back to base??

Just out of interest wondered what training everyone did for their 2nd iron distance. Do you go right back to base phase for 10 wks? I am thinking about how my level of fitness has grown overall this year can base be cut down to 5/6 weeks before build phase etc? I will be taking a few weeks off over December and cut my training down, but will still be entering for  a few runs etc and training though not as much over December. Do most people go right back to square one again?

Cheers

Depends on the time between your IMs. I did less training for Double IM than my single one, I just rode the wave of a good base.

If I was to do one next year I wouldn't start from scratch, I guess what I'm trying to say is that it depends on your residual fitness and personal strengths and weaknesses.

cheers, good to get other ideas, prob try to improve cycle and swim more and build on my running and just build time back up.

Red_dog_chris wrote (see)

cheers, good to get other ideas, prob try to improve cycle and swim more and build on my running and just build time back up.

Unless there was a huge gap since your IM, or you've done no training at all, you should find that you will still have a base fitness. Also depends on your goals, get round in the time or go for a quicker time.

yes hope to go a bit quicker (as this year was my first one) and my cycle is improving slowly but surely, saving for some new wheels too. Swim needs some work but is not awful, so I will focus on  improving these areas and building on my run. Good to know it's not square one again lol. Thanks for the advice  

It also depends if you do nothing in between the end of 1 IM and the start of the next training block.
For year 2 I reverted to a 'normal' week, bike / run commuting, then picked up from where I was 30 weeks out...  You carry lots of fitness and endurance from one year to another, - I was straight back into 3 hour + rides

Now I am doing a repeatable basic week for 45 weeks a year - ie you pick up from where you were, and maintain / build fitness through the year, but with the last 10 weeks really building up.  ie its all about consistency week in week out building year round fitness. 

Oh if you repeat what you did last year you won't get the same results.... You are fitter / have more endurance so you will end up going faster / recovering better / without even noticing it......

Thanks orange cannon, yes that sounds good to me- pretty much what I was hoping to do. I plan to run, swim and do cycling when weather allows or spinning if really bad but less volume over winter until around end Jan/Feb time- just remembering those 5am cycle rides last winter and my frozen feet despite 3 pairs of socks lol.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated

OC - what does your 45 week basic week look like (if you dont mind sharing that is), I'm assuming its built around your bike and run commuting ?