How to Know When You Are Ready for Long Course Triathlon
When you tell people you race triathlons, Ironman races are what come to their mind. If you have been thinking about doing a 70.3 or full Ironman in the next year or two, then here are some things to consider.
Have you been in the sport for at least 2-3 years? There are always outliers who can complete or even place highly at a 70.3 or a full Ironman within a year of starting in this sport. However, I have found it immensely helpful for age group triathletes to have a few years of triathlon under their belt. There is a rhythm to training and racing that is difficult to learn on the fly. Being familiar with how your body responds to triathlon specific training is immensely important.
Do you have a history of injuries or muscle imbalances? Long course racing has a way of bringing any injuries or imbalances to the foreground and making them blatantly obvious and loud. Tight IT band, piriformis syndrome, shoulder impingement, muscle strain, weak hip flexors, and neck strain are all common issues that age group triathletes encounter during training for long course. If you do have these issues, get them addressed with a chiropractor or physical therapist before you start training. And then continue to take care of those issues before they arise. Pre-hab is always easier (and less expensive) than rehab.
Do you have the family and friend support behind you? Training for long course triathlon takes extra time. There really is no way around that. There will be days when you will need to set aside other important commitments and do your training for 4-12 months depending on your goals. In addition, long course training and racing is also more expensive. Support from family and friends isn’t just about them giving you extra time to get your workouts in, support can also mean spending less on other things so you can fund your training, gear, coaching, travel, extra food, massage, race entry fees, etc.
Do you have at least 2-3 days a week where you can go long? An integral part of long course training is going long on consecutive days. For many triathletes looking to complete a 70.3 or Ironman, that means doing 60-90 minutes during the week and then a longer ride on Saturday and a longer run on Sunday most every week. For those looking to compete or qualify, that means upwards of 12-18 hours a week. In the Playtri Coaching model, we have Key Workouts where we stack 2-3 long days back-to-back approximately every 4-5 weeks to help simulate some (or all) of the physical load your body will experience on race day.
Can you be realistic with your goals and dreams? It is not uncommon for triathletes to have delusions of grandeur when it comes to long course racing. If, like me, you got excited about this sport because you watched coverage of the Ironman World Championship, then you know how intoxicating it can be to dream about qualifying for a World Championship. And if you have been in this sport for awhile, you also know how difficult it actually is to qualify. Approximately 2% of the people who race a full Ironman in any given year will qualify for the World Championships.
I hope you found this article helpful! Click on these links to learn more about our coaching programs, or email me at jim.rowe@playtri.com if you have any questions. Happy training and racing this year!
Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 5 Coach and Coach Education Lead, a USAT LI Certified Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and an Ironman and 70.3 World Championship Qualifier who works with adult athletes who are chasing PRs, moving up to long course racing, or want to qualify for a world championship. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.