Nico K. Pereira da Silva · First full-distance triathlon
3.8 km swim. 180 km bike. 42.2 km run. 45 weeks of structured preparation, built on patience, Zone 2 and consistency rather than heroics.
My day job is building technology backbones for global logistics: clear strategy, a solid foundation before scale, disciplined execution and honest data. In August 2027 I'm applying exactly that playbook to something very personal: my first full-distance IRONMAN in Tallinn, Estonia.
The plan is deliberately unspectacular. Months of controlled Zone 2 work, regular long sessions, strength, nutrition training and, above all, consistency. No hero weeks, no shortcuts. If October feels "surprisingly controlled", that's exactly right. June and July will be hard enough.
This page documents the road there, week by week, with live numbers straight from my training log.
Arrive in Tallinn healthy, well-prepared and confident, and cross the finish line with a smile. Race-day pacing and fueling will be rehearsed for months, not improvised.
★ 08.08.2027Every fourth week is a recovery week with 25–35 % less volume. Volume builds from about 5 hours to 12–15 hours per week.
Endurance isn't built by training hard all the time. It's built by a lot of controlled work, done consistently.
75–85 % of all endurance time is easy, conversational effort. It feels too slow, and that's exactly the point for a race that lasts many hours.
Most important ruleMissed sessions are never "made up". Easy sessions are dropped, key sessions are rescheduled only if no second hard day is created.
Monday is always a rest day. Every fourth week is lighter. At most two truly hard leg sessions per week, with roughly 48 hours in between.
Functional strength and EMS at RPE 6–7, always two to three reps in the tank. From spring on, maintenance only, because the legs belong to bike and run.
An IRONMAN is also a gut-training project. From 90 minutes on, carbs during every session, building towards 70–90 g per hour on the bike.
Every morning: green, yellow or red. Poor sleep or heavy legs mean shorter and easier. Illness means no training. The plan adapts automatically.
Every session recorded with WHOOP, synced into the training plan.
Planned vs. completed hours, 45 weeks
Time in heart-rate zones, bike and run
Duration and time in heart-rate zones
Recorded with WHOOP. Intensity is based on time in heart-rate zones. Strength and EMS sessions are listed by duration only, because heart-rate based scores do not reflect their muscular load.
Sunday, 8 August 2027 in Tallinn, Estonia.
Updates from long rides, early swims and the occasional lesson in humility, plus the parallels to leading transformation at work.