Race Goals

The key for doing this is having realistic expectations. Plus, finding somebody to train with on occasion who shares my goals and abilities. I have such a friend, who I'll refer to as IF2 (iron friend 2) or T2.

T2 instant messaged and asked me if I decided to sign up for Ironman CdA. I hemmed and hawed and finally sent the link to this blog. Amusingly, T2's response included a link to a similar blog! Thus proving, great minds think alike. :-)

Generally, the training for ironman is all aerobic. That means nothing but long, slow distance and building endurance. Why do speedwork and train hard when you likely are NOT going to be able to sustain that on race day? Answer is, you don't, and just work on the endurance to complete the event.

To that end, I'm using the "You Too Can Be An Ironman" training plan by Gale Bernhardt, published in the June 2003 issue of Triathlete magazine. It is a 16 week plan to finish an ironman before the cutoff time, which is perfect.

The premise of the plan is to use the time available during the event and work on the correct pacing. The cutoff times for Ironman CdA are:

• 2:20 for swim
  
• 10:00 for swim/bike
  
• 17:00 for swim/bike/run
  

A realistic race-day plan for me is:

• 1:30 for the swim
  
• 7:00 for the bike - 16 mph (total of 8:30)
  
• 5:30 for the run - 12:35 min/mile (total of 14:00)
  

Toss in a few minutes here and there plus some extra time for transitions and I could come in around 14:30. That leaves a 2:30 buffer for the unexpected.

It usually isn't a good idea to set a time goal for your first attempt at a race distance. That is to avoid setting yourself up for disappointment and not feeling happy when the event ends.

This is slightly different. I need some general target times so I can make a realistic assessment of the pace I'll need to sustain during the event.