7 Weeks to Go — Ironman Cairns: Big Week, Big Lessons

Seven weeks to go.

That number is starting to feel very real. The nerves are creeping in — have I done enough? Am I where I need to be? — and if you've ever built toward an Ironman, you'll know exactly what that internal dialogue sounds like.

But here's the thing: the hay is nearly in the barn. This was the fourth and final week of the biggest build block I've done in this campaign — and looking back, it delivered exactly what I needed.

Let me walk you through it.

The Week at a Glance

Monday — The Ride That Made the Week

This was the highlight.

My wife was heading up to Noosa for work, and I saw an opportunity I rarely get: a point-to-point ride instead of the same suburban loops I've been doing for months.

I kicked off from Brisbane's northern suburbs and rode 5 hours up through Caboolture, the Old Highway, past Beerburrum, Landsborough, across to the Sunshine Coast via Caloundra Road, up through Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Twin Waters, and then onto David Low Way.

I have to say — the stretch from Mudjimba up to Noosa along David Low Way is one of the most beautiful training roads I've ridden. There's a designated bike path, the traffic tends to be more respectful, and the terrain is rolling and undulating — not unlike what I'll face in Cairns.

When the scenery changes, the quality of the session changes too. Five hours felt like three.

I hit rain through Noosa and across to Tewantin, but I'd planned to finish with the Noosa Tri climb — about a 3 km hill — just past the 5-hour mark. The idea was to load the legs late in the ride and see how they responded. The legs were good. The torrential rain coming back down? Less good. Got properly cold on the descent — wet kit, no effort to generate heat.

But all in all, a genuinely enjoyable session. Drove home with the wife. Sometimes training logistics just line up perfectly.

Wednesday — Long Run With a Purpose

With the long rides now on weekends and the long run midweek, Wednesday was a 2 hour 15 minute Zone 2 run — and it doubled as a nutrition rehearsal.

I ran mid-Zone 2 by heart rate, not pace. Not pushing into upper Zone 2 or low Zone 3 — just sitting in the sweet spot where I could sustain conversation and practise fuelling on the move.

The encouraging sign? I'm feeling genuinely good at the end of these runs now. That durability is building. The legs that used to feel heavy at 90 minutes are holding shape well past two hours.

If you're interested in what durability actually means for Ironman performance, I wrote a deeper piece on it recently.

Thursday — Indoor Cairns Simulation

Back on the indoor trainer using Rouvy, riding the Cairns course. They have the older half-course version, which I've set on ERG mode for a power-based session:

• Structured warm-up
• 3 × 18 minutes at Ironman race power, with 3-minute recovery between
• 15-minute cool-down to loosen the legs for Friday

Nothing glamorous. Just the work. Holding a specific power number for 54 minutes of total work when the legs are carrying Monday's 5-hour ride and Wednesday's long run — that's the kind of session that builds confidence you can't fake.

Friday — Double Day: Speed + Swim

Morning: 4×4 Minute Run Efforts

My favourite session of the week, and it's been that way for a while now.

Warm up with an easy jog down to Margate Beach, then:

4 × 4 minutes at roughly 90% effort — focusing on form, breathing, and cadence.

These are getting faster each week at the same heart rate, which tells me exactly what I want to hear: the body is becoming more efficient at pace. And when I drop back to Ironman effort, it feels genuinely easy by comparison.

That's the whole point. You don't get faster at race pace by only training at race pace. You train above it, so race pace feels like second gear.

For more on how I use heart rate versus pace for different sessions, have a read of the Heart Rate vs Power vs Pace breakdown.

Lunchtime: 2,500 m Swim

The first ten 100s are coming in around 1:38–1:41, which gives me a solid 15–20 seconds rest on the 2:00 send-off. The second ten with paddles and pull buoy load up the shoulders and force me to hold stroke length when fatigue starts creeping in.

Simple. Repeatable. Effective.

Saturday — 4-Hour Indoor Ride (Cairns Course)

Brisbane's weather had other plans again, so this was another indoor Rouvy session riding the Cairns course. I did the first 3 hours heading south on the half-Ironman route until the turnaround, then reset and rode the first hour heading back north.

I'd argue 4 hours indoors is equivalent to 4.5–5 hours outdoors. No traffic lights, no freewheeling, no coasting — just constant pedalling.

The legs felt comfortable, which is a good sign this deep into a four-week build block. But there's no hiding from the monotony of indoor riding. You earn every minute.

Sunday — Open Water + A Sensible Decision

Open Water Swim — Suttons Beach, Redcliffe

Joined the Sunday morning group at 7 AM for some open water work. The beauty of group swimming is you get to practise drafting, sitting on feet, positioning on shoulders — all the race-craft stuff you can't replicate in the pool.

Wore the wetsuit, did some up-and-backs. Nothing heroic — just rolling the arms through and keeping the feel for open water.

The Afternoon Run That Didn't Happen

I had a longer run planned for Sunday afternoon. It didn't happen.

This was the fourth week of a build block — and a big week at work (six straight shifts, many of them late evenings). By Sunday afternoon, I was cooked.

So I moved the run to Monday morning. Gave myself breathing space. Prioritised recovery.

The ability to recognise when you're running on empty — and choosing rest instead of ego — is one of the most important skills a masters athlete can develop.

If you read last week's post on wasting less after 50, this is a textbook example. The session isn't wasted by moving it. It's improved, because I'll execute it properly when I'm not exhausted.

The Bigger Picture: Build Block Complete

This was the final week of a four-week build — but it was actually the fourth straight build week rather than the usual three. Normally I do three weeks on, one recovery. This time I pushed to four because the body was responding well.

But the data is telling me it's time:

• HRV trending down over the last week
• Resting heart rate climbing slightly in the mornings
• General sense of accumulated fatigue in the legs

None of these are alarm bells — they're exactly what you'd expect after four hard weeks. But they're the signals that say: time to back off.

So this coming week (6 weeks to go) will be a recovery week. Reduced volume, lower intensity, letting the body absorb all the work I've banked.

And then the weekend brings the Moreton Bay Triathlon — 2 km swim, 60 km bike, 15 km run. A perfect hit-out to practise race-pace nutrition and execution, without the pressure of a full Ironman.

More on that in next week's recap.

Key Takeaways This Week

1. Point-to-point rides are gold. New scenery transforms long sessions mentally. If you can organise the logistics, do it.
2. Durability is showing up. Feeling strong at the end of 2+ hour runs is the payoff for months of consistent Zone 2 work.
3. Speed at the same heart rate = progress. If your interval pace is dropping for the same HR, your engine is growing. Trust the process.
4. Indoor hours count double mentally. Four hours on the trainer is genuinely hard. Respect it.
5. Moving a session isn't failing. It's training smart. Especially in a four-week build with heavy work commitments.
6. Listen to the data. HRV, resting HR, and perceived fatigue are your early warning system. When they all point the same direction, act on it.

What's Ahead: 6 Weeks to Go

• Recovery week — reduced volume, active rest
• Moreton Bay Triathlon on the weekend — race simulation
• Nutrition rehearsal at race pace
• Mental reset before the final push

The hay is nearly in the barn. Now it's about arriving at the start line healthy, confident, and ready.

Catch the full video recap on YouTube: 7 Weeks to Go — Road to Ironman Cairns

Previous week: 8 Weeks to Go — Listening to Your Body

Want to build your own Ironman plan? Check out the Training Plans, explore the free Resources, or get in touch directly.

— Coach Des Trindall