Posted: February 6, 2006

Multisport: The Marathon Ironman Combination

From: Jason Gootman, MS, CSCS & Will Kirousis, BS, CSCS
USA Triathlon and USA Cycling Certified Coaches
Tri-Hard Sports Conditioning Systems
www.tri-hard.com

Several years ago, we were talking with a group of triathletes who had just completed an Olympic Distance Triathlon. Each person in the group was fired up about the race they had just experienced. Their excitement was heightened because each had recently signed up for their first Ironman the following year. During this conversation, we were being pelted with intelligent and excited questions about the task of preparing for an Ironman. One of the most common questions we heard was “Should I run a marathon during the spring to prepare for my Ironman next summer?” We replied the same way every time, receiving startled and surprised looks, “No, you shouldn’t”. Although it seems to make sense on some theoretical levels, in the real world, running a marathon in your buildup to an Ironman usually presents more training/racing problems than it would seemingly prevent. Training for and racing a marathon in your Ironman buildup could severely cut into Ironman specific training time, could greatly enhance your risk of developing injuries, and could limit your ability to race to your potential best performance in your Ironman.

Running a marathon in your Ironman buildup really cuts into quality training time available for your Ironman. Running a marathon healthfully requires 10-21 days of taper time and 14-31 days recovery time. That could be as much as 52 days, or nearly two months of time, devoted appropriate pre- and post-race rest, when you really should be building your overall Ironman abilities in all three disciplines. So if you schedule a marathon within 3-4 months of your Ironman, you have two options. You could greatly reduce your training load, as you should to healthfully taper for and recover from your marathon. The trouble with this option is you will get to this point after your marathon and be woefully underprepared at that point for your ensuing Ironman. You could instead race your marathon with a very short taper and very short recovery period. The trouble with this option is that it is a recipe for disaster—injury, overtraining syndrome, and burnout. In short, the required reduction in training needed to perform a marathon safely, dramatically limits your time to specifically build up to your Ironman. But what if you don’t race your marathon; you “just run it easy”? The truth is running the 26.2 miles of a marathon cannot truly be done in a way that is easy. Even if you are to run it at a modest pace for yourself, you are going to be on your feet for from 2-3 to as much as 4-5 hours. Folks, there is no way for that to be easy on you, and it requires a good amount of rest to fully recover from. Running a marathon healthfully really cuts into your training time available for specifically training for your Ironman.

Running a marathon in your Ironman buildup substantially increases your potential for developing overuse injuries. Running tends to present the most injury-provoking training for most triathletes. Running is an activity in which your body needs to absorb considerable amounts of shock. One of the great draws to triathlon for many folks is the enjoyment gained from the variety of activities one gets to participate in during a race and in training. When running a marathon in your Ironman build-up you will need to have your endurance up to the marathon level established in time for your marathon and then in time for your Ironman. The volume of running associated with the Marathon Ironman combination enhances your potential to develop injuries, especially with the simultaneous swim and bike training.

Running a marathon in your Ironman buildup could hold you back on your Ironman day. If you have decided to race an Ironman, respect that decision. An Ironman is a BIG undertaking! You are making a big commitment to race an Ironman, a commitment that involves family, friends, work/school, and other lifestyle adjustments. Give yourself the best opportunity to succeed! A marathon deserves respect, as it is a very demanding race. Running a marathon requires a high output of physical, mental, and emotional energy. When you are training for an Ironman, you want to be developing your abilities, without sapping too much of your racing energy. You want as much as possible in the tank come Ironman day. Running a marathon in your Ironman build-up has the potential you have you leaving your best run a few months before your Ironman.

Many triathletes feel very inclined to run a marathon before they run an Ironman to gain some confidence that they can complete a marathon first. This can be very valuable for many triathletes. However, it is best not to include this planned marathon in your Ironman buildup. We suggest planning your marathon for the year prior to the year you will complete your Ironman or early enough in the same year, that it will not impact your Ironman training. For example, you could run a fall marathon as your final race in one year, and then race a late summer to fall Ironman the following year. Alternatively, you could do a very early marathon in one year, in January or February, followed by an Ironman in late summer or fall. This approach gives you enough time to avoid any of the pitfalls that can come when racing a marathon in your Ironman buildup.

Remember that training is done to help you develop your abilities and become better. Since you cannot and do not need to mimic the Ironman distance in training to successfully complete an Ironman and complete it fantastically, there is NO need to put your body or mind through the strain of running a marathon for training. Instead, steadily build your endurance across the disciplines and you will have a great day at your Ironman!

Jason Gootman MS, CSCS and Will Kirousis BS, CSCS coach endurance athletes of all levels, write for conditioning related magazines/journals, and provide educational services for private and professional groups about optimizing endurance sports performance through their company Tri-Hard Sports Conditioning Systems. Jason and Will, USA Triathlon and USA Cycling Certified Coaches, can be reached with questions or comments through their website www.tri-hard.com or via email at jason@tri-hard.com and will@tri-hard.com respectively.