The ultra 355 endurance triathlon is a three day event that consists of a 5km swim followed by a 100km ride on day 1. Day 2is a 200km bike and day 3 is a 50km run. Each day has a 8 hour cut off and athletes are required to be self supported. According to Ultra355, the ultra355 event attracts and unites competing athletes under its core values of respect (for self, the distance and for others), mateship and community.
In many ways Ultra 355 has parallels with ironman 70.3 as it positions itself as a much needed stepping stone between Ironman and Ultraman. As a side bar, Ironman 70.3 rose to prominence in 2001 based on the needs of the triathlon community to have an event that could be used for aspiring Ironman athletes to cut their teeth before moving onto the full 140.6 full ironman. The 70.3 fast became a fan and athlete favorite as it enabled the Olympic and sprint distance athletes from the ITU (now world triathlon) to do battle against the long distance WTC athletes. The triathlon world is confident that Ultra 355 will also become a highly sought after distance as it offers the perfect distance to test the limits of your body and mind.
To train for Ultra 355 you need to have a balance between long slow distance sessions to enable your body to cope with the eye watering distance you will be traveling over the three days. You will also need to store a certain degree of speed to draw from as each day would be similar in intensity to a 70.3 hit out.
I have written the following training peaks program (click link below) to enable you to step up in distance and enjoy the challenges of training and racing a multi day event in a beautiful part of the world.
If you have any queries about the program or if you would like to be individually coached by a 6 time ironman and 2 time ultraman finisher please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also contact the organizers of Ultra355 by following this facebook link