran that.) I have never biked for exercise before (not even a stationary bike besides the times I had to when I had a minor injury during college while everyone else went through conditioning 15 years ago.) I haven't swam 20 lengths in a pool since middle school gym class. Now that I am on a bike and in a pool I enjoy both. The bike and the pool give my running body a little bit of a break from training long distances on the road training for my marathon. I enjoy training so far. I plan on doing a sprint triathlon in the next 7 or 8 weeks or so. If it is something that I enjoy doing I will hopefully cross it off my bucket list and continue to run a marathon and continue to do triathlons. It is an interesting question. Why do you ask?

Capt_Apollo

just curious on your mindset. i've met a few people that have done a triathlon just to cross it off the bucket list and never do one again. and there are those that get really into the sport and it become a lifestyle.

i guess i wish you would reconsider doing the half iron man right away. it takes a lot to build to it. and if you are dead set on that race, i'd just skip the sprint. no need. they are two very different types of triathons.

dee_thurman

I understand that they are very different but I would like to experience what it is like to transition from swimming to biking to running. I would like to experience some of the details of a race. Something as simple as laying out equipment and finding it after swimming. It is all new to me and the I don't want some of the minor details that many don't think about I would like to experience first and then be able to do it in the 1/2 ironman. Who knows I might get into some of the heavier training and my body might not respond and I won't be able to finish and run the 1/2 ironman. I can at least say that I did a sprint and go from there.

dee_thurman

I was wondering if there were any nutrition books that I could read that go along with training for a triathlon. It is very different eating and burning the calories that you do on a daily basis while training. To run a marathon you have some long runs but the rest of the time you aren't burning the amount of calories that you are burning while you train for a triathlon. I still want to eat well/healthy but I also want to get the calories that I need.

glevinso

Capt_Apollo wrote: »

i guess i wish you would reconsider doing the half iron man right away. it takes a lot to build to it. and if you are dead set on that race, i'd just skip the sprint. no need. they are two very different types of triathons.

I am going to disagree here. Most of the time when someone reccos not jumping straight to a half iron, it is because the person asking the question is coming off the couch. With a full marathon under the OP's belt I would say the half iron is certainly doable. Personally I feel that a full marathon, despite being shorter, is a much harder event physically than a half iron.

The sprint race is good for practice and to experience transitions in a race situation.

glevinso

dee_thurman wrote: »

I was wondering if there were any nutrition books that I could read that go along with training for a triathlon. It is very different eating and burning the calories that you do on a daily basis while training. To run a marathon you have some long runs but the rest of the time you aren't burning the amount of calories that you are burning while you train for a triathlon. I still want to eat well/healthy but I also want to get the calories that I need.

Not sure where you are weight wise and what you are trying to do there, but the book Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald has a lot of good information on this subject. I tend to disagree with his exact diet plans, but his information is good.

dee_thurman

I am trying to maintain my current weight.

dee_thurman

FYI - I am currently at day 192 for eating healthy and exercising. That gives you some sort of a feel of how long I have been active. I have ran a mini and a marathon in that time.

dee_thurman

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/us/northview-mi/miti-single-loop-1-2-iron-route-156785017

Above is the link to the bike course I will be riding. Is this typical?

total ascent of 1475 ft and has a max elevation of 922.74.

start elevation is 616 ft - max is 922 ft - gain 1475 ft

It looks like the first 8 miles you go from 616 ft to about 870 ft.

Is this going to be a hilly/challenging course? Or is this more of a flat course?

dee_thurman

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/646843358

Here is the map of the run

By looking at the map it looks all you do is run hills. I am not very good at looking at the maps and getting a good idea of what it will be like though.

dee_thurman

"ARE WE STARTING IN THE WATER OR IS IT A BEACH START?

The race is a water start."



What is the difference? I think I can picture a beach start but what is a water start?

Capt_Apollo

dee_thurman wrote: »

"ARE WE STARTING IN THE WATER OR IS IT A BEACH START?

The race is a water start."



What is the difference? I think I can picture a beach start but what is a water start?

you start floating in the water, basically treading water.

Capt_Apollo

glevinso wrote: »

Capt_Apollo wrote: »

i guess i wish you would reconsider doing the half iron man right away. it takes a lot to build to it. and if you are dead set on that race, i'd just skip the sprint. no need. they are two very different types of triathons.

I am going to disagree here. Most of the time when someone reccos not jumping straight to a half iron, it is because the person asking the question is coming off the couch. With a full marathon under the OP's belt I would say the half iron is certainly doable. Personally I feel that a full marathon, despite being shorter, is a much harder event physically than a half iron.

The sprint race is good for practice and to experience transitions in a race situation.

i guess i can see both sides.

Capt_Apollo

dee_thurman wrote: »

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/us/northview-mi/miti-single-loop-1-2-iron-route-156785017

Above is the link to the bike course I will be riding. Is this typical?

total ascent of 1475 ft and has a max elevation of 922.74.

start elevation is 616 ft - max is 922 ft - gain 1475 ft

It looks like the first 8 miles you go from 616 ft to about 870 ft.

Is this going to be a hilly/challenging course? Or is this more of a flat course?

looks to be a very flat course. no real climbs, but not a flat-flat course. looks to be a good course.

dee_thurman

In looking at the race info it says you can wear a wetsuit if the water is 78 degrees or cooler. It also says that the lake is usually in the mid to upper 70's. It says you can rent a wetsuit and gives you 2 different places to rent them.

bike course aid stations offering

gatorade bottles
water bottles
bananas
pretzels
gel
ice

run - every mile

gatorade
water
pepsi
ice
gel
bananas
oranges
pretzels
pickel juice
broth
cookies
cool sponges

Capt_Apollo

dee_thurman wrote: »

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/646843358

Here is the map of the run

By looking at the map it looks all you do is run hills. I am not very good at looking at the maps and getting a good idea of what it will be like though.

now this is going to be a very very hilly run.

dee_thurman

cut off times for both full and half distances

swim 9:45 am
bike turnaround 1:30 pm
bike course 5:30 pm
run turnaround 10:30 pm
run: midnight

dee_thurman

sorry for all of the info. I typed it out and posted it for myself but if you wanted to look at it feel free.

Capt_Apollo

dee_thurman wrote: »

In looking at the race info it says you can wear a wetsuit if the water is 78 degrees or cooler. It also says that the lake is usually in the mid to upper 70's. It says you can rent a wetsuit and gives you 2 different places to rent them.

bike course aid stations offering

gatorade bottles
water bottles
bananas
pretzels
gel
ice

run - every mile

gatorade
water
pepsi
ice
gel
bananas
oranges
pretzels
pickel juice
broth
cookies
cool sponges

seems like pretty typical aid stations. my first and only 70.3 had a bike aid station that you passed four times. it was a two loop bike course, such as yours. i loved it, as i didn't need to carry quite as much liquids on the bike as i might normally because i could always get more. however, biking through an aid station can be tricky. don't stop, just slow down and go to the side. one good way to make sure a volunteer knows to give you a bottle is to be vocal and point at the person.

dee_thurman

thanks - It also says that it is a wave start - Do I get to pick where I would like to start. For instance if I know that I am a slower swimmer wouldn't I want to start out near the back so I don't have to worry about traffic while swimming?

glevinso

Both bike and run courses look "mostly flat". You will have a couple of mild rises on both courses, but nothing I would consider a real hill.

In-water start means everyone crosses a timing mat to indicate you actually did start the race, but then everyone treads water for a few moments and then your time starts when the gun for your wave goes off.

Wave starts are assigned, usually by age group. They will tell you what wave you are in, and it is usually color-coded on the swim caps. Makes it easy in case you forget. If your swim cap is purple, just hang with everyone with purple caps and go with them. Don't start with the guys in the previous wave wearing yellow, or the next wave wearing green

glevinso

With an in-water wave start you can seed yourself wherever you like. So if you feel you are slower, just wade into the water with the group and line up near the back. Personally I recommend lining up not at the back of the group, but just off to the side. It is a little less crazy off to the side, and you don't end up swimming "extra" yards from starting in the back.

glevinso

dee_thurman wrote: »

FYI - I am currently at day 192 for eating healthy and exercising. That gives you some sort of a feel of how long I have been active. I have ran a mini and a marathon in that time.

Depending on how seriously you are training, and what volume you are pushing, you might find you have to do some pretty funny things to maintain your weight. Right now I keep a jar of peanut butter on my night stand and sometimes need to grab some at 2am. I eat everything in sight. I eat pretty much constantly. I eat mostly healthy things, but I am at the point now where I can't afford to lose more weight but it is happening anyway. Bring on the beer and cheeseburgers because otherwise there isn't any way to get enough calories to keep myself from becoming a wisp of aerobic nothingness

stingrayinfl

did the one in Chattown...had only done a small tri before the Ironman...where I need improvement is transition and get a better bike...it was a lot of fun and find your plan and trust it...

heybales

I like 70.3 more than marathon, probably less pounding in training and the race.
My races have been just around $100 - probably because they aren't paying for the official "Ironman" moniker.
But even there, one in Branson I couldn't do was I thought $135 and was official.

I thought you said the marathon kind of went bad near the end. I'd examine that, if it was a matter of going out too quick and using up the limited muscle-glucose stores - it can happen even easier and faster in 70.3.
If it was a matter of being dehydrated, need to examine that too.

That's when the longer sessions recommended above what the training plan gave (I didn't like it either) gives you a chance to test foods/gels/water and timing. You can only absorb so much so fast, and for many too much sitting there causes stomach issues.
But not enough and you'll get the low blood sugar tiredness, and while you might eat enough to get over that - if you fell behind on carb intake at the pace you are going - you'll never make up for going too low in the muscles.

So not sure if you hit the first mental wall in the marathon, or the actual physical wall, if that was it when did it happen?
Do you use HRM for training?

I'd suggest rather than short sprint-tri, just look for a long or olympic or international distance race near you.

You could do that in the midst of training for the 70.3 once you hit those shorter distances in training.
We have a June/July Olympic and then Aug/Sep 70.3 - and that seems to work just fine, plenty of time to recover from shorter race and miss injury (hopefully), and enough time to taper down before next, and still keep increasing training for almost 6 weeks.

sarabushby

glevinso wrote: »

Personally I feel that a full marathon, despite being shorter, is a much harder event physically than a half iron.

Shhh... Otherwise you guys are going to have me signing up for a half before the end of the season! I did my first marathon last year and so far only raced sprint and Olympic tri's, thinking that a Half-iron will be much harder since it will probably take me 6-7hrs rather than the 3hrs for an Olympic or 4.5hrs for a Marathon. Despite having more Olympics, Sprints & a long swim planned for the summer I'm envious of Dee's adventure!

dee_thurman

sarabushby - GO FOR IT! - You can do a half and train about the same time that I am training.

dee_thurman

Is anyone else currently training for a triathlon? I apologize if you have mentioned it in an earlier post. If so where are you at in your training (what week?) and if you don't mind sharing what does your workout look like.

I have a 30 mile bike ride tomorrow with a 50 minute circuit in the weight room to end week 2.
Today I ran 7 miles.

sarabushby

Hi Dee, I'm currently training for my 'A race' of the season - Windsor Triathlon, Olympic/Standard distance. I have only 5wks left and although I train all year round have been loosely following an 8wk plan I downloaded (it's very basic though just gives a sport & duration, doesn't prescribe what kind of session you should do, which is good for me as I know to mix up endurance and speedwork etc).

This wk I've been a bit 'off plan' as I raced a half-marathon Monday, so I rested Tue, rode 24mi Wed, swam 2km Thur, rode 30mi Fri. Today I raced 5km and did a special triathlon training swim session 2km, tomorrow a longer 44mi ride.

Sounds like you're doing good in your training keep the updates coming!