Introduction
“When training gets tough, I often have the thought in my mind of ‘what would I be doing now, if I wasn’t doing this?’ and that really motivates me.”— Patrick Lange.
These words were uttered by the renowned record-breaking triathlete, Patrick Lange himself. He won both the 2017 Ironman World Champion and the 2018 Ironman World Champion and the longest record German champion in the duathlon from the year 2010-2013.
One of his personal best records was winning the 2018 Kona when he finished the race for 7 hours, 52 minutes, and 39 seconds. But still, his philosophy doesn’t change at all, and it is to “always aim for my personal best,” he says.
Becoming a superathlete and record-breaker like Patrick requires both strong dedication and solid discipline. Everything is a result of his hard work and focus in training. To know more about the secret of his great success, let’s dive in and find out his everyday workout routine and diet plan.
Get To Know More About Patrick Lange
Born on August 25, 1986, in Bad Wildungen, Germany, Patrick Lange is a celebrity triathlete and the 6th triathlete from Germany that won the Ironman Hawaii event. His family is from Germany.
He started his career when he competed in Germany’s Under 15 mountain biking discipline. In 2008, he joined the competition in the military world championships team Triathlon held in Estonia and won the first spot. I would say that this is undeniably a great feat as this was his first major competition.
In 2016, Lange competed in the Ironman World Championship and won third place. The following year, he was able to bag first place and even set a new record of a 48:45 swim, a 4:28:53 bike, and a 2:40:00 run after the course record of Craig Alexander in 2011.
And he didn’t stop there. He competed in the ITU Duathlon Short Distance World Championships mixed team held in Nancy, France, and bagged bronze.
Amazingly, in the same year of 2017, he also won the Ironman World Championships in Kona for a new best time record of 7 hours, 52 minutes, and 38 seconds. It is the first-ever record that finished the race below 8 hours.
Patrick Lange's Workout Routine
After he competes in Hawaii, Lange engages in a light training session for quick recovery and helps his body to revitalize back to normal levels. Since most of his races usually occur in the latter part of the year, Lange doesn’t engage in intense training at the beginning of the year.
He always prefers to opt for low-intensity training sessions for most of his training sessions and then follows a low volume after his race. Personally, I think this is a great way to ease your body into hard workouts versus bombarding it with and stretching to the limit all the time.
Most bike training routines of Lange take place outdoors in Germany. But as winter days strike, that’s when his indoor trainer comes in handy to continue working on his workout session. When it comes to his running practice, it always takes place outside, no matter what type the weather is.
When it is still off-season, his training consists of strength training, and he spends most of his time in the gym, mostly working on his imbalances. Here are the lists of Lange’s off-season training session during winter; it is a short yet intense turbo session:
- Warm-up – 15 min
- Base – 10 min
- Easy spinning for 30-sec x 10 at threshold power with a rest of 30 sec in between
- Recovery – 5 min
- Easy spinning for 30-sec x 10 at threshold power with a rest of 30 sec in between
- Cooldown – 10 min
“I still have my biggest potential on the bike,” says Patrick, “so my goal is to improve year by year without any negative impact on the swim and run. St Moritz is one of my favorite places for training. In general, I like to train in places that are close to the mountains.”
He always varies by doing cycling routes as he tends to get bored easily. Plus, Lange had been fortunate enough as he shared to spend a few months in the training camps away from his home. And that only means his training routine gets more spiced up.
Besides, his training always switches between flat-and-fast and altitude. He ensures to elevate every year’s training session in preparation for the year’s major races. This way, he can guarantee that his body is in great condition before months, weeks, and days of the race.
Patrick Lange's Diet Plan
Besides being known as a record-breaker in the Ironman World Championship, Lange is also popular for his nutrition and vegetarianism. He said that our digestive system could not quickly digest meat, and it stays longer there, so that’s why he prefers to follow a vegetarian diet that is perfectly suited to his regular training session.
Eating properly is vital to help your body train so much and not easily lose weight and muscle mass. That’s why he is also eating lots and lots of pizza and pasta to ensure he gets enough carbs for the energy he needs for his intense workout session.
His wife Julia is a health expert, and she suggested to Patrick to stick with his own diet and eat foods that help him fuel his body. Lange knows exactly that he always gets enough iron, protein, and folic acid but still takes multiple supplements to help him recover quickly.
Plus, he always ensures to monitor and check his blood levels every after few months to monitor that all of the macronutrients are at the right levels.
On the other hand, Lange had shared that his body became strong and healthy when he turned vegetarian. His recovery time also decreased when he shifted to eating vegetarian foods. Typical diet food consists of plants and eggs, and it is very important to eat up foods rich in plant protein sources to fill all of the protein requirements that an athlete needs.
In all of his meals, Lange never forgets to add proteins to ensure he gets enough of this nutrient. He said, “it is important that the body gets the right fuel and is essential in allowing the body to perform at its best.”
He ensures to listen to what the body needs and then consumes enough carbs to maintain the level needs of calories. When he is in the race, Lange consumes 1.5 grams of crabs every hour per kilogram. Once the race finished, he eats food that he always intakes daily, like protein from cheese, eggs, and dairy.
When Lange is on low training days, he ensures drinking and consuming 1.5-2 liters of water and then increases it once his training is getting harder and tougher.
Patrick Lange's Tips For a Fast Run Split
As one of the fastest marathon runners in Ironman and a title hold breaker, Lange consistently gives more and more great performances. Here are three pieces of advice from Lange,
Relax
When it comes to long-distance triathlon, Lange recommends that there is no stress between disciplines for 80% of brick workouts. So, don’t be afraid to put your bike away, drink a cola, change and then start your run relaxed.
Muscle memory
You should practice how to do quick transitions and a fast pace for the first two kilometers for short-distance triathletes. “This is something that should become second nature after enough practice,” says Patrick Lange.
Ensure to check in with yourself throughout the run
Always make sure to listen to your body if you’re in a long-distance race and take the first kilometers easy. Utilize this time checking everything in your body, from head to toe, to know how you are running at that moment. Ask yourself some questions like “how am I feeling?” and “how is my running form?” This is essential and effective to help you complete the rest of your run without burning yourself out.
The early stages of the race are important to a good run
Always think ahead. It’s vital to take in enough nutrition and supplements on the bike so that you guarantee that your energy stays in the “green zone” during the entire run.
A final pro tip
Once you reach the half distance and up, Lange’s final tip is to ensure you’re always wearing your socks.
Source: Triathlon Magazine
Patrick Lange’s Ironman Mindset During The Race
Regardless of whether Lange needs to complete the final miles of an Ironman triathlon or to rise early in the morning for his training, he has developed a resilient mindset he always carries on. Here is Patrick Lange, a prominent triathlon champion, top three tips…
Love what you do
Triathlon is a sport that consists of swim, bike, and run, but you must enjoy doing these there if you’re going to train for an Ironman race. I’ll never tire of hearing the bike chain running over the pulleys on my bike,” says Patrick Lange.
Be grateful every day
“The sun is shining, and I want to go out and train because I still feel the love for the sport. When I’m ill and can’t train, it’s a reminder of how much it means to me,” says Patrick Lange.
Finish what you start
“Whether it’s training or racing, that feeling of accomplishment at finishing the job is a reminder of why we do it. There is little better than finishing your first Ironman. Hold on to that thought,”says Patrick Lange.
Source: 220 Triathlon
Conclusion
Holding a personal best record in Ironman is such a great achievement for Lange. And becoming as quick as he requires strong will and dedication to continue working hard every single day.
Perhaps, in the triathlon sports, the bucket list here is to arrive at the finish line quickly. But before reaching the finish line, you need to endure and undergo hardships, and it’s only up to you whether to continue or not. As Patrick Lange says, “Well, in the end, it’s not always about motivation but simply about getting things done.”
Sources:
https://sportcoaching.co.nz/patrick-lange-training-diet-results/
https://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/6-tips-to-get-faster-for-your-next-ironman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Lange#:~:text=Patrick%20Lange%20
Marko Rakic is a trail runner and fitness enthusiast from Sydney, Australia. He is the lead writer for The Ultimate Primate and believes the best way to live a happy life is through constantly challenging yourself.