How to train for an Ironman triathlon

Ever wondered how to train for an Ironman race: a 3.86km swim and 180km cycle, followed by a marathon? UK champion Fraser Cartmell shares his elite regime, while his coach, Gordon Crawford, offers some top tips for novices
Fraser Cartmell, Ironman
Fraser Cartmell, UK Ironman champion. Photograph: Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Give a brief overview of a typical week's training

When I'm preparing for a race, such as the recent World Ironman 70.3 Championships or the upcoming Ironman Arizona, it's a decent volume of training across all three disciplines. I swim up to 25km over six 75- to 90-minute swims. I bike 500-600km, which is up to 20 hours, varying from two-hour recovery to six-hour hilly rides. Running has been slowly improving in volume and is just over 80km, spread via 35-minute easy jogs to two hours steady, including longer race pace intervals.

Describe an average day in a bit more detail

A recent day's training was a long bike-to-run (which we call a 'brick workout') race-specific session. This involved four hours on the bike, including nearly two hours of race pace intervals, straight into an hour's run, with the first 30 minutes as race pace and then easy recovery. I finished with a short 30-minute swim to loosen off, including some sprint work to flush out the legs. In the evening I had an hour-long massage to further aid recovery.

Do you divide your training equally between swimming, cycling and running?

In terms of number of sessions it can be quite similar: roughly five to six swims, five bikes and up to eight runs at times. However, the bulk of the volume will always come from the biking, as this is such a big part of our racing – in an Ironman we are competing over 180km.

Do you work on other aspects of fitness, such as balance, flexibility and core strength?

Yes; I try to incorporate three gym-based sessions of about 45 minutes each, where I do a lot of basic core work including plank, press-ups, sit-ups and swiss ball, plus stretching. I also try to stretch after most swim, bike and run sessions.

How important is nutrition? What is your typical diet?

It's very important. We obviously use a lot of calories throughout a training day, and we need to replenish this with good quality food. A typical day for me would be some cereal for breakfast with coffee or a bagel with cream cheese; lunch could be a savoury bagel with ham/cheese/salad and some fruit; and dinner might be some lean meat (steak or grilled chicken) with a big salad, or pizza or pasta. My diet is always weighted towards carbs. Throughout the day I try to hydrate well – constantly sipping on water with electrolyte added (Nuun tablets) to keep the salt levels topped up.

How do you prevent injury, and how do you recover from injuries?

Touch wood, I have been lucky enough to not have any serious injury. Maybe I'm not training hard enough! I have weekly massages to iron out all the bumps and grumbles in my legs. I use compression regularly, especially after any hard run session. And I stretch on a daily basis. From time to time I have an ice bath too, but these aren't much fun!

How do you relax away from training?

I catch up with friends for coffee or food, or try to read, or just relax at home and stay off my feet.

What kit and equipment do you swear by?

Trek bikes, K-Swiss shoes and Blue 70 wetsuits and swimwear all do the job perfectly for me.

How important is rest and sleep?

Sleep is very important. I struggle with getting to bed early enough (I procrastinate at night time!), but I like to get six to eight hours, although this doesn't happen very often. Instead I will generally have a nap during the day – mostly mid-morning after a morning session.

Can 'ordinary' people – not just elite athletes - benefit from taking part in Ironman triathlons?

Absolutely! The focus and drive needed to complete enough training on a weekly basis for the weeks and months leading into a goal race such as an Ironman is addictive. Simply being able to juggle work, family and other commitments with the training needed to complete an Ironman creates a huge sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when you eventually cross the finish line – and more often than not results in looking for the next event to sign up for!

Top tips for novices

Gordon Crawford
Gordon Crawford runs through some technique drills PR

Rachel Dixon spent a day training with Fraser Cartmell's coach, Gordon Crawford, at Boot Camp Revolution in Essex. He passed on some advice for novice triathletes - the Iron(wo)men of the future.

1. Plan your training. The minimum you can get away with is one swim, run and bike a week. A balanced programme will keep you interested and reduce the likelihood of injury.

2. Make it sociable. Join a local triathlon club for coaching and group training (even if you don't want to compete, this can be a good way to keep fit and meet people). If there isn't a tri club in your area, look for a running or cycling club, so that at least some of your training is a shared endeavour.

3. Swim in open water as regularly as you can. If you are unused to open-water swimming, race day will be a shock. The water is black, cold and deep; navigation is difficult; the start is a scrum.

4. Work on your balance and core strength. This is invaluable for triathlon, especially the transition stages. Make it part of your warm-up two or three times a week.

5. Prepare for the course. Each race is different and your training needs to reflect that, whether it's hills, laps or sea swimming.
