For my first two attempts at the Ironman, I used a training plan from a book by Don Fink called 'Be Iron Fit: Time-Efficient Training Secrets for Ultimate Fitness, 3rd Edition’. It’s a really good book. As a beginner, it gave me all the information, tips and tricks I needed to successfully train for an Ironman. The book covers time management (very important), the training cycle, techniques for the three disciplines, and a little on strength, conditioning and nutrition. However, the biggest value of the book was the training programs it provided. There were three to choose from: a “just finish” program, an intermediate program and a competitive program. For my training, I chose the competitive plan. It suited me well, and I was able to manage the training around work and social life.

The big problem with the training plan from the book, for me, was the lack of strength and conditioning. I would go on a 2-hour run or a 4-hour ride, and while my cardiovascular fitness felt fine, my legs would hurt — a lot. This held me back massively. To be fair, the book does include a strength and conditioning section, which is really good and provides multiple workouts for the reader. The problem was that it wasn’t incorporated into the training plans themselves. Mentally, that made it feel like a secondary goal rather than part of the core plan. So, when the training got tough, I would always focus on completing the main sessions, and if I was tired — which was often — I pushed the strength and conditioning aside, and it didn’t get done.

Be IronFit from Amazon

Another issue with the training plan from the book — always resting in the back of my mind — is the fact that I still haven’t been able to achieve my personal goal of finishing the race in under 12 hours. This might be a little unfair to the book, as Bolton was a very hilly and difficult course, and the heat got the better of me in Hamburg. But the thought was always there. Albert Einstein once said, ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.’

Because of these two issues, I decided to look for a new training plan. I wanted something different, digital, and with strength and conditioning built in from the start. I did my research, and one website kept appearing: www.myprocoach.net. MyProCoach uses www.trainingpeaks.com, which offers an excellent training app. The plan is added directly to the TrainingPeaks calendar, making it very easy to follow. The biggest appeal for me was that all of the plans include the strength and conditioning component. I looked through the training plans and chose the intermediate 32-week Ironman training plan. It suited my work and social life the best.

• anonymous - This looks very good - nice choice on the new training plan