Ironman Training Log Week 1

I poured some cheap coffee into my faded Navy coffee mug.

The sun stays hidden well into the morning in the Pacific Northwest. The longer the sun takes to rise, the longer it takes me to get out of bed.

But here I was, standing in the kitchen at 0600, ready to begin my first day of Ironman prep. There was no other time in my busy schedule to fit my training.

Since most days involved two workouts, the first one would almost always have to occur before I started work at 0800. I walked out into the garage. It was a good 15 degrees colder than the house. I hopped on my stationary bike and began a slow pedal.

My warm-ups have to be at least 15 minutes long this time of year. After a few bodyweight and isometric exercises, I started my workout.

Strength

The first workout of my Ironman training plan was focused on strength. My strategy for strength work 47 weeks out from Ironman California is simple. High intensity (heavy load), low volume (1-5 rep range/3-5 sets per exercise).

Most Ironman training books have treated strength training as an afterthought. The strength workouts in these books almost always use high volume and light weight to build muscular endurance. I believe these books take this approach to appeal to beginners. As an endurance coach, I’ve found that many endurance-minded athletes avoid the weight room. Mostly out of concern, they will get “too bulky” from lifting heavy weights.

But in a sport like triathlon, almost every endurance workout is a session in muscular endurance. If you repeat this in the gym, you’re leaving a lot of athleticism on the table without designated strength and power work. If you follow my training logs over time, you will see the following progression in my strength sessions.

• Block one primary focus: Strength
• Block one secondary focus: Anaerobic (lactic) capacity building
• Block two primary focus: Strength
• Block two secondary focus: Alactic Power
• Block three primary focus: Alactic Power
• Block three secondary focus: Strength
• Block four primary focus: Alactic Power
• Block four primary focus: Alactic Capacity
• Block five primary focus: Aerobic Power
• Block five primary focus: Aerobic Capacity
• Block six primary focus: Aerobic Capacity

You’ll see exactly what these workouts look like throughout this series. But the main idea is that I’ll transition from strength to power to aerobic capacity throughout the year. This is a standard strength & conditioning model in which the supporting workouts move from general to sport-specific as the training year progresses.

Strength Workouts Breakdown

Strength 1 (Foundational Strength)

• Warm Up
• Back Squat: 3×3
• Bent Over Row: 3×3
• Sled Push/Pull: 1 min on/3 min off

Strength 2 (Lactic Capacity)

Working Sets: Perform two reps, and then hold the stretch position of the lift for 10 seconds. Repeat until 3 mins in duration is reached without setting the weight down

• Warm Up
• Chest Flys: 1x3mins
• Seated Shoulder Press: 1x3mins
• Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 1x3mins
• Lat Pull Down: 1x3mins
• KB Squats: 1x3mins

Strength 3 (Foundational Strength)

• Warm Up
• Bench Press: 3×3
• Shoulder Press: 3×3
• Deadlift: 3×3
• Farmers Carry: 2×1 min on/3min off

Endurance

I just completed my first ultra-marathon (Spartan Ultra – 50k) a month back. Going into Ironman prep, the running is my strongest event.

Bike

I bought my first triathlon bike about a month ago. It became very evident I had no idea what I was doing on the bike. I didn’t realize at the time I needed special pedals, shoes with cleats to fit those pedals, a bike fit, bike shorts, etc.

I found my bike on Facebook Marketplace. It’s a lady’s bike, but the seller assured me the colors were the only difference between this model and the men’s. The pink and purple accents against the black frame looked fine to me. They reminded me of the Incredible Hulk since the original saddle was green (I have since replaced it with a newer black saddle).

Oh yeah, it’s called a saddle, not a seat. The lessons learned are already piling up.

The seller, a woman about my age, shared some Ironman experiences with me.

“You’re going to have to practice peeing on the bike,” she advised

She noticed the shock on my face at this comment.

“Oh, don’t worry. I never peed on this bike.”

I’m not sure I believed her. So, being the germaphobe I am, I wiped the whole thing down with sanitary wipes when I got home. I never thought about it, but it makes sense when you ride the bike for several hours during a race. But I did not want to practice that. Not yet, anyway.

I was ready to hit the road after getting my riding shoes, shorts, and a bike fit at my local bike shop.

Not surprisingly, I crashed and burned the first time I came to a street crossing. Thankfully, there was only one car that witnessed my embarrassment. 

After a few test rides, I’m starting to get the hang of the pedals. Unfortunately, I started my Ironman prep at the beginning of winter. That means most of my rides (for now) will take place on the bike trainer in my living room. I’m not a fan of the trainer. It puts too much pressure on my nether region (if you catch my drift).

Swim

If I thought the cycling learning curve was steep, I had no idea what I was getting into with the swimming. After I nearly drowned while spearfishing off a jetty in San Diego, I’ve avoided the water for the last 18 years. And it showed the first time I went to the pool.

I swallowed so much water during my first swim that I was surprised there was any left in the pool. I felt queasy the rest of the day and disgusted by the thought of ingesting YMCA pool water. So, I bought a snorkel. I spent my next training session wearing the snorkel to focus on my stroke. 

Whenever I tried to go without the snorkel, I was right back to swallowing water. I’ve reached out to a few local swim coaches. I’m hoping someone out there can help me get started. Otherwise, I’m in deep trouble.

I started my second swim at 0530. It’s that time of year when the idea of jumping in a pool at 0530 in the morning is enough to make even the most determined among us wish they were still in bed. But alas, I made it to the pool. It wasn’t pretty, but I continued to work on my stroke. I watched the real swimmers in the other lanes glide seamlessly through the water. I tried to imitate their strokes but ended up feeling less like a fish and more like a fish on dry land.

Next week, I will buckle down and make it to the pool four times. 

Run

After the ultra marathon, I took two weeks off from running to let my body heal. I kept my runs this week short in duration and low in intensity. Rather than beat myself up with long or high intensity runs this early in the training program, I’m starting off slow.

My main goal is to increase my endurance, improve speed, and prevent injuries.

Endurance Workouts Breakdown

I’m using a combination of Matt Dixon’s The Well Built Triathlete and Matt Fitzgerald’s 80/20 Triathlon to program my endurance workouts.

My triathlon training program is a Frankenstein’s monster of various approaches mixed with my own coaching style. As a coach, I need to do the bulk of programming myself. This allows me to make mistakes and find adjustments through my own experience.

My goal at this stage is to keep my endurance work mostly low intensity (low heart rate) while slowly increasing volume the closer I get to race day.

Run 1

1. Repeat 1 time
   1. Warm up: 10 min @ 110 bpm
   2. Active: 20 min @ 135-145 bpm
   3. Cool Down: 10 min @ 110 bpm

Run 2

1. Repeat 1 time
   1. Warm up: 5 min @ 110 bpm
   2. Active: 20 min @ 135-145 bpm
2. Repeat 10 times
   1. Active1 min @ 160 bpm
   2. Active2 min @ 125 bpm
3. Cool Down: 5 min @ 110 bpm

Run 3

1. Repeat 1 time
   1. Warm up: 10 min @ 110 bpm
   2. Active: 20 min @ 135-145 bpm
   3. Cool Down: 10 min @ 110 bpm

Swim 1

1. Warm up + Drills: 15 min
2. Active: 20 min
3. Recovery: 5 min

Swim 2

1. Warm up + Drills: 15 min
2. Active: 20 min
3. Recovery: 5 min

Cycle 1

1. Warm up: 5 min @ 110 bpm
2. Active: 50 min @ 135-145 bpm
3. Cool Down: 5 min @ 110 bpm

Cycle 2

1. Warm up: 5 min @ 110 bpm
2. Active: 50 min @ 135-145 bpm
3. Cool Down: 5 min @ 110 bpm

Ironman Training Log Week 1 Conclusion

This has been a productive first week of my triathlon training. I can tell the sport of triathlon is going to be grueling. I already love it.

I’m going into this accepting that I work full-time and run a strength and conditioning coaching business. That means I may have to miss a planned workout occasionally.

This is just the reality of being an amateur athlete with many responsibilities outside my training. If you’re in the same boat, don’t let it stop you from pursuing your goals.

Sure, it will be hard. But what’s the alternative? Going through life without ever trying to reach your dreams and ambitions?

Until next time!

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P.S. If you’re interested in strength & conditioning programming for your sport, I offer custom programs tailored to your goals. Check out my coaching page for details!

Here are some other articles you might enjoy!

Training Guide: 10 Essential Strength Exercises for Runners

8 Best Core Exercises for Cycling (Beginner Friendly)

Build Stronger Legs With These Cycling Leg Exercises