The Boston Marathon & Ironman Hamburg Double!

Let’s begin with the ending.

Dani ran the Boston Marathon in 3.29 and completed her first Ironman, Ironman Hamburg, six weeks later in 12.16.

That’s a pretty special ending.

---

Life Challenges

How did Dani achieve this?

Dani had two main goals at the beginning of this year. To race well in the Boston Marathon (April 17th) and to make her Ironman debut at Ironman Hamburg (June 4th). Two significant sporting goals within six weeks of each other.

Dani was a regular at our Monday evening Swim Squad session (shifts permitting) and was also being coached by us for her run and triathlon training programme.

As if preparing and peaking for these two big events close together wasn’t going to be challenging enough, we had some other factors to consider.

Dani’s job involved shift work meaning periods of no training, 24 hour shift days, some long work days where we could only squeeze some short sessions in and then some days with good availability where we could fit in some longer work. A ‘regular training week’ was impossible. Looking back, I don’t think two training weeks were the same.

And if the work shifts weren’t challenging enough, within this period Dani was away in Norway for two weeks competing in the Army & Interservices Luge Championships (which she won, becoming the Army Champion and winning her 10th Interservices Title!). This trip involved no swim, bike or run work.

Oh, and then Dani was away again for 10 days, as part of an emergency response team in Malawi, following Cyclone Freddy and subsequent flooding in the area.

That’s quite a backstory and context for the year!

---

Training Time

Despite ‘the context’ above, since Christmas Dani managed an average of 8 hours and 15 minutes of training per week.

🏊‍♀️ 25 hours (84k)

🚴‍♀️ 93 hours (2436k)

🏃‍♀️ 58 hours (663k)

Broken down by discipline, it averaged out to …

🏊‍♀️  1.11

🚴‍♀️  4.20

🏃‍♀️  2.44

The average of 8 hours and 15 minutes training time wasn’t spread out equally. January to March didn’t break 7 hours per week average, whereas April and May were close to 11 hours per week.

Training Volume (Average Hours Per Week)

	January	February	March	April	May
Swim	1.02	1.01	0.56	1.10	1.50
Bike	2.49	2.45	2.16	6.31	7.10
Run	3.04	3.07	2.36	2.55	1.51
Total	6.56	6.54	5.47	10.37	10.51

---

Pre & Post Boston

The period up to Boston Marathon (April 17th) – which included a two week trip to Norway and 10 days in Malawi – Dani averaged 7 hours and 18 minutes of training per week.

Swim – 1.01

Bike – 3.17

Run – 3.00

The period after Boston, training volume increased massively to 11 hours and 30 minutes training per week.

• Swim volume increased from just over an hour per week, to 1 hour and 46 minutes.
• The biggest jump in training volume was the bike, where we increased training time from 3 hours and 17 minutes to almost 8 hours per week (7.55).
• Running dropped from 3 hours to 1 hour and 48 minutes to make room for additional swim and bike.

---

Race Results

In Boston, Dani ran a 3.29 marathon. A fantastic performance, a race Dani rates as her best marathon performance yet. 1.42 for the first half, 1.46 for the hillier second half. Perfect!

In Hamburg, Dani not only completed her first Ironman, she smashed it. 12 hours and 16 minutes is moving!

Before Dani started the journey, she told me she would have been happy with a two hour swim. Dani exited the water in 1 hour and 19 minutes. A controlled, yet speedy bike leg – 6 hours and 17 minutes – averaging 18.1 mph for 112 miles, a pace Dani says she couldn’t hold for 10 miles not so long ago. And then a patient, gutsy and controlled run – only walking through the aid stations. A 4.14 marathon, with a 2.02 first half and a 2.12 second half. Lovely.

They are two medals – and two performances – to be super proud of!

---

If you would like these types of articles straight into your inbox, just enter your email below.