Ian Jones: How I adapted my Ironman training during lockdown

Keep yourself accountable

Lockdown meant that I couldn’t meet up with my usual training partners. Instead, I’d write down a training plan on a Sunday, so I have a clear, structured plan for the week ahead. I like to physically tick those off after I’ve completed them – it’s a very satisfying feeling.

Other than being a highlight in my day, ticking these workouts off is a nice, tangible way to keep track of my sessions, which I can share with my training mates over a call at the end of the week.

Use technology to your advantage

While under lockdown, we used Zwift, an online cycling platform. You can ride ‘together’, share your workouts and have a chat to see how everyone is doing. Finding time to connect – even over a virtual workout – was important in keeping ourselves honest and accountable with our training schedules.

As I’m getting older (and a little smarter), I’m finding my Garmin smartwatch an amazing companion in my training sessions (plus, AIA Vitality users get a discount on Garmin – and other – wearables). I currently use the watch to pace my runs based on my heart rate, ensuring I’m running at a sustainable speed to avoid injury or fatigue. I haven’t done this in the past, and it’s been a great help to me.

Break big challenges into small steps

It’s easy to look at the Ironman event and think, ‘Far out – what a huge day. This is going to be overwhelming to train for’. It is, but I like to break my training down into little stages, which I think is an excellent solution to approaching big events.

For example, I’d plan a bike ride on Monday, run on Tuesday, and a swim on Wednesday. I’d include these on my plan on Sunday, and I cross them out when I finish them. When working with these smaller goals, I feel like I’ve got my direction set for the week. I prioritise training in my life, so structuring my schedule gives me a clear outlook for the week and a path of small steps to follow to my ultimate goal.

Celebrate your successes

When you accomplish your goal, don’t forget to celebrate. Don’t simply say, ‘Well, that was cool’ and move on to the next one. Whether you’ve ticked off a run, finished a marathon or simply completed your weekly training plan – take some time out to celebrate what you did. You should be proud of what you just achieved – it’s a feeling like no other.

Don’t compare your goals with others

The Ironman event is what I consider to be an ‘epic challenge’. I love epic challenges, and I love to do things that are really going to test me, like the Great Barrier 100km Challenge swimming event I completed earlier this year.

That being said, don’t compare my epic challenge with your own. Whatever your challenge is, it’s the right one. You could be running your first five kilometres or walking a half marathon. That’s a huge achievement for lots of people, and we should never underestimate how hard it is to make that dream come true. I feel so proud whenever I see people set a goal and work hard to achieve it.