Greetings all. I just wondered what sort of experience anyone had with triathlon before entering a half ironman? Did you progress through sprint/oly first before going long? Or how long had you been training for before entering (or if a half was your ‘first’, before racing) and what was your background in any of the disciplines? I haven’t yet raced a triathlon, but have quite a strong background in running; I’m thinking of entering a half near the end of the year. Any advice, words of wisdom or applicable thoughts would be much appreciated.
Greetings all. I just wondered what sort of experience anyone had with triathlon before entering a half ironman? Did you progress through sprint/oly first before going long? Or how long had you been training for before entering (or if a half was your ‘first’, before racing) and what was your background in any of the disciplines? I haven’t yet raced a triathlon, but have quite a strong background in running; I’m thinking of entering a half near the end of the year. Any advice, words of wisdom or applicable thoughts would be much appreciated.
7-8 months of very haphazard training with little to no discipline as my training for my first triathlon/half ironman in Syracuse in 20010. I did terrible compared to where I wanted to be (bike had a lot to do with it as I was on a bike that was a 4 year old used road bike that you can buy new for like 300. It had platform pedals (not even straps)). I corrected that the second year, got a new bike, better training and finished 1:10 and change faster.
That, like I said was my first triathlon, and first time I really did anything athletic as an official competition since early 2002 (I swam my junior and senior year of highschool). I did however do some small things like intramural softball, and the occassional gym session.
My finish time was like 7:57 (I knew what I had to do in order to be considered an official finisher and ended up forcing a run the last few miles to make the time.
Swim was like 37 minutes (right where I expected, not too bad for how cold it was and my first ever triathlon and open water swim.) GF’s friend didnt think I would be around that time cause her BF took 45 to do an Olympic swim and he was more experienced then her, it was right in my predicted time range.
Bike…sucked…climbing on platform pedals is horrendous especially when your bike is running like crap and you took your buddies word for it on the course and werent expecting that long climb early in the race.
Time was like 4.5 hrs, to give you an idea on my bike improvement (had I not had bike issues, broken chain and bent chain ring like 3 miles in), I was set to do the same course in like 2.5 hrs (had done plenty of training rides with starts/stops at like 3 hrs even, was nice living close to the course)
Marathon…sucked even more…I am not a runner, and dont claim to be any good at it as this is my major downfall. Run time was like 2.5 hrs
My first year I did 3 sprints and an Olympic. The next year I did two HIM. If you’re HIM is towards the end of the year just find a decent beginner trainer plan and stick with it and you’ll be fine. the main thing that the first year did for me was get me used to racing. It helped me get over any race morning anxiety, any “do I belong here” feelings, and establish a race day routine that I comfortable with. My first HIM was IM 70.3 Chattanooga so I had a nice with current swim, bike was mostly rollers, and run was nice but had some hills. Also, stayed at a hotel within walking distance of transition. For me that’s key. If possible, I want walking distance to the race. It makes things far easier. Also, for me, I bring my own food if possible. Especially for race morning breakfast.
Tri specific training beginning 2011, 2012 oly, 2013 oly and half, 2014 half, 2015 2 halfs and full
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hi. so i have no cycling or real running background. i swam in college, so that’s my strongest area. i started with two sprint tri’s in 2012, and progressed until i did my first 70.3 at the end of 2015 finishing in 6:39. for me, this was a good progression of increasing distances and getting experience racing and learning about the sport.
i know a lot of people that have done a 70.3 or even an Iron Man as their “first” triathlon (although most of those people have done a sprint or an olympic a few months out from their A race as practice). their is no right or wrong way to approach a triathlon, and it’s all about your comfort level.
and right now, after doing my first 70.3 race, what i’m trying to do is to concentrate on the running, and get faster on that leg. i’ll probably be sticking to olympic distance races for the immediate future.
I did my first tri, and it was a 70.3. Really it all depends on how you want to finish. I’d say you’d need to get about 8 months of training in, or be “fit” before hand and get a good solid 4 months in prior to the race. And by fit I don’t mean (go to the gym religiously), I just mean in shape, and active. You won’t be happy at the end of the race with only 4 months of training, but I think you could finish.
I did my first Half Iron at New Orleans last week. I started training in December. I had done a few shorter triathlons, but that was almost 25 years ago. I had not been on my bike in more than 20 years. Going in, I was a decent runner and had started swimming about 1-1/2 years ago when an injury took me off my feet for a few months. I had only ridden my bike outside four times prior to NOLA and I had not done an open water swim. I finished in 5:52.
GO FOR IT!
Thanks for the replies so far! As you may have guessed I don’t exactly need much persuasion… I am very, very keen but just want to make sure I put due thought into this. It sounds as though the consensus is that I have enough time- especially if I’m smart about it. With this sort of time frame (December race) what would your general recommendations be training wise? Spend a few months on building a solid base and then launch in? Any thoughts on what I ‘should’ be able to do (or aim to do) before race day, or even before going into a more stringent structured program? Additionally - if you don’t mind sharing - what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or what you’d consider to be one of the more important things you’ve learned regarding training for an endurance tri?
I’m not sure of “advice given” because all of it to a newbie was important. The advice i’d give is to keep on training. You’ll get bored/tired/sick of it and you’ll need to push through. Because it isn’t enough. Without a significant background in any of these disciplines…the “event” is going to be tough. You can do it, but it’ll be work…but every day that you prepare will be needed. Oh, and also “long days” will be needed. Your body doesn’t need to “run fast” for 2-3 hours…butyou need to do quite a few runs at those times to get your body used to it. I’d suggest some “long days” of rides and runs. Not hard, but long in duration.
You can do this. My first was this past week down in NOLA, and like the other person said: it’s doable. I did mine in 5:57. You got this. But you’ll need a good base and then to work on yoru durability.
Started with sprints in 2006. Didn’t train much for the first just ran mainly…after the run down the beach into the waves and then being smacked in the face and have my goggles knocked off, I realized I probably should have practiced the swim a bit. The first was a learning experience, I did local sprints for two years and then jumped up to 70.3. I still suck 8 years later but at least I’m active and not sitting on the couch.
Good luck!
My first triathlon was Lake Stevens 70.3. Went from inactive to Lake Stevens in about 14 weeks and finished in 5:27. Good luck and have fun!
Greetings all. I just wondered what sort of experience anyone had with triathlon before entering a half ironman? Did you progress through sprint/oly first before going long? Or how long had you been training for before entering (or if a half was your ‘first’, before racing) and what was your background in any of the disciplines? I haven’t yet raced a triathlon, but have quite a strong background in running; I’m thinking of entering a half near the end of the year. Any advice, words of wisdom or applicable thoughts would be much appreciated.
My first HIM was only my second triathlon. My first was an Olympic about 10 weeks earlier.
However I had been doing other events over the previous 3-4 years. I started cycling in early 2011, just for basic fitness having been very inactive and unfit for several years. In 2012 I started doing some sportives and adventure races (bike, run and kayak). I was cycling about 5000km/year alone or with friends and was doing a five or six 100-200km sportives each season from 2012 to 2014. I also started doing some sprint duathlons (typically 3km run - 20km cycle - 3km run) from late 2013. Initially I was doing very little running, just enough in the weeks leading up to an event that I’d get through the running legs. In 2014 I started running more consistently and did a half marathon.
Then in 2015 I signed up for my first 70.3. I hadn’t really tried to swim since I was a kid but it came back to me pretty quickly. As before with running, I really didn’t train properly for the swim. I just did the bare minimum, perhaps 8-10 swimming sessions including 1 open water swim prior to an Olympic triathlon, then I did another 3 or 4 open water swims and just a couple of pool sessions prior to the 70.3. I’d done some swimming as a kid and this must have stood to me as despite the poor preparation I managed to swim mid pack. My training in general was actually pretty poor due to a minor running injury, long work hours and clashing travel commitments. However, the race went really well. I was originally aiming for 6hrs 15mins but on the day itself I felt really good so I pushed a little harder than planned on both the bike and the run and managed 5hrs 51mins despite the swim leg being about 300m overlength!
I knew I could swim 2km, I knew I could cycle 100km+ and I knew I could run 15km before doing mine. I didn’t know how I’d hold up doing 1.9/90/21.1 back to back and the run was a bit of a risk as I had only done two 15km long runs in the lead up.
You can definitely do a 70.3 without prior triathlon experience although I’d suggest doing a couple of shorter multisport events including at least one triathlon just to be familiar with transitions. I wouldn’t like to be doing one without being pretty confident of my ability to do the swim and the bike. As long as you arrive at the run in reasonable shape you’ll probably be okay and you can suffer through it or walk if you have to. It’s better and safer to be well prepared but if you’re priority is just to finish then you’ll make it.
This year I’m doing my first IM. I had planned to do it properly this time, with a very thorough training regime for more than 6 months before the race. that hasn’t happened for similar reasons to last year (primarily huge work hours). I’m worried but we’ll see what happens.
I did 3 sprints and an Olympic in my first year then a Half at the beginning of the second year.
I came in with a background in cycling.
Advise…learn to be a competent swimmer, ride your bike within your ability so you can run within your ability.
Drug addict for first 20yrs of life with no experience in any sports decided to do a full ironman as my first triathlon/sport in general. Trained for 11 months and finished in ~12hrs with 1 39 swim 5 52 bike and 4 40 run. I felt fine at the finish I raced conservatively due to lack of experience I believe I had mid to late 11hr fitness but I was happy with that result! 16th in m18-24 is my claim to fame lol I wouldn’t suggest that tho cause all the fastest people always focus short course then move on.
Hi,
I think going for a HIM is possible on the first one. I did a HIM as my very first ever triathlon in 2014. Back then going for long workouts gave me a lot of confidence. Several 90 km bike rides several 17-20km runs and several 1h hard rides on the bike followed by 1h run. Also, I focused on 1500 m nonstop swimming because at that time I was sincerely afraid of drowning in a tri 
. By doing that I knew that each discipline was no big deal and it transferred into the race quite well (even though I blew up on the run because I cycled too hard)…So, in retrospect the most sensible way to approach triathlon would have been to go for an olympic first, learn how to train properly and then increase volume and quality. But it was more fun that way - at least for me.
good luck.
U
I had done a couple of sprints and one Olympic. I had run a couple of marathons but had never swam. At all. Like, I had to stop half way across the pool at the Y. I trained for a year and a half before my first 70.3.
Words of wisdom-go really easy on the swim, easy on the bike, easy through the first half of the run. See what’s left in your proverbial tank and then go for it!
Drug addict for first 20yrs of life with no experience in any sports decided to do a full ironman as my first triathlon/sport in general. Trained for 11 months and finished in ~12hrs with 1 39 swim 5 52 bike and 4 40 run. I felt fine at the finish I raced conservatively due to lack of experience I believe I had mid to late 11hr fitness but I was happy with that result! 16th in m18-24 is my claim to fame lol I wouldn’t suggest that tho cause all the fastest people always focus short course then move on.
I wouldn’t recommend a full ironman for anybody for their first triathlon but you’re proof it can be done. I think it’s mostly matter of putting in the training, as you did. I didn’t have any sort of experience in any of the three disciplines other than I knew how to swim. Could ride a bike. And would run occasionally for fitness.
2009 - Weighed over 180, couldn’t swim 10 lengths without stopping, knees hurt when attempting to run, never really biked.
2010 Super Sprint - Mountain bike course (much lighter)
2011 - Sprint Distance and first time clipping into pedals
2012 - First Oly (Wildflower) then Donner Oly
2013 - First HIM (Wildflower), First IM (IMLT) - Weighed 140