In 1974, triathlon began as a sport for a few elite athletes. "" in 1979 wrote an article on the sports bringer more attention from a fascinated public; prompting ABC's "Wide World of Sports," to cover the sports world championship in Hawaii. The popularity and participation from amateur athletes continues, swelling the ranks of the triathlon community. Many athletes race the popular 70.3-mile half Ironman distance, a prelude to the full Ironman distance of 140.6 miles. Whether you plan to have fun and finish, win your age group or something in between, following a well-thought out training plan is highly recommended. Although many training plans are available, proper training follows a methodology progressing you from the first day of training through race day.
Training Phases
Typical training for a half-Ironman triathlon lasts 20 weeks, passing through three phases, each lasting four weeks and two phases lasting two weeks each. Phase 1 is preparation, which simply trains you to train. The second, third and fourth training phases build your base of fitness, increasing the volume and intensity atop the base phase that preceded it. The build phase, lasting two short weeks, does not add volume or intensity, but rather focuses on race scenarios, and fine-tuning your racing skills. The final two weeks are called the tapering phase; the focus being rest, fine-tuning, and de-stressing the body and mind as much as possible.
Swim Training
The swim leg is first in a triathlon; for a half Ironman race the swim covers 1.2 miles in a lake or ocean. Schedule swim training two to three times weekly, lasting 40 to 60 minutes each. Your training will likely take place in a pool; however, open-water sessions are beneficial. Your swimming performance will improve greatly if you swim with a triathlon or United States Master Swim club. Swim intervals of 200 to 500 yards practicing race pace with 50- to 100-yard sprint repetitions to increase your stroke's cadence. During your warmup set, include a 500-yard set focused on perfecting your stroke.
Bike Training
The cycling portion of an Ironman 70.3 triathlon is the longest leg, covering 56 miles. Training for this portion of the race focuses on improving and extending your endurance by raising your anaerobic threshold, decreasing recovery time and sustaining your race pace as long as possible. Schedule one to two long endurance rides per week, close to the race distance, at a moderate speed. Include one interval training session weekly to increase your anaerobic threshold, and recovery time. Increase your volume weekly by no more than 10 percent to 15 percent.
Run Training
The 13.1-mile run is the last leg of your 70.3 triathlon -- often the most difficult because you are fatigued --- preparing for this eventuality is important to include in your training. To improve your running, include one endurance focused run, one run targeting speed and a recovery run at a pedestrian pace. Schedule less endurance and increase speed work entering the taper phase of training, two to three weeks before race day.
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