Long-distance triathlon glossary·IM

Ironman : long-distance triathlon (3.8 / 180 / 42.2)

Intensity

Long-distance triathlon: 3.8 km swim + 180 km bike + 42.2 km marathon.

Ironman (also called long-distance or 226 km) is the flagship triathlon event. Finish times range from 8 h for elites to 16:45 (cutoff limit) for the back of the field. The key: managing bike effort (65-75% FTP) to arrive at the run with reserves. Nutrition is critical : ~60-90 g of carbs per hour from the bike onward : or the wall looms at run km 30.

In TriPaced:

In TriPaced, an Ironman goal triggers larger weekly volumes, specific long sessions (bike 4-6 h, run off-bike 30-45 min) and a structured 2-3 week taper. The app calculates your target bike pace from your FTP to protect you from the wall.

Related terms

  • Dropbag : gear bag staged in the transition area
  • Race nutrition : fueling effort without crashing
  • Transition : T1 (swim-to-bike) and T2 (bike-to-run)
  • Cramps : Muscle cramps during racing
  • Heat management : Thermoregulation in racing
  • Energy gel : concentrated carbohydrate fuel