For anyone who hasn’t done one, an IRONMAN 70.3 is made up of a 1.9 km swim, 90 km ride, and a 21.1 km run. All up, it adds to 70.3 miles, which is where the name comes from.
Fitting in the training while working full-time as a physio was definitely a challenge. There were plenty of days where training had to come before social plans, and managing fatigue (and making sure I was eating enough!) became a really important part of the process. But it also taught me a lot, both about myself and about how the body copes with load.
If you’re training for your first, or even your next, IRONMAN 70.3, these are the five things I wish someone had told me earlier:
1. Prioritise your nutrition & be aware of RED-S
I learned quickly that under-fueling catches up with you. Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome (RED-S) is more common than people think, and it affects everything from performance to mood. Making sure you’re eating enough of the right food, especially on big training weeks makes a huge difference.
2. Keep an eye on your fatigue
Feeling tired at times is normal, but there’s a difference between training fatigue and digging yourself into a hole. Having enough recovery across the week helped me stay consistent rather than burnt out.
3. Strength and plyometrics help more than you think
Adding 2–3 strength sessions a week made me feel stronger across all three disciplines and seemed to keep the usual overuse niggles at bay. It doesn’t have to be complicated, just consistent.
4. Get onto niggles early
One thing I see all the time in the clinic and definitely during my own training, is that small niggles rarely stay small. Getting advice early is always better than pushing through and losing weeks to injury later.
5. Don’t increase your training load too fast
A good guideline I followed was keeping my longest run within about 10% of the previous four weeks. It kept things progressing steadily and reduced the chance of picking up overuse injuries.
Training for an IRONMAN 70.3 is tough, but with the right guidance, it’s also incredibly rewarding. Here are some snaps from my journey during the race, moments that tested me, taught me, and reminded me why I love the challenge.
Hopefully these help you in your own training or give you something to think about if a triathlon is on your radar. It’s a tough event but an incredibly rewarding one.
Don’t let niggles, fatigue, or injury hold you back from reaching your goals. Book a session with Nic Marino at PhysioWest today and get expert advice, personalised support, and strategies to help you train smarter, recover faster, and cross that finish line stronger than ever.