With just three weeks remaining until Ironman Cairns, the focus of training has shifted dramatically.
At this stage, it's no longer about building fitness. The hard work has already been done. The long rides, early morning swims, endurance runs, interval sessions, and months of consistency are now in the bank.
The priority becomes simple:
Arrive at the start line healthy.
As a 57-year-old age-group athlete balancing full-time work, family commitments, and Ironman training, that's exactly where my attention is right now.
The Reality of the Final Three Weeks
Many athletes make the mistake of trying to squeeze in one last big training block before race day.
In reality, the final few weeks are about maintaining fitness while allowing the body to absorb the training load accumulated over the previous months.
This week ended up being around 10 hours of training, which is noticeably lighter than some of the bigger weeks earlier in the build.
That wasn't by accident.
The taper has officially begun.
If you want to understand how I've been adjusting training on the fly during this build, I covered the process in How I Use AI to Adjust My Ironman Training Day-by-Day.
Key Sessions From the Week
Indoor Bike Sessions
Most of the bike work this week was completed indoors using ROUVY and the Ironman Cairns course simulation.
One session included:
| Segment | Details |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | 15 minutes progressive |
| Main Set | 3 × 18 minutes at 175 watts |
| Recovery | 3 minutes between intervals |
| Cool-down | 15 minutes easy |
These sessions aren't about setting records. They're designed to keep the legs sharp while maintaining race-specific fitness.
I also completed a three-hour endurance ride on the weekend, with a 20-minute effort slightly above planned Ironman race intensity after the two-hour mark.
The encouraging part?
At the end of the ride I felt fresh and told my wife it barely felt like I had ridden at all.
That's usually a good sign that the taper is beginning to work.
Swim Training Remains Consistent
Swimming continues to be a strength heading into Cairns.
One of the week's key swim sessions:
| Segment | Details |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | 400m easy |
| Main Set 1 | 10 × 100m on 2-minute cycle |
| Main Set 2 | 5 × 200m with paddles and pull buoy |
| Cool-down | Easy 200m |
The goal wasn't speed. The goal was controlled effort and maintaining feel for the water.
I also completed a 2,600m endurance swim wearing a wetsuit in a 28°C pool.
Some people think that's crazy. There's actually a solid reason behind it.
Why Heat Adaptation Matters
Ironman Cairns often delivers warm and humid race conditions.
By swimming in a wetsuit in warmer water during training, I'm preparing my body for the potential race-day conditions.
When race morning arrives, I want the wetsuit to feel normal rather than restrictive or uncomfortable.
Small details like this can make a big difference over a 3.8km swim.
The Calf Issue Returns
Unfortunately, the biggest story of the week wasn't the training.
It was my right calf.
A few weeks ago, I experienced some tightness during a run. After taking a cautious approach and replacing some running sessions with swimming and cycling, things appeared to be improving.
A 60-minute Zone 2 run midweek felt completely normal.
A short 30-minute run later in the week also went well.
Then came Sunday.
The plan was a 90-minute run. About 15 minutes into the session, the calf tightened again.
At that point, there was only one sensible decision:
Stop.
No heroics. No trying to push through. No risking months of preparation for one training session.
I called my wife for a lift home, iced the calf immediately, and made the decision to reassess over the coming days.
If you missed it, I wrote about the initial calf scare in 4 Weeks to Go — The Calf Injury Scare That Changed My Final Build.
Are Carbon-Plated Shoes the Problem?
One thing I've noticed is that both calf flare-ups occurred while wearing my ASICS Magic Speed shoes.
These are excellent shoes, but they are considerably more aggressive than my everyday trainers.
Whether the shoes are directly responsible is impossible to know for certain.
However, this close to race day, I don't need certainty. I need common sense.
I've decided to move away from the carbon-plated shoes and return to my trusted ASICS Kayano trainers for both training and potentially race day.
| Factor | Carbon-Plated (Magic Speed) | Traditional (Kayano) |
|---|---|---|
| Speed potential | Slightly faster | Standard |
| Calf stress | Higher | Lower |
| Confidence | Uncertain | High |
| Risk this close to race | Unacceptable | Minimal |
Will the Kayanos be slightly slower? Maybe.
Will they give me confidence and reduce risk? Absolutely.
At this point, that's the more important consideration.
Lessons for Masters Athletes
One advantage of racing later in life is experience.
When I was younger, I probably would have pushed through the calf issue.
Now I understand that discipline isn't always about pushing harder.
Sometimes discipline means backing off.
Sometimes the smartest session is the one you don't do.
Fitness gained in the final two weeks before an Ironman is minimal. The damage caused by an injury can be enormous.
The risk-versus-reward calculation becomes very simple:
Protect your health. Protect your race.
I explored this mindset in detail in Why Running Feels Harder After 40 — and How to Fix It, where recovery capacity and training smarter become the real performance levers for masters athletes.
Looking Ahead
With less than three weeks until Ironman Cairns, the focus remains:
- Maintain fitness — keep sessions sharp, not heavy
- Prioritise recovery — sleep, nutrition, mobility
- Manage the calf carefully — no unnecessary risks
- Continue race-specific nutrition practice — dial in race-day fuelling
- Arrive healthy at the start line — the number one priority
The reality is that the work has already been done.
Now it's about trusting the process, staying patient, and making smart decisions.
After a season that has delivered nine races and nine podium finishes, including winning the Queensland Triathlon Series age-group title, I'm excited to see what race day can bring.
For now, the mission is simple:
Stay healthy. See you in Cairns.
Want help building a training plan that adapts to your body and schedule? I'm offering a free 30-minute training review for masters athletes preparing for their next race.
Check out the Complete Guide to Triathlon Training Zones if you want to understand how to structure your taper sessions by intensity.