Going Long: Training for Ironman-Distance Triathlons (Ultrafit Multisport Training Series) (Paperback)

by Joe Friel (Author), Gordon Byrn (Author) "The spirit of Ironman is much more than a race, more than a simple time goal..." (more)
Key Phrases: Going Long, New York, Goin Lon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book guides weekend triathletes in getting the most out of their training time and helps serious triathletes get maximum physical and mental benefit from training. Chapters cover the basics of training and fitness; training specifics for swim, bike, and marathon; mental strategies; and more. Sample training plans, photographs, charts, tables and case studies are also included.

From the Publisher
"Gordo and Joe have a unique way of helping the long-distance athlete to recognize what's important in fitting these events into one's life...In our age of information overload they give the self-coached athletes all the tools they need to succeed." -- Scott Molina, triathlon's winningest pro

"25 years of active multisport coaching has proven that Joe Friel has an unprecedented understanding of endurance sports. As a multiple triathlon world champion, I would consider Joe as one of the leading figures in triathlon coaching today. Joe's professional approach and practical understanding of sports physiology has helped many endurance athletes of all abilities reach their full athletic potential." --Simon Lessing, 5-time Triathlon World Champion

"Going Long is the most straightforward road to your Ironman finish! It combines the coaching wisdom of Joe Friel with the racing experience of Gordo Byrn--a powerful combination!" -- Petr Vabrousek, professional triathlete

"Going Long is an invaluable tool for every triathlete looking to improve." -- Clas Bjorling, professional triathlete

"Whether you're a beginning triathlete or a seasoned pro, Joe Friel is the leading authority on triathlon training." --Ryan Bolton, Ironman winner & 2000 USA Olympic Team

"In Going Long, Gordo Byrn and Joe Friel have combined their talents to provide a meaningful training resource for Ironman-distance racing." -- George M. Dallam, Ph.D., former USA Triathlon National Teams Coach, co-author of Championship Triathlon Training

"Joe Friel's wealth of knowledge in triathlon is astounding and he has a wonderful way of sharing that knowledge with all athletes from beginners to elite professionals." --Siri Lindley, Triathlon World Champion

"Joe's practical experience and wealth of scientific knowledge about triathlon are the perfect combination." -- Barb Lindquist, 2004 USA Olympic Team

"Joe Friel has spent most of his life in devotion to the understanding and teaching of sport. Joe has managed to focus on the key components to athletic success while weeding out the noise. This book will play a substantial role in helping you take the next step as a triathlete." -- Justin Daerr, professional triathlete

"Joe Friel is constantly enhancing his education in the sport. In his books, Joe uses the information of the athletes he personally trains, the coaches who confide in him, and the large amounts of research he digests from triathlon and other endurance sports." -- Wes Hobson, former USA Triathlon National Team member and U.S. sprint triathlon champion

"In his usual upbeat, reader-friendly style, Joe brings to bear a further understanding of the art and science of triathlon." -- Steven Jonas, MD, author of Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals and co-author of Championship Triathlon Training --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: VeloPress (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931382247
• ISBN-13: 978-1931382243
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,999 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #14 in	Books > Sports > Individual Sports > Triathlon
  #20 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Triathlons
  #40 in	Books > Sports > Other Team Sports > Track & Field

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars change of heart, June 23, 2003

By	Christopher J. Godat (Griffin, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

AFTER THE RACE: THIS BOOK WORKS! I offered the below review before my first "official" ironman triathlon. I followed the advice and completed an Ironman in 11:51 (not blazing, but good enough for the first time). My longest training week was a 18 hour crash week, but none of my other weeks was longer than 10 hours. I focused on key workouts, made sure they were of the highest quality, and let the rest go. My time is even better, when you consider that I was out for 9 weeks in the early summer due to a broken arm (I couldn't do any of the sports and walked about three times a week). So I put together a sub 12 hour performance in 13 weeks, with only one week being over 10 hours. Next time I will do more, and hopefully race better, but overall I am very pleased with the results this book yielded. It gave me a means for spending Sundays with my children rather than my running shoes, let me know that my swimming was not going to get much better without 10000 more yards a week, and helped me learn to be patient on the bike. If you have a life, but want to do an Ironman (yes!!! you can have both) purchase this book.


ORIGNAL REVIEW:
At first a lot of the information in this book seemed to be a rehash of "The Triathlete's Training Bible" as stated in my original review. But after reading the book carefully and really pondering what the authors have to say, there does appear to be a lot dedicated toward the art of completing an ironman triathlon. In all fiarness, I must change my review. And if some of the information has been printed in "The Triathlete's Training Bible," at least in this book it is all arranged with one purpose--to finish a full ironman.

First, I must applaud the authors for their inclusion in the introduction. They admit that anyone can finish an Ironman triathlon if they have one thing: will. The down-to-earth tone permiates throughout the entire book.

There are excellent lists for pacing on the bike, mental condition, getting the most from nutrition and the common sense notion that endurance on the bike leg is the most important portion of a successful ironman seems so simple that one does need to constantly remind oneself about it.

Too often triathletes train, train, train, and then train some more. I get sick of hearing about macho-style workouts, and triathlon is just one portion of my life. If you work, have a family, practice other hobbies, actually give yourself to others, and don't spend every dime you make on triathlon, the philosophies in this book will suit your lifestyle. The authors make a very convincing argument for having three major endurance workouts a week--75 to 100 minutes for the swim, 5 to 6 hours on the bike, and 90 to 150 minutes for the run. Instead of the megablock weekend torture fests that most triathletes brag about, they suggest doing runs in the middle of the week, and the bike on the weekends. All other workouts are secondary to these three. They also suggest that if you cannot find a purpose to a workout, simply leave it out and get more sleep.

If you are preparing to embark on your first ironman or if you are a repeat customer, buy the book. 20 dollars now, might save you hours of wasted training time and minutes (if not hours), and personal suffering in your big race.

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful ironman survival tips, July 31, 2003

By	J. Morrissey (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First of all, Going Long is not a rehash of Triathlete's Training Bible. TTB gives you everything you need to prepare yourself physically to get to the starting line. Going Long gives you what you need to get to the finish line.

The book addresses psychological and emotional issues during races, nutrition issues specific to ironman racing, not ironman training, as TTB does, and provides a lot of other useful information, such as race strategies.

Compared to the other offerings available, this is one of the few that provides long distance racers the wisdom and experience of the author's years racing, and can be put to immediate use.

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little confused, October 26, 2004

By	James H. McDuffie (Huntsville, Alabama United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First of all let me say that this is about the best ironman training book out there. However, there are several severe flaws. First, the authors are confused about their audience. It is never clear when they are talking to novices and when they are addressing elites. They float around willy-nilly first addressing one then the other. Warnings are given to beginners right in the middle of long spiels obviously addressed only to pros. I believe this book is probably meant for novice to intermmediate triatheletes. But the authors are inconsistent in their approach to this. Second, most of the equipment information is very shallow but nevertheless useful to novices. However, once again the intended audience is unclear. Thirdly, the training bricks, many workout, and much of the advice are clearly geared to triatheletes who are very advanced. Any first-timer is going to overtrain and many advanced atheletes will as well if they utilize some of these workouts. They authors recommend no more than two breakthough workouts per week!! Is anybody else reading this? So once again the audience is unclear. If the authors are going to address novices then they need to do so in a consistent way throughout the book. The same with elites and intermmediates etc. Despite these flaws I managed to extract a great deal of useful information from this book and will continue to use it.