We're now sixteen weeks out from Ironman Cairns.
And this week was one I'd been looking forward to.
Recovery week.
After three solid build weeks, it was time to absorb the work — slightly less training, slightly more recovery, and a chance to freshen up physically and mentally.
For those new here, I'm Des Trindall — a fifty-seven-year-old triathlete from Brisbane, Queensland, training for Ironman Cairns in June 2026. Like many of you, I'm balancing family life, full-time work, and everything else that goes with it.
These weekly updates are simply an honest recap of the training — what's working, what's not, and how the body is responding.
The Structure – How My Recovery Weeks Work
I train in four-week cycles:
- Three weeks building volume and load
- One week reduced volume to allow adaptation
This week — week sixteen to go — was that lighter week.
Total training volume came in at just over seven hours.
Lower than build weeks. But intentional.
Recovery isn't about doing nothing. It's about allowing the body to absorb the work.
Monday – Full Rest
Monday was an office day in the city. I live in Redcliffe on Brisbane's north side, so it's a commute in and out.
No training. No thinking about training.
Sometimes that mental switch-off is as important as the physical recovery.
Tuesday – Controlled Quality Run
Tuesday included stable inspections for work — checking on horse welfare and compliance — and then a quality but controlled run session.
The session:
- 10 minute warm-up
- 3 × 4 minutes at roughly 90% effort
- 2 minute walk recovery between each effort
- 5–10 minute light jog warm-down
- 1 kilometre walk home
Those four-minute efforts sit around what I'd expect 10km pace off the bike to feel like — heart rate in the low 150s.
The full two-minute walk recovery is deliberate. It keeps the session sharp but prevents fatigue accumulation during a recovery week.
Wednesday – Bike and Swim Double
Wednesday was an evening race shift at work, so I trained in the morning.
Ride – 90 Minutes Zone 2
Mostly steady aerobic riding, with two 4-minute tempo efforts included. Not race pace — just controlled pressure. Cadence around 90 RPM, staying smooth and efficient.
Nothing heroic.
Just quality aerobic work.
Swim – 2,000 Metres
A shorter structured set:
- 300m warm-up
- 4 × 200m freestyle
- 4 × 200m with pull buoy and paddles
- Warm down
All with solid rest. Enough to stimulate without digging a hole.
That's the key theme of recovery week — stimulate, don't accumulate fatigue.
Thursday – Not Every Day Feels Good
Thursday was interesting.
Just a 30-minute Zone 2 run.
And honestly — I felt terrible.
Flat. Uncomfortable. Nothing flowing.
It happens.
Even in recovery weeks.
The lesson? Don't overreact to one bad session. Finish it. Move on.
Friday – Short, Sharp Swim
Friday morning I hit the pool early before work (the pool was closing for a school carnival).
Planned 1,500–1,600 metres.
Lost count and did 1,700 instead — as you do.
Main work included:
- 10 × 50m firm
- 5 × 100m firm
Just touching race pace without extending it.
Saturday – Prepping the Bike
Saturday morning was a 60-minute ride.
Race wheels on. Full setup.
Mostly Zone 2, with a few short 2-minute race-pace efforts just to wake the legs up.
Because Sunday was race day.
Sunday – Olympic Distance Hit-Out
Even during recovery weeks, I sometimes include a race.
This week it was an Olympic distance event in Kingscliff:
- 1.5km swim
- 40km bike
- 10km run
For me, racing serves several purposes:
- Practising race-day nutrition
- Dialling in transitions
- Staying sharp mentally
- Keeping motivation high
The conditions were decent — a bit windy on the bike, light showers that made the roads slightly slippery. It was a five-lap bike course with plenty of traffic, so positioning and awareness were important.
But overall?
A solid day.
And I came away with the win.
A nice confidence boost — especially at the end of a recovery week.
How I Feel Now
The most important thing?
I've pulled up fresh.
Monday and into Tuesday I felt good — no lingering fatigue, no heaviness.
That's exactly how a recovery week should work.
Not smashed. Not stale. Ready to build again.
The Bigger Picture – Sixteen Weeks Out
At sixteen weeks to go, everything is about:
- Controlled heart rate
- Aerobic durability
- Consistency
- Respecting recovery at fifty-seven
Recovery weeks aren't weakness.
They're strategy.
Especially in long-course triathlon. Especially as a masters athlete.
You don't get stronger during the hardest weeks.
You get stronger when you absorb them.
If you're on your own Ironman journey — particularly over forty or fifty — I hope these weekly breakdowns help.
Sixteen weeks to go.
The build continues.
Stay safe out there on the roads.
— Des