Ironman Keys

You’ve signed up for Ironman and have committed yourself to driving your body 140 miles across the finish line. To help you focus your training, I’d like to identify the critical limiters for Ironman fitness, as a guide to help you build that Ironman vehicle. But before I do that, let me explain the most critical Ironman concept you need to understand:

Ironman Success = Don’t Slow Down on the Run
The measure of your Ironman success, from the perspectives of training and execution, is to run near to an even split marathon, at a pace not far off your long run pace. A common metric is an Ironman run split within two hours of your bike split. The ability to run 4hrs off of a 6hr bike split is an indication that you have trained for and executed the race effectively. By focusing on the following Ironman Keys you will create the fitness and execution conditions to produce a solid Ironman run performance.

Body Composition
Reduce your body fat while retaining muscle mass and instantly improve your power to weight ratio on the bike, a critical limiter for hilly bike courses. More importantly it significantly decreases the pounding your legs and joints will take during your run training, enhancing your ability to remain run-healthy for the entire season. Running consistency is everything! And on race day you’re simply lugging around less weight for 140 miles. So before we get all geeked out over threshold this and that other cool training idea, it’s probably more effective to focus our attention on removing that 30lb pack off your back!

Build Hard, Fatigue and Cramping Resistant Legs
I’ve seen both 3:15 and 4:15 marathoners run 4:00. How much do you think the speed work helped Mr. 3:15? The Ironman run is less about running faster and more about not slowing down. Assuming no nutritional or bike pacing disasters, slowing down is often a result of extreme leg fatigue. You need to show up on race day with hard, fatigue and cramping resistant running legs. You build them by racking up week after week of 4-5 runs per week, at an intensity that supports the consistent execution of 4-5 runs per week. Run volume is then a natural byproduct of this high frequency, moderate intensity running.

Build a Ludicrously Strong Bike and then Don’t Use It!
We can write a book on what an “Ironman Strong” bike is and how to build it: high volume, moderate intensity vs moderate volume and high intensity; epic long rides or shorter, faster rides. The combinations are endless and there is a right way and a wrong way for everyone. However, for success on race day you must separate your “could” bike split from your “should” bike split.

Over months of training it’s only natural to look at your long ride paces and begin to dream about the split you “could” ride. Go for it! Train long, hard, short, fast, whatever to get this “could” split as fast as possible. However, on race day you ride the bike split you “should” ride, the split that yields a solid run split. In other words, train your could split to a 5:30, then race a 5:40-45. This can be a tough concept for many of us to swallow, especially having worked so hard on the bike. Want to permission to ride the bike harder? Prove it by running well off the bike first.

High Rate of Return
Focus your time and money investments on high rate of return activities.

Dollar Investments:

• Heart rate monitor: a heart rate monitor well help you regulate and monitor the intensity of your training sessions and can be an effective pacing tool on race day. Very few athletes are able to race an Ironman on feel alone.
• Quality swim instruction: very few investments in this sport offer a higher rate of return on your time and money then technique sessions with a quality swim coach. If you are a slow swimmer, a few sessions could get you out of water 10-40% faster and on the bike sooner, setting up a much faster run.
• Bike Fit: yes, you need to be comfortable to ride 112 miles and run off the bike. However, Ironman athletes often take this to extremes and leave a LOT of speed on the table by not working to find their optimum balance of aerodynamics and comfort. We see lots of $5k bikes with $5 riding positions. It is possible to be both comfortable and aerodynamic. Aerodynamics is free speed and should not be overlooked, by anyone.
• Powermeter: before you buy the bling bike, the race wheels, or the latest aero widget that promises to save you 30 seconds over 112 miles, consider purchasing a powermeter. Powermeters are quickly becoming recognized as one of the most effective training and racing tools you can have for Ironman.

Time Investments:

• Learn how to execute the race: your fitness is merely a vehicle you drive for 140 miles. IronCamp.com is focused on giving you the knowledge and skills you need to execute your next successful Ironman.
• High intensity cycling: if you want to ride fast, you have to ride fast. Over 5 years of Ironman coaching I’ve learned that one simple bike interval session per week can significantly improve your speed at all intensities, thereby reducing your Ironman bike split.
• Focused swim sessions: if your Ironman swim is slower than about 1:15, swimming for you is more about form and less about swim fitness. Rather than becoming a very fit wall-tagger with poor form, dedicate a solid amount of your swim season to the drills and other focused work that will allow you to swim more efficiently.
• Running form work: likewise, simply inserting Strides or other form work into your existing runs can greatly improve your form, allowing you to run faster, more efficiently, and with a reduced risk of injury.

Before you get lost in the weeds of your training and preparation for your next Ironman, be sure to reflect on these big pictures keys to Ironman success and use them to help you focus your efforts.

Source: Rich Strauss

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