How many Half Ironman’s/Full Ironman’s have you completed?
- Greg: This is my first Half Ironman and I have absolutely no interest in a Full Ironman
- Kris: I have completed one full Ironman (Tulsa in May 2021). This will be my first time doing the half Ironman race.
Have you done other races leading up to this event to help you get ready for doing this half Ironman?
- Greg: Nope! Risk it for the biscuit.
- Kris: I have not done any triathlons since my first one in Tulsa 2021. Ironman Ohio 70.3 will be my second triathlon
Why did you choose this Half Ironman?
- Greg: Since I’m more doing this as a bucket list race (and out of a bet with a buddy), I knew the Ohio half Ironman would be well organized and also flat.
- Kris: I initially chose Ohio because I thought it was going to be local in Delaware and I could avoid travel time and costs, but then they moved it to Sandusky. I’m still paying for lodging, but at least the travel is relatively close
What are you most excited about and most nervous about for this race?
- Greg: Most excited to see how many people I can pass in the run. Most nervous for the swim. I’m comfortable knowing I can complete the distance but if that day brings difficult swim conditions, I will be struggling.
- Kris: I am most excited to see how/if my cycling training pays off in the race. I feel like I am a stronger cyclist now then I was in Tulsa, plus the Sandusky course is much flatter than Tulsa. I am most nervous about choppy lake conditions during the swim. Swimming is most definitely my weakest discipline. I learned to swim during my Ironman Tulsa training and still have not mastered the skill.
How much do you change your normal run training to accommodate for adding in more biking and swimming?
- Greg: Typically, I like to keep my maintenance weekly running mileage at 50-60 miles and then creep into the 70/80s during a training block. But to incorporate time for the swim and bike my running mileage has been around 35-40 and also haven’t done much speed work.
- Kris: I used to run 6 days per week, around ~60 miles before I began training for Tulsa. Since then, I have switched up my overall training routine to 4 running days per week (~40 miles), 2 bike days, and 1 swim day. I cross-train even when I am not training for a triathlon. Since I started training for the half Ironman, I have included another bike day, one brick workout (bike then run) per week, and one multi-sport day where I swim in the morning then run the afternoon. This gets me to 4 runs, 3 bikes, and 2 swims per week.
Do you find that cross training on the bike and swimming has helped increase your strength for running?
- Greg: I feel like my quad and shoulder strength has increased. Really hope it helps out my fall marathon which is Columbus!
- Kris: Absolutely! Anyone who has ran with me since Tulsa has heard me preach about the benefits of cross-training. I feel so much better and recover much more quickly from my runs now since biking and swimming alleviate the repeated pounding and stress on the same running muscles over and over. Cross-training allows me to reap the cardio benefits from the bike and swim while working different muscle groups and allowing the others to recover. I also believe that cycling in particular increases overall core and leg strength which definitely benefit the run! I have PR’d all of my running distances since switching to the cross-training routine post Tulsa, and I don’t plan to go back to a strictly “running” training program ever again (note that I am also in my mid-40’s and need the extra recovery from cross-training).
