Height: 6’0″   Weight: 187   Run: 18 miles   Bike: 0 miles    Swim: 1 miles  Total Hours: 6

I let me body rest a little this week because of the triathlon I did last Saturday. I concentrated on strengthening and lots of rest as I am heading into some heavy training for the 2 next weeks. My goal is to do a Half-Ironman distance triathlon by the end of this week or next week.

Sunday: Rest

Monday: 12 Mile Run. I did this with my roommate Ben. He rode alongside me on his bike while I ran. It always helps to have someone help motivate you to that extra mile. Without him, I could have easily turned around at mile 3 and been fine with a six mile run, especially after doing a triathlon on Saturday. After I got over the initial exhaustion and committed to a 12 mile run, I got a second wind and kept a steady pace. My goal was to finish, and I finished just short of 2 hours. The pace was pathetic by my own standards, but it was a great moral boost to have done nearly a half marathon with little training at all.

Tuesday: 1 Mile Swim.

Wednesday: Weight Training  – Back and Biceps

Thursday: 6 Mile run at a 7:30 mile pace. This was a little quicker than usual. I think I could have done this run a little quicker, but again, I don’t want to push myself too hard and create any premature injuries this early in the training.

Friday: Weight Training – Chest and triceps

Saturday: Rest

Height: 6’0″   Weight: 189   Run: 29 miles   Bike: 30 miles    Swim: 2.25 miles  Total Hours: 10.5

My goals for this last week were to challenge myself physically and mentally to get back in to a serious workout routine.

Sunday: 11 mile run with a total of 1,200 feet of climbing.

I went for a heavy 11 mile run with one of my running partners. It is generally a good idea to run with someone who’s stronger and faster. Not only do they set a higher pace, but you usually end up pushing each other to run farther. We did this run in Palos Verdes along some rolling hills with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean with a brutal 850 ft. climb at mile 5.

Monday: Weight Training – Back, shoulders and biceps

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: 1 Mile Swim and 9 Mile Run – Medium Pace

Thursday: Weight Training – Chest and Triceps

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Triathlon – 1.25 mile swim – 30 Mile Bike – 9 Mile Run – This day rocked. I swam at the pool in the 24 Hour Fitness near my home, ran home and changed into my bike attire, went for a bike ride in Palos Verdes which included about 1800 of total climbing, came back home and changed into my running clothes and finished off with a fairly flat and painful 9 mile run. Mentally this was one of the best things I’ve done in a long time. I started out with the idea of doing a Sprint or an Olympic distance triathlon, but ended up accomplishing much more.

I figure I’m going to do a traithlon about every other week. I feel this will help me speed up my transition times, along with acclimating to the sport again.  I’m also going to add a combo of a swim-run, bike-run at least twice a week.

The Triathletes Training Bible, Second Edition by Joe Friel

After a bit of searching and getting some advice from experienced Ironman veterans, I’ve found the following books and guides to be useful in my Half-Ironman training and should continue to be quite helpful in getting me across the finish line during the full Ironman.

EVERY triathlete I know has read or is reading The Triathlete’s Training Bible by Joe Friel. Weather your training for a sprint or for an Ironman, this book is equipped with enough knowledge to train anyone wanting to do a triathlon. Training, psychology, nutrition, strength building, endurance building, training plans, recovery advice; this book has it all. You can buy it on Amazon at a good price. Joe Friel also follows up his advice with his personal blog, which has training tips for marathons and triathlons alike.

TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST IRONMAN IS GOING TO VARY depending on the race you are doing, what sort of experience you have as a triathlete and the conditions in which you are training. Regardless, your training hours per week should start between 8-10 hours. By the 10th week, you should be training 15-18 hours per week (It’ll basically be your part time job) . Below are some sites you should take a look at that will help you decide what training schedule is best for you. I tried to find some free training guides but with little success. If anyone finds some out there, please email them to me or post them in the comments area. Thanks

FREE: 20 Week Training Guide – Beginner Ironman Training

Three Ironman training mistakes

A vague Ironman training schedule, but with some useful information

Triathlon Training Tips

Active.com offers some training plans that you must purchase through their site

Multisports.com also has some online training programs, but a bit expensive.

I will post my own 6 Month Training Guide eventually, but not until I complete my first race (obviously). Until then, I’ll be tracking my weekly training sessions on this blog until I cross that finish line.

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