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Total Hours Prior to full IM

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started by Nobody on February 24, 2009

Out of curiosity, how many total miles of swimming/biking and running do most average in the six months prior to a full Ironman?

Greatness is only achieved by those who perpetually raise the expectations of themselves to the point where it ruins their life.

Anton's picture
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Anton posted 38 weeks ago.

I keep track of my hours leading up to IM's for the previous year, since , when you look at many training formats they use that as a predictor of performance in your upcoming IM.
I've hit a little over 600 hours in my three previous IM's. This year for IMLP I hope to hit about the same...maybe a little closer to 700.
It's hard though to use it as a predictor I think since every one is different. I know folks who regularly hit 800 or more training for their IM...but are midpack finishers. Conversely, I know a few folks that did 4- 500 for the year and damn near won their age group.
600 hours is usually the minimum suggested to finish one in good form. 500 to 700 for an HIM.

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TryScott posted 38 weeks ago.

Anton wrote:

I've hit a little over 600 hours in my three previous IM's.

600 hours in 180 days, or in a 36 week plan (252 days)? I didn't double check my math, but I think 600 hour in 180 days is 23+ hours per week.

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Anton posted 38 weeks ago.

Take a look again...My first sentence notes that it's for the previous year. That includes all the base stuff I do and then the training cycle.
From Joe Friel:
"Here are suggested annual hours by race distance These are not absolutes; in other words, you don't have to train at these hours to race competitively or even compete at these distances. Some do more and still race poorly. Others do less and win frequently.
Ironman 600-1200
HIM 500-700
Olympic 400-600
Sprint 300-500
Juniors 200-350 "
Sorry for any confusion and no...I'm not THAT type 'A' to put in 23 hour weeks.!

"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
http://antonspath.blogspot.com

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TriSooner posted 38 weeks ago.

Given that I am OCD about my training log - and that the TriFuel log allows date filtering - I can give you an exact number. Between 1/7/2008 and 7/5/2008 (180 days of training for Ironman Germany):

  1. 77,548 meters swim (25 hours)
  2. 2,569 mile bike (151 hours)
  3. 625 mile run (93 hours)

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TriSooner posted 38 weeks ago.

Anton wrote:
From Joe Friel . . . Ironman . . . 600-1200

Uhm, then Friel is full of it. 1,200 hours . . . annually? Not to kill the messenger or anything, but I mean, really, this is why I don't read Friel. He must pull these numbers out of his butt.

As Anton noted, the upper-end of that is 23 hours a week, every week, for 52 straight. I tried plugging that into pace calculators and they wouldn't handle that many commas so I did it long-hand (OK, in Excel): Breaking down 1,200 annual hours (and pace assumptions) by 20% swim (1:45 per 100m pace), 30% run (8:00 per mile), and 50% bike (18mph avg), that comes out to . . . 822,000 meters annual swimming (15,000+ weekly); 2,700 miles annual running (58+ weekly); 10,800 miles annual cycling (219 weekly). Obvioulsy there is no way anyone actually does this. I hasten to say that these are numbers that most people might put up in a lifetime.

Even the lower end of his estimate of 600 per year give you really heady total: 411,000 meters annual swimming (7,914 weekly); 1350 miles annual running (29+ weekly); 5,400 miles annual cycling (109 weekly). Remember that these figures are for 52 weeks straight. Sure, many of us do this volume occasionally, but infrequently and mostly during the actual race prep phase.

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jasonbarker posted 38 weeks ago.

Very refreshing to see some of this thread. I am considering Ironman at the end of this year on approx 10 hrs a week and by the comments here I would say it is entirely feasable. Have done a couple of HIM's this year on about 7-8 hrs a week and although definately a mid packer have improved by close to 10% on my times.

When I was younger (20 years ago) I used to do stupid miles to compete in olympic distance (up to 20+hrs a wk) and always felt tired, never felt that I could perform at my best and found it seriously hard to stay motivated.

As an older and hopefully slightly wiser person I felt that 10 to 12 hrs a wk was possible.

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derek5 posted 38 weeks ago.

CDA ironman was my first IM last year and six months leading in I logged this:
Bike: 105 hours
Swim: 60 hours
Run 60 hours

april and may were very high volume. it comes out to around 10 hours a week, but I got as high as 18-20 for a few weeks in the spring. I finished 6/55ish in my age group last year. I will be doing CDA and Louisville this year so I have logged quite a few hours this year. I believe if you train smart, 10 hours a week can be sufficient for Ironman.

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Ironmom posted 38 weeks ago.

I can't find my IM training notebook at the moment but I know I've posted it here before. Most of my weeks leading up to it averaged 9 - 13 hours. My longest week was 17 hours. I only did a couple of weeks over 14 hours. Placed in top 25% of age group. My guess is over the 6 months prior, I probably did about 300 hours of training.

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Nobody posted 38 weeks ago.

I did 85/160/80 (S,B,R) in prep for KY, but finished at just under 13 hrs. For CDA I did far less hours/mileage and finished just over 13 hours...based on my rough math it would appear that 100 extra training hours only cost me about 15 min!

Greatness is only achieved by those who perpetually raise the expectations of themselves to the point where it ruins their life.

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Anton posted 38 weeks ago.

TriSooner wrote:
Anton wrote:
From Joe Friel . . . Ironman . . . 600-1200

Uhm, then Friel is full of it. 1,200 hours . . . annually? Not to kill the messenger or anything, but I mean, really, this is why I don't read Friel. He must pull these numbers out of his butt.

As Anton noted, the upper-end of that is 23 hours a week, every week, for 52 straight. I tried plugging that into pace calculators and they wouldn't handle that many commas so I did it long-hand (OK, in Excel): Breaking down 1,200 annual hours (and pace assumptions) by 20% swim (1:45 per 100m pace), 30% run (8:00 per mile), and 50% bike (18mph avg), that comes out to . . . 822,000 meters annual swimming (15,000+ weekly); 2,700 miles annual running (58+ weekly); 10,800 miles annual cycling (219 weekly). Obvioulsy there is no way anyone actually does this. I hasten to say that these are numbers that most people might put up in a lifetime.
Excellent points. It is just monster milage. Maybe if your a pro you can hit some of the upper end stuff, but add in kids, a full time job, a tough college schedule and no bloody way. Of the 600 or so hours I post before an IM The bulk of it is base work...marathons, 50 milers double centuries and the training that goes with them. I went back and looked at some of my training logs and my 6 month pre IM totals are close to yours Sooner.
After IMLP this year I come back and post my final total...
Even the lower end of his estimate of 600 per year give you really heady total: 411,000 meters annual swimming (7,914 weekly); 1350 miles annual running (29+ weekly); 5,400 miles annual cycling (109 weekly). Remember that these figures are for 52 weeks straight. Sure, many of us do this volume occasionally, but infrequently and mostly during the actual race prep phase.


That is Monster Milage. Excellent point. If you're a Pro maybe but add in kids, a full time job a heavy college schedule and the like, and no bloody way. The bulk of my 600 pre IM hours are base...Marathons 50 milers and centuries/double centuries and the training that goes with them. Went back and looked at my totals before my IMs and I'm close to you Sooner for the 6 months prior.
I'll come back and post after IMLP with the final total.

"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
http://antonspath.blogspot.com

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spomeroy posted 38 weeks ago.

TriSooner wrote:
Anton wrote:
From Joe Friel . . . Ironman . . . 600-1200

Uhm, then Friel is full of it. 1,200 hours . . .

Oh then you MUST read this MONSTER thread here:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2216663;sb=post_latest_reply...

cheers
S.

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jonovision_man posted 38 weeks ago.

jasonbarker wrote:
Very refreshing to see some of this thread. I am considering Ironman at the end of this year on approx 10 hrs a week and by the comments here I would say it is entirely feasable.

I'm going for it this year and will be in that neighbourhood, 10 hours a week.

Of course my goal is simply to finish... hopefully with a smile on my face, but I'll settle for a grimace. :)

jono

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Anton posted 38 weeks ago.

spomeroy wrote:
TriSooner wrote:
Anton wrote:
From Joe Friel . . . Ironman . . . 600-1200

Uhm, then Friel is full of it. 1,200 hours . . .

Oh then you MUST read this MONSTER thread here:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2216663;sb=post_latest_reply...

cheers
S.


Oh, S.T. No thanks..It's why I post here...too much negativity and flaming over there.

"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
http://antonspath.blogspot.com

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beads1985 posted 38 weeks ago.

1200 hours in a year is not that outrageous if you are a super serious AG'er or a pro.
23 hours a week, training 6 days a week is just under 4 hours a day.
That would include all long base work for the year.
Using the 20% Swimming, 30% Running, 50% cycling estimate from above that breaks down to;
S- 4.6 hours
R- 6.9 hours
B- 11.5 hours

600 hours in a year as a MoP'er is not that bad either.
11.5 hours a week, training 6 days a week is just under 2 hours a day
Using the 20% Swimming, 30% Running, 50% cycling estimate from above that breaks down to;
S- 2.3 hours
R- 3.45 hours
B- 5.75 hours

'Nothing to it, but to do it!'