Training Volume (Hours) Ironman vs Half Iron

[Deleted User]

As I try to get my wife on board with the idea of me training for an Ironman I have no idea how much more time I the plan will call for on a weekly basis. My friend is training for IMMT (Not EN member, yet) and he is planning on 12 - 15 hours a week.

Thanks

--Larry

cgres123

Yep sounds about right. However it is a build up of time not 12 - 15 hrs every single week. Your support from the fam is critical the last 5 weeks as you will putting in some miles.

But it's an Ironman and if it were easy or convenient everyone would do it.

John Withrow

What DM said.

I have found that the HIM and the IM plans are actually pretty similar with a couple exceptions. In the IM plan, the Thursday Long Runs work up to 2.5hrs at there longest. Also the weekend Sat and Sun rides are all about an hour or so longer each (think 3.5-4 hrs vs. 2.5-3 hrs). Finally, the 2 Race Rehearsals at 3 weeks prior and 6 weeks prior to your IM are a 6 hr ride followed by a 1 hr run, so with Pre/mid/post Admin times these end up being about 8 cntinuous hours dedicated to training (followed by a rest day the next day). But these RRs definitely require pre-planning weeks or months in advance as far as SAus are concerned.

morpheus

And, once she understands when those big hour week/days are, keep it on the calendar. And, stop selling it. she's supporting by doing all of the other stuff while you do this....but there's no clause that say they have to 'like' doing all that stuff while we workout.

I find that once my wife knows where that window of big hours falls, she is more content with the other weeks that have consistent and 'reasonable' hours.

And, the less I talk about it, the more she supportive she is. If I talk about it all the time, she tunes it all out.

Coach Rich

What John says.

Also, the fact that your friend is "planning for" 12-15hrs per week...that's the wrong way to look at it. For PnI:

• We don't care about the volume, and don't schedule to a volume number, for any of the weekday workouts, with the exception of the long run. 
• The only workouts we have volume targets for are the Sat, Sun rides, Thurs long run.
• We don't have a volume goal for the week. The volume is what it is, after the above sorts itself out.

jaleslie

@ Larry...great question.  I was just about to ask the same thing.  With 5 kids, time commitment certainly becomes an issue. 

 

[Deleted User]

Great information everyone, thank you.

As far as posting the workouts so she has the advanced warning I currently put them into a shared calender that appears on our phones, computers, etc. I also write the next two weeks workouts on a dry erase board so everyone in the family knows what I have upcoming. (Including me) It helps. I just want to make certain that our communication and expectations are clear up front. These distance events really are a family event, even when only one person is competing.

--Larry

Kkaufer

All good info. I would just add though that adding one more hour to a long workout on the weekend might translate into longer recovery time afterwards. I know that for me, after a 3-4 hours workout, I need some recovery time before I can jump back into action, effectively increasing the amount of time I'm not 'available' for errand running etc...

russG

x2 on Kate's point - if you're really looking at time you're unavailable, then you need to include workout time, set-up time and recovery time in your planning and then set expectations accordingly...

helen.king@invis.co.uk

X3 on Kate's comment. Definitely add in extra recovery time.  A 2 hour run, if you follow the EN recovery advice, takes longer than 2 hours. Setting aside 2 hours before you have to take the kids to school isn’t going to be enough time.

I think you need a very understanding and supportive partner to train for an IM. Take the SAU thing seriously.  The training time is the relatively easy to schedule in. I think it’s the other things that can matter a lot more, not too sure how many people feel like being intimate after a 4+ hour bike ride and a 1 hour run for example. A one off weekend wouldn't be problem but week after week might be.  I know I’ve ended up feeling so tired on some nights that I *have* to take a nap which isn’t too much fun for my partner.

Then there are the practicalities, a long ride in the rain means you need extra time to sort out the bike and pile of wet gear to sort out afterwards. (You might not be training that much longer than an HIM but somehow the extra time really does make a difference). I live in a small flat, a wet bike, wet shoes on the radiator and wet gear hanging up anywhere there is room causes plenty of friction in my household. Also think about what you won’t be doing because you are training, I know our flat isn’t as clean as I would like and for a couple of months visiting family members that live 6+ hours away isn’t an option.

William Crawford

Convince your wife to do one as well and train together. My wife and I go as far as getting a babysitter for some of the long rides (we have 4 daughters but do not always want to have the 17 year old and 13 year old have to watch their younger sisters).