Training to Run a Successful Ironman Marathon

A few weeks ago, I laid out this challenge to the EN Community, asking them to consider how one should train to have a successful Ironman marathon…

The recent EN Blog entry titled “Ironman Marathon Secrets Revealed” (don’t worry, you already know them) got me to thinking. The knowledge, in the sense of book learning, about how to pace and race an Ironman is not really a secret. But even though that knowledge is freely available, it strikes me that relatively few knowledgeable racers actually are able to evenly pace an Ironman marathon. And those that do (and the much larger group of those who don’t) may well be spread across the entire breadth of the speed spectrum.

So I’m wondering, how does one learn how to do that, to execute an Ironman marathon at a steady pace, to Not Slow Down? Clearly not just by being able to recite the 4 Keys, or tick off the Six Secrets. And also not just by developing good swim/bike/run fitness. What does it take to train oneself to be able to accomplish this Holy Grail of Ironman racing? Specifically, I’m interested in what might be added to one’s training program and mental set in order to increase the chances of having a successful (in this sense) IM marathon.

Since I’m sure there’s more than one way to skin this cat, I’ll hold off for now on my ideas of what could work. I’d like to see what ideas pop out. And I believe that, as I implied above, *anyone*, however fast/slow experienced/inexperienced, has the capability to do this. You don’t have to have ever done an Ironman, or even a triathlon, to know. The same skill set probably applies equally to half marathons and marathons.

Remember, repeating the 4 Keys or Six Secrets is not what I’m looking for. Assuming one is “in shape”, knows about race execution strategies, and *wants* to run at a steady pace, what additional pieces might be added to, or emphasized in, our training program to get one there?…

So after about 20 people had replied, I came up with these thoughts on the topic:

A major challenge in the Ironman is executing your plan on the marathon. After 6-9 hours of swimming and biking, we are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted – and yet, we’re asked to run 26 miles at a steady pace, not slowing down during the course of those 3.5-5 hours. Here are some tips from EN vets about things you can do during training to prepare yourself for successful marathon execution on race day.

• Preparing for proper hydration and nutrition: It’s essential to know your sweat rate [link to wiki entry on sweat testing]. Once your baseline hydration needs are set, you can use your long runs to systematically train yourself to drink and absorb the required volume of fluid. You should train yourself to drink at the rate you will need for the anticipated temperature on race day. That may mean taking in more than you need during a training run, even if it means stopping to pee during a training run. In addition, training with your expected race day calorie source(s) will help teach your GI tract to absorb the amount needed (175-300 calories per hour, depending on weight and personal preference.)

• Learn how to correlate specific body sensations with paces: Use long runs, especially those of 2 hours or more, to pay attention to multiple cues, including, but not limited to heart rate, depth and rate of breathing, sense of fatigue, muscle soreness, sense of sweat rate, and feelings of stomach and GI fullness. The goal is to learn how it feels to run at the goal paces, to ingrain that sense intuitively so it can be called upon on race day.

• Use the race rehearsal to practice running at target race pace: If you find it difficult to go slow enough after biking for 6 hours/112 miles, you will need to incorporate further training before race day. An ideal time would be a brick after a hard interval bike session, or after a hard/long weekend bike day. Going for at least 30 minutes at your target race day pace, even if it feels “too slow”, will help cement the required feeling to be called upon during the race.

• Develop confidence that your training will position you to be able to run at a steady pace for the full 26.2 miles: Just as you have to learn the physical sensations associated with running at the desired pace, you must also develop a comfort with the mental “sensations” involved. ENers refer to “discipline”, “mental toughness”, “mental six-pack” – whatever you call it, mental fitness is not innate, but must be learned and developed during training, the same as physical fitness. Use each and every run session, be it interval, brick, or long run, to pay attention to working hard throughout, and trying to increase your perceived effort level (not necessarily your speed) from beginning to end of the session.

• Use shorter races and/or workouts with training partners to train your brain to work hard at the end of the run: Success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success. Knowing that you have been able to hold a steady pace in race conditions, such as a sprint or Olympic triathlon, or a half marathon, will train your mental six-pack.

Finally, here are some specific tips that ENers have offered on the topic of training to run a successful IM marathon:

• Consider running an even pace the whole way: While the standard EN race execution strategy is to run at “EP/LRP + 30 seconds/mile” for the first 6 miles, some people have sucess with simply starting out at their goal pace and holding it the whole way. This may end up being slightly slower (5-10 seconds/mile) than their EP.

• The faster intervals in the weekly long runs are key to not only physical, but mental preparation for race day. Succeeding at HMP intervals in a 2-2.5 hour run is “where the money is”.

• Understand and anticipate what will happen to the physical and mental sensations during the course of your 3.5-5 hours of running: At the start, running should feel easier than any long run you have done in training (~ miles 1-6). As the milage adds up, you will go through feeling as if you are running a marathon (~ miles 7-13), to running a half marathon (~ miles 14-18), to a 10K (~ miles 18-22), 5K  (~ miles 22-24), and worse (the rest of the way).  Being prepared for those final difficult miles, in the end, is really just a personal decision to simply work harder than the others around you. While others may “suffer”, we are “succeeding”. Or, in the words of several racers:

“Basically, you just have to practice turning yourself inside out, without putting too much of a dent in your downstream training and recovery.”

“It’s going to hurt in training, it’s going to hurt in the race. I learn a lot about myself at the tail end of long threshold sessions during training – for me, that’s when I start to have some real interesting internal dialogue. I find that very similar conversations tend to happen at the end of races.”

“Frankly, I just love to pass people towards the end of any race, and the closer it gets to the finish, the more I love passing them, especially if they are in a younger AG than I.  So I always plan to run my fastest at the end of the race, just like all my training runs.  It takes patience in the early part of the race, but to me the “reward” is without a doubt worth it.”

“The fact is that it will be an extremely hard run even with proper execution.  This challenge is the exciting part.  To overcome the challenge a certain mental attitude is needed.”