Quote Originally Posted by KSH View Post
OK, I have a questions:

1) How far out did you start training for your IM?

2) Did you get rest days in your training plan? Was it possible to get in the volume that you needed and get rest days?

3) Did you have a regular day job (aka: Basically 7-5 with getting ready, etc.)?

My goal is to start training for my IM about 8 months out (Jan-Aug). So far, my coaches theory is that I train 7 days a week, and this is only for my HIM. I put in around 10-13 hours a week on average.

I really want to know if it will be possible for me to train to FINISH an IM in around 16 hours... with only 5-6 days of training.

This HIM training has shown me that I can't go for months without a rest day. Sure, I love training, but I need a mental and physical rest day. I need to lay on the couch and be lazy at least 1 day a week.

I'm going to work with him to see if he can come up with a different type of training plan... but if he can't... and I KNOW it's possible to train for an IM and get rest days... then I'm going to have to find a new coach.

Luckily, I will have from Oct-Dec to find a new coach. Although, he is so reasonably priced ($85 a month for weekly training plans and unlimited contact), I'm not sure if I can afford someone else!

So... give me all the gory details IM ladies! I want to know what is possible!
Sorry this took me a while but I wanted to hae enough time to post something with substance.

1) I started training for this IM 8 months out. I think I could have done it 6 months out and may have done just as well, but that's with a huge base at the HIM distance. IMHO, if you can do an HIM in 7 hours, you can finish IM in 16.

2) Yes. The big volume comes on your days off. the rest of the week you are looking at shorter workouts with some other goal to them, like intervals or hills. My longest bike ride during the week was 1:45, with exception of one specific week where I wanted to amp up the volume so I booked off work early and did a 3 hour ride. But that was only once. You plan the rest days in and don't cheat on them. They will happen. If you can get 2 high quality workouts in for each discipline a week, you can plan a rest day and you will be fine. Ideally, you want more than that and you do it by scheduling 2 workouts in a day during the week, clustering your hard workouts, then you still have a rest day.

3) I have a regular job but I can manipulate my schedule so that I can sneak in workouts during the day. I take a longer lunch so I can run and I stay later. I also book off an hour or two here and there to squeeze in something if I have to. As long as my patients are getting seen and the paperwork is getting done, my boss doesn't care. I get paid by the hour, so anytime off just means a little less income.

HIM and IM training are very similar. The weekday workouts would be about the same, what changes is the weekend, long workouts. So as long as you're willing to commit an entire day to riding in your weekend, You can do it. As for the running, I never train longer than 2.5 hours running. That's about 14 to 15 miles. It worked for me the first IM. We'll see what happens this time. My training by hour was in the 15 to 20 range during big volume weeks and in the 12 to 15 range when I was working on intensity. Joe Friel says that you need a minimum of 500 or 600 hours to train for IM. That works out to about 15 to 19 hours per week for 8 months. But realize that those are planned hours and you'll end up taking more rest sometimes just because you need it.

My hard weeks did not have a total rest day but they had at least one, usually 2 days that I did light recovery rides or swims. My rest weeks had at least 1 if not 2 days totally off. I think you can do an IM workout with one day a week built in that is total rest. It's just not for me. I actually recover better with a light workout on my "off" days.

Think about this, you are a good swimmer, I'd say about the same pace as me...that has you finishing the swim at a little under 1:10, 5 min for T1. That's being generous. So you're on the bike at 1:15. Your bike sounds similar to mine as well. I did my first IM ride in 6:30 and that was a hilly course and I did not push too hard. So that means you're now at 7:45. At my first IM I had to massage my feet before I could run, that took 8 min so let's say for whatever reason you have a long T2 - 15 min. You're now at 8 hours. That gives you 8 hours to finish the Mary to come in at 16 hours. 9 hours to come in in under 17. Your really can do this. Even if you don't get much faster running, you just have to build up your endurance.

Go for it. But yeah, I think you need a different training plan. This 7 days a week thing is not working for you.