Hit your target time at your Ironman.
Without guessing, and without breaking down in training. We test you, then tell you exactly how hard to train, how much carbohydrate you need per hour to last the whole day, and what will make you faster between now and race day.
Ironman Training and Race Assessment. Bike, run, or both in one session, with optional swim analysis. Tested in our Aberdeen lab, or we come to you anywhere in Scotland, at your club, track or out on the road.
The most common Ironman mistakes
Most Ironman races aren't lost on race day. They're lost in training, when athletes pile on miles without knowing what they need to fix.
Just adding miles
You start long, steady rides in November because that's what Ironman training looks like. By spring you're tired, but not much fitter, and you start the race slower than you should be.
What's limiting you right now, and exactly what to work on first, so your early training builds the engine your long training will need.
Get the foundations right, and the long training works
The long rides and big run weeks are what make an Ironman. But they only work if your body is ready to absorb them. Test early in your build and you'll know what's holding you back and how to fix it before the volume builds. When your long-ride block starts, you'll know the pace to train at and the fuel you need, so you get fitter from your biggest weeks instead of just surviving them.
What's limiting me?
Your fat burning, glycolytic power, VO2 max and threshold, and which one to work on first.
What pace should I train at?
Zones from your test, including the pace where you burn the most fat, so the long days of your Ironman training build the right fitness.
How much should I eat?
Your Ironman fuelling, worked out: what to eat on long rides and hard sessions, how much to refuel afterwards, and your race-day target, with time to train your gut for it.
How we make you faster
Ironman performance comes down to three things. Your test shows which matters most for you, and in what order to work on them.
1. Burn more fat
The more fat you burn at race pace, the less carbohydrate you need. Your stores last longer, your gut has less to handle, and there's fuel left for the marathon.
2. Lower your glycolytic power
Glycolytic power is how quickly your body burns carbohydrate. If it's high, you burn through your stores fast and your fat burning is held back. Specific sessions bring it down.
3. Maximise your aerobic power
Your VO2 max is the size of your engine. The bigger it is, the higher your threshold and race pace can go.
What your test measures
One session in our lab, on your own bike and our treadmill. Every number comes with an explanation and a plan.
Fat burning
How much fat you burn at race intensity. The more you burn, the less carbohydrate you need and the longer your stores last.
Glycolytic power
How quickly your body burns carbohydrate. Too high, and you empty your stores long before the marathon.
VO2 max and threshold
The size of your aerobic engine and the power and pace you can sustain, which set how fast your race pace can be.
Fuel use at every intensity
How much fat and carbohydrate you burn from easy Zone 2 to hard intervals, so every session and your race has a fuelling target.
- Target bike power
- 165–175W
- Target marathon pace off the bike
- 5:40–5:55/km
- Bike threshold
- 235W
- VO2 max
- 54ml/kg/min
- Glycolytic power
- Moderate
- Carbohydrate on the bike
- 90g/hour
- Carbohydrate on the run
- 70g/hour
- Fat burning on the bike
- 0.40g/min
- Fuel for a Zone 2 ride
- 35g/hour
- Running economy (add-on)
- 215ml/kg/km
Your Ironman Training and Race Assessment
Test the bike, the run, or both in one session. Results within 48 hours, explained by a coach.
Every result explained by a coachWhat you get
- Your race targetsA race power range and a realistic marathon pace off the bike, with targets for the climbs and flats on a hilly course
- What's limiting youYour fat burning, glycolytic power, VO2 max and threshold, and what to work on first
- How to trainZones from your test, not a formula, including the pace where you burn the most fat
- How much to fuelFat and carbohydrate use at every intensity, for long rides, hard sessions and race day, plus how much to refuel afterwards
- Results in 48 hoursYour full results, explained by a coach
- Tested on your own bikeOn our smart trainer, so your numbers match the bike you race on
Complete your Ironman picture with swim analysis
The swim sets up your whole day. Add video or propulsion analysis and we'll look at all three disciplines in one visit, about 3.5 hours with the Bike and Run assessment.
Add running economy
How efficiently you use your engine at marathon pace. Add it to the Run assessment. Included with Bike and Run.
Add a 10-week Ironman training block
Ten weeks of structured training built from your results, targeting the areas you need to improve, with a fuelling target for every session.
Retesting: £120 for a single discipline, £230 for bike and run.
After your test
Your results are only useful if your training changes because of them. Choose how you want to use them.
Train with your zones
You leave with your zones and fuelling targets for every intensity, to use in your own programme.
Follow an Ironman training plan
A 10-week Ironman training block built from your results.
Train with a coach
We build your results into a plan that's yours alone, then adapt it week by week as you improve. Talk to a coach
Half price on your first month of coaching. Start within 14 days of your assessment and your first month is 50% off.
Talk to a coach
“My race in Nice was significantly better than the race I qualified at. It almost went perfectly. I felt strong through the whole bike and really strong on the run, and I finished in a time I didn't think was achievable when I started training.”
Stuart Finley, IRONMAN World Championship Nice 2025, M35–39
In our lab or out on the road
Most athletes test in our Aberdeen lab on their own bike on a smart trainer, plus our treadmill. In winter that's where you'll do most of your training anyway. You get the same results whichever you choose.
Our Aberdeen lab
Your own bike on our smart trainer, and our treadmill. Controlled, repeatable and easy to compare when you retest.
Out on the road
Your own bike on a quiet road, plus a run. Ideal for a follow-up test, to see how your lab numbers transfer outside.
Bring your club or group
Several of you racing the same event? We can test you together, in the lab or outdoors.
Every athlete gets
- Their own race power and run pace
- A fuelling target for race day and every session
- Training zones from their test
- A results debrief with a coach
Testing as a group?
Tell us about your club or training group and your race, and we'll plan a session around you.
When to test
There's no wrong time to test. An Ironman build is long, and the sooner you know your numbers, the more of it uses them.
Initial test
Understand your physiology in more detail, find what's limiting you, and set your training zones and fuelling targets.
Train based on your physiology
Fix what's limiting you: build fat burning, bring glycolytic power down and lift your aerobic power, with every session at the right intensity.
Before your long training
Retest to confirm what's moved and set your targets for the big weeks.
Long training to race day
Long rides and runs at the right pace, with your fuelling rehearsed. You arrive knowing your power, pace and fuel.
Don't wait until you feel 'fit enough'. Test now and give yourself more time to make improvements.
Book your assessmentQuestions triathletes ask us
What happens during the test?
You'll ride and/or run through a series of short stages that gradually get harder. At each stage we take a small blood sample from your fingertip or earlobe. From those we work out your fat burning, glycolytic power, VO2 max, threshold and fuel use at every intensity.
When's the best time to test?
Any time of year. The sooner you know what's limiting you, the more of your training goes into fixing it. Test early in your build to set your zones and fuelling, then retest before your longest weeks to fine-tune your race targets.
How can a 90-minute test tell me about a 12-hour race?
The test measures what your body does at every intensity, including your race intensity. Holding that for a whole day is about durability, which you build in training. Your long rides and bricks are where we check that your power and heart rate hold up.
Should I add the swim analysis?
If the swim is your weakest discipline, or you finish it tired, yes. A calmer, more efficient swim sets up your whole day.
Do I need to bring my own bike?
Yes. We test you on your own bike on our smart trainer, so your numbers match the bike you race on. You don't need a power meter in the lab. For outdoor testing, your bike needs one.
Should I test on my TT bike or road bike?
Whichever you'll race on.
How should I prepare?
No hard training for 48 hours beforehand. Eat normally, have a light meal 2–3 hours before, and arrive well hydrated. Bring your bike, cycling and running kit, and the shoes you train in.
When do I get my results?
Within 48 hours, explained by a coach.
Is it suitable for my first Ironman?
Yes. First-timers often gain the most, because pacing and fuelling are where first Ironman races usually go wrong.
I'm doing Celtman or another extreme race. Does it still apply?
Yes. The longer and harder the day, the more your fat burning and fuelling matter. We factor the course into your targets.
Can I test only the bike or only the run?
Yes. Book the Bike or Run assessment. The combined assessment gives you the full race picture, includes running economy and saves £75.
What's the best Ironman training plan?
One built on your own numbers. Most Ironman training plans use generic zones from a field test or a percentage of threshold, so long rides often end up too hard to build fat burning and hard sessions aren't targeted at what's limiting you. Your test gives you zones from your own physiology, and our 10-week Ironman training block uses them from the first session.
How much should I eat during an Ironman?
It depends on how much carbohydrate you burn at race intensity, and that varies a lot between athletes. Many people land somewhere between 60 and 90 grams per hour, but your test measures your own fuel use, so your Ironman fuelling target is one you can practise on long rides and rely on through the marathon.
IRONMAN® is a registered trademark of World Triathlon Corporation. Total Endurance is not affiliated with or endorsed by IRONMAN.
Don't just pile on the miles. Train for your target time.
Find out what's limiting you, the pace to train at and the fuel you need, before your long training starts.
Not sure yet? Talk to a coach
Book a free 15-minute call. We'll talk through your race, your training and which assessment is the right next step.
On the call we'll cover
- Your race, your goal time and where you are now
- Which assessment and add-ons make sense for you
- When to test, based on your race date
- Coaching, and group or club testing
Fill in the form below and a coach will get back to you to arrange a time.