Training for an Ironman

Ironman versus Adventure Race

Just read an article on Active.com that compared the difficulty of an Ironman to that of a 12-hour adventure race. The author has been a triathlete and coach for 8 years, and participated in adventure racing for over 5 years. Having competed in both events, and having a strong opinion on the matter, I was very interested in what the author had to say.

I definitely like how he broke down the various aspects of each event and really tried to analyze the differences. But in the end, I felt his conclusion was all wrong. Here is the author's closing statement:

The Ironman is certainly more physically demanding, but ultimately the 12-hour adventure race is the tougher sport owing to the higher degrees of risk, skills and mental demands it places upon its athletes.

Wrong answer
He's got the first part right - the Ironman is more physically demanding, so much so, that you could really stop the comparison right there. But he thinks the risks, skills and mental demands are much greater in a 12-hour adventure race, therefore giving it the edge in toughness.

Adventure races are fun. They can be grueling for sure, but by and large, they lack a competitive atmosphere. Yes, there are always a few teams who are in it to win it, but most racers are in it for the 'adventure,' not time driven goals. I could gather a group of my friends, and with little training, make a weekend out of an adventure race. We would be tested and tired, but in the end, win or lose, finish or not, we would have a blast. I cannot say the same thing about an Ironman event. Not even close. If you aren't prepared, you are not going have a good time.

In terms of skills, adventure racing isn't much different than triathlon. Run, bike swim, versus trek, kayak, bike in some order. Sure, you might have a repelling section on the course, and there is always a compass/navigation component, but these are easily learned skills. It might take a while to hone these skills, but you could get through a 12 hour race with a few weekends of preparation. And really, these aspects of adventure racing are what slows down the pace and levels the playing field in my opinion. Heart rate comes down. Everybody can recover at times. These skills aren't stressful, and if anything, are the very reason racing 12 hours is doable by people who are not super fit athletes.

And the mental demands? The mental demands are more difficult in an Ironman. Like I said, an adventure race is a party, a social event. An ironman is an individual event. You have to be focused and in tune with your body the entire race. Going too hard for an hour on the bike can have serious ramifications on the run. The thought of not finishing an Ironman, after months of preparation and training, is a nightmare. In an adventure race, who cares? The course, terrain, path, special events are different for every race, and sometimes within the race. An Ironman is a set distance. It's the same race for everyone. It's truth, and there is nowhere to hide.

Ask yourself this. Why do so many people get the Ironman tattoo after completing the race? Better yet, why doesn't anyone have a 12-hour adventure race tattoo?

Swim Training Videos

A little late in the season, but here are two good swim videos, both created by Olympian Natalie Coughlin. The first one gives tips on perfecting your freestyle stroke.

The second one demonstrates a correct flip turn.

Freestyle Stroke Technique

How To Do a Flip Turn

Indecent Exposure

When I hear the phrase ‘indecent exposure,’ I think of creepy-old-guy-in-a-trench-coat. Or maybe had-too-much-to-drink-frat-guy who thought it would be a good idea to streak across campus naked. What doesn’t come to mind is triathlete-guy. I recently learned in a USAT newsletter that there is actually a rule for indecent exposure.

3.4n. Indecent Exposure.
Public nudity at any time during the event is prohibited. Any violation of this Section shall result in a variable time penalty.

I’ve never heard of this being enforced, and really, I don’t see they could. Only the biggest races have officials in the transition area during the race. Most officials are out on the course, where they should be.

But the real question is, who is getting naked? There is a lot of skin in the transition area for sure, so if you get popped for ‘indecent exposure,’ that’s saying something. That means you are letting it all hang out.

According to the article, the rule is most commonly enforced in the transition area where an athlete may decide to remove his swimsuit to change into bike shorts. Now, I understand the need to change into your bike shorts for long course events, but use the changing tent. And if there isn’t a tent, find a portable restroom, or use a towel and be discreet – and fast.

Another place this rule is broken is out on the course when people decide to pull over to relieve themselves. This one is tricky because sometimes you are out in the middle of nowhere, with another 20-30 miles back to transition. I see it all the time, but I think if you make an effort to move several yards off the road and hide yourself somewhat (behind a tree for example), you should be fine. Be discreet and considerate of others is the real rule.

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

I cannot stand getting sick. It screws up my schedule and it's inconvenient.

With three kids under age 10, it's hard to avoid the funky bugs and germs they bring home, regardless of how much you wash your hands and disinfect the house. It happens, but usually in the winter months.

I caught something two weeks before a race in mid May that put me out of commission for a week and a half or so, and with a race looming that weekend, I decided to rest my body instead of squeezing in a few workouts. I was feeling better by race day, but not good enough to "race" the event. My body just wasn't recovered, and it showed. I struggled through the swim and bike, then finished off with a 30 minute 5k, about 10 minutes off my normal pace.

Over the next two weeks, I began to feel better, and improved with each workout. At the end of that two weeks was another race. I was feeling pretty good and actually posted a decent time (my 5k time back around 21 minutes). I thought I was back in action.

Monsters Inside Me
However, that same night I began to have body aches and other flu-like symptoms. I took the next day off work and slept for 8 hours. I was exhausted and weak. It took another two weeks for me to exercise again, and when I did, I could only maintain a very slow jog. I went to the pool to swim a few laps, but my warm-up became my workout and I headed home. This was very discouraging because, of course, I had another race on the weekend. That one, however, I decided to withdraw from.

In all my years of racing I have never had an illness hang around for so long. Actually, I'm not sure if it's the same one flaring up, or multiple viruses. I'm crossing my fingers I didn't catch something nasty from the pond I swam in during the second race. I don't even want to consider that as an option. I'm not prepared to be on an episode of "Monsters Inside Me."


More Bad Results
Still not 100%, I did a race in Columbia in late June. I knew I couldn't "race" the event, so I went out easy and just tried to maintain a good effort the entire race. My times were slow, but I was happy to at least be able to race at 80% effort and not burn out. I was getting better!

After that race, I had two weeks to return to form before race #3 of the CSTS. Although my training times weren't where they were earlier in the year, they were improving. The closer I got to race day, the better I felt. I even decided to go a little harder than planned. I had a solid swim, but didn't push it. My bike split was slow, about 2 minutes off my normal time, and I ran a 23 minute 5k.

That night, I started feeling sick again. And indeed, woke up with a cold. Unlike the Ebola virus, or SARS, or whatever I had earlier in the summer, this seems to be more of a common cold, an upper respiratory thing. And I can usually bounce back quickly from a cold, but my season is over. I have two more races in the next month, and I know won't be up to task.

Bottom line, this has been a disastrous summer of racing. At the time when I'm supposed to be peaking, I'm rebuilding. It's very frustrating, but it happens I suppose.

I think the lesson learned is not to sign up early for so many races. And as much as I hate to admit it, when you get sick, it's probably best to see a doctor and get it treated, instead of letting it wreck your body for several weeks. Oh well, there's always next year.