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Half
Ironman Training: A Strong Base and Beyond
A Half Ironman is a triathlon
that is comprised of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike
race, and a 13.1 mile run. Half Ironman training should
begin in earnest approximately five months out from
the race date, and should be focused on building a strong
endurance base before any speed training is introduced.
Build
your Base
At
the beginning of your Half Ironman training, you will
start building a strong aerobic base, focusing on completing
distances and trainings without expending all of your
energy. A good rule of thumb is to gear your Half Ironman
training workouts to be performed at 80% of your max
heart rate. Once you have a strong endurance base, begin
introducing sport-specific training, such as long cycle
rides or half-marathon foot races.
After you introduce these
specific workouts into your Half Ironman training, you
can begin improving upon them by complementing aerobic
workouts with anaerobic workouts. However, make sure
you are carefully monitoring your body and its current
level of endurance. Too many hard workouts can lead
to body fatigue or injuries.
Improve
through Anaerobic Exercise
There are several ways to
incorporate anaerobic workouts into your Half Ironman
training. You may choose to do speed intervals while
cycling or running, hill repeats on foot or bike, or
cycling time trials.
The best training strategy
is to mimic the challenges you will face on race day.
One way this can be accomplished is by incorporating
the entire cycling distance into one session of your
Half Ironman training. Bike the full 56 miles at a faster
pace then you intend to cycle on race day. Don’t
worry about how tired you feel after this – you
won’t be facing the 13.1 mile run afterwards that
you will be at the race! You should also make brick
workouts that stack biking and running together 10:1
the backbone of your Half Ironman training. At some
point in your Half Ironman training you should brick
the 56 mile bike race distance with a post-bike 5.6
mile run.
Rehearse
before the Race
Approximately 6 weeks before
race day, focus your Half Ironman training on race rehearsal.
Wear the gear you intend to wear on race day, drink
and eat what you plan to consume on race day, and train
at the pace you intend to race at. While this is a rehearsal,
it shouldn’t be the same distances that you will
complete on race day. Rather, focus on completing the
full bike leg, followed by a little over half of the
running leg (56 mile/7 mile brick) at your race pace.
This will allow you to pinpoint problems with gear or
weaknesses in your workouts, giving you enough time
left in your Half Ironman training to correct them.
The
Taper
While you should taper your
Half Ironman training by decreasing the length and distance
of your workouts, you should not decrease their anaerobic
intensity. You have already built a strong base –
continue anaerobic exercise to improve your speed and
efficiency. The week of the race, rest the first few
days then slowly begin building the last few days to
tune your body for race day. You should arrive at the
start line motivated, rested and ready to compete.
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Discover the Ultimate Triathlon Training Guide.
- Comprehensive Triathlon Training Program
- Heart Rate Zone Workouts.
- Specific Triathlon Training Secrets
- Injury Prevention Techniques.
- Comprehensive Triathlon Nutrition Guide.
- Essential Tips to Stop you Hitting “The Wall”.
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