Longest Day (Ironman) 2004 - Carl's thread

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  • It means fast 'out' just to fool you, then horrible and deceptively slow with a ubiquitous headwind on the way back.And its not about speed its about finishing. when you have got that under your belt you can work on the speed. The first time will always be a p.b.
  • Thats all I want to do, just finish. If I can keep to my plan and just plod out the training miles on my bike and the runs ill be near or there abouts to having just enough - all will be revealed 18/7. I may suprise myself and do 14hrs but im prepared for the worst and im sure it will be worse than that. I know what it feels like to be knackered at 18 miles of marathon, god knows what ill feel like after 18 miles of a marathon having done the swim & bike. Having said that im already approaching the fittest ive been in my like (endurance wise at least) and still have 12 weeks of training to build on that. Beleive me im under no illusions though but am optomistic and feeling very positive.
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    Carl, I can't even IMAGINE what mile 18 in a marathon feels like.

    Mechanical failure aside, you'll do it. :o)

    I'm hoping to be there to witness it, too, but I'm not sure yet...
  • Thanks Jj, ill look forward to seeing you though probably wont have the energy to talk, you can see im starting to take this seriously, ive booked Monday 19th off work, just wondering if it will take me a week to walk again...
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    :o)

    It's my birthday on the 21st, and I order you to be fully recovered by then.

    I know two people who were far less prepared than you, Carl, and they finished.

    They are ironmen.
  • Geeze,

    The weather here was $hit tonight. I had a 35 mile bike ride sheduled. Went out did a mile turned back as it was to cold and wet, got home dried my bike and promised myself I’d go to the Gym

    Feeling guilty and that this is not what I can afford to do if I want to finish Longest Day I went out again 10 minutes later determined to complete my ride. I GOT SOAKED, had to give up after 10 miles and turn for home as the horizontal sleet started (even sheltered in a phone box as it was stinging my face and I couldn’t see).

    Got home after a 1hr (17 mile ride), soaked to the skin. Still I wasn’t to be beaten by the good old british weather, dried my bike off (again) and went for a 6 mile run.

    Feeling very satisfied now, ive done 2 hours training tonight and well proud of myself. Is this the stuff Ironmen are made of?
  • Good session Carl! Cycling, running and transitions all in one go! You should feel proud, this is the mental strength that will get you round on 18th July.
    Riding in bad weather isn't fun, and not as safe. This is why I rest in the week and schedule my very long bike rides for the weekend - if the weather is bad on Saturday then I can run instead & do the long ride on Sunday.
  • ok-
    here's a question for all you ironmen (and women!). how do you train for it without getting injured? just upping the running miles is doing my body in. so how do you up them all without killing yourself?
  • Jennster, one of my favourite sessions for very long runs is run/walk. I usually do 5 min run (normal steady training pace) then 1 min walk, I have found that I can cover very long distances this way. This works well if you are tired or injured as you cover the distance but the regular rests reduce the stress on the body. Other people do different splits, eg 25/5, you just need to find what works best for you.
    One other thing I found when I moved up to IM distance was that is needed extra rest days.
  • jennster

    the run should be built up gradually

    personally i've never had any problems from ramping up the bike and swim mileage though (other than a sore backside)... low impact, aren't they?
  • DazDaz ✭✭✭
    oooo jenster/artin just reminded me of a q:

    any ironman peeps here break up the marathon leg of the ironman into running segments with walks inbetween? Does this help, or will it seize the muscles up a little more than you would like :O(
    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
  • Daz, this is how I have done all of my IM. I walk through the drinks stations & run in between, this breaks it up into short runs with a 1' walk at the feed station. This makes eating & drinking much easier as you don't spill any.
    My theory is that I'm going to walk at some point, and I need to stop at the feed stations = combine the 2.
    It doesn't cost much time either.
  • Hi Jester,

    I suffered a variety of re-occuring injuries through January and February as a result of upping my running miles when my training was focussed on London Marathon. It resulted in me having to stop running for 5 weeks when I moved from 13 to 18 mile long run.

    Since then I have taken the advice many have posted on this and other threads, i,e, build up gradually, slow down and even intersperse the run with walking breaks.

    During those 5 weeks off running I was still able to cycle and swim and was suprised that I only lost about 10-20% of my Stamina.

    I would say to concentrate on the Long Bike sessions i.e. maybe a 5hr and 3hr each week, this is what I am doing, you also need to add in a long run, mine are at 13 miles at present and increasing 1 mile a week. These runs are very slow though, at 10min mile pace but this is what makes the chances of injury much lower.

    Since I adopted this strategy ive been free from injury, before I was running 3-4 times a week and wash pushing to hard i.e. running to fast I think.
  • Oh and re my plans for the IM run section, my aim is to run/walk, running for 20 mins walking for 5, that should allow me to average about 6mph.

    Of course this plan all depends how I feel after I get off the bike but ill stick to it and only increase the running splits after 13 miles if my body & mind tells me its ok. I understand its better to intersperse walking breaks early rather than try and run the whole way only to blow up after 15 miles and have to walk the rest. Ive had to do that on long runs before and the legs just seize up and hurt like hell, im hoping my strategy will help avoid this.
  • DazDaz ✭✭✭
    martin, how often are these aid stations in LD? just heard there are three running loops now.
    bet you were tempted to take a little longer for the last few ;o)
    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
  • There is a PDF document on the http://www.longestday.co.uk/ld/ website (under route maps). It seems to be loops with the aid stations between, at a guess I would say every 2-3 miles but more specific info would be appreciated.

    Incidentally im going on a course recce mission some time in June and will cycle,run and maybe swim bits of the course so if anyone is interested in joining me please let me know.
  • thanks guys-
    all of that is very interesting. it's making me rethink my build up to the marathon. if only i knew then what i know now!
    good luck with the rest of the training!!
  • the 'loops' are not loops but out and back three times. there are several aid stations on the way so there is always somewhere close. Carl not giving up the other night and going back out is good. it is that kind of mental training that gets you through ironman or any other long event. well done. just training the body is not enough its the mind that gets you there in the end.
  • jennster don't train then you won't get injured. just do the event. or if its a long event just do one long run a week and nothing else, building up the milage gradually, say a mile a week. but having a break every few weeks to completely rest, say 3weeks on 1off or 2on off. you then have all that time to do other stuff instead of train.
  • DazDaz ✭✭✭
    hmmmm i like the idea of an out and back 8miler (4miles inn one direction obv!). means you'll have more people around you to help spur on.
    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
  • Hey guys,

    I normally run for 9 minutes then walk for 1 minute.

    I've tried different run/walk formats in the past but have found that walking every time my watch hits a 9 is so much easier to get my head around, especially as the time gets into the 2-3hr range.

  • Good idea LSD, I may change that to 8 and 2, ill do some experimenting on my long runs & bricks. Could even be that a run/walk strategy works out quicker than running it(a bit like my interval training I used to do though they were fast/very slow run).
  • The run course on TLD is 3 out & back loops. This year is slightly different from previous years in that you return to the stadium after each lap, ie they are 3 equal 8 2/3 mile laps.
    The aid stations are appx every 2 miles, maybe a little closer. This spacing should be ideal for a run/walk strategy.
  • Hi folks

    Just found this thread and thought I'd say hello. I'm in the process of deciding whether to do TLD myself; pretty sure I will but I'm giving myself another week before I register just to make sure I want to. It'll be an interesting experiment if I do - my training so far has been Swim: none; Bike: very little; Run: shedloads (Paris marathon last Sunday). Now that the marathon's done, time to get out the bike and get down to the pool, I guess.

    I did The Longest Day in 2000, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found that it had a nice small club race feel while remaining impressively well organised. Ooooh yes, I can feel another one caming on now that I'm thinking about it.

    Cheers

    Rob
  • DazDaz ✭✭✭
    cheers for those tips. i think ill stop at aid stations to start with while i eat/drink. then later in the race i might add another stop in between......so every mile (or 9mins i guess)
    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    I see you, sneakin' in at the weekend.
  • Thanks for the tips Martin.

    Just done a 4.5hr bike ride and tried a little run after it, may have to rethink my strategy lol - maybe walk 9 mins run 1 - just joking im sure ill get better over the next 11 weeks.

    Rob Knell, nice to hear from you. Look forward to seeing you on the day, good luck with your training. Oh there are about 4 or 5 from the Tri forum that I think are doing LD, guess we'll start a LD thread as the day approaches.
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    I think one was started ages back, Carl. WildWill, I think.
  • DazDaz ✭✭✭
    damn!
    i tried to sneak as quietly as poss
    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
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