Oxygenaddict Triathlon Podcast · Rob Wilby

How to Train for IRONMAN in Six Months | Ep 568

·25 min·1 clip

An Ironman is a 3.8k swim, a 108k bike ride, and a marathon.

1. Oxygenaddict Triathlon Podcast episode 568 lays out a six-month Ironman and 70.3 training plan for busy age-group athletes. 2. Host and coach Rob Wilby from Team Oxygen Addict Triathlon Coaching explains why his role matters: he is giving a framework he says he has used with hundreds, nearly thousands of athletes. 3. The episode is for athletes who want to know what a six-month build should actually do, not just how to survive a race week. 4. Wilby opens by saying the plan should help listeners make the most efficient use of very limited training time. 5. He defines Ironman as a 3.8k swim, a 108k bike ride, and a marathon, then compares that load to the Bristol Channel, Bristol to London, and the London Marathon. 6. He says a 70.3 is half that distance but still a massive challenge because each discipline is a major event on its own. 7. He stresses that the training should prepare one combined event rather than three separate races stitched together. 8. Wilby repeatedly warns against copying 20-, 30-, or 40-hour training weeks seen from professionals or influencers. 9. He says the plan has to fit around a 40-, 50-, or 60-hour work week, family duties, school runs, and running a business. 10. He recommends building consistency from roughly one hour a day, then extending the longest ride, run, and swim later in the plan. 11. He reframes race-day success as completing the day well rather than attacking the first 200 meters of the swim. 12. He says endurance, not speed, limits performance for about 90% of athletes and that the run in the second half matters most. 13. His guiding rule is to train enough to get tired but not so hard that tomorrow’s session is ruined. 14. He says recovery is a disciplined choice, and that taking a little more rest is often better than forcing extra work. 15. He outlines a template week with three rides, three runs, two to three swims, one guaranteed recovery day, and some strength and conditioning. 16. He says the highest-value sessions are usually the two key bike sessions, the key run, and the key endurance swim, with everything else supporting them. 17. He argues that bike fitness is the main fitness engine because it transfers well to the run, while run training should avoid soreness and niggles. 18. He recommends a 9-minute run, 1-minute walk structure for long runs, swimming no more than 100 meters without a short break, and planned recovery weeks plus illness downtime. 19. Listeners who like practical triathlon planning for busy schedules will get the most value from this episode. 20. Listeners looking for race-day storytelling or entertainment-driven chat may skip it.

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