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6. How can bicycling be used to supplement marathon training?

There is good research to show correlation between bike fitness and run fitness, but less so in the reverse. It is possible, in other words, to maintain some running ability through cycling. Again, aerobic fitness is the cornerstone for most of these sports, so you can’t really go wrong. I find that focusing on climbing routes on the bike, including some good periods of unseated (standing), translates to the running muscle groups well.

7. For your peak race, what is your maximum training volume and how far out from the race is it?

For my Ironman build, I tend to do six very quality, high-volume weeks before a race. This assumes good fitness going in, but I average between 30 and 37 hours of total weekly training during that block, and my highest usually lands about three weeks before the event. This consists of between 24,000 and 26,000 yards of swimming, 375 to 400 miles of riding, and 68 to 75 miles of running.

8. What type of running drills do you use, if any?

I do weekly speed work and hill repeats and several sessions where the focus is on high turnover. I think one of the big mistakes triathletes and even runners make is to overlook form on “easy” runs. It’s actually the most important

<4@ Ben running a 3:00:28 marathon at the Hawaii

Ironman after swimming 24 miles and biking 112.

time to make sure that you are holding proper form. Finally, my weekly gym sessions are all about working on proper form.

9. What race nutrition works best for you?

I am all about liquid nutrition for all my races. I find that working at higher intensity, it’s all about having things be as easy on the stomach as possible, since there is less blood flow for digestion. The main thing I always stress to people is to make sure to dilute sugar/food sources. An ideal level for efficient digestion during exercise is around 6 percent, so that means a lot of water to offset the concentrated gels, bars, and drinks!

10. What are your stretching and strength routines?

I do a lot of stretching at home, foam rolling, using golf balls underfoot, wearing my recovery boots and compression socks, and just about every other tool you can imagine. I get a massage at least once a week, do some self-massage at home, and use Graston tools and dry needling regularly for recovery. For strength, I do two one-hour weight sessions every week with a trainer and occasionally add a core session at home. It’s a full-time job, and recovery is

as important as training! OE