You'll need about 20 weeks to condition your body for a full Ironman, but prepare yourself to dedicate a longer time period if you currently exercise less than eight hours per week. Preparing for a half Ironman requires roughly 10 weekly training hours, but to prepare adequately for a full Ironman, you need to dedicate 15 to 20 hours to your training each week, according to the Phoenix Triathlon Club.
Preparation
If you've never competed in a triathlon before, consider training for and completing a sprint distance triathlon and an Olympic distance triathlon before advancing to the Ironman. You may also want to tackle a half Ironman before signing up for a full. A full Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike trek and a 26.2-mile run, according to Ironman.com.
Daily Features
Initially, you need to identify three days per week on which you can fit in a morning and an evening workout. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, for example, you might plan to swim in the morning and run in the evening, whereas on Monday, you dedicate your training to a morning swim and an evening bike workout. Choose your busiest work day as your rest day unless your work is physically challenging. In the latter case, choose your rest day based on when you're best able to give your muscles a day off. Your remaining three training days should include only one workout, with two dedicated to bicycling and the other to running.
Time Frame
During the first few weeks of training, plan to swim 30 to 45 minutes, run for 40 to 55 minutes and cycle for 30 to 80 minutes per session. By week seven, plan to allocate 45 to 60 minutes to your swim workouts, 35 to 70 minutes to your runs and 40 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes to your bike training sessions. Save the longer workouts for each sport for the days when you're only performing that sport or days when the second workout is shorter and less intense. During the final weeks of training leading up to the Ironman, dedicate an hour to your longest swim, 1 hour and 40 minutes to your long run and 2 hours and 15 minutes to your longest bike trek.
Considerations
To prepare for a full Ironman, you need to carve out an average of three hours from your schedule at least six days per week. Consider scheduling your longer workout sessions for early weekday mornings and weekends, and save your shorter sessions for afternoons or evenings. You may need to give yourself longer than 20 weeks to prepare, depending on your current fitness level. If you can't fit all your training hours in, shorten some of your workouts or cut one to two workouts from your schedule, but consistently maintain one long session for each sport throughout your preparation.
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