IM and Comrades

[davem]

So lets argue that the average speed is 5min/k for the said weekly milage that now means you have to 18 hours of running.

 

Your maths is a little dodgy here. I think you should have 7.5 hours for running. Beeeg difference.

[Dinamic]

Your maths is a little dodgy here. I think you should have 7.5 hours for running. Beeeg difference.

 

Fair do's. Concept remains the same, it would only leave you with 7:5 hours a day.

 

And consider we did not take into account factors like getting to training venues, changing, getting ready to train, coffee stops etc. allof which would eat into the free time

 

Really not feasible for most people

[Wheelsuck]

Plus all the niggles along the way! I am being held together at the moment with Transact. Its becoming a full time job ontop of another full time job.

 

Every doc or physio will say niggles need rest but obviously rest means no training and no training at this stage is almost not feasible.

 

Any advice out there from IM finishers regarding niggles and rest?

I get the usual muscle pain and hit a cataflam before bedtime, next day niggle gone.

For me a niggle is something that goes away when training and appears normally after the training event... if it persists.... rest.

If it does not go away when training see a Dr.

That's just my view, by no means scientific but works for me.

[Metzet]

Plus all the niggles along the way! I am being held together at the moment with Transact. Its becoming a full time job ontop of another full time job.

 

Every doc or physio will say niggles need rest but obviously rest means no training and no training at this stage is almost not feasible.

 

Any advice out there from IM finishers regarding niggles and rest?

 

if you have some niggles specific to running for example, give running a break and get on the bike or in the pool for an extra session or two.. should give you enough time to rest up without hampering the training too much..

 

also listen to your body, if you really struggling take a few days off sooner rather than later..

 

my 2c

[Chris Van Der Walt]

I did two Addo 82 km, the Two Oceans, IM then Comrades. You simply need to cut back a lot on the cycling and run a lot and swim occasionally. Running benifits cycling much more compared to cycling benefitting running. Typically I would run 5 days a week, cycle 2/ week (40 km then 70-105 km on Saturday ) and run 90 km per week (15 on Saturday and 30-40 on Sunday ) I will be doing it this year again, except oceans. Remember, when in doubt, run. Good luck

[Dinamic]

I did two Addo 82 km, the Two Oceans, IM then Comrades. You simply need to cut back a lot on the cycling and run a lot and swim occasionally. Running benifits cycling much more compared to cycling benefitting running. Typically I would run 5 days a week, cycle 2/ week (40 km then 70-105 km on Saturday ) and run 90 km per week (15 on Saturday and 30-40 on Sunday ) I will be doing it this year again, except oceans. Remember, when in doubt, run. Good luck

 

Yep I suppose you can get through on that, but it is the difference between racing and participating, my point of view tends to wards the former, which is why I mentioned when discussing running milage the caveat that the individual is looking to race rather than finish. Same applies to the bike.

 

The reality is that to be quick on a bike you need to invest time on it and I would suggest that 145 km a week would leave you undercooked if you were going for a solid time.

 

John Lyle maintains that there needs to be different models of coaching and even admin for participation and performance sport, ( performance sport in my opinion is anyone who wants to do the best they can at a particular targeted race). No disrespect intended as I strongly believe there is a place for both approaches

[Garfield2010]

I go by the rule of whatever you wanna do on the day you must be able to do in a week.

 

So really if you can run for 10 hours per week for say three weeks in a row (5 weeks before D-Day) then you will finish the race.....

[Wheelsuck]

I go by the rule of whatever you wanna do on the day you must be able to do in a week.

 

So really if you can run for 10 hours per week for say three weeks in a row (5 weeks before D-Day) then you will finish the race.....

Exactly my philosophy

[Dinamic]

I go by the rule of whatever you wanna do on the day you must be able to do in a week.

 

So really if you can run for 10 hours per week for say three weeks in a row (5 weeks before D-Day) then you will finish the race.....

 

See that's where I differ, from an agegroup racing point of view my feeling is that you want to be running between 50 - 70km/week, riding 10 - 12 hours a week and swimming around 12000/week, which is quiet a bit more.

 

But it comes back to the "if you want to finish" point

[ricochet_rabbit]

Well the thing for me is I am doing IM and Roth on 20 July. So Comrades will be smack bang in the middle. Might just as well scratch it off my bucket list. After Comrades I just cycle and do some speed work...

Comrades entries will pop up around April. If I was you and had invested $$ in ROTH I wouldn't go anywhere near Comrades this year. The comrades down run will hammer your quads but only you will know if you can recover in time to make your ROTH investment worthwhile. There is a theory that Comrades recovery equates to 1 day for every mile run = 55 miles which would take you right up to ROTH.

[Garfield2010]

Comrades entries will pop up around April. If I was you and had invested $$ in ROTH I wouldn't go anywhere near Comrades this year. The comrades down run will hammer your quads but only you will know if you can recover in time to make your ROTH investment worthwhile. There is a theory that Comrades recovery equates to 1 day for every mile run = 55 miles which would take you right up to ROTH.

 

Thanks

 

Ja I ditched the Comrades dream for now..... Will focus on Roth and then maybe next year do Comrades.....

[Shebeen]

I did two Addo 82 km, the Two Oceans, IM then Comrades. You simply need to cut back a lot on the cycling and run a lot and swim occasionally. Running benifits cycling much more compared to cycling benefitting running. Typically I would run 5 days a week, cycle 2/ week (40 km then 70-105 km on Saturday ) and run 90 km per week (15 on Saturday and 30-40 on Sunday ) I will be doing it this year again, except oceans. Remember, when in doubt, run. Good luck

hardcore stuff dude

[SwissVan]

See that's where I differ, from an agegroup racing point of view my feeling is that you want to be running between 50 - 70km/week, riding 10 - 12 hours a week and swimming around 12000/week, which is quiet a bit more.

 

But it comes back to the "if you want to finish" point

hardcore stuff dude

 

@ Dinamic....JOH that's hardcore for any age grouper who works a normal +/- 8-9 hr day

[Garfield2010]

See that's where I differ, from an agegroup racing point of view my feeling is that you want to be running between 50 - 70km/week, riding 10 - 12 hours a week and swimming around 12000/week, which is quiet a bit more.

 

But it comes back to the "if you want to finish" point

 

Well yes, those are minimum training required. I do however believe if you do those hours after a full IM you will be well prepared for Comrades. Having done a 12 hour race will count to your advantage over the guy who have done 4-5 hour max sessions.....

 

Your body changes after 8 hours. How many Comrades athletes train for 8 hours or longer at once before race day?

[JGR]

See that's where I differ, from an agegroup racing point of view my feeling is that you want to be running between 50 - 70km/week, riding 10 - 12 hours a week and swimming around 12000/week, which is quiet a bit more.

 

But it comes back to the "if you want to finish" point

That is closer to what a pro would do ... as per the multiple interviews and articles ive read.

 

70kms a week at 12km/hr is about 6 hours of running possibly more for slower sessions + 12 hrs of riding and 4 hours of swimming ... then add 30-40 mins to get to and from training and a bit of stretching

 

Thats well over 25 hrs plus? for a working age grouper? Maybe guys like Kyle who work a few hours a day but not for the majority who, like me, work upward of 50 hrs a week.

[Ferret69]

I did Ironman onto Comrades Down Run in 2012, and Ironman (12 April) Sani2C (15-17 May) Comrades Up Run (1June) in 2013.

 

I would say Focus purely on your Ironman Training up until The Ironman itself in April and then take a 1 week break completely and then you pretty much need to hit your Comrades long run (65kms ish usually on the last weekend of April) From there Drop the Swims and Bikes and just concentrate on trying to get in 90-100km running weeks (at 5min/km thats only 7-8.5hrs training, seems like childs play after the 20-23hr weeks you have been putting in for Ironman)

 

One change to normal Ironman training is i would advise to get your Comrades Marathon Qualifier in in the 1st week March (Vaal marathon is a good flat easy one in Jhb). This goes against alot of ironman coaches thoughts on not to do a Full marathon prior to IM but you dont wanna rely on the Ironman run to get your qualifier just incase the legs arent there after the 180km Bike.(there is a diffrent Qualifying Comrades seeding chart for the run being done in an IM) Pm me if you want it and ill mail it to you.

 

Also the Comrades "preferred minimum" Goal Milleage is 1000km running from 1 Jan- Race Day so try and keep 1 eye on that during the Ironman training.

 

In 2012 i got away with only 800odd kms in that period and had a very enjoyable Down run in 9h11 but in 2013 after adding Sani2C and going Up I had done over 1200kms running but the Up run broke me alot more chasing a sub 9 (managed to get there in 8h47 but with plenty Pain)

 

Spose it all depends on your goal Times for both IM and Comrades, if they are just to finish im sure you could drop those hours/mileage but the more you put in before the more Fun both days out will be.

 

Remember - Ironman Training is long a tedious but the day is Great, Comrades training is alot easier and less time consuming but the day itself is a Beast.