Fitness

Thoughts After IRONMAN Texas

Lionel Sanders
Lionel Sanders•Apr 22, 2026

Why It Matters

Understanding durability gaps and incorporating real‑world bike volume can prevent race‑day collapse, preserving athletes' health and competitive longevity.

Key Takeaways

  • •Durability, not philosophy, is the key limiting factor.
  • •Outdoor bike sessions reveal fitness gaps unseen on trainers.
  • •Heart rate stayed low, indicating early fatigue during bike.
  • •A single four‑hour ride could prevent future race collapse.
  • •Gradual volume build‑up is essential to avoid injury and burnout.

Summary

Lionel reflects on his Ironman Texas experience, emphasizing that his core limitation is durability, not a need to overhaul his training philosophy. He entered the race believing his bike fitness was solid, based on indoor power numbers, but real‑world riding exposed a stark gap, leaving him exhausted after 2 hours 45 minutes despite a modest 300‑watt effort and a low heart rate.

Data from his heart‑rate monitor showed a steady 115‑118 bpm on the bike, suggesting the swim didn’t tax him, yet his heart rate began to drop as fatigue set in, confirming that his endurance capacity was insufficient for the long, steady outdoor effort. He attributes the shortfall to a lack of long outdoor rides—he primarily trains on a trainer—and to a cautious approach after a seven‑month injury layoff, which limited his ability to accumulate the necessary volume.

Lionel’s candid remarks—"I will never do an Ironman again" and "Durability is my limiter"—highlight the psychological toll of repeated setbacks. He also notes that a single four‑hour outdoor ride could have revealed his fatigue earlier, preventing the race‑day collapse. The conversation underscores the uniformity of elite training structures while stressing that consistency and gradual volume build‑up remain the differentiators.

The takeaway for endurance athletes is clear: prioritize real‑world bike endurance, incrementally increase weekly volume, and accept that durability, not talent, often dictates performance. By integrating longer outdoor sessions and respecting injury recovery timelines, athletes can safeguard against premature fatigue and preserve long‑term competitive viability.

Original Description

IRONMAN Texas was rough.
I came into this race thinking I was in decent bike shape, and I found out pretty quickly that I wasn’t in as good of Ironman shape as I thought. Threshold-wise, I’m in a good place. But durability is still the limiter.
That’s why we race. Not for knee-jerk reactions, but to expose what’s really there.
In this video talk about what went wrong in Texas, why I don’t think the answer is to blow everything up, what I learned from wearing the heart rate monitor, and why I still believe the long-term approach is the right one.
And yes… at the end I ask Mikal Iden if he’d coach me again....
No regrets. On to the next one.
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Video by Talbot Cox

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