did you start fast, have some slower years first?
just looking at how people got there.
thanks!
Background: no swimming or biking, 17:45 5k run
1st year, 1:09 sprint
2nd, 2:09 oly
3rd, 4:39 1/2
4th, 4:33 2:02 oly
5th, 4:27
.
thanks for the reply.
and interesting to see the olympic time on there too.
my sprint/olympic times are in that range (sprints typically in the 52-58 min range, olympic PR is 2:05), half, no where close.
I’d be really interested in hearing about people who started with nothing (no swimming, biking, or running). I started four years ago with nothing. My first races were 1:05 per 100 swims, 16mph bikes, and 9:00/min mile runs. Last November I did IMAZ in 11:55, but, sadly, I’ve got a ways to go until I get a 5:00 HIM. I’m gunnin’ for it this year, though.
i’ve got to ask, how did you go from no swimming to 1:05 per 100? that is insane.
x2…never swam as a junior? 1:05/100 is nuts for just starting out…I’d call ducktales but does it really matter?
Came from 5 year running background. No cycling, no swimming background. I needed one year. Started with some duathlons, did a few olympic distance tri’s (2:03) and a middle distance race (2.5/80/20). Then did a half IM at the end of first tri year and did 4:24.
I raced road and MTB for several years at a high level, and did my first half IM around 4:45 (in my second season of Tris), second six months later at 4:20 or so… For me, the race started on the bike and I tried to just hold on during the run.
my olympic PR is 2:11, yet I have a 9:49 IM PB at Japan and finished 4th in my AG at Eagleman. This is my 3rd year in the sport.
I’d say you have the speed for big results but maybe don’t have the aerobic or muscular endurance? PM me w/ your training background.
Had a couple of years of running behind me, nothing spectacular (45min 12k, 1:24 HM) prior to moving into tris.
First season managed to podium 25-29 a/g about 60-70% (not a huge pool mind you!) with two OD’s of 2:11 and 2:13 (bike’s around 1:08-1:10 and runs 38 flattish). Tried HI at end of first season and DNF’d after cramping badly early in run. Second season hardly raced short stuff at all and towards end of season trained more specifically for the HI with a coach and went 4:32 (0:30:15, 2:33:02 and 1:29:10 - bike time back then is equivalent of a 2:20 in recent years as more riders (read: drafting) and winds have made it more favourable).
I think more time on the bike (specifically longer intervals for strength) makes the bike (obviously) more easy but allows you to unlease a better run.
There will be those that blitzed it in their first year and others that took longer. Whilst I love sports and tend to pick things up fairly quickly I wouldn’t say I am genetically blessed. A first year of sprint/OD’s etc not a bad idea to build speed and get the feel for racing.
Have two IM’s of 9:54 and 9:49 (plus one DNF because I was sulking grrrrrr)
No bike or swim background. Worked hard, Started like everyone at sprints (2nd overall first tri), sometimes under an hr on sprints, olympics usually 2:0? never a flat course.
Half? down to 4:15. and thats not clearwater or any other flat course. Biggest difference? winter weights at the Gym. took my bike from a 2:2o something to 2:12-2:15 consistantly. Bike is where you can usually make up the most time since your out there the longest,helped on run too. 2nd how hard you train, not huge miles, but maybe 150+miles a week if you can on biking but once a week you have to hurt, you have to work real hard once a week in at least every sport. you can do medium hard tempo work or whatever other days, And I am not saying all year round, but come spring or just a month or 2 out fom your main season, you have to make the effort harder than the race, You have to killl it! tear their legs off, run killer intervals on short rest, put out huge watts repeatedly in your intervals, but just once a week with good recovery. run nearly every day and swim-3days since I am not a big fan, but I can still swim 28min for half. I dont have time for 20hrs a week, But I make it count, I say whats the purpose of this workout, too many people go out and say-oh just to spin, or just for recovery, or just for miles, or blah, NO, If your not training for a IM, than get on it, long runs, tempo runs, intervals, hills! same with the bike, swim technique, tempo, fast intervals. and yea maybe a recovery day in there, keep one day of low weights once a week if possible, even through summer, or do core work with body weight, do plyometrics (jumps) just as you get to race season and a few weeks before but work up to that point. Just Imagine your chasing your biggest competitor, Who cares if he is Nationally or worldly recognized age group, who cares if he has been to hawaii 11 x and won his age group, you just might beat him. Chase those demons, win that damn workout, crush your imaginary foe. I am sick of being on the podium one or 2 steps down, I want that top step. Someday, the work will pay off, I hope.
That’s a badass outlook on training.
Interesting question.
I’m doing my first half this summer. I don’t plan to get anywhere near 4:30. I don’t really think I can get anywhere near 5. I have no swimming background, no biking background (aside from having a bicycle and riding it once in a while), and definitely no running background (still trying to crack a 1:40 1/2 and 21:00 5k).
We’ll see what this year brings… last year I did an oly in 2:43 with little training. I’m planning on 2:1x this year… we’ll see how that goes.
I like your attitude, Sir!
I’m going to “kill it” just as soon as I get back from Denny’s after finishing up a Grand Slam …we’ll, you know, my pool was closed this morning, so I couldn’t get in my swim…
It took me about 4:13 to get there…
25 swim, 2:17 bike, 1:27 run.
1st year; Started training mid-March and raced the first of August. So 4.5 months? Current Oly PR of 2:12 (after 3 months training).
About 5 year in the sport before my first half IM:
A year or so of running.
1993 - 2:20 Peterborough Olympic Distance Tri
1994 - 2:12 "
1995 - 2:04 "
1996 - Hit by Car while training - season over
1997 - 2:08 Peterborough Olympic Distance Tri
1998 - 4:12 Peterborough Half Ironman (my first 1/2 IM)
Have done numerous 1/2 IM’s since, some under 4:30, some over, but have never beat the time of the first one. Probably something to be said for focusing on the speed for shorter races helping out the longer ones.
I am stronger on the bike now, but my swimming and running are slower.
i’ve got to ask, how did you go from no swimming to 1:05 per 100? that is insane.
D’oh! That’s a typo. I meant per 50. I started at 1:05 for a 50 and, after three years of swimming regularly, I still only manage 0:42 per 50 at my fastest. My Olympic swims have gone from 40:00 to about 29:00. Still a long, long ways to go. 
The only time I’ll ever go 1:05 for a 100 is on a Slip N’ Slide.
It took me 25 years (I was 25 years old). Swam AAU as a kid, got in to soccer which led to running XC in HS and college, blew my knees out because of the excessive college XC miles (100+ mpw), friend in dorm got me in to cycling, raced USCF for a couple of years and after college decided to put all three disciplines in action.
1990: Oly distance (4x) 2:1x, HIM - DNF
1991: Oly distance (4-5x) 1:5x, HIM 4:16 (Muncie, flat course), S 29 B 2:15, R 1:30
Biggest change was training hours and learning to pace on the bike. I’ve never come close to the hours I put in back then (just married that year and my wife said, “I’ll handle all the cooking, cleaning, errands, etc. this summer, you just eat, sleep, work, and train”…YES I’m fortunate!!). Swam 3-4x/week ~3,000 SCY per session, Bike 200+mpw, Run 35-45mpw. I was young and that helped too with recovering from all the hard workouts.
I had hoped to go sub 4:30 again last summer at Steelhead, but the swim got canceled, ended up 4:0x on the revised R 2, B 56, R 13.1 distances. This time around (41 yrs old) the training was much less mileage and much more intensity (due to training focus for Triple T).
The key for me: consistent workouts all year round, when you’re supposed to go hard in a workout, GO HARD, when its a recovery day, make is super easy (use HRM limit to force yourself to go slow). As OP said, you gotta hurt in those hard workouts. And not stressing about every single workout. Life is going to happen, missing a S, B or R workout occasionally isn’t going to hurt your fitness.
Good luck!!
thanks!
Respect. This sport needs more people like you.