Marathon and Ironman Triathlon Training Plans
By Raymond Britt
I started tracking my training from the first mile I ran in 1994, at the age of 33. Over the years, the distance swimming, biking and running has surpassed 45,000 miles (click chart at left).
Since 2002, I've been tracking my actual training at a level that can be helpful for athletes who want to finish a first triathlon or marathon, or those who want to qualify for the Boston Marathon or the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona.
My training and racing over the last few years has varied from competitive to relaxed. I tend to train far less, and race more, than most Ironman triathletes.
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My training averages less than one hour per day. That way, it does not interfere with work or family priorities. In a normal day, my commute to work takes more time than my typical workout. Yet my racing results have not been compromised.
Summaries of my last six training years and race results are below.
2007: A balanced year of five marathons, two 50-mile ultramarathons and two Ironman triathlons. Highlights include qualifying for Boston, finishing a 50-mile ultramarathon and Ironman Wisconsin within eight days, and running 3 marathons in four weeks.
Specifically, I averaged about 5 hours, 45 minutes of training/racing time per week in 2007. More time in summer when the sun rises earlier, still not cutting into work or family time. Click chart below for the overview, and click the 2007 link for the complete training plan.
2006: Mainly a year off from serious competition, though I still raced often, at lower intensity. Finished Ironman Arizona, Boston marathon and four other marathons. Click chart below for the training plan summary.
2005: Ironman Arizona in 10:35 followed by a 3:02 Boston Marathon 8 days later. Also finished Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Wisconsin and other marathons. Eased off later in the year. See summary chart below.
2004: Ironman triathlon personal best 10:12:22 at Ironman USA Lake Placid and my third Kona finish. See summary training plan below.
2003: Qualified for Kona 2004 at Wisconsin (6th place AG); 10:55 in Kona. See training plan summary below.
2002: Marathon PR (Boston 2:54); Qualified for Kona 2003 and 2004 at Lake Placid and Wisconsin, respectively; debut in Kona. See weekly training plan overview below.
To get the detailed training plans and analysis for my 2002-2004 seasons, see Qualifying for Kona: The Road to the Ironman Triathlon World Championship.
For more about how my training plans have translated to race performance, see Racing an Ironman Triathlon.
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