Key Workouts For Triathlon Success: 5 Lessons Learned From 20 Years Of Ironman Training

I'll be honest:  my last Ironman was 4 years ago and it was a DNF and my next Ironman is still 2 years out.  Armed with that information, you might choose to stop right here.  But, I have had some success at Ironman and I have learned from a few mistakes along the way.  What follows here are some of those lessons learned as well as some of those key workout sessions that, I think, ended up giving me the confidence I needed to pull off my best performances on the day.

Lesson 1 - You have to put in the miles.

I remember saying to someone about 15 years ago as they were starting to train for their first (and last, as it turns out) Ironman:

There are two secrets to doing Ironman:  1 - riding a lot and 2 - running a lot. 

As overly simple as it sounds, there is no short cut to putting in the time and doing the distance. Luckily, both of us are/were better than average swimmers so we weren't too concerned about extra swim training but weaker swimmers might want to add some time there.  The bottom line is that you simply do have to put in the time.

Lesson 2 - Stronger is better

With all the swimming, biking and running you have to do in order to successfully do Ironman or even half ironman distance, who has time for strength training?   I used this excuse myself for a valid reason to skip the gym. But the reality is that age and time both take their toll, resulting in loss of muscle mass.  I think we all recognize that the loss of muscle mass results in a corresponding loss of strength and power but it will also make you less resistant to injury.   Focused and purposeful strength training will help you maintain muscle strength and power over, making you a stronger athlete relative to those who haven't made it to the gym.  So, as much as some of us might not like to admit it or make time for it, some of the best workouts for triathlon success happen in the gym.  Don't skip this one!

Lesson 3 - More isn't always better. Better is better

Time is short and we are constantly balancing demands on our time.  In order to avoid wasting a precious commodity, it should go without saying that you don't want to waste your time.  As simple as it is to say "skip the garbage miles", separating the key workouts from the filler is not always easy.  We might all react differently to different workouts and we could have a different response to the same workout done under different conditions.  Two things you can do in order to try to get the most out of your training time:

1. Seek the guidance of a coach. Not only can a coach bring their own knowledge and experience to the table for your benefit, but a coach can also be objective about your training results.
2. Listen to your body.  You can expect to be tired after some high volume and/or high intensity training but you should also pay attention to warning signs.  Niggling little pains might be precursors to injury.  Elevated resting heart rate may be coincidental but it also might be accumulated fatigue.  No one knows you better than you do so pay attention to your own self.

This might be the toughest thing to get right in your training.   The quality-quantity balance for endurance race training will always be a tough balance as the miles and fatigue build up.  Quality can suffer so you need to pay extra attention to form in order to stay injury free.  Because every body responds differently to training stress, your main barometer will be your own body's response to it all. How your training partners deal with it all it

Lesson 4 - There is no one workout or training plan that is universally perfectly applicable.

Fitness for Ironman or any triathlon racing for that matter is not gained from just one workout but from a long series of workouts over days, weeks, months and even years.  So, there is no way that any single workout or program is the key to any result in any sport, let alone a sport like triathlon.  Triathlon brings with it three separate skill elements and a huge variety of individuals each with their own abilities, histories and issues.  There isn't a "one size fits all" or "one size fits most" formula for triathlon or triathletes.

Having said that, in my own personal and admittedly limited experience, there have often been those days where you realize something significant is happening or has happened.  Those are those days when something special has happened, either in fact or in your mind.   I recall those long rides where the wind or weather made it notably tough and successful completion just gives that extra edge of confidence.  Another time, I had a long open water swim where I got into that headspace like I do on those awesome long trail runs where I've just gotten lost in the meditative peacefulness of the work and the rhythm and the time just passes without any thought or effort.  Those workouts don't happen often and you can't plan them. You just have to do the work and hope you can appreciate them when you're in it.

Lesson 5 - I have some favourite workouts that are important in the run up to any big race.

I have this one workout I like to do when I'm preparing to actually race a half or full ironman distance race. These are my "A" events where I want to find my best performance on the day. These workouts are either critically long, hard or challenging.  My key workouts might be different than yours but I'll share a few with you and you can give them a try:

1. The long brick run.  

This is a long run broken up with an hour ride in the middle.  For a full ironman, distance training, I'll do about a 90 to 120-minute run, a 60-minute ride and then finish up with another 45 to 60-minute run. The idea is to have that last hour run mimic race feel as much as possible.  I'm running on legs that have been working for over 3 hours. Plus, that hour ride gives me a chance to fuel and hydrate:   during the race, there are aid stations about every mile on the run so you can stay fueled. Rarely during a long run do I fuel that much. So, this workout also allows me to properly fuel my body for that run to the finish.  It's a long, tough day but one that also gives me a lot of confidence.

2.  An over-distance swim.  

Even up to an Ironman distance race, I will do at least one long, over distance swim, not a lot over-distance, just a little. I'll definitely do one or two 4000m open water swim sessions before a full iron-distance race.

3.   An epic ride.  

This is my favourite.  An epic ride can be a big, destination ride or it can just be an accidentally really tough day in the saddle.  You should absolutely try to schedule in an epic destination ride if you can but we don't all have the luxury of time or opportunity.  With  Zwift and other similar online training platforms, it's all a little more accessible than ever so you really have no excuse. As for an extra tough day in the saddle, I'll never specifically plan an extra tough ride on any given day.  However, for most of the races where I've had my best results, there was at least one ride in the build-up to that race that ended up being just that bit harder.  It could be unknown road construction resulting in a detour, adding some extra distance. In our area, it's usually a stupid windy day that mimics just about anything you could find in Kona.  Those days - you'll come across them eventually and accidentally.  You can't plan them but you can try to be aware of them and deal with day's challenges as they roll out. Just like race day, you need to deal with issues as they arise.


So, there you have it - there is no one magic formula, no perfect plan. When you saw the word "ironman" and decided to take up the challenge, you certainly didn't think it was easy and you chose it for that very reason, right?  You got this!