O.K. I am looking for any suggestions on training schedules for a 1/2 IM. This is my plan, I am currently training for a marathon which will take place this December. Upon completion of this I want to start training for a the Muncie Endurathon in '06. My question is how much training do I need, and when should I start this training. My major weakness is going to be the swim however I have a swim coach who is going to help me out. In the past I have put quite a few miles on my old Cannondale and will probably do a little x-training this winter on a Turbo trainer. Are there any good training programs out there or should I look into personal coaching. If all goes well I would like to take this to the next level and do a full IM.
Here’s another:http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=52
Good luck,
Scott
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Learn to bike and run in the rain
Learn to run when it’s sunny, 97 degrees and the clouds of steam rising from the ground from the rain that just fell.
Oh wait, that was this year!!! 
The swim course was really simple with a little bit of chop. The bike course was small rolling hills and very smooth, the run course was about the same as the bike.
The race was one of the best organized races I’ve been to. I would recommend it to anyone.
jaretj
http://www.osbmultisport.com/articles/half.html
since i’m training for a 1/2 IM, i was kinda surprised by the advice here:
“No half-IM in your first year of triathlon racing (elite level athletes excepted). Stick with sprints and olympic-distance races.”
do other people agree with this?
I’m training for a 1/2 IM in september, after doing all of 2 (an olypic-ish and a sprint) this summer and none before. my thought after doing the olympic was that 1/2 IM was the right distance for me. My top speed isn’t that high, but I can keep going for a while; and I like having “finish” as a difficult yet attainable goal.
incidentally, i’m not an elite athlete by any stretch of the imagination; i was a MOPer in the sprint and a dissapointed BOPer in the olympic. But the swim on the 1/2 IM isn’t that much longer than on an olympic, and since i’m coming from a biking backround the 56 miles don’t scare me. THe big challenge becomes the 13 mile run, and it is a big challenge, but I’m not sure why people wouldn’t want to do it in their first year of racing.
Other opinions?
I just finished my first 1/2 IM during my first season of racing last month – I finished in 5:49. That was good enough for 50th place out of 147 racers. The course was blazing hot and I think I can get that time down to a 5:30 next year without any problems.
Mike
Yeah, that’s B.S. This was my first season, after 2 years of cycling and <8 months of swim/run training. Both events were half-IMs.
I’m doing a 1/2 IM in Sept as well and this is my first year. I have done 2 sprints (longish) and DNF’d 1 Oly (mechanical, not physical problems). I have no material background in any of the 3 legs, having started running and swimming last Sept. and buying my first road bike this March.
I don’t expect to be challenging anyone for the podium, but I don’t expect to be embarrassing myself either. I’ve put in consistent training for long enough to know that I can complete the distance in a (for me) respectable time (sub-6, maybe 5:30). Mostly I’d like to learn from the challenge and maybe really focus on a 1/2 or two next season.
But what do I know? I’m nuts.
Agreed with Aztec. Sorta. With a caveat.
For some/many people, it may not be a great idea to do a Half their first year, since there is so much you can do wrong and really have a bad day (or worse), and the shorter races are a great way to learn about all the facets of what needs to be done before, during, and after the race so that it is a fun and successful day.
For those with some background in one or more of the disciplines, and/or who have the time and inclination to train properly for it, why not??
<< No half-IM in your first year of triathlon racing (elite level athletes excepted). Stick with sprints and olympic-distance races >>
It’s just erring on the side of caution, is all. Ramping up the volume to the necessary levels to do a HIM from little specific base surely can increase the odds of an injury. Particularly from the increase in run volume and frequency (he says, from experience).
Yeah, that’s B.S.
I don’t think so. I think it’s sound advice for anyone who A- wants to do well, and B-plans to be around in the sport long term.
I note your situation, which doesn’t really fall into the new-to-training category. (You know, two years of cycling.)
While there are tons of exceptions, all of whom will probably post in response, I think it’s generally a bad idea for a beginner to jump right into halfs or IM distance races their first year. You aren’t going to do perform up to your potential, you stand a pretty serious chance of real injury, and I think you stand an even better chance of just burning out on the sport before your time.
For the general newbie population, it’s good advice. It’s notable that you’re coming into the sport with a couple years of cycling experience, so not exactly “your first year.” There are always exceptions.
How did your races go?
What Vitus said. 
My first official race will be a 1/2IM in september. I’m so glad that finances did not permit me to do the IM I had planned. My goal is sub-7 1/2IM. Then I’d like to destroy that next year after a full year of traiing, not just “3 good months” (June-July-August).
I chose the longer races, because the distance is a challenge for me, and I feel as if I am getting my money’s worth. I have done solo olys (never even tried a sprint) b/c the courses are so easy to plan and I don’t feel right spending money on those fees/hotels.
I second the recommendation of Herrick’s 1/2IM plan. Most weeks I make a hybrid of his 1/2 and full plans.
For the general newbie population, it’s good advice. It’s notable that you’re coming into the sport with a couple years of cycling experience, so not exactly “your first year.” There are always exceptions.
How did your races go?
6:15 Honu (run meltdown, errr, walkdown), 5:47 Vineman (better pacing).
Hey, it was still most definitely my first year for the hard ones – swim/run!
http://www.osbmultisport.com/articles/half.html
since i’m training for a 1/2 IM, i was kinda surprised by the advice here:
“No half-IM in your first year of triathlon racing (elite level athletes excepted). Stick with sprints and olympic-distance races.”
do other people agree with this?
I’m training for a 1/2 IM in september, after doing all of 2 (an olypic-ish and a sprint) this summer and none before. my thought after doing the olympic was that 1/2 IM was the right distance for me. My top speed isn’t that high, but I can keep going for a while; and I like having “finish” as a difficult yet attainable goal.
incidentally, i’m not an elite athlete by any stretch of the imagination; i was a MOPer in the sprint and a dissapointed BOPer in the olympic. But the swim on the 1/2 IM isn’t that much longer than on an olympic, and since i’m coming from a biking backround the 56 miles don’t scare me. THe big challenge becomes the 13 mile run, and it is a big challenge, but I’m not sure why people wouldn’t want to do it in their first year of racing.
Other opinions?
You are correct that the swim isn’t much different and really the bike isn’t that big a deal. For most people it is on the run where the wheels fall off the bus. Cut way back on your cycling and spend the time running. You need to put in 10 plus mile runs do get a feel for the distance and the pace. Work on negitive slits on your long runs.
Ron
Cut way back on your cycling and spend the time running.
This actually goes against most of what I’ve learned (admittedly no expert here). I agree that you have to build up the run distance (and I’ve done 13 a few times already and may do a 15-16mi run before the race), but the bike is what I think will make or break my 1/2. Go too hard and that run won’t be fun at all–no matter how much you’ve run in training. Having a “bigger engine” on the bike so that you don’t have to use it all would seem to be the best strategy (again, assuming you’re not short-changing your running).
I’m definitely worried about the run, but not because of my running ability. It’s worry about how much energy I’ll have used by the time I get out of T2 and whether I’ll have refueled adequately.
urbanrider said that he was coming from a biking background… so I doubt that will be his problem.
Without a doubt it helps to be able to have a strong bike so your not wasted by the run. BUT the delta between a bad bike and a good bike might be 10 minutes for a triathlete in reasonable shape. For the same athlete the the run delta can easily be 30+ minutes. When the lights go out on the run you are walking and that is extremely slow. If you simply ride within your limits on the bike the time difference isn’t that huge.
Of course that is just my opinion and I could be wrong :0
Ron
You are correct that the swim isn’t much different and really the bike isn’t that big a deal. For most people it is on the run where the wheels fall off the bus. Cut way back on your cycling and spend the time running. You need to put in 10 plus mile runs do get a feel for the distance and the pace. Work on negitive slits on your long runs.
Ron
thanks for the advice.
i am cutting down on my biking miles, largely because of time constraints. basically, there’s two things i’m working on right now: upping my distance on the run, and becoming a more efficient swimmer. and, in the running at least, i’m making some progress. Basically, i’ve been doing a “long” run on the weekend, and upping it a mile most weekends; so, this saturday it’ll be 9 miles. i’ll hit 13 a few weeks before my 1/2 IM. Yes, i know that 9 miles might not count as a long run for many people on this board, but it’s as far as i’ve run since the mid-90s, and once I hit 11 it’ll be my longest run ever.
as for the negative slits, it’s pretty rare for me to have a positive split in anything. there’s the occasional bonk on the bike, and i suppose i could get a cramp or something, but i’ve always been someone who got stronger as things went on. that’s really the appeal of the 1/2 IM for me.
Well as for those that say no 1/2s in your first year, this is my first year and I did one olympic distance and then I did Racine about a month later. I went 5:03 in the very hot conditions. I did a 20 week plan that I sort of created by looking at other plans and combining it with what I learned on this sight and Gordo’s site. I did 4 swims, 4 bikes, and 4 runs a week, with hours anywhere from 10-17. If you want to do a 1/2, it’s definitely doable in your first year if you’re willing to work for it and are smart with your training. Good luck.
Thanks for all the helpful info, I should probably clarify as to my background. I have done a few sprints in the past. At present I am training for a marathon and jump on the bike a couple of times a week to stretch my legs. In the past I have completed a couple of centuries and more 50 mileres than I can count. My BIGGEST weakness is the swim. I figure with my running background ( marathon training) I should probably hit the pool as soon as I can in 06 and the same with the bike.
To be specific how many weeks should my 1/2 IM training be geared toward.
Anybody else in the East Central Indiana area training for Muncie?