Alex raced Great Floridian Ironman in October. Not only was this his first Ironman, but it was his first marathon. Alex was 26th out of water, moved up to 7th at mile 116 on bike, and reached 5th at mile 11 on run. It was at this point his inexperience took its' toll. Alex did not eat or drink enough on run and hit wall. He got sick, recovered, and still managed to limp in to finish first in his age; 12th overall. I have no doubt in my mind that if Alex had stuck to a more regimented plan for staying fueled and especially hydrated, he could have maintained or exceeded 5th placed he attained.

I usually give my athletes a week of rest or very limited training following peak, and then start transition phase. I give them most flexibility and autonomy during this period. I tell athlete to take extra rest days if needed and we schedule a few weeks with consecutive days off. Cross training and other activities are encouraged, especially for runners. I like to give joints and connective tissue a break from impact of running and will schedule runs as little as 2x per week. I do not encourage racing during transition phase other than at a base or non-competitive level. I discouraged a race that requires preparation or volume increase.