HIM Training Brain Trust

Getting some views but no input should I rephrase the question?

1. It depends on what training plan you are going to follow.  Most have a description of the paces and distances you should be able to comfortably do before you begin the plan.
2.  If you follow #1, you will be fine.
3.  My personal race experience before my first HIM was a year and half of tris at the sprint and Oly distances.  I normally race about once a month from April to October, so IIRC, my first HIM was about my 10th race or so.

I suspect you haven't had many responses because people might not be sure what you're looking for.... but I'll take a stab at answering.

I did my first HIM after two seasons of tri training for sprint and olympic distance races. There was also a marathon, half marathon or two, and some other longer distance stand-alone running races. I don't remember exactly, but I think when I started training for my first HIM I was probably running 3-4 x/week, biking 2-3x/week, and swimming 2-3x/week. I don't remember what the total volume for any of those was at the time. My "base" was sufficient for me to pick up and follow a modest HIM training plan, complete the race, and meet my goals (mainly to finish safely, but also to come in under 6:30). My guess is I might have done better with a bit more training under my belt, but it went fine as far as I was concerned.

If you're trying to assess whether or not you're ready to train for an HIM, take a look at a few training plans and see if you think you can (or will be able to) reasonable complete the training laid out in the first month or so of the plan, and decide if you want to go for it!

To get ready for my HIM, I was making sure that I rode at least on 50 miler a week preceding the race, could run a 1/2 while napping (while not fast, steady without fatigue, or 9mm easy), and could swim a mile in open water with relative comfort. That was how I knew my base was adequate. I am backing off this year (distance wise), and want to work on form, speed, and core strength. Start training with your HIM in mind now. I also believe that you should think about whether distance racing is what you are after. I had two opposite goals last year, and at time it was frustrating. I wanted to do short course fast, but needed to focus on distance. The two, in my experience, don't mix (at least not at my skill level)! My race experience was sprints, olys and HMs over a period of 3 years. I raced like crazy the month leading into my race (two sprints, 5k and time trials). It was a lot, and next time, I will back off some of them and save myself more for the main event! I was told I was overtraining, and think maybe that was the case with the run, but certainly not with the bike or swim. I really feel my run training wasn't too much volume, and maybe not enough focus! I would go out and do between 12-16 for a long, and it left me fatigued for a good part of the week. I would recommend really focusing in your weak area, and going steady in the other two... sorry to ramble, have fun and good luck!

Which race are you looking at? I did the 1/2 Rev Cedar Point, and it was damn near perfect!!! Great, beginner friendly course.

Check out the free HIM plan here, it's enough if you are looking for a 6-7hr finish and have the base it discusses.

I used it last year from my first HIM and went 6:10 (even though the bike was 62 miles) so I think it's a good plan for people with 6 - 10 hrs/week to train.

It was only my 4th tri/2nd season, but I had done quite a lot of racket sports and tournament training.

Thanks for all the input; that was just what I was looking for; as my training level is over what is needed to for a OLY distance and just short of a HIM plan.  I am working with my coach to possibly target a HIM in september as my A race with a few shorter races as training event leading up to the HIM.

With this being my first season I was just wondering where people started.  The swim has me totally freaked out but then again I just did TI a week ago; and for my first week in the pool I did just over 5000 yards; so working on more endurance I am feeling more confident that a HIM is in reach.  My goal is to finish with style; no flailing on the swim; not crashing on the bike and a confident run. 

This sparked my interest.  I don't remember, but logs are a wonderful thing....

So I looked.  Scary.

I started training in May 2008, with zero background.  I built slowly and steadily to the numbers you see below.  I didn't really start biking until late summer, and swimming in early fall.

In the 6 weeks prior to my first HIM (May 9 2009), here's what it looked like (rounding):

Weeks before race week	Swim	Bike	Run
6	6500yd	96m	20m
5	6400yd	144m	23m
4	6600yd	64m	25m
3	1700yd	105m	27m
2	4700yd	66m	27m
1	3200yd	64m	18m

 

Clearly this was enough to finish.  I finished.  I overcooked the bike and totally blew up on the run.  With a better-paced bike it would have been a better, day, but it was never going to be a great day.

Prior to the HIM I had done (all in the spring of 2009) a few sprints and an Oly.

If I had to do it over again, I probably wouldn't (i.e., couldn't) increase my volume going into the race, but I would definitely have raced the bike more realistically, given my volume.  In fact, if I recall, I went in a bit over-trained.

(FWIW, I wouldn't dream of doing a HIM now with that volume.   But I guess that comes with time.  For a first, I think it worked to get me to the finish line.)

Edited by Experior 2011-02-06 8:35 PM

This is awesome feedback; when you wouldn't dream of it; does that mean to much or not enough?   

Not enough.   But as I suggested, you can't just decide to do higher volume.  It takes time for your body to be able to absorb higher volume without shutting down or getting injured.  How much time clearly depends on the individual.  For my first HIM, I think it was fine.  For subsequent races, I was doing progressively more volume prior to the race.  (But if I had tried that prior to the first, I would have just killed myself.  I came darned close to doing so on the volume I posted, plus races.)

Got it; that is what I thought you meant but wanted to make sure that was the moral of the story!

Just to be clear -- I think it is very doable to finish the race in good spirits on volume that looks like what I posted above.  All I meant by "wouldn't dream of it" is that my goals have changed, and that change necessitates a change in training.