Ironman Training

[kino]

I am starting now my training for next year's ironman and I am a bit nervous about the swimming leg, anyone knows someone in the fourways area that does coaching specifically for that?

 

Also where can I look at triathlon specific clothing (wetsuites, etc)

 

any other piece of advice from someone who has done it would be much appreciated

 

cheers

 

[Overlord]

http://www.tricape.com/ironman-south-africa-training-program-by-glen-gore/

[javadude]

I'm not an expert, but i've been advised by people in the know that Total Immersion training is excellen:

 

http://www.totalimmersionsa.co.za/

 

[DavidStone]

Hi, I did Ironman last year and am certainly not a swimmer! A good wetsuite is key but you only need to start training in that during longer swims from January. Just use normal spedo for now.

 

I also started my training around end of August. You have so much energy by race day and you can 'slip stream' on the swim which saves 30%. The swim was honeslty the easiest leg for me - from a non-swimmer.

 

My swim training was 16 weeks of low intensity swims, followed by 16 weeks of interval or higher intensity. I swam Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. I started on 1200m each swim day and increased it each week. I did 3 week cycles. Eg: 1200m week 1, 1500m week 2, 1700m week 3, 1200m week 4, 1700m week 5, 1800m week6 etc. I also did not swim everyday I was meant to, depending on how busy I was, how I was feeling etc.

 

I think my biggest mistake was to follow the programme more than my body in the beginning. If you are pap, don't train. You get fit recovering, not beating yourself. You will obviously be tired and train hard but listen to your body. You won'toose any fitness taking a day off!!. If you not sure, go out for 10 mins (swim/bike/run) and then decide if you should continue. Often half the problem is getting out there!

 

If you keen for more input, email djstone@webmail.co.za.

 

From Western Cape, don't know any Tri shops your side.

 

Its a great race, something you'll look back on forever. Keep the vision before you! Enjoy the adventure

[kino]

thanks Velo, I emailed the guys from totalimmersionsa this morning so I am hoping to get a response from them in the next couple of days.

 

Thanks one time I will definitely have a look at the web you gave me.

 

ripped i just emailed you, thanks for giving me your address, much appreciated!

 

[slowtwitch]

Kino

Can you swim, as in proper stroke?

If so no need for coach. If not just get some stroke correction classes.

Swim coaches don't know how to train IM swimmers period!!!

What you're trying to do is gain the aerobic capasity to finish/ race a 9-12hour race not compete in a 1500m open water event.

 

Doing the interval training they do is not optimal time spent for IM

 

About IM trianing in general:

The best document I've read (and I did a hech of a lot of research),

is Mark Alan's article on using a heart rate monitor for training - the basics are what will make you a fast athlete not special training plans or equipment!!!!

You can prob find it on his website, or PM me

[SwissVan]

 

Talking about swim training, what are the general impressions with regards to the Totalimmersion training, has anyone tried it and what did you think about it, good / bad...

 

 

[slowtwitch]

It is only one way of swiming. Not the only way to go fast.

I found it quite technical though

What I ended up doing was getting loads of underwater video clips of Grant Hachett and rather study those

 

Also slowtwitch.com has good articles on stroke - in one of them there's a link to Hachett's form- slow motion

 

his own website also has a few underwater shots from meets

[SwissVan]

It is only one way of swiming. Not the only way to go fast.

I found it quite technical though

What I ended up doing was getting loads of underwater video clips of Grant Hachett and rather study those

 

Also slowtwitch.com has good articles on stroke - in one of them there's a link to Hachett's form- slow motion

 

his own website also has a few underwater shots from meets

 

Thanks for the reply.

In what way was it quite technical?

 

I luv watching the pro's swim and trying to transpose what I see into my own swim technique. Not so easy to do tho...

 

 

 

[slowtwitch]

here's the article with the slow motion clip:

 

go to slowtwitch/ training/ swimming/ HAS SWIMMING GOT YOU OVER A BARREL - in there's the link

 

Copy and past the short clip to form a longer movie - makes studying it easier.

Couple of Notes:

hips need to by high in the water with high feet

high elbows

head in the water - only crown of your head sticking out

kick evenly - although for IM no need to kick so vigourously - wetsuit helps you keeping your legs up

When trainng try 3 or 5 stroke breathing rather than 2 stroke breathing - helps gaining aerobic capacity quicker

 

Then on training:

As state no need for intervals

You can post a fast time by doing long slower sets such as 500m sets, 800m sets, 1500m sets

No need for kick boards, peddles, snorkles etc.

If you're a strong swimmer you could maybe use a rubber band to tie your feet and swim sets up to 2000m sets to gain strengh, but watch out for shoulder injuries

[SwissVan]

I am starting now my training for next year's ironman and I am a bit nervous about the swimming leg' date=' anyone knows someone in the fourways area that does coaching specifically for that?

Also where can I look at triathlon specific clothing (wetsuites, etc)

any other piece of advice from someone who has done it would be much appreciated

cheers
[/quote']

 

Slowtwitch's advice is pretty much spot on.

But as IMSA is a sea swim one thing I would add is that you do some open water swimming (dam, river or better in the sea) and if possible do some open water swims when it's windy and the water is rough.

 

All that training in a nice pool can be wasted if the race day weather is bad and the water is kots rough... Now a few peps who did not finish IM swim due to seasickness and rough water.

 

 

 

 

 

The easiest way to do the sea swims would be to do some tri's down at the coast

[slowtwitch]

Yeah, that is pretty important to do sea swims and also to get some fist fighting in the water before IM, otherwise you're in for a humbling experience (with your goggles full of water)

 

No need to be afraid of the swim, but if there is one place where you can loose your race, it is not making the swim cut off, or puking the ocean out your guts in T1

[slowtwitch]

Sorry one last thing

 

Don't do what most newbies do and find "calm" water

 

Find a pair of feet going same or slightly faster speed as you and hang on - even if you have to wait for someone to past you or it feels too turbulent behind, hang on 'cause you'll cruise to T1 and save loads of energy without wasting much time 

[ChrisH]

I recently discovered this

http://www.swimsmooth.com/index.html

It's well worth the effort to register and download the software for free. The weekly mails they send out are full of good info as well.

[Swim Coach Find]

Learn some great techniques from an experience coach or swimmer and that will carry your throughout your race!

[kino]

thanks guys for all the advice. I have found a swimming coach so i am starting with her at the end of september!!!!!!