Committing to your 1st Ironman race is always a bit nerve-racking. Even if you’ve done lots of single sport & multisport races…there are still so many unknowns…so many questions.
- How will I find the time to train?
- How much training will I need to do?
- Will my body hold up to the training volumes?
- What about the hydration & nutrition component?
- What needs to change in my training program…or do I just “do more”?
- How do I stay to motivated for such a long training season?
The best answer I can give to all of these questions is: Time. Yep, that’s my #1 training tip for an Ironman – more time! And the more time you give it, the better. The more years you spend getting ready to do an Ironman, the better it all goes.
This is why I’m so proud of Sheree Keller. She’s spent 9 yrs…yes, 9 yrs…getting ready to tackle her 1st IM! During those 9 yrs she’s done 3 Half-Distance tri’s, multiple Marathons, a bunch of Century rides & countless Olympic & Sprint tri’s in order to build an Ironman-ready body AND mind. Way to go, Sheree! I have no doubt your race day will be amazing!
In Sheree’s own words:
“Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to train for Ironman Florida. I knew it would be a big commitment, but I didn’t know what it would be like to manage the day-to-day training. Now I’m just 4 wks away from the event & I have learned a lot!
Lesson #1: Take it ONE DAY AT A TIME!
Looking at the entire training schedule left me feeling overwhelmed. So, instead I decided to focus solely on each day’s training schedule. Slowly but surely the training days ticked by & each week I felt myself getting stronger!
Lesson #2: BE FLEXIBLE!
Training during Boise’s summer months was very challenging. Because of heat & wildfire smoke, I had to be creative with my training. I got up a bit earlier than I wanted to (OK, a LOT earlier than I wanted to!) & did much of my training indoors. For example, to do a long 3-hr run I ran 1hr inside, 1hr outside, and the last 1hr back inside. This way I minimized my smoke exposure while still completing the workout.
Lesson #3: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
One of the bigger setbacks I encountered was getting COVID. After resting an entire week, I was anxious to get back to training. But in my zealousness to resume training, I pushed too hard…and ended up feeling really fatigued for a few more weeks. At the time, I didn’t recognize that my fatigue was a symptom of overtraining.
Lesson #4: PRACTICE YOUR FUELING!
Fueling Ironman training takes a lot of nutrition! I had to adjust my diet to include calorie-dense foods before, during & after workouts. To make it easier to get out the door on long training days, I organized my sport nutrition the night before. I also experimented with the specific products that will be available on the Ironman course. And I’m really glad I did because I found that one of the gel products upsets my stomach.
Training for my 1st Ironman has definitely been a learning experience! But I am quite confident that all of these little learning gems will make my race day experience that much better. Here I come, Ironman!”
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