IRONMAN TRIATHLON CALORIE EXPENDITURE
Based on a triathlete who weighs 140 lbs (10 stone)
This all depends on the size of the triathlete so calorie requirements can vary considerably by up to -/+ 20%.
Swimming 3.8km
Estimated finish time 55 minutes - 495 calories
Estimated finish time 60 minutes - 540 calories
Estimated finish time 75 minutes - 675 calories
Cycling 180 km
Estimated finish time 5 hours 10 minutes (22mph) – 5,580 calories
Estimated finish time 5 hours 36 minutes (20mph) - 5,376 calories
Estimated finish time 6 hours 40 minutes (17mph) – 5,200 calories
Estimated finish time 7 hours 45 minutes (15mph) – 4,650 calories
Marathon 26.2 miles
Estimated finish time 3 hours 15 minutes – 3,120 calories
Estimated finish time 3 hours 45 minutes - 2,900 calories
Estimated finish time 4 hours - 2,800 calories
Estimated finish time 4 hours 30 minutes - 2,700 calories
Estimated finish time 5 hours - 2,600 calories
Things to consider.
The following will affect the number of calories that are used.
During an Ironman triathlon marathon 26.2 miles your calorie requirements will depend not just on the distance but the speed and your efficiency during the last section of the triathlon. If you are tired you run slower and as your form becomes inefficient you sue up more calories to allow you to move forward. In theory you need the same number of calories to run each mile. Running faster however requires more energy hence the difference from a faster to a slower marathon
How can prepare for an Ironman triathlon?
Training for the Ironman.
You will need to listen to your body more
The main reasons for getting injured, over training or becoming ill are increasing intensity too quickly, mixing long slow distance with fast intensity running.
Ignoring the signs of fatigue, by having an easy day rest day improvements will occur.
There is no such thing as a rigid training schedule.
Why? If you are able to stick to it doing exactly what is required never missing a session (Not an ideal world due to distractions etc) then the training plan is not taxing you enough, it's all about find your limit, what may seem hard now could be easy in a few weeks time.
Outside factors effect this like, quality sleep, free from infections stress, quality recovery time, good food (That is ideal for you) as everyone is different and this changes throughout a year.
Mistakes are much less important in training start making them now and learn by them, too little or too much food and how this effects your performance.
The Key Factors to give you peak performance on race day need to be improved all the time.
Mental & Physical Toughness, Exact Muscular endurance sessions. Important Back2Back sessions for Ironman, Intensity and Frequency with Feedback. Eliminating errors in training, Progressive Training, Injury prevention, Equipment considerations, Delaying Fatigue, Heart Rate Monitor Training, Race Pace practice.
Time efficient training- you will need to train longer hours per session but not twice as much as a half Ironman for example. Fine line training reduces the chance of over training by doing hard easy sessions in the same week, Total rest days lets your body tell you if something is wrong or likely to happen not by training easy.50% of your Ironman time will be on the bike make sure you spend 60% of training time in the next 6 months on the bike so you are fresh and able to run to your potential. It’s Ok to spend more time swimming and running December-February? March but then you have to change the way you train. Total fitness also involves core strength when you get tired in training then racing you will draw off these reserves, tired during the bike or run small climb or into a head wind, use that core rather than fitness, this will save your energy levels for longer into the Ironman.
Swim a minimum of 3 times a week even if the total time of only 100 minutes, you need to keep the feel for the water and keep those swim specific muscles firing.
Cycle- Build the miles don't take chances with windy icy days. If you had 24 weeks to build to maximum long bike ride 4-6 weeks before Ironman and started at 30 miles on week 1. Then add 4 miles each week your longest ride would theoretically be 124 miles, this is a simplistic straight line, whereas the line should be up and down with a differential of +/- 15% the week before a long ride drop back 10-15%.
BACK TO BACK SESSION - The Mid Week Back to back session slightly above IM pace Long rides 50% on your own easy, learn to eat and drinks lots watch your heart rate monitor.
RUN - The Long slow distance that MUST BE at predicted Ironman pace. Eat and drink every 20 minutes and monitor your recovery see how much better you feel 2/3 days later. This will get you use to running slow and will strengthen your legs, running slower is actually harder!! Run off road to save your tired legs and build up resistance strength. Slow recovery runs can be done after a bike ride. Back to back sessions. My suggestion is only ever run up to 60% of the time you cycled before doing a back 2 back sessions. I.e... 50 minute bike 30 minute run or 140-minute cycle 60 minute run. A minimum of eight back 2 back sessions per month during certain phases of the build up are necessary.

Question? - Last year I tore my lower Femoris Bicep {hamstring} 2 weeks before Ironman United Kingdom so I have now entered Ironman France Nice and am desperate not to suffer a repeat of this; I feel that the injury made all the training a waste of time. Any
tips or exercises/weight training I can do to avoid this. I am 47 so no teenager and have done 100+ triathlons. Question? Last year I tore my lower Femoris Bicep {hamstring} 2 weeks before Ironman United Kingdom so I have now entered Ironman France Nice and am desperate not to suffer a repeat of this, I feel that the injury made all the training a waste of time. Any tips or exercises/weight training I can do to avoid this. I am 47 so no teenager and have done 100+ triathlons.
Ironmate answer.
Although you may have lost a lot of training, preparing for any Ironman Triathlon or long distance event you did in the last 24 months will still help.
You may feel that you have lost all your fitness but you will still have
learned from it physically and mentally. In our opinion this will still put
you in a better position than to have not done this training.
You did not mention how you tore your hamstring, were you in the training
cycle of your longest sessions then mixing some quality workouts?
Caution pulling off your wet suit can also cause this injury to happen.
The hamstring although a large muscle in the leg is relatively weak compared
to the other leg muscles. They are often pulled because they are neglected and either not strengthened or not built up progressively. Swiss ball exercises will help.
Lay with head and back flat on the floor, in the bent leg position with feet flat on the floor, and then lift the Swiss ball between knees/legs off the floor slowly until ball touches your chest.
Do this slowly and controlled 5 times take 15 seconds rest and repeat 4 times, build up to 25 per set 5 times. Only increase reps by 5 or number of repetitions by 5 every other day. Leg extensions- in seated position. Start off with a very light weight 3 sets of 5 building to 4 sets of 10 eventually 4 sets of 15 over 4-8 weeks.
Lift weight slowly up then down under control no jerkiness.
Ironmate always recommends warm up set which is half of main set weight to
warm up muscle, so the number of sets when starting again is actually 1+3.
Leg curls. If using a weight machine in the gym do NOT do the leg exercise that
requires you to lay on your front and your leg under pressure kicks back so
your heal (ankles) touch your bottom, this last 10% of movement creates the
most strain of the whole full movement and you are likely to pull it again.
You can do the seated leg extension but again be careful
Good Luck in Nice; I have done the Nice Triathlon (middle distance) three
times.
Half seated leg pushes are ok; if the seat is too close this will cause too
much strain position you correctly before trying this one.
Try this exercise with the lightest weight possible first each and every
time you do this one to make sure there is no pain.