Ironman swim sim
An athlete reported completing a full 1.2‑mile swim simulation as part of Ironman 70.3 prep, pairing that with 9–11 hours monthly volume and growing pool confidence ahead of the race. It's a practical reference for anyone building race swim endurance this spring. (x.com)
Coached 70.3 training plans explicitly build in pool-based race simulations as a race-specific session to habituate pacing and endurance under sustained effort. (trainingpeaks.com) Using the standard conversion of about 4.345 weeks per month, a single-month swim total in the low double-digit hours converts to roughly 2.1–2.5 hours of pool time per week on average. (yescalculator.com) That weekly range matches the structure of “time‑crunched” 70.3 programs which compress swim specificity into two focused sessions and prioritize structured interval and threshold sets over high weekly swim hours. (trainingpeaks.com) (triathlonmagazine.ca) Practical swim guides for half‑distance preparation routinely recommend doing pool sessions that exceed race distance in total volume or include long continuous sets to build durability and pacing confidence before taper. (triathlete.com) (fljuga.co.uk) Ironman’s own swim guidance emphasizes pairing pool race sims with open‑water practice for sighting, pack navigation and wetsuit drills to ensure simulation transfers to race conditions. (ironman.com)
