Competing in 70.3 or Ironman
Training goal | Pacing and finishing feeling strong
For those looking to successfully complete a 70.3 (1.9km) or Ironman (3.8km), the race distance itself is the challenge. For those looking to really finish these races strong, another level of fitness and skill is required. Compared to shorter races, these events demand continuous effort, efficient swimming, and great endurance.
If you’ve already navigated one of these races yet want to finish your next one stronger, performing well during the second half of the race should be the focus. Doing so requires improving your efficiency in the water, as well as consistently practising the skill of finishing strong.
So performing training sessions and training sets where you finish stronger than you start is key. Not only will this help you develop the necessary fitness, it will ensure your pacing is on point and the habit of finishing strong is established.
Much of this work can, again, take place in the pool, with a focus on improving your skills and improving the speed during the second half of workouts and sets. As with the other goals discussed above, open-water training is more about practising for your specific race than anything else.
Aiming for one open-water swim per week or one every other week should suffice, provided you get several sessions in before the big race. Consider adding 1-2 hours per week of dedicated swim training to your current regime if your goal is to finish your long-course race strong.
To successfully navigate longcourse triathlon swimming there are several skills you need to practise with consistency. Most important of all is pacing, especially if you want to finish your races strong.
It’s critical to learn how to manage your energy early in the race, particularly when your competitors are going out strong. Proper pacing is a skill that must be practised. It’s equally critical to focus on executing your skills to maintain your efficiency. It’s very easy to get distracted throughout the longer races, so having 1-2 key points of focus is very important.
This workout (left) is designed to help you learn these skills. The session is based on time due to the lack of concrete distances typical of most openwater venues. You can also use the same basic concept and apply it to your own specific circumstances. Adjust the duration of each piece depending on your current needs. Over time, you’ll want to work on increasing the duration of your efforts with a focus on finishing strong and building effort as you go. As mentioned above, finishing strong is a skill that requires practice just as much as it requires physical conditioning.
PERFORMING SESSIONS WHERE YOU FINISH STRONGER THAN YOU START IS KEY