The Ironman Distance
Part 1: Looking at “The Big Picture”By Coach Al Lyman, CSCS
Over many years of endurance training, racing, and coaching, I’ve had the opportunity to make a lot of mistakes and learn a great deal in the process! ☺ In an effort to help you avoid those same mistakes and thus increase your chance for success on the race course, I’ve put together a series of short articles, sort of a compendium of “how tos” to help you finalize your ironman race plan! As always, feel free to fire back any questions at me if you have them.
In my mind, there are a few basic principles that must be adhered to if you’re going to have a successful day on the race course. To keep things orderly, I’ll move from the “big picture” to gradually smaller pieces of the race with a series of articles, addressing those important components of nutrition, pacing, and mental/emotional state, among other things.
Some BIG PICTURE thoughts on the day:
1. Ironman isn’t a triathlon, it’s an eating and drinking contest! What, when, and how you handle fueling and hydration before and during the race is HUGELY responsible for your physical performance, especially late in the race (the 2nd half of the run). Over the years, I’ve witnessed athletes who show up on race day extremely fit and physically ready, only to discover that there lack of nutrition
preparation and attention to detail were “mistakes” that cost them a chance for a great race.
2. Stay in the moment - race in the NOW. Taken as a whole, an ironman can seem overwhelming, even to veterans of the distance. The best way to avoid feeling overwhelmed and make the day “fly by,” is to stay in the moment and on task at all times. This is true not only on race day itself, but also in the days leading up to race day. Develop a plan, a list of things “to do,” and then do the best you can, right at that moment. Worry about whatever’s next when you get there, because if
you take care of “right now,” what’s next will take care of itself too.
3. Ironman isn’t about racing, it’s about good decision making. Think about it, the entire day is simply one decision after another. If you make good decisions, you avoid serious difficulty and race to your potential, if not, you don’t. What’s the best approach? Another coach once shared his philosophy with me, which he calls the OODA Loop:
When an obstacle of some sort presents itself to you during the race (and it most assuredly will at some point), observe the situation, orient yourself and determine possible courses of action, decide on a course of action, and then act. Keep the OODA loop in mind during race day as an effective way to handle unforeseen difficulties as they arise, always remaining calm and focused in the process.
4. Be flexible and be prepared to improvise. Despite your well thought out and well rehearsed plan for how the day will unfold, you can expect that it won’t survive the first contact with some type of adversity, which may happen shortly after the gun goes off! ☺ No worries though, you’ve got the entire day to fix whatever happens, so use the OODA loop and do the best you can. Keep moving forward, stay relaxed and determined, and believe in your ability to overcome any adversity.
Some BIG PICTURE thoughts on race nutrition:
1. Think of water intake as not only hydration, but an aid to digestion. In other words, whenever you take in fuel, particularly if it is something that is concentrated, you should follow it with a swig of straight water to dilute it, thus aiding digestion and absorption. High calorie + too little water (or too much sports drink) = much greater risk of GI problems! Along with this thought, here are the two major reasons why I recommend you do not rely upon solid foods for fuel during the race: 1. Solid food requires lots of water to digest, and if this water isn’t available in the gut, it’s removed from the tissues and brought into the stomach, ultimately increasing your risk of dehydration. 2. Because of the work required to digest solid food, additional blood is needed in the gut, which similarly means that blood isn’t where you want it to be during the race: in your legs and arms
(the muscles doing the work!), helping you go forward faster and more easily!
2. You can think of this as “1a,” as it goes along with #1: Whenever you encounter problems with stomach cramping, sloshing in your gut, or GI distress of any kind, STOP taking in calories and go to straight water only. Obviously, you may also want to slow your pace, and if necessary, stop completely to assess what’s going on. At the very least, go to straight water until things return to normal. ALWAYS listen to your body and be aware of the signals it is sending you. Let your body reset itself, and let your heart rate come down. Some times a 5 min stand down during the bike can mean much more time saved on the run. If you get to the point of feeling a need to vomit, you haven’t been listening very well! LISTEN!
3. Intensity (heart rate) and calorie intake are inversely related. In other words, think of your heart rate as a measurement of the cumulative stress on your body, and calorie intake during the race, could be considered just another stressor. What does this mean? Take in your calories in a methodical, steady, and conservative rate,
and try to get the majority of them down early in the bike leg, when your body isn’t terribly stressed. Don’t make the mistake of taking in LOTS of calories when your heart rate is high. This concept is directly related to pacing, because if you pace smart, you will start conservatively and build effort over time. Similarly, don’t get into a calorie deficit and expect to make it up on the run, because at that
point, your body is under such great duress that it won’t process or assimilate calories well. OK, more simply put: high heart rate - adjust intake down, low heart rate - adjust intake up. Lastly, don’t do anything new that you haven’t tried in training. Execute the plan you have practiced and developed in training, remembering to be flexible as the day unfolds. If you need additional feedback on your race plan
or nutrition, contact me.
Some BIG PICTURE thoughts on the mind and emotions:
Without a doubt, the ironman is a long day that requires patience and discipline for success. It’s also a very emotional day, as many of you know and have experienced. However, many racers have made the mistake of letting their emotions control their thoughts and their decision making during the race! Save your emotions for the last 100 yard run to the finish line. That’s the time to let it all pour out. Until then, you need to remain focused, calm, cool, relaxed, and efficient throughout the entire day. You need to do your best to remain a cold, emotionless, decision-making machine!
As another coach said to me once, the day is too big for pride and too big to get angry or upset about. Stay in the moment and focused on the task at hand, use the OODA loop when needed, and think RELAX at all times. Lastly, much of what I’ve mentioned will ultimately come down to how much you believe in yourself. At some point during the race, your resolve will be tested. It’s actually the part of ironman racing I love, but also dread, the most. There will come a time when the only person who can help you is you. Do you believe in your self, deep down? Do you feel you belong? Do you believe you can do it? Do you have what it takes? I believe you do, but if you don’t believe, then you don’t have a chance. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
You DO belong, and you’re going to prove it when you hit that tape! See you at the finish line! Good luck, and stay tuned for more information coming soon!
A natural portion of triathlon is fear. It helps to be "aware" and sharp in spirit. However, from time to time it is good to overcome our worst fears. On my triathlon journey I fought with the following "monsters": 
