Being Iron Fit – My Ironman Training Begins

Despite entering my fourth year of competing in triathlons, I’m only now working to a training plan!

Until now I’ve relied on quantity over quality and brute force. I got through my first long course event, the Outlaw Half, with a few weeks of long brick sessions and sheer will power!

This got me through the event, but I realised I needed more structure for my first Ironman… especially as Ironman Wales has a reputation as being tough (gulp).

I don’t know whether it was laziness, or the belief that I was so far away from any real competence to worry about the finer points of improving any techniques… but any plans or drills seemed like a waste of time to me.

Anyway after reading a few Ironman training plans I settled on Don Fink’s Be Iron Fit. And the reason why is because the theory (of training in heart rate zones) and the programmes were simple enough to understand… and trust in. I particularly love the fact that sessions are based on time, rather than distance.

I’m three weeks in to a 30 week plan that takes me right up to my A race and already feel to have improved significantly. Despite actually reducing what I saw as my “ticking over” activities, to start the base training section of the plan, I was exhausted in the first week. I think it’s pretty much accepted that Monday is a rest day, but it’s only now that I welcome it with open arms!

Running slower in HR zone 2 has brought new enjoyment to training, a weekly brick session is working on those jelly legs and 4,000 – 5,000 meters of swimming a week is more than I’ve ever done.

After relying on breaststroke for my swims due to only being able to swim a length of crawl, I’ve suddenly gained the ability to swim without limits. The swim sessions from the plan have forced me to try some drills and I’ve found out that I’m benefiting from them. The clenched fist drill has been particularly beneficial in helping improve stroke efficiency, as well as body rotation.

The only part of the training (and quite a vital part) that needs some tweaking is getting the heart rate zones spot on. Relying on old data has left an element of doubt on my maximum heart rate, although I’m working on rectifying that.

All the theories of heart rate training, diet, recovery, thresholds are a lot to take in, but I’m getting there. I doubt anyone will glean any great insights into Ironman training from my posts, but you may just find you are not alone if structured training is new to you.