I used the Pfitzinger 18 week 70 miles max week training program for marathons and it’s worked out well. I lowered my PR by 30 minutes on that program. My question is, has anybody here ever used a marathon training program for the Ironman run training? I’m doing Ironman Florida this year and am interested. I felt like I didn’t have enough miles with exact workouts for my last ironman. I was training for a 50 mile run at the same time so I was doing a few back to back workouts. Long run on Saturday followed by 10 miles on Sunday, But these were all fairly slow paced. A lot of the miles on the Pfitzinger 18/70 program are recovery miles, which I would scrap for swimming and cycling time. However, I was thinking of keeping the Mid Week long runs, for instance my max running week would be a midweek 15 mile run a Friday morning of 12 miles with 7 of those miles at half marathon pace, and a long run of 22 miles. There are 4 recovery runs that I would be skipping two 6 mile runs, a 5 mile run and a 4 mile run. But these are only recovery and are run extremely slow. Has anybody ever tried anything like this, and if so, how did it go?
Try thinking of it as being
Try thinking of it as being able to run a marathon fast based on your bike training. Plan out your run volume based on your bike volume. A focus on the bike volume will allow you to run to your marathon potential, which should be around 10% slower than your flat our marry time. Florida is a flat and fast run course, so compare it to a fast and flat marry time.
As a starting point, try running the numbers based on a 5:1 relationship between your run volume and bike volume.
Just remember, the more you bike, the faster you will run.
This past season I never put in more that a 55 mile run week (I did that just twice), but I biked as much as I could 250-350 weeks. I had a great marathon at IMFL this past year (also due to slacking a bit during the first 2hrs of the bike).
I think once you get into the 55-65 mile/week range for your max weeks that is good enough, any other time you spend running outside of those volumes would be better served on the bike. Most of your weeks should be in the 35-45 range. Max weeks are usually 25% more than your current volume leading up to those peak weeks.
Half marathon pace for a IM prep??? During the training??? Not sure on that one, why train a system you aren't going to use at all during the IM? I'm not stating this as a flippant response, I don't know the answer, I just wonder, what is the point. If you were racing a 1/2 sure, but you need to stay aerobic for 10+ hours, why not stress that system. 1/2 marathon pace is usually above threshold, which you will never get during your IM. Not saying stressing threshold isn't important, it is, but for 7 miles straight. I would rather see a "over/under" approach. 8 miles over and under IM marathon pace, that way you are knudging threshold, but not blowing through it, thus effecting that 22miler on Sunday, which was probably going to be after a long bike on Saturday.
No answers, just thoughts, curious what you think. VJ
The half mary time was def.
The half mary time was def. just to stress threshold. I was just wondering how mileage. A lot of the ironman training plans half a lot less running miles in them. I know a coach would be the best stratedy for me however that isnt a luxery I can afford. I struggle to make my race fees and gear and such as it is.
I agree about the biking. The more comfortable I can get the bike the better I will run no matter how many running miles I get to.
Do you by chance have a copy of your training so i could see it? I'd love to see how many miles you are running a week compared to swim and bike and how it fluctuates.
email me at
email me at vincent.johnson@rsu35.org