Signing Up for an Ironman

IM Wisconsin Swim Start

Ironman is the biggest triathlon commitment you can make, not something to be taken lightly.  Here are some pointers to consider before you sign up and to help with planning once you have made the commitment.

1.    If you haven’t done at least one well executed 70.3 then stop reading right now, you are not ready to sign up for an Ironman.  Ideally you should have done a couple Half Ironmans before you sign up for the Full. Preferably you have run a stand-alone marathon and gone 100 miles on your bike before beginning your Ironman year as well.  The build up for Ironman is hard enough, if you have never done a 100 mile ride and/or a 20 mile training run then you likely aren’t as mentally or physically ready as you could be to try to put it all together.

2.    Pick the right race - For a Midwest based athlete I strongly encourage you to do one of the three “end of summer” Ironman events – Canada, Louisville or Wisconsin.  The reasons I suggest them are:

a.    Longer summer days make it easier to get up early or stay out later

b.    More options for prep races such as Kansas 70.3

c.     More training buddies around in the summer (maybe others read this article too!)

d.    For Louisville and WI, they are close enough you can drive there on race week and for a “Recon Trip” in July (see para below)

e.     The terrain is similar to what we have in our area, rolling hills, can be hot, can be windy – ie. Kansas in the Summer.

f.      Amongst them you can then look at each race individually, they are all different.  Wisconsin and Canada have mass start swims and hillier bike routes. Major characteristic of Louisville is the heat and humidity (though we have had exceptions in two of the last three years)

3.    What about some of the others?

a.    St. George & Texas – Too early.  Unless you really love spending 5 hours on your trainer or doing 18 mile runs on the treadmill, these races aren’t for you. St George is also very hilly; a great challenge but not for your first one

b.    CDA – not as tough as the above but still early.  It is a beautiful location and the race conditions are often good (with a cold swim) but you must fly and you are going to be riding 80-100 in March.

c.     Lake Placid – time of year is better, it is also a beautiful location but it is hillier than what we have here.  You can go down to Arkansas for the hills but if you want to do that, then pick IM Canada instead.

d.    Florida - Too late in the year to peak because the days are short and the weather gets cool/cold.

e.     AZ or Cozumel – Same as Florida, only worse because once you get there you suddenly have to deal with hot and/or humid conditions. I have heard of people wanting to do Cozumel because it is a “nice vacation spot.” I agree, Cozumel is a wonderful place and I would encourage you to go there, but not as part of your Ironman.  When you are racing an Ironman, especially your first, pick one that makes life easy.  No need dealing with foreign languages, different food options, strange customs etc.  If you want to drink margaritas then take a trip after your IM.

4.    Couple other notes

a.    IM Canada is beautiful, I am bias having raced it 5 times but the advantages to Louisville and WI are you can drive instead of dealing with the hassles of flying.

b.    If you are an experienced Ironman athlete who is interested in “collecting T shirts” from all the races then go for it, the others are fine events. But, if you are a "virgin" or want to do well then pick a race that plays to your strengths and stick with it. I strongly believe part of what finally helped me qualify for Kona at IMC was I had raced there 4 times previously so I knew the route very well and knew how I was supposed to feel a the different points on the course. That knowledge only comes with experience.

c.     You don’t have to do Ironman every year, in fact your probably shouldn’t. Taking a year away from Ironman training will allow you to increase motivation so you are ready when it’s time to go again. You can often make more improvements in your 70.3 and marathon racing when not burdened with Ironman training. You can also do Century rides or focus on Olympic distance for a season.  All things that will make you a better Ironman athlete when you come back to it.

In summary, we train in the heat and the hills of the Midwest, so for your IM, especially if it is your first IM, do a race that will provide you terrain and conditions you are accustomed to.

Hopefully you have made the right decisions based on your needs and requirements. Once you have signed up, here are some things to do:

1. Have an “off-season”. For most of the races we are signing up a full 364 days before the event it is tempting to want to start “training” right away.  You must give yourself an opportunity to relax and be away from the sport mentally and physically for at lease a few weeks before your training season begins. The training will be hard enough come June, July and August, no need to hammer yourself in November and December.
2. Don’t wait on booking your hotel; they fill up as fast as the races do.
3. Plan on doing a Recon Trip, preferably in July. There are organized groups you can join at every IM or you can go there on your own or with some training buddies.  You want to plan the trip late enough that you are ready to ride the whole route but early enough that you can still impact your training significantly.
4. For a Sunday race plan on being at the race site no later than Thursday afternoon. This is a huge event; don’t start the weekend by feeling rushed.
5. Avoid adding other big non-triathlon events during your Ironman summer such as trips.  Travel is for later, the summer is for training.