What is a good time for first Ironman? (2023)

How long does it take to do an Ironman beginner?

It takes 6 months to 1 year, depending on your current fitness. Athletes who can on day 1 complete a 70.3 Ironman, can train within 6 months. Athletes who have never done a triathlon or are brand new to triathlon training, will require 12 months. There are an abundance of plans out there for 12 or 16 weeks.

Average Ironman Triathlon Finish Times

The average triathlete will complete an IRONMAN triathlon in 13-13.5hrs, requiring around 1:20hrs to finish the swim, 6:30hrs to finish the bike, and 5:00hrs to finish the run.

There are different ways to approach an Ironman, but depending on the needs of the athlete, a build in volume can begin 6 to 8 months before the event.

Anyone can do an IRONMAN if they want to. If you are considering it, then there is no doubt that you can do it too… with a bit of self-belief and hard work, you can achieve anything. However, you need to give yourself the best chances of success.

Among the greatest physiological challenges encountered in an Ironman are core body temperature regulation, dehydration, energy depletion, muscle damage, nutrient absorption, and brain fatigue.

For mere mortals, a cross training routine of running, swimming and cycling would usually be considered safer than focusing on a single sport, but studies show that triathletes get hurt at least as often, if not more, than pure runners, because of the intensity and sheer volume of training they do.

It's tough to say, but in general, in an IRONMAN 70.3 you might run 30 to 60 seconds per mile slower than your half marathon pace, and in an IRONMAN race it could be 1 to 3 minutes per mile slower than your best marathon pace. But even though it's slower, the feeling coming across the finish line is like no other!

The average triathlete spend months, if not years, preparing to compete in an Ironman Triathlon, to finish the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile marathon in less than 17 hours. In a typical North American Ironman, nearly 95% of those who start will ultimately finish the race.

On average, athletes burn 6-800 calories per hour during an Ironman. *fat utilization increases during sessions lasting more than one hour. 160 lb 13 hour guy = about 9100 cals.

How long? At the very least, a first-timer should follow a 24-week Ironman training plan, as it will give an athlete time to get accustomed to the three sports (and juggling all of them with life) while gradually building the fitness required to cover 140.6 miles.

How much should I run a week for Ironman?

I recommend that even serious competitive Ironman triathletes perform only three independent runs per week. The most important of these is the weekend long run. Complete at least four runs of 18 miles or more, and feel free to go as long as 26.2 miles in training to cement a solid reserve of running endurance.

For athletes, who especially require the restorative properties of sleep, the minimum jumps to nine hours of sleep per night. If such a long snooze simply isn't possible in your jam-packed schedule, at least shoot for more sleep than what you're currently getting.

Comparing those against each other, Ironman was far more difficult. My race times in Ironman were both just under 13 hours, whereas my race times for the ultras were both in the 7.5 hour range. Ironman required many months of heavy training, hitting 20 hours a week in the 2 months leading up to the race.

It combines three sports which, when taken individually, are already among the most demanding: running, cycling and swimming. And, in the world of triathlon, the Ironman race reigns supreme, while Olympic Triathlon has shorter distances, making it more intense…

We'll start with the most obvious (and most visible) weakness: Tony Stark doesn't really have a strong heart. Well, figuratively, he does, since he spends most of his movie appearances accidentally mentoring Spider-Man and trying to make up for his past mistakes.

Allow a good three weeks to get over an IRONMAN: it may even be more! The kinder you are to yourself and to the recovery process the stronger you will be as an athlete in the future. Physically, you will do better by taking it steady. If you push now, you stand a good chance of picking up colds, illnesses or injury.

The majority of finishers are clustered in the 1-6% bodyweight loss area during an Ironman.

Another study, published last year in the journal Heart, found that endurance exercise—such as marathons and Ironman triathlons—can actually lead to premature aging and early death.

Most folks during an Ironman will need between 40 grams (160 kcal) and 120 grams (480 kcal) of carbohydrate per hour on the bike to partially replace what is being burned on the bike. The more power that you produce and the higher relative intensity that you ride, the greater your needs will be.

What is the hardest part of Ironman?

Staying mentally focused in the back half of the run is the hardest thing for most people - things get really tough at mile 17 or 18. It's really hard to get running again after a few steps in the aid station. For others (like me), the hardest part is keeping your tummy happy.

On average, the age of a best Ironman triathlon performance was between 30 and 35 years for both male and female athletes. Don't fret about aging—studies also show the average age of peak performance is increasing every year.

Introduction of Gordon Ramsay

He completed the “world's toughest race” the Hawaii Ironman in 2013 in a time of 14 hours 4 mins and 48 seconds.

Distances, Times and Hours per Week

As the chart shows, moving from an Olympic to half Ironman in terms of the swim is less than a 30% increase in distance. However, the bike and the run distances increase by more than double. Then by definition the full Ironman is twice the half Ironman distance.