My opinion only.

• Health - I want to be able to run long distances into old age, and I've heard that extreme endurance events like Ironman races can actually be bad for your health. Everything in moderation isn't bad plus running 13.1 after riding 56 may even be better than a straight marathon race.
• Cost - I would probably need to invest in a new bike. I know travel fees and race fees would be expensive too. If you have a decent bike now, continue to ride it if it works for you and decide later if you "need to invest in a new bike". I suggest finding a local 70.3 race before traveling to "destination" races.
  
• Time - How long would I need to set out to train. I have a solid half-marathon base right now, but haven't done much biking or swimming in a while. Is 9 months enough time for a 70.3? Given the fitness level you describe, nine months should be plenty. Focus on the weaknesses and maintain your strengths. For example, I made the mistake recently of focusing on riding which is my strength and neglected the swim almost entirely. That came back to haunt me in the Donner Lake 70.3 last weekend. The thin air and lack of prep made for a difficult swim which may have cost me time on the bike (slower time than last year in better conditions).
  

This is a fun sport but don't feel pressure to buy the latest gadgets.

i'm no coach, but if you have a solid base for a 13.1, 9 months is more than enough time. if i were you, look at the calendar and see which race(s) are appealing to you for location, type of course, type of water for swimming, etc. sign up for alerts to get notified when registration opens, many sell out quick.

investing in a new bike is your call. i wouldnt do a 70.3 on a mountain bike, but a road bike would be more than fine. i did mine on a road bike and so do plenty of others. you may want to take your bike in for a professional fit. seems like a lot of money but little adjsutments will help you more than you can imagine.

do you have any races in mind?

It sounds like you have the itch already, and your gut is the most important decision make when it comes to this sport, so why not?

I second the notion about finding a local 70.3 first.

9 months is plenty of time.

I think you have enough baseline fitness to get there in 9 months. Heck, I am 42, and 10 months of training ended up being a lot more than I needed to get from the Oly distance to a mid-pack finish in my first half ironman with similar race experience, but slightly slower times and no lacross, compared to yours. You probably find that cycling fitness is a lot easier to build that you would guess. Some people also build swimming fitness readily.

As for your concerns, people on the couch love to warn about the dangers of being active. As long as you don't push yourself to collapse during a race, it isn't bad for your health. Activity is good for you, and the body is capable of a lot more than most people want to admit.
Cost--what kind of bike are you riding now? Personally, I would not want to do it on a mountain bike or comfort bike. Can you get a gently used road bike? I have seen some seriously fast people on old road bikes. Can you borrow a bike? Also, when your parents ask what you want for your birthday, say you want the entry fee to a race or for them to make a weekend out of taking you to the race. To cut down on travel expenses, you could really go the student route and camp instead of a hotel.
Time--like I said, you have plenty of time between now and the race, it really just boils down to carving it out of your schedule.

If you can make it work, I say to do it. I got a huge sense of accomplishment from it.

I'm 41 - last july when I was 40 and fat I decided to do an IM - weighed in a 93.5kg on July 5th 14 finished IM France June 28th 15 weighing 73 kilo's

Average hours per week for that period was 8.7, that included about 8-10 weeks of zero running, swimming and biking due to illness or travel

My first run last July was about 8-9 mins a km at HR of 150 for 20 minutes something which is largely meaningless as a comparator except that 3 weeks out from france I ran 30k at 5 mins / km or 3.5 hour marathon which whilst not fast is fine for 12 months of exercise

I did need a bike, but I also needed swim shorts, bike shorts, goggles and all the other things a sedentary person won't have if they've not exercised

my biggest mistake was the split of hours - I did something like 450 I think which was split 210 bike 210 run and 30 swimming, it will be more like 300 cycling 100 run 50 swim - I cant guarantee I can do much more than that as I have two under two

Thank you all for the support! You're right. I have the itch, and I really want to do it.

I do have a road bike, but it will require some work... new tires, tubes, and certainly a tune-up. It's had a lot of wear-and-tear, but it's good to hear that I won't need some fancy new gear. Just the basics.

Asking for my birthday is a great idea. It's coming up in October anyway! :)

What about a full marathon/ironman? Would that be bad for my joints/skeletomuscular health? I want to start something sustainable, and I'm pretty sure I will want to do a full one after this!

IMO, you certainly have the fitness base. Worth a shot to do it at least once!

As a father of two young daughters (3 and 8) I feel biased in thinking it is completely epic that you're involved in endurance sports at such a young age! I think of endurance sports as something for mature and disciplined people, qualities I did not develop until much later in life, so whether you do or not, you still have my profound respect for being so far ahead of the curve!

---

“Bloom wherever you are planted"

9 months is more than enough time, esp. coming from a competitive athletic background.

Get some clip-on aero bars for the road bike. They make more of a difference than all of the other high dollar carbon fiber bling put together.

If you can comfortably swim a mile, bike 50 and run 10 (on different days) you can complete a 70.3. Racing it is another matter.

Once you get to 70.3s and up, fueling becomes a big part of the plan. 13.1s don't require in-race nutrition HIMs do.

Speaking as a former collegiate XC/Track runner, triathlons put a lot less wear and tear on your joints than pure running does since you put in less mileage and can get a lot of your aerobic base from biking.

---

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Do you prefer the 5k or 1/2 marathon?

For "most" people a 70.3 is rather slow and sprints are rather fast. Which style of racing do you prefer?

I LOVE half marathons, and honestly kind of hate 5ks. I'm definitely more of a slow-twitch person haha. I think the 70.3 would be good then.

Also - do triathletes call them Half IronMans or 70.3s or just ironmans? I want to make sure I get the terminology correct haha

just remember there are many 70.3 races out there that doesnt have to break the bank. one cheap series is http://hitstriathlonseries.com/ and there maybe a local one that is very cheap.

I think this is a good question and I should've asked it earlier this year before I jumped into the long distance. I agree with everyone to what they have said. I would make sure you get a bike fit no matter what bike you have. I did an old fashion one for 75 where the guy did it by hand and it was a huge difference. (Didn't want to spend 300 for the other one yet but will before my ironman).

---

2020 Team Zoot MTN

You'll be fine saying half or 70.3.

If you have a reasonably decent road bike I would not rush to buy a new bike if budget is a concern - as it should be for any 18 year old who is...probably....going into college. A lot of colleges nowadays have triathlon clubs which get discounted race entries so I would look into that.

9 months is more than enough time but be honest about your other time commitments. You probably have class, social life, and a job to some degree - don't underestimate what 12-15 hours a week truly is. Don't underestimate your weekend time commitments. Ultimately it is up to you, but I wouldn't discount the Olympic distance because it seems to have less prestige, you can get a lot of bang for your buck and bragging rights at that distance and you don't have the time commitments associate with the 70.3 distances and up.