I like to walk.

I've found the 5-minute rule to be good. I stole this from Kenny Souza after he wrote about coming back from zero.

If you're only able to do any given R/B/S workout for 5 minutes, you're good. Workout accomplished. Build consistency in actually doing workouts first.

Then build from there.

Better than the weekend warrior approach where you try to jump into workouts like you used to, and then get super frustrated because you suck.

Do some local sprint races for fun. That'll get you motivated and excited. Summer is slowly going away, so find some run races and enjoy them later on. I do a ton of run races when it gets cold. You can come back strong next year.

If you have the time, and patience, using very low heartrate aerobic efforts is safe and very effective for building back your fitness. This might be walk, walk/run or very slow running to start with. Biking might need to be on a trainer if the terrain where you live doesn’t offer flat riding options.

Could find some "couch to X" training plans — couch to 5k, couch to 1650y, etc. (not sure I've seen the equivalent cycling plans).

Register for some 5ks, maybe a 750m or shorter swim meet somewhere, just to give some concrete goals?

I agree with someone else that consistency in small steps with plenty of leeway for breaks is probably the way to go. My guess is you'd find your comfort level increasing more rapidly than a lot of people.

I’ve found using an hrm very helpful. I tend to gravitate to a running pace that used to be normal, but that I don’t have the fitness for when coming back. I just stick to a target hr, even if it “feels” ridiculously slow at first.

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

Think long term goals.......Gordo Byrne calls it a 1000 day plan.
Tiny steps.
Consistency.
Carbon fiber plated shoes are for real.


Get a new bike, STAT! :-)

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"Good genes are not a requirement, just the obsession to beat ones brains out daily"...the Griz

I started with 30min spins on an old Lemond trainer in my garage 3 days a week.... and cleaning up my diet. That got the ball rolling quickly.

Good luck!!!

Welcome back! Do you have any races in mind or are you just trying to find the motivation? I came back from knee surgery and started with M W F ridging 20–30-minute in zone 1.
Running I started with 20 minutes low heart rate running and walking T TH Sun. Swim just get in the water twice a week for now. Each week add more time in zone one. Once your fitness improves sprinkle in some zone 2 work. I would stay at super low heart rate for a few months just build up some endurance. I think Zwift is the perfect tool, find some rides that fit your riding style...

I’m kind of doing the same thing myself but my last race of note was TX 70.3 in 2013 before a knee injury and the 2nd kiddo. Kiddo is a competitive swimmer now and a new job and relocation has made it easier to get back into things. I dusted off my old copy of My First Tri by Friel. The workouts are short and I also read 80/20 by Fitzgerald. I watch my HR and keep it under 120 and everything has been easy. And new bikes with disc brakes and wider tires at lower pressure are amazing! I also lift weights 2 days a week so it’s been 11 easy to do short workouts per week for four weeks. I already feel way better. I picked out a local sprint near the end of October. Thanks to the heat I’ve been going super early or after sunset.

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You will remain the same person, before, during and after the race. So the result, no matter how important, will not define you. The journey is what matters. ~ Chrissie W.

For me the main thing I did wrong was not being careful with the running. Three or four calf strains over two years. Soft tissues take a long time to regain strength.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Not much to add here other than to say that,I have kind of been through this myself recently and I had to put the old triathlete mindset aside for a while to keep my sanity.

Take your time and don't "train", just go out and exercise for a little while a couple of times a day. Enjoy your swims,bikes,and runs without too much structure and let your body get used to moving again.In a couple of months,start to get a little more specific with your training and slowly build from there.

That is about as specific as I ever get here on ST as there are plenty here far more qualified than I. Good luck.

Welcome back! But really it sounds like you never "left" a commitment to movement, rather moved in new ways for a while. Here's what's coming to mind for me, on your post and question.

Simply start. It's ok to have fun, including in new places and adventures along the way. Finding and exploring a new trail or path freshens my mind and gives me energy for the current activity and for future ones. Train toward tomorrow, this helps me with energy management day over day and keeps me from thinking of daily sessions as "a grind." Instead each workout is a chance to give energy and get energy. Embrace the question of "why I'm doing this" and adjust the mind and body in concert with your evolving purpose.

Please share back with us how this new phase of your journey plays out!

Do not jump right back into intense workouts. First week or two, go easy workouts and focus on volume in small chunks.
Consider breaking up longer workouts over many days to get the volume in and not overload and need recovery after one monster day.
Better to be 10% under trained than 1% over... so the saying goes. Some truth to it, but don't stress over trying to make up for lost time. You cannot cram at the last minute for this test.
Listen to your body. If you think you have a smart plan and you have issues popping up, reassess. Change the plans, adjust, do what you need to be healthy on race day.

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Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans

Been there, repeatedly or so it seems. My last tri was a DNF in St. George, in 2016 - my day started off all wrong and I didn’t need another mediocre time. After that, business and life and Covid all conspired to keep me out of racing and out of shape.

My suggestion is two-fold: realistically assess where you’re at right now, and pragmatically asses what you want to do.

For point one, this will help plan workouts. Speaking for myself, my latest startup meant basically doing 4:15/4:30 sec run, :45/:30 sec walk, repeat 5-6 times. Maybe 3-4x per week. On the bike, we have a peloton which I like for ease of use, I don’t use their workouts I do my own even if that’s 9/1 min. I’d concentrate on just base-building, easy/moderate cardio, build to higher volume but forget higher intensity.

For point two, are you interested in racing still? Do you need a goal event to help motivate your fitness? I do. I’m just bad at having some unknown horizon and just working out, I always need a goal or a program to follow. That’s just how I’m wired and I keep falling to change my own programming. You might have physical goals, or building to a certain key workout level, whatever; doesn’t *need* to be race-driven, that’s all.