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The sun hasn't risen yet. It's dark, looking down, there is a sea of bare feet. Some bounce up and down, some wiggle their toes and others are still. Everything seems like it is in slow motion when your senses are hightened.I look up as we shuffle towards the red banner overhead. To my right arms swing on the choppy ocean as they disappear into the darkness. We turn the corner and face the ocean, the barrier is now above me "Ironman Cork.' A Marshall holds his arms in front of me like a gate holding back a row of racehorses. "I must hold back, keep it slow.." I tell myself. 3...2...1...
I sprint towards the ocean, the sun is now creeping over the horizon, it's both the cold water and the beauty of what's in front of me that takes my breath away.
Mentally and physically It hadn't been a great year for me so far. As a personal trainer actively in the fitness industry I was preaching one thing, but doing the complete opposite. My health had deteriorated, I wasn't sleeping and I hardly had any time with my wife. I was burning the candle at both ends. My voice was lost, I felt I was losing everything that made me unique.
Changing jobs was like a breath of fresh air, but not at first. It was scary taking the leap, people will always make you second guess your decisions but luckily I had supportive people around me, always encouraging me, reminding me of what was important. Having more time to train again, I needed to calibrate the compass, set a goal, and do something for myself. Ironman 70.3 naturally appeared in my social media feed.
I had wanted to do it for years. I had friends who had done as many as 5 and had even coached many of my clients to successfully complete their own bucket list race. I signed up, paid and committed to the Youghal Ironman 70.3 Ireland 2022.
The training plan, to construct was simple, I had drawn up so many, it was a matter of adjusting my pacing strategies and copying it to my training calendar. Executing on the other hand, I quickly discovered was near impossible to stick to. This stressed me out to no end. As a perfectionist in my training, I soon had to let go and was only getting down to around 75% of my total plan. After an amazing family holiday and a not-so-amazing covid experience, that dropped down to 55 - 60%. My goal of a sub 6 hour seemed to be slipping out the window.
So you planning on doing your first Half Ironman, here are some tips I would give you
Tip 1: Plan for disruption in your training plan.
Work in the hours when you can, and be smart. There are 3 disciplines. You should know which is your weakest. If it is the bike, make sure you don't miss to many biking sessions, if it is the run, don't miss your runs. This gives you the flexibility to do the minimum work required to set you up for success.
Tip 2: Running is the highest impact discipline...manage your volume. (If you dont know what that means, get a coach!)
Its easy to panic! "I have nnt done enough running, I need to increase my runs!" The total amount of work done in a week when it comes to running cannot be sighnificantly increased the next week without some risks. This is why making sure you have a coach to manage your loads and to adjust your training is key. I have seen so many atheltes injure themself in the followin way: hitting 2/3 runs in a week, saying to themselves next week they need to hit 3/3 and not realising that a 10km increase could be to much for the body to handle. Knees, ankles, tendons, ligaments and muscles take time to adjust to work loads. If you are a heavier athlete you increase this risk significantly more, dont be silly with your running load.
Tip 3: If you can't swim, add a year to your plan.
Swimming takes alot of time to learn before you can even consider getting fit! If you are planning an Ironman, add 365 days onto your plan to give yourself time to master the swim! Set a goal of doing small open water swim events that are supported by your local club. Confidence in the open water is different to being able to complete the distance in the pool.
Tip 4: Your wetsuit is your secret weapon and the salt water is your best friend.
Train as much as you can in the pool without training aids. If you have the confidence in the open water, trust yourself. Train as little as you can in the wetsuit and the ocean and I promise you, you will be pleasantly suprised how easy the swim will be. Having said that, you must be comfortable in choppy conditions to harness this effect fully.
Tip 5: Under no circumstance neglect the brick run after your bike training.
How do I know this? Well because I did the exact opposite. I did no brick sessions as I simply didnt have the time and the run absolutely destroyed me. The 21km run was my slowest half marathon by over 20 mins! Even if it is a 2km run after yoir bike sessions, 8 weeks out, try do this atleast once a week!
The event is special. It is a day that thousands of reasons stremline into 1 goal for so many people. For somebody it is for a sick relative, for another a charity close to their heart and for another its something to prove to themselves. Standing at the start line you are bound to the course, it is a great feeling.
Enjoy the ocean because when it's hot you are going to do anything to be bakc in the water. Enjoy the bike because on the run you would do anything to free wheel down a hill and rst your tired legs. Enjoy the run because in a months time you would do anything to have that feeling in your legs again. The opportunity to feel what you are going through on race day is a damn priveledge that the majority of the population will never feel, enjoy it!
