So, that’s the minimum amount of training you need to be able to race an IM

I have this hypothetical scenario.

So let’s say that a person wants to race Ironman. And I mean race, not finish it. Race does not mean to try to win my AG, it only means to…you know, race.

Let’s say that that person wanted to do IM before, then throw an Ironman retirement party and then start concentrating her energy on Oly distance. Then the person has changed the plan and decided to forget about IM and go straight to Oly dist training. Then the person even contemplates forgetting all about tris and take up chess.

However, later on the person slowly starts leaning towards doing IM, throwing an Ironman retirement party and only then starting to concentrate on Oly distance.

So the question is, is it possible for such a person in this hypothetical scenario race a decent IM? The person used to train quite hard and her swim/bike fitness was pretty good, but then all that went out the window in last 4 months. Plus the person only run like a total of 100k in last 8months. And the person only has around 3,5 months to get ready for an IM.

Of course the person can always start training and then the day before the race asses whether she feels prepared enough and then decide whether she is going to race or not.

Now you have all the important details of this hypothetical scenario. What do you think? Is there something like an IM crash training program? Is this the stupidest (theoretical) idea you have ever read? Or the bravest?

Btw, I am going for a 40min run (!) followed by a swim workout. In shorts! I have not run in shorts since the beginning of September! Not because I am a weather wimp or live I Siberia, it is mostly because I was not able to run whether it was in shorts or long pants. But today the starts have aligned right- I am able to run and we have 10+ degree sunny weather.