Dude, no problem. I did one sprint this year and one last year. My '06 schedule will be a 1/2IM in March at the Ford CA and the Vineman IM in August. Piece of cake. This stuff’s easy. Lookout Kona here I come. YAHOOOOOOOO!!!
Tim, it is honest. I post my link to my training table. I just completed 2004 and it shows it is even less. I want to do a little checking to make sure I understand what Ray did. Now, I train 12 months a year. I did not get hurt this year. But, I have read a number of article that 10 hours a week can be done. I would like to go in with 10 average for next season.
Dave
key here is that your long run is at 2 hours already - IM will be no problem
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Badger,
I have not set my sights on a specific IM. Heck, I never really thought too much about an IM until this post and now, after reading the replies, I feel like I can step up and do one. Of course I want the flatest IM I can find…with no wind!!
“If I can do it anyone can do it.” That’s what crossed my mind right after I crossed the finish line at CDA in 2003. The second thing to cross my mind was “never again,” but I did do it again this year and signed up to do it again next year too!
Like you had had only done sprints and olys, had never run a marathon and probably never will outside an IM.
Good luck and have fun!
From what I hear the flatest is Florida. Flat and no wind, what the hell fun would that be.
You are ready now if you are psychologically mature enough to slow down on the bike and are prepared to walk quite a bit on the “run”. Any more base is just gravy if your goal is to finish subseventeen™.
Sorry, but I’m getting sick of these cat threads. Big cat, wild cat, blue cat. This one at least doesn’t have pictures. But why is everybody here acting like cats can enter ironman races? Well, maybe a independent race, but no way an IM-brand race.
Oh, and yeah, all this cat crap needs to be in the purple room.
I signed up for Canada next year, it will be my first IM distance…everyone laughed at me because I had not even done a half yet…
Ok…so now I did the half…no big deal…I finished exactly as predicted…
So had I listened to them I would have missed the opportunity for IMC…i’m glad I listen to myself…
Most of everyone elses issues are they are trying to win their age group…or at least place…
Personally…I’m not built for that…I really do want to enjoy the experience of getting there…If I manage to do Sub 17 then I will be perfectly happy with that.
If I could do it in even 10-15 hrs per week, that would be great. I’m not sure I have 20-25 to dedicate to training. Unless of course they start a seniors tour and I get sponsored by Viagra.
I have no question you could do it in 5 to 10 if this was done all year round. Can not be a 4 month effort.
dave
If I can complete an Ironman, anyone can. I’m serious. I have a very demanding job, wife and two year old son. I did my first tri in 2001, and have been on a steady diet of sprint races since then. I’ve done four half IM’s, none very well (my best time is 6:15), and I managed to finish the Duke race three weeks ago. I finished in just over 15 hours. I had a mechanical on the bike that cost me some time, I basically walked the second half of the marathon and still finished comfortably and well within the cutoff time. No visit to the medical tent, either. Yeah, you can do it with no problems.
RP
It’s a lifestyle for me. I go all year-the winter is pretty mild here. That’s encouraging as hell Dave, thanks.
Just as Robert posted, you can do it!! And since it is a lifestyle like I do also, it would all be in the planning.
Meaning, I did the swim as slow as I could, the bike as slow as I could, and the run as slow as I could. I still walked more of the second half of the run than I wanted. Whether this was from I didnt eat enough at that point, not enough training, who cares, I finished.
Even if you could prove a larger amount of time would cut off one, two, three or four hours off your time, who cares!! Have a life first. Finish the race, and then you have a base line. Again, I would like to try again now knowing I can finish, and try to increase a few things.
As an example, I ran my first marathon last year and finished. This year I am going for a time, but still based on running at the most 20 miles per week. If I bonk who cares.
So yes, a lot of it is mental. A LOT of it is making sure you eat and drink right. But, you would be fine!!!
So, which IM are you going to do in 2006?
Now, one other thought. I decided that rather than train a lot, I did a lot of races instead. I always race harder than I ever train. So, one does just need to make sure one gets the training in one way or another.
Dave
I have three years of sprint and olympic distance events only. I want to do a half next summer and somehow complete a IM in the summer of '07. I feel like an idiot for even mentioning an Ironman. My longest run is 2 hours, longest bike is 3:30 and my longest swim is 1:00. I’m a bop at most tri’s. Can I really get there? Has anyone else started where I am and become an Ironman.
Sounds to me like you are already overtraining! You’ll do fine. Just stay within your abilities, stay hydrated and take in the right amount of calories, and don’t stop moving forward. You don’t have to go fast. Ever. Just Don’t Stop.
I have three years of sprint and olympic distance events only. I want to do a half next summer and somehow complete a IM in the summer of '07. I feel like an idiot for even mentioning an Ironman. My longest run is 2 hours, longest bike is 3:30 and my longest swim is 1:00. I’m a bop at most tri’s. Can I really get there? Has anyone else started where I am and become an Ironman.
Sure you can. Piece of cake! Seriously!
I was a smoking/drinking couch potato in 2002 that started to seriously run to help with quitting smoking. Three months later, spring 2003, I ran my first marathon (sub-4), loved it and not hard at all. Promptly decided to start tris - 5 sprints, 2 Olympics, Clermont 1/2 in sub-six that first season. Was overtrained and fed up that winter and signed up for Clermont Full to get my motivation going (but not a good course choice for first IM).
Raced another marathon in spring, the sprints and olys in summer and finished Clermont Full (2004). Was a bit tough because I had this stupid time goal that I couldn’t reach but was never an issue about the finish.
I always looked at this absolute minimum plan from Triathlete magazine and since I was always way above that I didn’t worry too much. It is true what many posts say, it is just a question of going forward. And if you built up in training you’ll have no problem in the race.
http://www.winningmag.com/training/ironman/13weeksSchedule.shtml
Did my second IM, Duke BD, three weeks ago (so I’m now in my third tri season) and it is getting easier! and faster…
And don’t overdo it. I trained less total volume this year but improved my perfomance in all distances, believe had a lot to do with the long break I took last winter after Clermont Full.
You’ll be addicted by the time you finish your first …GO FOR IT!!!
I say sign up for IMFL this weekend, perfect beginners course and it will motivate you to know you have the slot…
You can do it with no problem. With three years of experience in shorter tris and the fact that you already do 2 hour runs, the only thing between you and IM finish are some longer bike rides.
you can definintely finish. how fast is another question. mainly i’d crank up that long bike, learn about what your body likes to eat/wear/etc., and make a few lifestyle changes to stay on your feet more: commute to work, cancel the cable, etc etc.
my coach always says, before you think about racing the ironman, just put on a packpack with some snacks and your wallet in it and go walk around town for 9 hours. don’t even run a step, but just feel the kind of fatigue that comes with being upright and mobile for that long. a very good point, i think.
-mike
This year I completed an Ironman, after two years of sprint tri’s only, and no exercise at all before that. I am BMOP if that makes any sense. Longest ride before I started the program was 40 miles. Longest swim was one hour. The training program was 9 months long. I am old and unathletic, but I did stick to the program, doing between 8 and 16 hours per week. The 16 hour weeks were at the end of the program and there weren’t too many of them. If you just want to finish, why not do it next year?