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My first Ironman race was IM USA in 2005. Since then, I have competed in IM Arizona (twice) and IM Louisville. This year I am preparing for IM Couer d' Alene and IM Florida. I have used a couple of different training programs and decided to share my thoughts on each. The two training programs that I use are Multisports.com and Mark Allen Online. Both are outstanding programs and will definitely get you to the finish line if you follow them. The basics of the program are very similar, however, there are some differences that might influence which program you might select. It could be that you choose to use both, as I do. Both programs incorporate heart rate training and strength training, which are very important. The costs are very similar but having a structured training plan is worth it. Both plans offer information on nutrition that is valuable and key component for race day success. I must confess that Multisport offers a couple of benefits above and beyond: they do give you some swag (t-shirt, hat, and socks) and they typically offer a pre-race breakfast for IM specific race plans with the pros. I have had the pleasure of meeting Heather Fuhr, Michellie Jones, and Paula Newby-Fraser as a benefit of using Multisports.com. It's pretty cool getting to meet legends of the sport and getting their race day advice.
The race specific training programs that Multisport.com uses are very good. They provide you will all the detail you need to know about the course and doing the proper workouts to prepare you for that course. The forums at Mark Allen Online also provide similar information.
In the past couple of years, I have focused on doing two "A" races: one in the spring and one later in the year. I have opted to use Multisports.com's training plan for the early season race and Mark Allen for the late season race. I will elaborate below.
I feel the Multisports.com training plan is better suited to preparing for an early season race. They incorporate a lot of drills for swimming, biking and running that I think are great during the base building phase of race preparation. The drills really help you perfect technique and change things that you may not be doing correctly. My favorites are the cycling drills where you work on fast spin drills, single leg drill, etc. These have really helped me improve technique. In short, the drills help you make the biomechanical changes that will help your efficiency once the race season starts.
I prefer the Mark Allen program for the late season "A" race. This training plan tends to incorporate longer "long" days. A couple examples are doing a 6,000 yard swim, a 7 hour bike, and a 3 hour run leading up to an Ironman. The distances tend to be a little longer than Multisports.com. Some of these seem like they are over the top in distance. However, there is a certain confidence they give you when it comes to race day. You have gone well over the swim distance you do on race day and probably gone further than the bike distance on race day. It not only builds fitness, but gives you a confidence boost because you know you can do the distance.
I like both programs and each has its strength. The drills used by Multisports.com are great in the early part of the year and will improve your efficiency through better technique. The raw distance of the Mark Allen plan gives you that extra fitness and confidence boost that are key on race day. Either training program will get you to the finish line if you race smart and within your limits.
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