There’s lots of trial and error involved when you’re attempting your first Ironman. These days there’s lots of advice floating around out there and it can get confusing at times. After over 20 years on the Ironman scene, I’ve seen some of the same mistakes made over and over again by first time Ironman triathletes.
Here are the top ten mistakes that I feel you should really try and avoid. Just possibly it will give you a better shot at achieving your Ironman goal.
(1) OVERTRAINING
Almost without fail, the first time Ironman will go into the race overtrained. The hardest thing to learn about your training, is when to rest. Its really difficult to convince some athletes that rest is an essential component of their Ironman preparation. Some will insist on training no matter how tired they are or how sore they are. They will completely forget to factor in the physical and mental effort they expend at work every day. Worse yet, as the big day approaches, they will start their taper far too late. They continue to pound out the mileage for fear they’ll lose the conditioning they worked so hard to achieve.
Here are a few tips:...