What Does it Take to Train for an Ironman?

So in a little less than 12 days, I'll be lining up to start Ironman AZ (or IMAZ as us cool kids call it).  I certainly can't write what it takes to finish an Ironman... haven't done that... YET... but I thought I'd give people a little inside look on what it is like to train for a full Ironman.

My training began the end of January--which might have been a little early--but I wanted to do St. George with Trianimals, and I need to get ready for that. (St. George was hard.  I should have started training earlier!)

So over the course of almost 11 months:

Swam-- 90 hours and 20 mins (319,222 yards or 181.37 miles)
Biked-- 308 hours and 51 minutes (4,583 miles--a few were spin classes so didn't add miles)
Run-- 150 hours, 48 minutes (746 miles)

These will go up a little bit in the next 12  days before the race, but obviously not much.  The hay is in the barn as us triathlete's like to say.

So what does it take to cumulatively spend 548 hours working out?  Let's break down numbers here ('cause you know I'm a tax attorney).

Lots and lots of laps up and down 

Today is the 311th day of the year.  So that means, on average, I spent 1.8 hours PER DAY training!

That of course doesn't count rest days (they generally happened every 10 days or so).... and that doesn't count the time driving to bike, swim, or water stops on the bike.  Basically, I've spent a lot of time working out!

Now, I've been working out for a couple of years--granted not this much--but a good amount for a couple years now.  But this isn't just working out.  I remember saying "when I train for an Ironman, I'm not going to be one of those people who has to do a specific zone workout every day, or can't go climb mountains, or whatever."  HA! Joke on me.  For 11 months, I've followed a VERY specific training plan.  One that usually, until the last few weeks meant Zone 2 efforts by and large.  And let me tell you something, Zone 2 isn't fast.  (Zone 2 refers to a range for your heart rate.  For me that range on the bike is between about 134 and 147 beats per minute, on the run between about 140 and 150). 

Lots of time spent at the Res

As a result, I didn't climb any mountain passes this year.  Not a one.  (Well, I was supposed to do double triple, but it got canceled).  Most weekends I rode in Boulder, or out by the Aurora Res, or in Fountain.  Not what I would have done otherwise. 

Ice... so much ice...

That specific training plan also meant that by and large, I've given up my gym-- Endorphin.  That's been a hard adjustment.  I used to go at least 6-7 times a week, sometimes more.  For fun, kick ass spin classes.  I had a great community there, and while I'm still in touch with many of them, it sucks to not see them every day.  But kill yourself spin classes don't get me over the finish line (or at least not well) of an IM.  While I did a ton of triathlon racing this summer and some run events, I gave up bike events for the most part.  I didn't do any organized century rides.  I didn't ride but once or twice with my cycle club.  While I got some bike and open water swim workouts in with people from my tri-team, most of my training was done alone, often early in the morning or late in the evenings.

Trianimals!!

And let's be honest, while it averaged 1.8 hours per day.  That's not really how it went down.  Most week days I spent between 1-2 hours training.  Most weekends, I spent 5-6 or even 7-8 hours training.  There were multiple weekends where my Saturday and/or Sunday was a 7 hour day.  Plus the time it took to get there, and back... etc.

And let's not even talk about the laundry! I'm still catching up!!


Ok, so I'll give you two minutes to think to yourself about how I'm overtrained.  You MAY NOT share those comments with me, and please don't spread them on social media (long story!)... I've made a lot of what some people would call sacrifices this year.  I've lost friends.  I've missed out on parties because I needed sleep.  I haven't visited my family as much as I probably otherwise would.  And my bank account certainly isn't as full as it would be, not by a long shot.  And I haven't really drank (save a beer or two here and there) in about 6 months....

But I was watching a video yesterday by Gwen Jorgenson (who just announced she is going to try and go for Olympic gold in the marathon now... sweet!), and she had a line that stuck with me.  She said some people would consider things like training and everything else to be sacrifices... but to her.... they are INVESTMENTS!

That really stuck with me, and I'm going to try and remember it for the next 12 days (and beyond).  Over the last 11 months, I've made INVESTMENTS in myself and that Ironman finish line.  When I line up on November 19th to begin my 2.4 mile swim, my 112 mile bike ride, and my 26.2 mile run, I know I can finish it.  Because I've made the INVESTMENT of 548 hours of training this year (not to mention years in the past too, I didn't start from total scratch).

Online friends become "real life friends" who help when you forget a helmet!

The INVESTMENTS that I've made this year have paid back in DIVIDENDS.  Let's start first with just my 70.3 performance.  I'm not counting Harvest Moon because the course was short on all 3 disciplines, but in 70.3 Ironman races, I've bested my PR (Personal record), by 44 minutes! That's an improvement of like 12% (and if we consider the fact that Boulder 70.3 has a short bike course, it's even a little more).  My placing has improved.  And all 3 disciplines have improved.  Funny how having a training plan and sticking to it, can pay back, huh?

new friends

And while I've made INVESTMENTS that have cost me some friendships (some people just don't get it), and have had me miss out on other things, I've made great new friends in this sport.  Some in real life, and some in the virtual world. I literally could not have done this without them.  As I like to say, you can't do epic shit with basic people.  And the people I've met are the most epic, badasses around!

Adventures with some of my favs

And more than anything else, this year has paid me back DIVIDENDS in how I look at myself and how I feel about myself.  I know that I dismiss my AZ 70.3 performance... it was a smaller field, etc.  But I still have to freaking pinch myself sometimes because I can't believe it.  I ended up 9th.  9th!  I think my best before this season was like 36th.  My Investment has paid back in DIVIDENDS in my self-confidence.  Don't get me wrong, I'm scared shitless of this Ironman still... the unknown is scary... BUT I know that I've done the work.  This is the victory lap... And I know it's going to be a glorious one!  And, assuming that everything goes right (it has to!), I can't even begin to describe the joy and sense of accomplishment that I'm going to feel when Mike Reily announces my name as I cross that finish line.  Goosebumps.  Goosebumps.  But that's for the post-race report! :)