Post Ironman random thoughts.

Well it’s the weekend after the race and I’m already psyching for my next IM. Not really sure when it will be yet, but at this stage I may either do IM Korea in August or IM Japan in May 07. I think IM Korea may be a bit close to when Katrina and I need to start our teaching contracts in Tokyo. We’ll have to wait in see on that one.
After racing Port I’ve decided that I need to get my health back in order. It is almost pointless trying to train for an IM, manage an ongoing injury and aim for a PB. I think in hindsight I may have put too much pressure on myself by focusing on qualifying for Hawaii before taking time off to sort out my foot problem. Luckily on the day, with the assistance of Nurofen plus, it didn’t end up being a big issue for me. My foot was burning slightly but it wasn’t enough to affect the way I ran.

The plan
Getting to Hawaii. To qualify for Hawaii next year I think you need to do the following things.
1. Volume: event duration related. This year I’m going to build a basic week which will target reaching a volume of at least 2 IM’s each week. That is
a. Swimming 8km (3hrs)
b. Riding: 360km (12hrs)
c. Running: 84km (7hrs)
In terms of volume this will be the minimum basic week of training needed to have a shot at qualifying for Hawaii. In other words I’ll need to do as many 20hrs weeks as I can in the lead to my next Ironman. This year I only managed 1 week of training above 20hrs. I did around 8 weeks between 15-20hrs and the rest of my training was between 12-15hrs PW.
2. Big Day Training: I haven’t done any really big days of training yet. The plan this time around is to do a number BDT which include a 1hr swim 5hr ride and then a 1 hr run. I still believe endurance is my greatest limiter and BDT is probably the single best way to address this issue. The goal here would be to swim for an hour at 4.30am have breakfast and then ride at 7am for 5hrs have lunch and then run 1hr in the afternoon. All intensity will be from easy to Steady.
3. Winter PB’s: After talking this over with Scott we have concluded that as winter approaches it would be a good time to improve out Functional Threshold (ie 40km TT pace, 10km run pace, 1500m TT swim). After doing a bit of research I now understand that IMpace is a percentage of FT (ie 72-78%). Therefore by improving our FT over winter we are effective improving our IMpace too. This would also be a good way to have a break from Ironman specific training, which would resume around October. So between now and then Scott and I are planning on breaking 1hr for a 40km TT we have planned out on a very tough course from Puckeys estate to the Sea Cliff bridge and back. We will also use Kembla Joggers to try and break 3:30min k pace on some of their fun runs. In the pool we are going to aim for a sub 21min 1500m swim. This would be good speed to have in our legs coming out of winter. All we need to do then is to top this up with some Ironman specific endurance work leading up to our next Ironman.
4. Epic camp: The plan next year is to take a week off at around 7 weeks out from the Ironman and do an epic week of training. The goal being to double our normal basic week by aiming for 40hrs. it is a big mental challenge more then a physical one and will resolve any issues with a mental state of minds in an Ironman. After reading all the reports from various peoples of different abilites who have attend an epic camp, I think there is a lot to be gained from performing such a big week of training.
5. HIM’s: As a general rule of thumb your time in ½ when doubled and add on 45min will work out to be your IM time. Training specifically for two ½’s in the lead up to an Ironman would be a good way to monitor your progress. Our goals therefore would be to break 4:30 for a ½ Ironman if I’m to have a shot a getting well under 10hrs in a full Ironman. So if Scott and I could do a 4:30 for ½ Ironman then we would be on target for a 9:30-9:45 Ironman which is needed to qualify for Hawaii.

Well that’s my top 5 for the moment. I think if we can address these top 5 issues and handle them well we’ll be on track to achieving a big at our next IM.
While I’m resting for the nest 4 weeks, the plan is to resume normal training in May. Between now and then I’m going to recover and train with no real structure. Just go out and enjoy myself.
As I start putting together my next training plan I’ll post it on here to share my ideas. Feel free to ask questions etc as the more feedback I get the better it will be. Most of my training will be posted on Reefmans online (refer link) log and is available for anyone to view. You’re more then welcome to use the plan and if you have any questions just contact me at anytime.

Cheers

fluro