In part two of three, Jeff Glen talks about the grueling training regimen necessary to conquer the most challenging race of all: The Ironman Triathlon.

For details, click on!

One of the most critical factors for Ironman is to create a training schedule/diary at the beginning of the season, and to stick to it as best as you can.

According to Jeff’s diary, he trained 165 days during a 251 day period (just under 9 months) for an average of 4.6 days a week, and he trained for about 1.5 hours each training day. This is somewhat misleading however, since some periods were heavier than others. For instance, during the last month, Jeff only had 10 training days out of a possible 26 since he was resting for the race. There were also workouts he forgot to record in his diary, and days he went for a run without his watch. All said and done, he trained for 245 hours and travelled 4435 kilometres; 3642 on his bike alone.

What is key about all of this is that you start your endurance training early in the season and build up what’s called a “Base.” Basically, you’re improving your fitness and getting your muscles used to long distance. In the mid season you start working on speed by doing intervals, hills and sometimes shorter workouts with higher intensity. During the last leg of training, you push your limits and work on combined training such as riding 100 kilometres, then going for a 10 kilometre run. Finally, the last 4 weeks are spent tapering down with minimal amount of training and no intensity! As mentioned, Jeff spent most of that time resting, and it helped him out immensely. So many people train hard the last couple of weeks, which has no impact on increasing fitness and only serves to tire your muscles.

Swimming

Swimming is about all form, and all of the following tips will help you be more fluid in the water:

• Anything that drags in the water will slow you down, including hair (shave those legs guys)
• Keep your head down instead of looking where you’re going
• Keep your toes pointed back
• Reach forward on every stroke rather than trying to get in as many strokes as you can

Most of the training is done at 6:30 in the morning while it is still dark and cold out, but as summer approaches you really need to get some open water swimming. Jeff’s parents own a cabin on a lake, so he got plenty of time out there. Make sure you have a spotter too! Anyone can get into trouble, especially if you have been swimming for over an hour.

Cycling

Jeff cycles to work, which is highly recommended. Not only do you get your training done, but you help eliminate that nasty pollution that we all have to breathe every day. Imagine coming home and getting dressed to go for a ride before dinner – it’s the last you thing you want to do.

Jeff also put in eight big rides that exceeded 100 kilometres, which he almost always followed with a run right after. This is a critical part of training, and six of these rides included going up Cypress Mountain (15 km/1100 m) and one both Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain. Hill training is the ultimate and you need a long climb without interruptions. The other component is the tri-bars, which you need to get used to for balance and for power transfer. Have a professional set these up for you so you have the right balance between comfort, aerodynamics and pedal power. Use your lighter gears and spin! Unless you’re Jan Ulrich (pro rider), you’re not going to power through with a low cadence, especially over 180 kilometres.

Finally, get used to eating on the ride. During the race, this is your best chance to take in critical calories. Practice eating when you are not even hungry to see how your body takes it.

Jeff’s typical route:

• From Metrotown Burnaby to Kent Avenue
• Kent Avenue to South West Marine Drive all the way to Burrard Street Bridge
• Through downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park over Lions Gate Bridge
• Up Taylor Way (11% grade) along the highway to Cypress Mountain

• The way back is the same until you hit downtown
• Take Pender Street through Chinatown
• Then Frances Union to Gilmour, which takes you back to Metrotown

This route is in fact a bike route, which is safer than other routes.

Running

Do it often and establish your pace. Pace is everything, and since running comes last in an Ironman, you may not have much left by that time and this training will keep you going.

As with cycling, get in lots of hill work and use high repetitions. Having a long lopy stride will guarantee an injury if you are running 42 kilometres!

Interval training is also a huge helper – a simple technique is once a week run at 80% of your fastest pace for a couple minutes during a ten kilometre training run. Make sure it’s somewhere in the middle of the run so you are warmed up and won’t get injured. Try to run 3 or 4 times a week and slowly build up your distance.

Typically Jeff would run to work, which is 17 kilometres and on the odd day, run to and from work. Be careful though – if you are physically tired, you risk injury.

To train for a marathon, you will at least want to cover 30 kilometres in a training run, but putting a marathon into your schedule is a better test. Make sure it is at least 3-4 months before the Ironman though.

Nutrition

All aspects of Ironman require giving up something. Mostly it’s your personal time, but you also need to stop drinking beer and eating junk food!

The key to remember is this: while working out, your body is burning fuel and you can eat just about anything (but don’t). After a workout however, you are rebuilding muscle, so beer and potato chips do a really bad job of that! The first time Jeff trained for an Ironman, he didn’t drink alcohol for 6 months. This time, he may have had a dozen beer over the whole 9 months of training.

Jeff didn’t consume bread, beef, pizza, pop, alcohol, candy (except dark chocolate), dairy (including ice cream) or any type of fast food. These are things that will be hard to give up for some, but he’s weaned himself off them over the years so it wasn’t as much of a challenge. He did have to start skipping his future mother-in-law’s Chinese home cooking because it’s a bit greasy! Jeff mostly eats organics and tonnes of carbs.