How a 45-year-old Triathlete Stays in Shape

At the age of 45, Karen Smyers still kicks butt in the Ford
Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, a race that consists of a
2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. Wanna know how? Read this interview with Smyers in U.S. News & World Report.
In the mean time, here’s a look at her daily regimen:
Monday: About an hour of swimming in the morning, then an "easy"
bike ride of between 45 minutes and 2 hours (she may skip it if she
feels tired or time-pressed).
Tuesday: A one and a half to two hour bike ride
that includes either hill repeats (riding the same hill over and over)
or intervals (shorter bursts of speed followed by a recovery period) to
add intensity. Later in the day, a running workout on the track, which
builds over time from two and a half to four miles of intervals.
Wednesday: About an hour of swimming in the morning (which
Smyers might skip if she’s going to swim on Thursday and Friday), then
an easy bike ride.
Thursday: Long "brick" day with intense back-to-back workouts:
first a 3-hour bike ride, followed immediately by a 60-to-90-minute
run. And maybe a 2-mile-plus open-water swim at Walden Pond.
Friday: As much as 90 minutes of swimming in the morning, then an easy bike ride if she has time.
Saturday: A long bike ride of up to 130 miles followed immediately by a 3-mile "transition" run to reacquaint her legs with running.
Sunday: A long run of 15 to 20 miles.