Here we are — 15 weeks to go on my Road to Ironman Cairns.
These weekly updates are simply a training recap. Each week I share what training I completed, how the sessions went, and how I balance preparing for an Ironman alongside work, family, and everyday life.
For those new to the journey, welcome. For those who've been following along, welcome back.
My name is Des Trindall, a 57-year-old triathlete based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, currently training for Ironman Cairns 2026 while juggling work commitments and family life.
So let's get straight into this week's training.
Monday – Recovery Day
Monday was a rest day from training following the Kingscliff Triathlon the day before.
I've already done a full race recap in another video, but overall it was a very satisfying race. I managed to take the age group win in the 55–59 category, but more importantly, I executed the race exactly how I wanted.
The bike leg was controlled and disciplined, leaving enough in the legs to run strongly. That paid off with the fastest run split in my age group, which was a nice surprise. Historically I've been around third or fourth fastest runner in the field, so that result showed some real progress.
Tuesday – Zone 2 Bike
Tuesday was a work day from 10am to 6pm, so I got up early to fit in a 90-minute Zone 2 ride.
What surprised me most was how well my body had recovered from the race. There was no soreness at all, and despite keeping the effort strictly in Zone 2, the power numbers were strong.
In fact, the ride produced the highest average speed I've recorded during this current training block, which spans roughly the last six months.
- Average heart rate: ~120 bpm
- Average power: ~160 watts
Right where I want it for aerobic endurance work.
It was one of those sessions that reminds you the training is starting to come together.
Wednesday – Run and Swim
Wednesday was an evening work shift from 3pm to 11pm, which meant I had the morning free to train.
60-Minute Zone 2 Run
The day started with a 60-minute Zone 2 run, holding heart rate comfortably in the 120–125 bpm range. The goal here is still base building — with 15 weeks to go, the focus is endurance rather than race intensity.
2,500m Swim Session
Later at lunchtime I headed to the pool for a structured swim session:
- 400m warm-up
- 5 × 200m freestyle (45 seconds rest)
- 5 × 200m with paddles and pull buoy
- Easy warm-down
These sessions are not glamorous, but they're essential. Consistency and steady aerobic work build the foundation needed for the longer Ironman sessions later in the program.
Thursday – Bike with Tempo Efforts
Thursday started with another early ride before a 9:30am to 6:30pm work shift.
The session was 90 minutes in Zone 2, with two short 5-minute tempo efforts at Ironman pace.
Between those efforts I allowed a full five minutes of easy spinning to recover.
The tempo sections felt controlled and comfortable — another sign that the bike fitness is improving nicely.
Friday – Run Intervals
Friday morning was a run interval session along the Margate esplanade.
After a short warm-up jog down to the beach, the main set was:
4 × 4 minutes at roughly 90% of threshold
What's encouraging is the improvement I'm seeing in these intervals.
When I first introduced them a few months ago, I was running around 4:40 per kilometre. Now those efforts are sitting closer to 4:15–4:20 pace, while my heart rate remains about the same at around 150 bpm.
That improvement is a clear sign that all the Zone 2 endurance work is paying off.
The rest of the day was focused on recovery before starting three consecutive evening shifts at work.
Saturday – Indoor Long Ride
Saturday brought wild weather across southeast Queensland, with strong winds and heavy rain.
It simply wasn't safe to ride outside.
So instead I set up indoors on the Wahoo KICKR trainer and completed a 3½-hour Zone 2 ride on ROUVY.
For the course I chose the Ironman World Championship course in Hawaii, which made the session more interesting. I also had Ironman New Zealand playing on the television — so it was a pretty good way to spend the morning, riding while watching another Ironman race unfold.
The goal for the session was simple:
- Stay in Zone 2
- Practise race nutrition
- Build steady endurance
And surprisingly, the time passed quite quickly.
Sunday – Swim and Long Run
Endurance Swim
Sunday started with an endurance swim in the pool.
The plan was 2,500 metres, but thanks to some questionable lap counting I somehow ended up swimming 2,900 metres.
Not quite sure how that happened, but at that point I decided to leave it there rather than round it up to 3km.
The swim itself was relaxed and steady — just rolling the arms over, listening to music, and building aerobic endurance.
1 Hour 45 Minute Long Run
Later in the afternoon the weather was still pretty rough, but I headed out for a long run along the coast.
Running into the wind on the return leg was a challenge, and the pace ended up about 20 seconds per kilometre slower than usual. But given the conditions — rain and strong winds — I was happy enough with the effort.
The focus was heart rate and time on feet, not speed.
The Unexpected End to the Week
Sunday night took a sudden turn.
I woke up with the worst toothache I can remember. The pain was intense — the entire side of my face was sore and I couldn't get comfortable at all.
It turned out to be an infection in one of my back teeth, which explained why I had felt slightly off during the run earlier in the day.
After a very long and uncomfortable night with no sleep, I managed to get an emergency dentist appointment Monday morning.
Not exactly the recovery I had planned!
Weekly Training Summary
Despite the tooth issue at the end of the week, overall it was a solid block of training:
- 2 swims
- 3 bike rides
- 3 runs
This was also week one of a three-week build phase, so the focus was on gradually increasing training volume while maintaining consistency.
Looking Ahead
As I write this, it's now Tuesday morning.
Yesterday was a forced recovery day thanks to the dentist, and today's training session was kept fairly easy while the jaw settles down.
But the plan is to continue with the second week of the build phase, building volume and maintaining the steady rhythm of training.
With 15 weeks to go until Ironman Cairns, consistency is the key.
Final Thoughts
If you've made it this far, thank you for following along on the journey.
These weekly updates aren't really about views or numbers. I make them mostly to keep myself accountable and to document the process.
But if others find them helpful or interesting, that's a bonus.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
And if you're following your own endurance journey, keep showing up and putting the work in.
Until next week — stay safe out there.
— Des