Ironman
How I train: Lucy Charles-Barclay
The 2023 Ironman World Champion on what it takes to train for one of the most physically demanding events in sport.
Ironman training is not to be underestimated. Preparing for the event itself, where you swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run a marathon, takes months of focus and training, not just physically but mentally, too.
And when you’re at the peak of the sport, as Lucy Charles-Barclay is after winning the 2023 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, that training is even more crucial. Alongside nutrition, specialised kit and rest, Lucy tells us how she breaks down the 30+ hours of training a week in the water, in the saddle and on the trails.
What’s an average day’s training for you?
One of the reasons I love being a triathlete is that I've got three disciplines to train, so every day is different. I usually start with a swim. I'll do two hours in the pool, which will be 5km of swimming, and within that there'll be 2-3km of hard efforts. Then in the middle of the day, I'll either do a ride or a run. It will be a minimum of two hours on the bike, and up to five or six hours when I'm in a big block leading into an Ironman. Then if I've cycled there might be an easy run in the evening. Most days are jam-packed.
Lucy spends at least two hours a day in the pool, perfecting her form
© James Mitchell / Red Bull Content Pool
What are some examples of the swim drills you do?
I come from a swimming background, so it's definitely my strongest discipline. In terms of drills, I look at lengthening the stroke, getting good rotation, working on the ‘catch phase’ so you're getting a strong pull through the water. If you can nail swim technique, you haven't got to work half as hard to go as fast. I spent six weeks focusing purely on swimming and it brought my swim up to the best it's ever been as a triathlete. If I can get off to a good start using as little energy as possible, then that's going to be a benefit.
And then on the bike, how do you mix it up between riding outdoors and indoors on the turbo trainer?
When I'm training in the UK, about 90% of my riding is indoors on the trainer using Zwift. That's mainly because I live in London, which is not the easiest place to ride outside, but riding indoors is all quality – you're never free-wheeling, you're always turning the pedals so you're getting a lot more bang for your buck. The thing that doesn't change is all of my cycle training is based around power. We do intervals at certain power ranges, and work at my race effort but often way above that as well. Then, when I train in Lanzarote, it's 90% outdoor riding. It’s tough – windy, hilly and hot, but it’s perfect because it’s a similar climate to Kona. Plus I can recover in the sunshine!
Lucy relies on visualisation to build mental strength and resilience
© James Mitchell / Red Bull Content Pool
And what’s your running training like?
It's a 50/50 split between running indoors on the treadmill and running outdoors. I live near Epping Forest, so I do a lot of trail running, which is softer on the body, allowing me to put in the mileage without pounding my body on the pavement. I'll do hard interval sessions on the treadmill or running track, then my long, steady mileage is done on trails. Typically, I'm running 60km-80km a week.
How does it work with your husband Reece being your coach and training partner?
It works really well because he's there day in day out seeing what I'm doing so he can adapt the plan on the go. He has a sports science background, so he's into the science side of things, but he also thinks outside the box in terms of our training and is able to add in fun elements. It's an interesting dynamic when it's husband and wife, but it seems to work pretty well.
Lucy doesn't fixate on data – she relies heavily on feel
© James Mitchell / Red Bull Content Pool
All smiles for Lucy as she takes a pit stop
© James Mitchell / Red Bull Content Pool
Are data and metrics important to your training?
Coming from a swim background, I never used data – it was all down to feel. Now we have three disciplines, there’s power, heart rate, run power, swim pace – it's a minefield of data. Reece normally looks at the data and, while I do look at it and understand it, I can always go back to training on feel.
It’s important not to get too hung up on data as it can have a negative mental effect
One year when I was racing in Hawaii, my bike computer didn't turn on, so I had to ride on feel, and for some data-obsessed athletes that could have ended their race. But I felt like I could manage because I can train like that. It’s important not to get too hung up on data as it can have a negative mental effect if you think you're not doing well but actually you are.
How much time do you spend in the gym and what do you work on?
I normally spend 2-4 hours a week in the gym. As a swimmer I did a lot of lifting, so I've learned to lift heavy weights with good technique. But I spend more time working on weaknesses, mobility and core stability – the stuff that will knit together the swim, bike, run. In particular on the run it’s important to have good core stability so you can run with good form when you're tired. When you get to the half marathon point in an Ironman, you've still got half marathon to run, and the person who’s strongest and has the best technique at that point is going to do best.
Lucy splits her bike training between outdoors and the turbo trainer
© James Mitchell / Red Bull Content Pool
Do you work on your mental strength?
I used visualisation as a swimmer, so before I’d race I’d visualise going into the race, diving off the block, doing the turns, and I’ve taken that into triathlon. I visualise each bit of the race, breaking down the transitions, how I’m going to feel at different points, what I’m going to be eating and drinking. Also in training sometimes we do super-long rides that are more about mentally handling being out there for a long time.
How do you avoid overtraining?
It’s very hard as a triathlete, and that's where having Reece to observe what I'm doing helps. There are so many areas to train that I’m always like, ‘more, more, more’, but actually there's a limit. Training smart is far more important than trying to do more volume, so it's very difficult to not overtrain.
What keeps you going?
Coming second at the World Champs three times was all the motivation I needed. I wanted to win this race so badly, so that kept me training hard every day. Then having smaller goals along the way so you're hitting checkpoints, because when you've got a goal that big it could be quite a long way out, so if you've got smaller goals to work towards along the way then you can tick them off and know that you're making the right progress.