One of the technical books I am reading for Ironman preparation is “Going Long” by Joe Friel and Gordon Byrn. The book is suited for all levels of triathlete attempting the Ironman distance and is written in a very accessible style. You can find the book on Amazon here. The book approaches all the disciplines separately for technique and training and also covers nutrition, strategy and injury.
In particular I like the way the book separates the goals and training for a first timer, personal best and kona athlete. In particular there were some interesting rules for first timers that I’d like to share (note i have not listed all 8 just the ones i found most interesting)
Rule 1: Don’t have to kill yourself in training to finish
Rule 3: Focus on key sessions and make the key sessions focused
Rule 4: Sleep is more valuable than training!!
Rule 5: Forget about anaerobic endurance and high intensity sessions
Fule 6: Recovery is your friend
I find most fascinating the emphasis on recovery (Rule 1/4/6). The key to a successful first time finish is the consistency in training and focusing on those long core workouts which will help build your base endurance to complete the full Ironman. This makes sense because perhaps one of the largest risks to training is injury/ illness caused by high intensity/ over load of training.
So bear in mind – while training is important you only reap the benefits of training when you are resting!
