Stepping towards a 9:30IM

Stepping towards a 9:30 IM

After competing at IMOZ05 I have come to the conclusion that in order to qualify for Hawaii Ironman in the 35-39 age group category I will need to go at least a 9:30. Even then I will more then likely be waiting for a roll down.
Step 1: How fast will I need to go?
Achieving a 9.30 is fast. I have been doing some research lately and to achieve a 9:30 I will need to accomplish the following times
Swim: 53-57 minutes
Bike: 5:00-5:10 hours
Run: 3:20-3:30 hours

For example, a 55 swim, 5:05 bike and a 3:30 run will result in a 9:30 IM time and more then likely secure you a spot for Hawaii.
Now lets look at breaking those times above down into speeds. To swim around 55 minutes I will need to be able to comfortably hold 1:25 per 100m pace in the pool. To ride a 5 hour bike split I will need to average 36kph. To run a 3:30 marathon I will need to be able to hold 5min per k’s. When you look at the speeds required to achieve a 9:30 IM they look achievable on there own. However, being able to pull it off into an IM race is what the challenge is all about.
At Ironman Australia in the 35-39 age group a top 10 finish will almost secure you a Hawaii spot. Therefore, to achieve this you will need to be a FOP. That is, a front of the pack athlete.

Step 2: Building a plan
Now that I know how fast I need to go, the next step for me is to plan a program that will maximize my chances at achieving a 9:30 IM. At the moment I can swim 57, ride 5:10 and run a 3:58. In theory I need to find 2-4 minutes in the swim, another 5-10 minutes on the bike and a whopping 25 minutes on the run. Already this tells me my running is my No1 limiter. Therefore, my IM program will be built around a run focus. Secondly, to run well I will also need to focus on achieving a bike spilt that will leave me feeling fresh for the marathon. My IM run goal will only be realized if I have paced myself correctly on the bike.
I have come to the conclusion that my two main limiters therefore are
Run: Aerobic endurance
Bike: Strength endurance

Step 3: The basic week
My basic week to address my two main limiters will be as follows
Run: 5-6 times per week
1 long slow distance run: 2-2:15 hrs
1 medium run: 1:30 hrs
1 strength/hills run: 1hr
2-3 recovery runs: 30-50 min
Total time: 5 – 7 hrs
Bike: 4 times per week
1 Long slow distance bike: 5-6 hrs
1 Strength/hills session: 2 hrs
1 Aerobic ride: 1.5- 2 hrs
1 Recovery ride: 1- 1.5hrs
Total time: 9.5 – 11.5 hrs
Swim: 3 times per week
2 squad session: 1 – 1.5hrs
1 open water swim: 30 – 1hr
Total time: 2.5 – 4 hrs

This will mean I’m looking towards training around 17 – 22.5 hrs per week. Previously I have been training on average 15 hrs per week.
The next step now is to place these sessions into a weekly training schedule that will maximize my opportunity to train consistently and recovery well between each session.

Table 1: Week training outline

Monday
AM: Run medium
PM: Swim squad

Tuesday
AM: Bike recovery
PM: Run hills

Wednesday
AM:
PM: Bike hills

Thursday
AM: Run LSD
PM: Swim squad

Friday
AM: Recovery day optional bike or run

Saturday
AM: Bike LSD
PM: Run recovery

Sunday
AM: Run aerobic
PM: Swim open water

Now that I have my basic training week on paper it will be up to me to execute the sessions consistently each week. If I’m failing to reach my weekly targets I will then reassess my plan and make the necessary adjustments. The most important aspect of training is making sure that I’m not missing any of my key sessions (highlighted in bold).

In my next article will outline my annual training plan (ATP).

Fluro