The Ironman Training 2021 Thread

I’ve started these threads primarily as therapy/support for anyone subjecting themself to the Full or Half distance training plans, or otherwise building themselves up to iron distance races! :muscle:

Please do post anything you want, getting through the plans and to the start line is not easy, and I know I’ll need some group therapy to keep me going and others probably will too :slight_smile:

Ironman or any other brand doesn’t matter.

This will be my eighth season in triathlon and hopefully my most successful - I hope it will be for you too.

Last year’s thread for reference, contains lots of good discussion, over 3500 posts, the challenges of training in an uncertain world, and the 2019 thread with all the hard work and success stories with a decent medal count at both Full and Half distances!

There will be a monthly roll call, and hopefully a few more race reports than last year, but if not then never forget that your Ironman body is built over many seasons so the training is always worthwhile :grin:

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Clumber park duathalon in March
Outlaw half notts in may
Ironman Copenhagen in august

Is hopefully the plan covid allowing.

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@JoeX great to see this thread starting! I didn’t transfer my swissman entry to 2021 and won’t do long distance next year at all (boss at home wasn’t too keen with the twins taking too much time) my focus will be BTF AG qualification for sprint or Olympic if I do anything serious.

Still keen to follow the great discussions that will happen on this thread!

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I’m also hoping for my carry overs from 2020 to run;

August: London Olympic
October: Ironman Barcelona

I also have Brighton Marathon in September but only if Barcelona looks shaky, and I’m not training for it.

Training plan so far, already taken a hit as I hurt my back with bad sleep and lifting! But today is day one of week one for me: Ramp Test :smiley: 260W a good start to the year for me, down a few watts from last weeks 1h 40k TT but +12W from jan 1st 2020.

Week 1-12 Sweet Spot Base Mid Volume + 6 days easy running
Week 13-20 Sustained Power Build MV
Week 21-32 Olympic Base/Build High Volume
Week 33-40 Full Distance Build Low Volume

We will see how long that plan survives reality! :grinning:

Thanks Jonathan and good luck with AG qualifiers!

I’m hoping we see the three amigos join the thread at some point, if @Nate_Pearson’s plan is still for Ironman in 2021… :shushing_face:

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Still not a fan that these are “Ironman” only threads as 2021 I’m recycling my 2020 goal of top-10 in the USA Nationals for my AG (M 35-39). So I’m probably not doing even a 70.3 race but there is no other triathlon thread…

Anyways I’m going to be doing Traditional base through winter into around March while I XC ski, hopefully get into the pool sometime once it re-opens, and keep maybe 15-20k of running in a week.

Not sure what I’ll be doing come March then exactly, as a lot of it will depend on the volume I’ve been able to keep up during winter but I generally will do my own thing for the run/swim but on the bike side I’ll probably follow the Oly Medium volume bike plan on TR. For running I’m hoping to build up to around 80-90km a week, and get in the pool at least 2-3 times a week with the idea of getting back in with a masters program or perhaps get a swim coach to help get a little more efficiency into my swim form.

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I’ve got Ironman CDA and 70.3 St George on the schedule this year. Haven’t planned out anything past CDA yet, might just focus on some trail running and cycling for fun with a local tri or two thrown in.

I’ll be using the low volume full tri plans, starting this week.

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I’ve carried over my 2020 races so I have the Immortal Half in May then IM Vitoria in July. I start the long distance LV tri plan next week after having a complete rest week this week.

I’ve found this year a struggle training wise. I was very bike fit last year and felt really good until about April when I totally crashed and burned after taking on too much. Since then I keep feeling fatigued after a few months of solid training. Not quite sure what the cause is. maybe I’m just not cut out for the long distance stuff anymore. Anyway, I will see how it goes this year.

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Oooooh, new thread day is upon us!

Cheers @JoeX for starting the next one (third one?)!

I’ve had a pretty awesome 2020. I did not know it when I planned the 20 season, but blind luck let me pick two races right before the first lockdown and the second when racing resumed. Reduced working hours and plenty wfh meant I could train a bit more and more consistently than before. 21 will be a huge challenge to keep this going. A bit more responsibility at work, a bit less wfh, time will tell if and how I can find ways to continue improving.

Currently I’m registered for 70.3 worlds in St George on Sep 18th and a local half on June 6th as a training race. Other than that only a half marathon on Apr 18th and a MTB marathon on May 29th, both deferred from this year.

Im currently doing my annual training planning and looking for ways to redesign my bike program. Will come back here later looking for some input and inspiration.

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Good to see this pop up again as I do enjoy them.

Hopefully going to have no issues getting back to it after the stress and weight gain due to Covid.

Plan race this year is Ironman Mont Tremblant.

Hopefully this will be my best race yet. :slight_smile:

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I’m always keen to know what kind of running program people pair up with the TR training plans. I’ve had different approach on my end such as BarryP, jack Daniels, maff etc… What your run training look like building up to 90k?

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Thanks for keeping up with this thread. I joined in a bit during the 2020 thread but I am hoping to stay more active in 2021.

The only event I have on the calendar right now is IM Tulsa on May 23. This will be my first official Ironman, although I completed a self-organized 140.6 in September after multiple cancellations. But I am very excited for the real race and to see how much I can improve in a true race environment. I’m also excited that Tulsa will be the North American Championships.

Will possibly be looking to enter a second IM or 70.3 later in the year, but I am also gaining interested in completing some ultra-distance events. Maybe a 50 or 100 mile run in the fall. Last year I had briefly tossed around the idea of trying to compete for Kona or 70.3 world champs, I am turning 25 in two weeks and the 25-29 age group is way more competive than 18-24 and I am simply not ready yet, so I think I’d rather explore some other events and I’ve always had an interest in ultras. Dang covid robbed me of my age 24 season :confused:

Anyway, super excited to train another year and continue to improve and learn more. Looking forward to following along with you all here!

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Long time reader, first time poster.

Main event is the 70.3 World Champs in Utah in September, which I just barely qualified for through the IMVR series over summer 2020. I’ll do a couple of 70.3 warmups to dial in nutrition and pacing before then – currently looking at Warsaw and Maastricht-Limburg.

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Hi all
IM vichy for me.
Big hills and massive temperatures :+1:

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Here we go again.
Copenhagen IM in August if I sort my motivation for it out.
Olympic in June with a goal of putting a time ‘on the shelf’ against my local training partners/mates.
70.3 later in the year, likely Shropshire in Sept. not bottomed it all out yet but June Oly and Aug IM are entered. :flushed:

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Hah, yeah that’s how I feel.

IMC in August for me, deferred from this year. They released the courses a couple of weeks ago. The run has this MONSTER hill on it - already planning to walk that part :rofl:

I’d like to race before then, because otherwise that’ll be my first race in two years but we’re currently in lockdown so I’m not even trying to guess at a summer racing calendar yet.

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I did a 70.3 and used a modifed Pfitz plan which I like his workouts even though they are designed just for running. Not sure if @JulianM is still on here but if I remember correctly he used some form of them leading up and qualifying for Kona.

Deferred to 70.3 Chatty in 2021 as it is really close to me living in GA.

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First time using TR so still trying to figure it out a bit…

June 11-13 - Pocono’s Triathlon Festival ¶ - sort of a triathlon stage race
Prologue on Friday - swim/run event
70.3 distance on Saturday
Sprint tri on Sunday

Sea to Summit race (hopefully, currently waitlisted) in July - point to point race from coast of Maine up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire

2021 AG World Championships in Bermuda in October

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The only good thing about the big hill is that it’s right at the start and we only have to do it once! :joy: I raced 2017 ITU Long Course World’s which used a similar run course to what the 2 lap section of the new IMC run course is going to use. and the long gradual uphill section on the way out takes quite a bit out of the legs too (and makes you question yourself as to how the run is going to go since the pace is going to be slower that you’d have hoped, or your effort for a goal pace will be higher).

I’ll be racing GWN and IM 70.3 Calgary ahead of IMC as deferrals from this year, provided they can actually run in '21 of course…

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My first forum post. I’m registered for Mont Tremblant. 2018 IMMT was my first (only) IM and I was disappointed that the bike left me nothing for the run. My 2018 bike training was 20 weeks (impulse decision) of three rides a week with no structure besides going out for a few long rides. I found the TR podcast while training but it was a too late to change course at that time. My bike training was just enough to haul me around the course in about 6.5hours. Life got busy in 2019 but 2020 was going to be my year to take another shot.

After letting my fitness go this Summer, I’m now all-in and midway through full distance low volume base. Plan Builder has me doing base and build twice before specialty. So far, the run and bike workouts are going well and weight is coming down slowly (controlled) as planned. From here on out until the race, I just want to give the right effort and care to every workout. I’d like to possibly shave time off the bike but I really want the legs left to run (not walk) a decent marathon.

For reference, HS and college athlete (basketball and cross country), former lifeguard, now 48, back into endurance sports for the past 10 years including many marathons. I hang out with mostly runners so I can’t say I have any connection with cycling other than through triathlons.

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