Since 1997, I have completed 28 IRONMAN-distance races and have coached and trained with hundreds of other athletes training for IRONMAN Triathlons.
I’ve had the opportunity to observe (and of course make) a lot of mistakes so I thought it would be helpful for to come up with a list of the “Top 5 Mistakes that IRONMAN Triathletes Make in Training” (plus some suggestions on how to address):
- Unrealistic goals and expectations – e.g. qualifying for Hawaii having never placed in the top half of their age group.
- Too much volume and training, too soon – e.g. 6 hour bike rides in January for an August race.
- Too much volume, too late – e.g. riding the Ironman bike course the Wednesday before the race.
- Train at all costs and being a slave to the training schedule.
- Inconsistent training schedule – i.e. extremes of little training one week and excessive “make up” volume the next.
For each of the above, here are better approaches:
- Grounded goals and expectations based on actual results, training time availability and level of commitment.
- 10-12 week Ironman training focus following a solid period of training to prepare your body for demands of training.
- Aggressive taper, especially in the last week.
- Train + listen to your body – e.g. skip a workout day if tired or feeling run down then don’t try to make it up.
- Develop a plan (or find a coach) and stick with it – consistency week to week is critical to success.
Need help training for your next IRONMAN Triathlon? Be sure to check out our online IRONMAN Triathlon Training Plans.
Happy training,
David B. Glover
Please note: IRONMAN®, IRONMAN Triathlon® and IRONMAN 70.3® are registered trademarks of World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
