Speed workouts for the Ironman run
Don't neglect the benefit of doing weekly speed workouts when training for an Ironman.
Long-distance triathletes are really good at going steady for a long time. Most of them love their long bike rides and runs, but they tend to neglect speed work as they try to get in the weekly miles.
Incorporating speed work into your training will not only increase your top-end speed, but it will also improve your overall fitness. Before including more speeds sessions to your routine, allow yourself time to build a strong base.
Below are a few workout ideas that are great to do in your Ironman build up.
Related: Two key run workouts for a 10K
Adding some spice to your long run
These are two examples of workouts you can do within a long run. This is a great way to build confidence leading up to a marathon because of the high mileage and high intensity.
- Do a 10K warm-up and follow that with six to ten 1K repeats at marathon pace, taking 1K easy between reps. Then cool down for 2 to 4 kilometres.
- Start with 16K easy, followed by 8K at your marathon goal pace. Do another 2K easy and then pick it up again for 4K starting at your marathon goal pace and getting faster with each kilometre. Finish with 2K easy.
* Marathon pace could be set as your goal (stand-alone) pace.
Related: Adding variety to your long run
The Classic
These are more classic examples of speed workouts. Always do 2 to 3K of warm-up and cool down before and after getting into the faster stuff.
- Three to four reps of 2K repeats at tempo pace with two minutes and thirty seconds recovery between reps.
- Four to five reps of mile repeats at your 10K pace with two minutes of recovery between reps.
- Eight to ten reps of 1K repeats at your 10K pace with two minutes of recovery between reps.
