Each year, I host a workout program called “Ironman March.” The aim is to get in triathlon shape for the upcoming spring and summer triathlon season and have fun doing it. The program’s goal is to do an Ironman distance over the course of a month. 

I totally dropped the ball on organizing Ironman March this year… So in 2015, we’re going to call it Ironman April.  April only has 30 days, not 31, so we better hustle!

How far, exactly, is an Ironman triathlon?

A 2.4 mile swim

A 112 mile bike

A 26.2 mile run

This breaks down to swimming approximately 872 meters/954 yards, biking 25.3 miles, and running 6 miles per full week.  It is a really great and fun way to get your body used to training for three sports. And it’s totally do-able for even a newbie triathlete! 

Here’s the official Ironman April training plan (click right here to view the printable PDF):

And, as always, here are the “rules:”

1. This is a ‘blank training plan.’ That means that while each week includes 4 days of blanks for each sport, that doesn’t mean that you have to do 4 days of running, biking, and swimming each week.  You can take as many – or as few – days to complete the total for each sport.
2. For example, let’s say that work out four days during the first week of April.  One workout is a 500 yard swim, the second is a long 30 mile bike ride, the third is a 6 mile run, and the last is another 500 yard swim. You’d fill out Day 1 and Day 2 on the swim line (“500 yards” and “500 yards), Day 1 on the bike line (“30 miles”), and Day 1 on the run line (“6 miles”).  You will have completed – nay, exceeded! – your weekly goal distances.  Make sense?
3. Two years ago, we decided that it takes two hour-long spin classes to ‘add up’ to the 25.3 miles. This is just a guess and definitely not scientific at all!  If you do one class, go ahead and call it 13 miles.
4. When added up, the weekly goals in the training chart may slightly exceed Ironman totals.
5. Most “short course” lap pools are 25 yards in length. “Long course” pools are 50 yards in length.  25 yards = 22 meters.
6. You can finish the ‘Ironman’ faster, if you want!  Don’t feel constrained by the weekly goals – they are just the average numbers necessary to stay on track.  For example, if you run 15 miles per week, you’ll be done with the run component before the second week is over.  Also, if you don’t swim at all one week, you can definitely make it up the next week.  The point is to do the Ironman over the entire month, no matter how you get there.

I hope you will download the training plan and join me on this fun challenge! And, as I did last year, we’ll be doing PRIZES.  Send me a photo of your completed training plan at the end of April, and you’ll be entered to win a fun prize <— prize TBD.

And, if you’re new to the triathlon sport, check out my awesome series for beginners:  So You Wanna Do a Triathlon.