Long Run Fails, Brick Sessions & B Races: Your IRONMAN Training Questions Answered | Ep 589
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In this episode of the Oxygen Addict Triathlon Podcast, host Coach Rob Willby answers listener questions about Ironman and 70.3 training, focusing on practical, experience-based advice for busy age-group athletes. He addresses Joe Merrihew’s training plan for Ironman Lake Placid, praising his solid structure while recommending gradual increases in long ride, run, and swim volume over the final 12 weeks, with a shift to outdoor riding and a focus on brick sessions six to eight weeks out. Rob advises against doing a B-race three weeks before an A-race, instead suggesting post-Ironman racing to capitalize on peak fitness. He also addresses Sydney’s concern about failing a long run despite good aerobic metrics, attributing it to possible accumulated fatigue and emphasizing the importance of recovery days and weeks. Rob stresses listening to the body over rigidly following plans, warning against overtraining from missed recovery sessions. The episode underscores the balance between structured training and intelligent recovery, especially for those with demanding personal and professional lives. Rob also promotes Precision Fuel and Hydration as a key sponsor, highlighting the importance of personalized fueling and hydration strategies—especially for heavy or salty sweaters—citing real athlete experiences and offering a free sweat test consultation. He encourages listeners to use the code OXYGEN26 for 15% off. The episode concludes with a reminder to book a coaching call with Team Oxygen Addict for personalized training support, reinforcing the podcast’s mission to demystify Ironman training and make it accessible without overwhelming life commitments.
Gradually increase long ride, run, and swim volume by 15–30 minutes weekly over the final 12 weeks, with a recovery week every fourth week.
Introduce brick sessions 6–8 weeks before race day, starting with 15-minute runs off the bike to build mental resilience.
Avoid B-races 3 weeks before your A-race; instead, race after your Ironman to leverage peak fitness and avoid injury risk.
If a long run fails despite good HR and no physical issues, it’s likely accumulated fatigue—prioritize recovery over pushing through.
Schedule recovery days weekly and recovery weeks every four weeks to prevent overtraining and burnout.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome & Podcast Mission
Coach Rob introduces the podcast and its mission to cut through conflicting triathlon training advice with 15–20 years of professional coaching experience. He emphasizes helping busy age-group athletes train effectively without sacrificing family, work, or life balance.
Joe Merrihew’s Training Plan Review
“You're going to be front of the middle of the pack in your race based on the sort of raw athletic potential that I see there.”
Brick Sessions & Race Simulation Timing
“It is so common to feel horrific when you start to run off the bike, not just that your legs are tired, but your neck and your shoulders and your back are sore. Everything will loosen up within a few minutes.”
B-Race Strategy & Post-Race Racing
“After you've had a couple of weeks of recovery from your Ironman and you've stopped wearing the medal around the house all the time, you are then as fit as you're probably ever going to be.”
Sydney’s Long Run Failure: Overtraining or Recovery?
“If you've been consistently training, if you've been building the length of your long run... and crucially, if you've been making sure that you have that one recovery focus day every week... this will take care of itself.”
“It is so common to feel horrific when you start to run off the bike, not just that your legs are tired, but your neck and your shoulders and your back are sore. Everything will loosen up within a few minutes.”
“After you've had a couple of weeks of recovery from your Ironman and you've stopped wearing the medal around the house all the time, you are then as fit as you're probably ever going to be.”
“Forces myself to decide that I'm going to push to do 120km run week because that's what I decided I needed to do. That probably put me in a bigger hole the year I was trying to train for a marathon than anything else that I did that year.”
Host
Rob Willby
person
Precision Fuel and Hydration
brand
Joe Merrihew
person
Team Oxygen Addict
organization
Ironman Lake Placid
other
Sydney
person
70.3 World Championships
other
Andy Blow
person
Dell
brand
Prime Video
media
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