Building a Base in the Winter to Qualify for Kona

Do you have Kona within your sights? If so, do your training strategy and lifestyle have the right components to get you there? Here's the first installment of a three-part series from EnduranceCorner.com on how to train over the coming months to qualify for Kona.

This series by Gordo Byrn, co-author of the book Going Long: Training for Ironman Distance Triathlons and coach for EnduranceCorner.com, breaks up training to qualify for Kona into three phases: Base Preparation, Overload and Specific Preparation. This week, Byrn discusses his Base Preparation plans for the winter months, which have been tailored towards two different types of athletes: the athlete who responds to volume ("Strong Stan") and the athlete who responds to intensity ("Fast Fran"). These advanced base preparation training plans are designed to be achievable during a "real winter" and also put an emphasis on swim training.

Remember, as Byrn says, "If you want to be in the top 0.1% of your sport then you need to be willing to do what 99.9% of your competitors are unwilling to do."

See the full article here: "How to Qualify - Basic Base for Ironman Hawaii".

Byrn's six-week base preparation training plans described in this article can be purchased on TrainingPeaks here.