What Is Ironman?

Training for an Ironman

• Sleep is your friend! If you’re training hard consistently ensure you’re getting in between 8-10 hours of sleep a night to make sure your body has enough recovery time. 
• Be prepared to make lots of sacrifices in your social life. It’s imperative to train as much as possible and get enough sleep. 
• Rome wasn’t built in a day - it’s important to take your time with training and make sure you’ve given yourself plenty of time to train. A typical training course lasts between 24-30 weeks. 
• Wear the right clothing. If you’re taking part with a group or on your own and want to make your outfit one to remember, check out our custom triathlon, cycling and running apparel.

The Swim 

Firstly, you’ll have to undergo the tough swim - these can take place in large bodies of open water, such as lakes, canals, rivers, oceans and reservoirs. If you’ve never done an Ironman before, or aren’t the most confident swimmer try and find one where the swimming takes place in a lake, as you’ll have less waves to battle with and you can keep your head as low as possible to help you be as streamlined as possible. 

The Ride 

Cycling is the longest part of the event and is considered the hardest by some. Terrains can vary depending on location, for example Ironman Florida has a relatively flat course. However, some locations such as Ironman Lanzarote require tough climbs (over 2500m) with harsh winds thrashing against you. 

The Run 

If running a marathon isn't hard enough on its own, imagine completing one straight after an open water swim and a 112 mile bike ride. Again, the surfaces and amount of hills can differ, so it does depend on how confident and comfortable you feel. Ironman Wisconsin is infamous among the Ironman community for its unforgiving run with several large hills that can feel even harder after you’ve just completed the tricky swim and exhausting bike ride. 

If you’re wanting an incredibly tough challenge to truly push yourself, why not train for an Ironman? If you’re not quite ready for the hardest triathlon on Earth, there’s always Ironman 70.3 (half Ironman). The feeling of crossing that finish line will truly be like no other! The training and actual event are a display of pure determination, endurance and will show you how amazing the human mind and body really are.