The Phases of an IRONMAN® Training Plan
Education, April 03, 2020
There are some key phases to your Training Plan. It is important you understand the purpose of each phase and why you are doing them
Overview
Our IRONMAN® plans come in a number of distinct Phases - Preparation, Base, Build and Race. Each phase progressively increases your training load and will address the necessary energy systems to have you training optimally as you come towards your IRONMAN® race day.
Preparation: 1-3 weeks
These weeks will carefully bring your fitness levels up...consistency trumps volume in this phase of a Training Plan.
This is a great time to make sure you understand the gear and equipment you need for the training (or at least make a list of things you have to get). If you are unsure if your current equipment is going to be suitable then ask someone who knows what they are talking about. This will also allow you to discuss with your significant others as to the things you will need to acquire over the coming months so there are no unexpected surprises for them.
If you feel your swim or run technique, or cycling skills aren't quite up to scratch then seek advice from an expert in that area and start working on making improvements. Sessions in this preparation phase are best dedicated to improving known technique weaknesses.
At this stage you don't really want to worry about the amount of training you are doing, or the speed you are doing it at. The focus right now is developing a little bit of consistency and getting used to the routine of doing something nearly every day.
The sessions are short, low intensity and done more on feel than any measured metrics. Just the routine of a few consistent weeks will play a big roll in allowing your body to settle into the work ahead. If you are coming off a bit of time away from training you may even find you're a bit tight and stiff after a few days....that is why you have a day off each week during this phase.
Base: 6-12 weeks
The Base Phase is often a favourite as the workouts aren't particularly intense but you will see significant gains coming from them just by virtue of the structure of the training and maintaining consistency (again, consistency is key!).
This phase is laying the foundation for the work that is to come in the final few weeks. Putting the work in here will ensure you have a stronger aerobic engine to enable you to push yourself harder when you call upon it. The Base Phase is very important for developing resistance to fatigue, which you will need come race day, when you are in the closing stages of the race.....remember, your performance won't be defined by how fast you go in the first half but by how little you slow down in the second half.
You will see there are a few test sessions in the coming weeks. Once you have completed these workouts and found out your Threshold HR/Pace/Power you can refer to this article for information on how the Zones are divided up based on your Threshold. (Or your Polar/Garmin websites that you pair your watch to will also have a method of calculating these. If you are recording your data through Strava or uploading it to Training Peaks then there are calculators built into their software to help determine the correct zones for you.)
The sessions are set largely at a low to moderate intensity but over increasing periods of time. We wont really pushed your aerobic limits here, but the following blocks will start to do this. You will see there is some interval work being introduced but these are for a very short duration. There are not many full rest days, but with the training remaining at a low intensity and the focus on building endurance, this is necessary, however if you feel you need a day-off then there's no harm in taking one....listen to your body!
Build: 6-12 weeks
In the Build Phase, whilst you will still keep developing your aerobic endurance, you will also encounter some sessions that will start developing the power house of your body. This phase is about developing the strong and powerful musculature which will be called upon in the final sections of the swim, bike and run courses. This part of your muscle physiology will be used deep in the event when your aerobic stores have become depleted from the hours of exercise prior, but the stronger you are from this phase of training the better you will cope later on in the race.
The technique swims are bringing in more open water skills and teaching you to make the most of a long and smooth stroke, so you can move efficiently through the water without too much stress on the body. The Endurance and Speed swims are bringing in more mileage. You will see a couple of Open Water swims, but feel free to add more if you want. You may have access to a group Open Water session or a regular race event, and these are a great way to improve your skills. If there is a potential clash then you may have to shift the other sessions to suit.
In the bike sessions you will see there is a mixture of low cadence work and pretty hard intensity. You should get used to riding more and more in your aero-bars too. Make sure you stick to the the planned workout intervals and ensure you are keeping to the training zones specified throughout.Running off the Bike becomes more frequent too. It’s important here that you don’t run too fast, unless instructed to. Most people start an IRONMAN® run too fast because their bodies are warm and operating well, but its highly likely that this pace is too fast for you to maintain. Learning to hold yourself back in training makes it much easier to do the same on race day, when you know you have a few hours of running to go before you finish.
These are going to be tougher sessions. You will feel a bit more strain in your muscles and your overall fatigue levels….post workout nutrition, plenty of sleep, massage, planning your training ahead so you aren't rushing to get it done will all help to minimise your fatigue and overall stress.
It’s preferable if you can do the sessions in the order they are planned as they are designed to make the most of recovery when sleeping, and spread sufficiently through the week to optimise your adaptations. However if you need to shuffle the sessions around a bit to suit your schedule do so with some thought, just click on the workout and drag it to the day you want to do it.
Taper & Race: 2-4 weeks
As you come into this final phase of the plan look back and consider where you have come from. You have completed a great deal of training to get here.
This part of the plan will consolidate the training you have done. You will see we drop the volume steadily through to race day, but still keep a little bit of intensity in the workouts so you don't feel stagnant through the taper weeks. It's not uncommon to feel a bit flat through these taper sessions as your body is used to doing a bit more, and this reduced volume is a bit different. Trust the training you have done, come race day you will switch over and suddenly you will find yourself feeling fresh and ready to race.
- With this reduced training volume take the time to check your race gear, and check it again.
- Go through everything you will be using on race day and make sure it is suitable to use in the race.
- Make sure you bike is cleaned and serviced and your tyres are in good condition.
- Check your helmet for cracks or dents as the race officials may not allow it, and that may mean buying a new one for the race.
- Make sure your nutrition is sorted for race day.
- Make sure you have your food for the night before and race morning planned so you aren't rushing around finding things at the last minute.
- What's the weather looking like? Do you need to pop a vest and arm warmers in your gear bag in case it's a bit chilly?
- Pack a tube of sunblock
The main thing is that you have a good time out there. Whether you are wanting to just finish, beat your mates or qualify for the World Championships keep a good attitude and keep smiling. If anything goes wrong then keep calm and work through the things you need to do to solve it.
Have a great race day!