re: Triathlon/Ironman/Half Iron Man Thread

I've been doing PPSA strength training pretty consistently for like a year and a half, it feels weird in my schedule not lifting at lunch 4 days a week, plus gym is attached to my office so it's super convenient to hit up at lunch. I'll start biking at the gym at lunch more than lifting once I'm more comfortable with my swim. I'm not even gonna start looking at race dates and picking a race till I'm very comfortable swimming at least 400 yds nonstop. Till then at least 4 days a week in the pool. Got in a lunch lift and 800 yds in the pool yesterday in 50 yd intervals.

Man, I read about the Augusta race, this looks right up my alley for a first shot at the half ironman. Can you give more insight on the wetsuit vs. tri-suit? On race day do you wear one then change into the other? At what point do you want to start training in what you will wear race day? Brand recommendation? Same for the bike. There are tons on FB marketplace in the $700-$1500 range. Anything to consider besides fit?

I live in Houston so always had the woodlands half in my head if I ever actually committed to the training.

I would not assume an exercise bike at the gym is an accurate power representation. But at the same time, if you are always using the same power meter, it doesn't really matter. Having one on your bike lets you use the same power measure from training on an actual ride. Training with a power meter basically consists of testing your FTP (functional threshold power) which represents the absolute hardest you could consistently ride for an hour. Consistently means no sprints or hills. Just a constant output for an hour. Most test this with a 20 minute effort (which is brutal). Then whatever that average power over 20 minutes is, you take 95% of it and you "should" be able to do that for an hour. That's now something you consider as your baseline fitness level.

You then find workouts based on your FTP number. Maybe its a 15min warmus at 40% of you FTP, then ten 1 minute sprints at 150% of your FTP with a 1 minute break at 25% of your FTP between them. Or you may have a workout with three 20 minute efforts at 85% of your FTP. There are plenty of programs based on that you can research that help to build power while allowing active recovery etc.. Training Peaks and Zwift are programs that I used that had references for plans. And when I was doing ironman training, I had a coach that would prescribe workouts and review my data. After about 4 weeks of working out, you test again and use your new FTP moving forward. And for a race like an ironman, you may use 60% of your FTP as your effort and if you have a power meter on your bike, you can monitor that you aren't overdoing it. It's expensive, but a VERY useful tool.

Augusta was my first 70.3. Close enough to drive for me being in Lafayette area. I was nervous about my first open water swim so with the downstream current and wetsuit.. it gave me some piece of mind. I liked it much more than Galveston if I’m honest. That bay swim can get choppy. Galveston is an out and back bike too.. so much more flat but depending on the wind it can get tough. Usually it’s a headwind one way and a tail the other. The run course is a little boring but your spectators can see you a lot so that’s nice.

Tri-suit is what you race in. Wetsuit is just for the swim. Everyone’s different and you just need to experiment with what you’re most comfortable with. You can’t wear a wetsuit for every race. Race rules decide that based on water temp. I personally rather a 1 piece tri-kit. Someone people like 2 piece. Some people change into running shorts/shirt after their bike. I personally never did that.. I’d have on my tri-kit and if it was wetsuit legal then I’d put my wetsuit on over it. (Wetsuits can get pricey so I’d try to find a friend to borrow from for your first tri since you’ll only wear it once). Also those tri-kits thin out quick. So the one you race in .. I’d only test it out a few times before the race. For a couple bikes and runs just to get used to it and see if the zipper or any spots run so you can address that if needed. I like zoot kits personally.

For bike there’s a lot of good brands out there. So I’d mostly focus on the size which you can look up on line for your height and what each company recommends. I love my trek. Cervelo and QR are really good. Specialized has some nice ones but I think those are a little harder to adjust and get fit on. Id check for frame cracks and just to make sure it seems to be taken care of. I also would try to buy one that’s not too old.. gear updates quick so if you get a bike that’s too old it may not be as compatible with some things.

My old tri team was based in that area just south of Houston. Used to do a lot of training and riding out there.

All good info. Thanks.

Week 1 recap
Mon - 1hr strength training, Swam 800 yds, 50 yd intervals.
Tues - 1 hr strength training, 20 min bike
Wed - Off
Thurs - 40 min strength training 20 min bike
Fri - 6 mile run
Sat - 6 mile run
Sun - 800 yd swim, 50 yd intervals

Week 2 plan
Mon - 1 hr strength training, 1000 yd swim
Tue - 1 hr bike
Wed - 1 hr strength training, 1000 yd swim
Thurs - 1 hr bike
Fri - 1 hr strength training, 1000 yd swim
Sat - 7 mile run
Sun - off

Jon A thon, pretty much sums it up. Great advice from Jon.

Few years ago I was training with a buddy of mine and his FTP was about 270, and mine was 225. We would go out on long training rides that had alot of interval work and after we started it took him like 1M and he was out of sight.

The man above gave him a great engine for racing triathlons where he now podiums at the 70.3 and 140.6 distance.

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Man, I read about the Augusta race, this looks right up my alley for a first shot at the half ironman. Can you give more insight on the wetsuit vs. tri-suit? On race day do you wear one then change into the other? At what point do you want to start training in what you will wear race day? Brand recommendation? Same for the bike. There are tons on FB marketplace in the $700-$1500 range. Anything to consider besides fit?

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I was supposed to do Augusta last year but it got cancelled due to Hurricane Helene. I didn't even realize it was cancelled until I was already there and was stranded all weekend because all the gas stations were closed. But it was looking like a non wetsuits swim with a hilly bike and hot run.

Luckily I have yet to do a non wetsuit swim in a race but its been right at the cutoff almost every race I've done where we don't know until the morning of. At Ironman Texas last year I was certain it would be non wetsuit so I did the practice swim in my swim skin and was pretty slow - and miraculously it was wetsuit legal for the race. I'd say the difference is big - my Ironman swim that morning was about 15 seconds per 100 faster than my swim skin practice swim the day before at the same heart rate.

I have a custom made tri suit from DeSoto. I only wear it on race day and some race simulation workouts since its expensive. I wear it under my wetsuit and don't change any clothes throughout.

Nice couple of days of training.

Saturday rode 33 miles around White Rock Lake in right around 2 hours. Decently happy with that as there’s always traffic and the wind was steady 15-20 mph with 25+ gusts. I’ve yet to get an outdoor ride where the wind hasn’t been whipping but when it’s laid down and I’m on flat road I’m holding 19ish mph pretty comfortably.

Today was a 1k swim in pretty much exactly 20 minutes and then a 5 mile run at 9:30 pace which was at just north of 150 average heart rate

Did my first brick workout today. 20 miles on stationary bike, resistance 4, 160 watts avg. 19 mph. Took like 2 minutes off to change shoes and eat an orange then hit 6 miles on the treadmill at 6 mph 1.5 deg incline. Found the run surprisingly easy after the bike, wasn't wobbly legged at all like I thought I would be. Gotta get my swimming down and will sign up for an olympic distance tri once I think I can do the swim. Hopefully in 3 or 4 months.

Currently looking for a used road bike so I can start training outside. Too cold in Houston to swim this week. The pool I use is heated but frick getting out of that thing wet in this weather.

I didn’t want to say that and sound crazy but I really felt that way. I was super loose