( warning this is long, so cup of tea/ recovery drink & feet up!)
Hi Guys, this past week or so ive had an influx of enquiries from first timers about Ironman racing and what races to choose. Im thinking that many people have got just a little bit inspired by the Olympics games recently. I guess when you see what those paralympians have achieved against enormous odds it kinda makes you question what you are actually capable of. Rightly so.
I told one of my clients a story this morning about what made me choose to take on the Ironman challenge. Well some of you might have heard of a lady called Jane Tomlinson who died of cancer a few years ago. It was her that inspired me to do it, at the time I was a pretty fit personal trainer who was looking for the next challenge in my life, I had just split up with my girlfriend and had always wanted to give this cool looking sport called triathlon a go. I started off doing some short course races and loved it, I knew had found my calling in life. Then i heard of this incredible lady with terminal cancer who had just completed her first half ironman and was training for a full ironman despite going through chemotherapy. I can remember the moment as if it was yesterday, suddenly it dawned on me…..being able bodied – what was I actually capable of ? From that mome nt on an idea was born that would affect the direction of the rest of my life, one that would enrich it more than i ever thought possible. The rest as they say is history.
So if you are one of those people that have been inspired and are thinking of taking on the Ironman Challenge the article below is written to help you. I honestly believe that most people can do an ironman with the right training and mindset. I wrote it a few years back and have updated it so hopefully it will give you some good ideas on how to find the right race for you. Most of you who are coached by me will have read it but this is for those potential first time triathletes that might be thinking along these lines. Enjoy.
IRONMAN – Choosing the right race
Taking on the challenge of an Ironman for the very first time is a hugely daunting prospect, there are so many factors to take into account it can leave your head in a total spin. It really is an area that requires considerable thought to ensure you have the best experience possible. All too often I’ve seen people that are drawn to exotic locations in the hope that they might get hot weather and a great sun tan without ever considering what the potential disadvantages of this could be. An Ironman is tough enough, throw in hot conditions without being used to racing and training in this heat and you could be asking for big trouble. You see we are all unique and have individual needs when it comes to racing and training, weather and climate should be one of the many factors that you take into account when choosing your first Ironman race. Planning and preparation is key to ensuring a great f irst experience and this should happen before you actually start your training. Each race will have advantages and disadvantages you just have to spend some time thinking each option through. Shown below are some of the factors that you might want to consider when making your decision.
Course type
There are 31 “official” Ironmans around the world that are raced over a total distance of 140.6 miles and each one is very different. What makes them official is that they are part of the World Triathlon Corporation race series that offer slots for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii every year in October – the holy grail for most triathletes. You will find the full list of races here atwww.ironman.com (then click on events). There are also many other non official Ironman events around the world one of the most popular being the Challenge series – see www.challenge-family.com. They can be hot, cold, hilly, undulating, flat, wet, humid and so on, they all have a certain personality that will appeal to some but not to others. It is essential to look at your own strengths and weakness to see if a particular course suits your abilities. All the information you need about each race can be found on these websites. Be sure to read the profiles correctly as they tend to use different measurements which can be misleading, if in doubt speak to someone that has already done the race for advice.
Sea swim
A sea could be one of the toughest options to go for if you are not a confident swimmer. There is a chance that there could be strong currents and even large swells if the weather conditions are poor, but on the flipside of that the day could be a beautiful one and the water might be flat as a pancake. If in doubt then avoid this type of swim but if you are a good or strong swimmer this should pose very few problems. If you do decide to go with this option then just remember you need to practice in the sea before you race, the more practice you get the more confident you will be come race day.
Lake swim
This will be the easiest swim option due to the fact that there are no (or very little) currents and certainly no swells unless the weather conditions are atrocious. There has only been one time that a swim was cancelled on the day of an Ironman and that was New Zealand in 2007. The weather was so bad that even in the lake there was a 3 foot swell forcing the race organisers to turn it into a duathlon, sometimes you just cant plan for these things !
Bike courses
When choosing your race one of the two most important factors you need to consider is the bike profile, the other is the run profile. This is the part of the race that takes the longest to complete so be sure that you don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you are a very weak climber then avoid hilly courses and go for a flatter course or one that is slightly undulating. If you are a strong climber or are a person that relishes the challenge of a tough bike course then a hilly bike course might be the right option for you. If you are an average cyclist then go for an undulating or flat course. It is also worth considering what body type you have when choosing a particular race, generally the lighter, leaner and smaller athletes will be able to cope with climbing hills more efficiently on the bike or run. If you consider yourself a tall, heavier athlete then you might be much better suit ed to a less hilly course where your power can be more efficiently used. That being said there are plenty of taller, heavier athletes out there that are exceptionally strong on the hills, its all comes down to confidence and ability at the end of the day so if you dread going up and down hills then steer clear of the hard bike and run courses. The key factor here is that you will be racing over 112 miles so find a course that suits your abilities or best relates to the type of training territory you are able to do most of your training on, there’s no point doing a flat ironman bike course if you live in a mountainous area with no flat sections to train on and vice versa. You have to make all your training specific to your chosen race, this makes race day preparation a whole lot easier.
Run courses
There are also a whole variety of different run courses depending on which Ironman you choose and again this is a hugely important area to consider. An Ironman is tough enough as it is so you can imagine how much tougher this becomes if you throw in a hilly run course at the end! Only the strongest of runners should consider this as a first option and those that simply love running up and down hills (they are out there!). So for most people a flat course or slightly undulating would be ideal, the run is without doubt the hardest part of an Ironman so the flatter the course the better. Each course will also have a different structure for the 26.2 miles, some will be out and back, others will be laps (this is helpful with pacing) but each one will test you in slightly different way so give some thought to what type of run will suit you.
Home or abroad?
With the increased popularity of Ironman racing around the world there are some amazing destinations to choose from when doing your first ironman. One major downside to going abroad is that financially it’s going to hit you harder. This is going to be a major factor in most peoples race choice, there’s no getting away with it doing an Ironman can be expensive. Race entry, equipment, training camps, hotels, flights, bike carriage all need to be factored in before making your decision. If you want to keep costs down then early planning and booking is essential. If you decide to go abroad then make sure you book your accommodation as soon as possible so that you get your first choice at the price you can afford. There’s nothing worse than leaving it all too late and finding that the only rooms available are at the only 5 star hotel in town. Be warned races fill quickly and so does the limited surrounding accommodation if you are not in a major city, get in quick and just remember you’ve only got yourself to blame if you leave it to the last minute.
Flights should also be booked ASAP to get the biggest savings possible and remember to factor in bike carriage, this is a perfect example of hidden costs, most airlines will charge extra for taking a bike and bike box and the cost will vary from airline to airline. So if you’re thinking of going abroad your going to need a new bike bag or box (ideally as they are much stronger and safer) and these can be quite expensive (you can also hire them from certain bike and tri shops), you then need to contact the airline ASAP so that you know their conditions for bike carriage. You need to let them know well in advance that you will be taking a bike box as it needs to be booked in on your flight booking, you also need to let them know the exact dimensions and total weight of the bike box and bike.
You also need to give thought to how you are going to transport your bike box to your accommodation if you travel abroad as this might be a considerable distance from the airport. If you don’t decide to use a taxi or bus then hiring a car is always a good option and can quite easily be arranged when you book your flights, just be sure to check that it has adequate space to carry a bike box as they can be very large and wont fit in a lot of vehicles especially if there are a number of you with bike boxes.
Other factors such as jet lag should be considered if you’re going long haul, so it’s a good idea to get out there as early as you can so you can settle into the new time zone as fatigue will be an issue for at least a few days.
Food is also important factor to consider because if you are used to using certain food products which you know work well for you when racing then you shouldn’t expect them to be available if you are travelling abroad, your best bet is to take as much with you if you are unsure of the food. The last thing you want to do is to unsettle your stomach prior to racing as ive seen it and experienced it myself in the past. You should also contact your hotel to see what type of foods they supply if you are relying upon them for food.
If you are going to a hot location its always a good idea to make sure you have air conditioning in your room to help you sleep. I stayed in a hotel at Ironman Austria in 2005 that didn’t have air conditioning when the average daytime temperature was above 35 degrees Celsius and 23 + degrees at night, I barely slept a wink as the heat was unbearable. Be sure to check for this when booking hotels or accommodation if you think this might be an issue for you, even it does cost that little bit extra – comfort is paramount.
As you can see there are many factors to be considered if you decide to go abroad but don’t let this put you off because most people have an amazing experience when travelling and racing in a new country, the important factor is to be thorough in your preparation so you know what to expect when you get out there, leave no stone unturned and make provisions for all situations.
Obviously a home country first Ironman has a huge number of advantages, firstly cost is reduced considerably which is a huge bonus. The money saved here could be put to much better use by buying that new piece of equipment that you’ve always wanted or you could put that money saved to doing a triathlon training camp abroad which will inevitably take your fitness to the next level. You also have the opportunity to go and train on the course as much as you like, this is essential to achieving peak performance. Never underestimate what course knowledge can do for your confidence when racing, the better you know the course the more efficient you will be when you race. What this also allows you to do is to make all of your training specific to the type of course you will eventually race on. Another advantage is that friends and family are much more likely to be able to come and support you on t he big day, never underestimate how powerful it can be when you see a familiar face cheering you on just when you are thinking of giving up.
Time of year
When choosing your ironman race it is essential that you consider how the time of year of your chosen race will affect the quality of your training. This is all dependant on where you live in the world so you need to understand the seasons and how they affect your training. When you consider your annual training plan you actually have to work backwards from your chosen Ironman race date and design your training and scheduling of races accordingly. It is important to remember that you will be doing your largest volume of training in the 3 months leading into your race date so its important that these months don’t fall in line with the coldest months of the year where you live. The training is hard enough for an Ironman but imagine having to do all your big training sessions in wet, cold, icy conditions! you are going to really struggle and motivation to get out there will be low. These are also very dangerous conditions for training and could lead to a nasty fall. Whatever race you choose just make sure you have a good climate in which to do those big months before your ironman race as it will be so much more enjoyable and safer.
Over the years I have spoken to numerous athletes that I coach in the UK that have wanted to do Ironman New Zealand or Ironman China, these races fall in which fall in March every year. Living in the UK the coldest months of the year tend to be from November through to March, so affectively when you think of the whole training period for an Ironman which is usually 7-8 months, all of their training would be done through the winter which is pretty tough going and far from ideal. Most change their minds when I point this out but that’s not to say its not possible, because if the urge to do a particular race is strong enough you will have the motivation to get out there and do it in all conditions, but if you’re one of those people that gets on the turbo as soon as its wet and cold outside then training through the winter months might not be for you.
You will also be at a much higher risk of picking up illnesses (colds, flu, chest infections) due to lowered immunity from training during this period. I have seen it year after year that clients who are training during the winter spend a large amount of time ill, this can be hugely frustrating and not to mention unhealthy for your body and mind.As ive mentioned above look at the race date, work back and make sure you set the year up so that it all works well for you.
Half Ironman
It is essential that you factor in doing half ironman about 8-12 weeks before you do your Ironman (you can do it closer but the earlier the better is ideal to ensure adequate recovery). This is a major part of your build up where you will be able to test pacing and nutrition strategies, it will also take your confidence to a new level if you perform well and if you don’t, you then have time to make changes in your approach for your big day. The half Ironman distance races can all be found on the websites listed earlier. Again there are many other races out there you just have to look to find them.
Weather and climate
It is very important that when considering your first ironman race choice that you look at what the expected weather and climate of the actual race day might be. Some races tend to be very hot, others have a milder climate and some can be very cold (Norseman would be good example of this). Ask yourself what weather conditions you prefer and what conditions you have you raced successfully in the past. Then try and find a race to suit, all this information will be present on the race website you just need to make the effort to find it. There is absolutely no point in you choosing a race that’s going to be very hot if you know you perform appallingly in hot temperatures. Temperature can really make or break a persons race and you have to prepare yourself accordingly, if you expect it to be hot then you have to factor this into your training and nutrition plan and this is where a good co ach will help you. The worst thing you can do is not to prepare yourself for it and then wonder why you didn’t finish or performed poorly.
It should also be said that sometimes you just can’t plan for the weather sometimes they get it right and it follows a pattern from previous years and sometimes you just get freak years.
The key factor is to get online, speak to people that have done the races and do your homework and always remember the 6 P ‘s – Perfect, Preparation, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance.
Race entry date!
One things for sure with the ever growing popularity of Ironman, races are filling extremely quickly so you need to know what date race entry opens. There’s nothing worse than setting your mind on a particular race only to find out that the race is already full. Ironman Florida for example fills in about 3 hours after race entry goes live a year in advance and most popular races will be full in 1 –2 days. Some races (usually the hardest races) take much more time to fill, races like Ironman France and Lanzarote are good examples of this. You should also remember that all races are now filling extremely quickly however small, so if you intend using a set or races for your preparation then you should enter them ASAP and avoid being disappointed.
At the end of the day each person will have different reasons for choosing certain Ironman races, some people want to do a fast course that will hopefully result in a fast time, others relish the challenge of the hardest Ironman courses and consider time to be insignificant. Others might want the glitz and glamour of say Ironman France in Nice but then again other might want a pancake flat course like Ironman Florida. Whatever your motivation there will be a course to suit what your goals are you just need to make the effort to find it. No Ironman is easy but you can make the whole journey and experience much easier and enjoyable by considering the factors that ive listed above.
Most importantly speak to people that have people that have done these races and whose opinion you trust. Ask lots of questions so you start to build up a picture of what a race experience might be like, then if you start to get a really good feeling about a particular race then go for it and be ready to be online with your credit card as soon as the race entry is open!
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