Reverse periodisation and building specificity

We dive deep into Ironman training and preparation in today's episode, and discuss how to best get ready for an Ironman whether you're looking to achieve an ambitious time or position goal, or you're looking to complete your first full distance triathlon and simply want to beat the cut-off times.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

• What are the prerequisites for doing an Ironman? Can anybody do one? 
• How much time should you have to prepare for an Ironman? 
• Ironman periodisation
• Key workouts, training volume and intensity, brick and simulation sessions, and more
• How to taper for an Ironman
• Nutrition and equipment considerations
• Sample Ironman training weeks
• The most common mistakes age-group triathletes make in their Ironman training

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts689/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

• Ironman Course Ratings - how fast or slow are the different Ironman courses? By Trirating. 

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

• Gordo Byrn on optimising Ironman training, the importance of volume and low intensity training, and practical age-group training - already a 2026 classic for That Triathlon Show, Gordo is a fantastic coach, athlete, thinker and communicator. This is one not to miss!
• Ironman World Champion Solveig Løvseth on her race day strategy in Kona, her training block at altitude, heat training and more! - Less relevant for age-groupers perhaps, but from a pure triathlon and Ironman performance perspective, it’s fantastic to hear exactly what the current Kona Champion did leading up to her great victory. 
• Craig Alexander – Three-time Ironman World Champion - Crowie is one of the legends of the sport, and provides a fantastic perspective on how triathlon training and Ironman training specifically has evolved over the last two decades. 

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

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• The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
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SPONSORS: 

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