Thursday, 14 February 2013

To do an Ironman you need to train like an Ironman...


Blog 3 – 21st January

Ping, ping, ping goes my emails, as Dr Justin Roberts gets us geared up for the start. Providing us with all the details, training plans, nutrition diary, illness reports, exercise videos; pretty much everything except my race number. This brings me on to the point that I have now entered the Ironman, so there’s no turning back now. It’s serious; game on!

So the training plan is all based around volume, getting all areas and disciplines covered off without killing me in the first four weeks; build the fundamentals, getting a good base to build upon. Basically, each week is an eight session week with 2 swim sessions, a turbo session, a steady state run, 2 functional strength training session, a long bike and a long run; just the one day off, on Friday, and a double session day on Wednesday. To be honest over the past 3 months, I’ve been used to doing that many sessions in a week, with a few double days. Admittedly, I’ve be doing more strength based sessions and cycling but the plan seems fun. Nicely broken up with the disciplines and oddly I’m excited about getting back into running and improving my horrendous swimming technique.

Strange really, at the minute I talk quite candidly to friends and family that the 180 km bike ride and the marathon isn’t phasing me but the swim, oh my god the swim. Why on earth would I think like that? Not the swim bit, that’s standard being apprehensive about the swim. After all if the bike gets too much you can just slow down; if the run gets too much I can just walk; if the swim gets too much, I drown... That’s motivation, right there. That is most definitely off Dr Roberts’ plan and mine, irrespective of what my doctor thinks. Anyway added to that, how and why am I not worried about the bike or run? Yes, I may have cycled that far but I have never run a marathon and in fact I’ve never run even ten steps after a long bike ride, let alone a marathon. Sounds fun, right?

Anyway I must go, I’ve got to get training, I’ll be back in a few weeks to give you a project Ironman update. I’ll provide you with a bit more detail to the training and of course the interaction of my nutrition plan. Wish me luck...[GN]

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