Nick Bare goes 11:28 @ IMFL in first IM with no background in swimming or biking

Triathlon Forum
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Eric may be taking liberties with the word “easy” if you really want to nitpick, but your perspective on this subject is badly skewed. You might consider not projecting your own inabilities to a larger population of athletes. You have no clue. None.

Ok, feel free to enlighten me and clue me in on what I’m missing!

You have no idea what it takes (and doesn’t) to finish an IM sub 12, specifically 2019 IMFL in the day’s conditions. You ascribe genetics to athletic failures to perform at performance levels well below where it’s a significant factor, much less a determining factor.
1:30 swim. 6:00 bike. 4:15 run. Nothing remarkable about any of those either separately or when done in succession. Think you can change clothes twice in less than a combined 15 minutes? There’s your sub 12. The reason more athletes don’t pull it off is not lack of ability but poor execution in both training and on race day.

Ask yourself this question. All that advice you’ve been throwing around in swimming and running threads on this forum over the years…how’s it playing out in your own race results?

Ok, I admit that I didn’t know that IMFL was SUCH as fast course - just looked it up, and it is considered very fast. So that does make his sub-12 less of a feat than compared to say, a challenging IM course. Still a solid result.

I’m perfectly happy with my own race results, thank you very much. Not that it should matter - the CONTENT of what’s being posted is what’s important, not how fast or slow one is, unlike what you seem to be implying. I’m not setting the world on fire or KQing, EVER, but I hit USAT 84 last year and the year before that in my mid40s, which is a respectably FOMOP which is is actually great for me given my life and genetic constraints.

82

The answer to your questions I guess. He’s a former infantry officer…

I’m in a weird vortex right now where I see that forum members don’t realize how fit Army officers tend to be and also remembering how Army officers didn’t realize how unfit they were compared to even average runners, some of whom are forum members.

Well, the minimum Army PT standards are a joke as to running. Maxing out the PT test is not bad.

dsad.jpg

83

The answer to your questions I guess. He’s a former infantry officer…

I’m in a weird vortex right now where I see that forum members don’t realize how fit Army officers tend to be and also remembering how Army officers didn’t realize how unfit they were compared to even average runners, some of whom are forum members.

It seems weird to me.

The guy is not that fast.
Even for a heavy guy who doesn’t train much.

People say:
“But the guy was an elite Army officer and body builder.”

So what?
Are those things disabilities/excuses?

84

The answer to your questions I guess. He’s a former infantry officer…

I’m in a weird vortex right now where I see that forum members don’t realize how fit Army officers tend to be and also remembering how Army officers didn’t realize how unfit they were compared to even average runners, some of whom are forum members.

It seems weird to me.

The guy is not that fast.
Even for a heavy guy who doesn’t train much.

People say:
“But the guy was an elite Army officer and body builder.”

So what?
Are those things disabilities/excuses?

The fact that he was an Army officer and got his Ranger tab depicts some sort of tenacity to me.

The fact that he was a bodybuilder makes it seem like he may struggle with the run somewhat, but he got by.

All in all, he ‘finished’ a full IM. It is an accomplishment and seemed like an effective marketing ploy for his supplement company.

85

The answer to your questions I guess. He’s a former infantry officer…

I’m in a weird vortex right now where I see that forum members don’t realize how fit Army officers tend to be and also remembering how Army officers didn’t realize how unfit they were compared to even average runners, some of whom are forum members.

Well, the minimum Army PT standards are a joke as to running. Maxing out the PT test is not bad.

Yeah that’s the half of it… it seemed like 75% of everyone’s mental energy was spent harping about how important PT was and how tough everyone was with zero self awareness or context with the outside world.

OTOH, some people on this forum don’t appreciate the fitness/stubbornness/willingness/stupidity/craziness/planning and execution ability of any random Infantry Soldier/Officer who would do an Ironman drunk in the middle of the night on a dare and still make it to work the next day.

86

Eric may be taking liberties with the word “easy” if you really want to nitpick, but your perspective on this subject is badly skewed. You might consider not projecting your own inabilities to a larger population of athletes. You have no clue. None.

Ok, feel free to enlighten me and clue me in on what I’m missing!

You have no idea what it takes (and doesn’t) to finish an IM sub 12, specifically 2019 IMFL in the day’s conditions. You ascribe genetics to athletic failures to perform at performance levels well below where it’s a significant factor, much less a determining factor.
1:30 swim. 6:00 bike. 4:15 run. Nothing remarkable about any of those either separately or when done in succession. Think you can change clothes twice in less than a combined 15 minutes? There’s your sub 12. The reason more athletes don’t pull it off is not lack of ability but poor execution in both training and on race day.

Ask yourself this question. All that advice you’ve been throwing around in swimming and running threads on this forum over the years…how’s it playing out in your own race results?

Ok, I admit that I didn’t know that IMFL was SUCH as fast course - just looked it up, and it is considered very fast. So that does make his sub-12 less of a feat than compared to say, a challenging IM course. Still a solid result.

I’m perfectly happy with my own race results, thank you very much. Not that it should matter - the CONTENT of what’s being posted is what’s important, not how fast or slow one is, unlike what you seem to be implying. I’m not setting the world on fire or KQing, EVER, but I hit USAT 84 last year and the year before that in my mid40s, which is a respectably FOMOP which is is actually great for me given my life and genetic constraints.

Well no, you didn’t hit 84.xxx last year. You did that once in 2013 and then again in 2017. You went 85.xxx in a race last year. With your training volume (as described in numerous posts to this forum) you should be bumping up against 88-90, maybe better.

What Eric is saying is correct and should give hope to many athletes. He’s not knocking the athlete’s performance, just trying to reframe people’s perception of what’s possible for so many more than just the genetically gifted.

87

The answer to your questions I guess. He’s a former infantry officer…

I’m in a weird vortex right now where I see that forum members don’t realize how fit Army officers tend to be and also remembering how Army officers didn’t realize how unfit they were compared to even average runners, some of whom are forum members.

A friend of mine was a Troop XO at the time, I was the SQDN S1 at the time so we PTd differently…I ran four miles that day. I didn’t see him until after lunch when he was in my office when he told me that he ran a half-marathon for PT that day…in the middle of the El Paso Summer. I know a lot of Infantry Officers, they’re go-getters, many of them are mutants. I know guys that are bigger than Bare and run faster than Bare. They’re just not triathletes and also can’t swim for shit. But could they if they had the time rather than be in a Company Command? Certainly.

88

OTOH, some people on this forum don’t appreciate the fitness/stubbornness/willingness/stupidity/craziness/planning and execution ability of any random Infantry Soldier/Officer who would do an Ironman drunk in the middle of the night on a dare and still make it to work the next day.

haha yeah I’ve been around these military types for years - it’s hilarious.

It’s like a ‘failure is no option’ light switch in their mind - drunk or not - that flips on and they are just on it, no matter what.

I think the military draws that type. People that can do anything if needed, no matter what. Because the military is about war and war is unreasonable. To face the unreasonable, a soldier must be firm in values, which are typically God / Country / Family, in that order. After you are willing to face the unreasonable and are standing up for what you believe in, there really isn’t anything to stop you.

That’s the mindset.

89

If you’re now the expert on ME, then please enlighten me on what I should be doing with my current training volume to hit USAT 88-90, compared to what I’m doing now. Seriously, I’m all ears!

90

Lavendar room

Lavendar???

lol

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He’s clearly athletically gifted. I don’t mean to take away anything from anyone, but 11:30 at IMFL isn’t exactly difficult for someone with any sort of athletic base. I walked most of the second half marathon and managed a 10:35 at 215lbs (none of which look like his weight). In 2013 I did my first at Florida at well. I went from a fat 280 to fluffy 230 that year and finished in 11:35. I followed him a bit and honestly thought he’d do better.

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I don’t see any kind of special feat by this person.
Well, not different from many, many people that got into the sport and are doing very well because they worked hard.
Except most people don’t make as much self promotion of themselves, aesthetics, skin, “blah,blah” lifestyle, etc…

Louis :slight_smile:

93

I started following Nick Bare when Triathlon Taren mentioned him in a video. I gotta say, I was hugely skeptical of this guy’s chances of completing an Ironman but after watching his training series on his YouTube channel and seeing this results, I’m blown away.

He could barely swim in June, bought an entry level tri-bike and didn’t even know how to change a tire, but followed his training plan religiously and showed up ready. Anyone else impressed by this? Reminds me what really matters, consistency and fortitude.

Given, the conditions at IMFL were pretty favorable, still a huge accomplishment to go under 12 hours in your first triathlon.

Not surprised by the result.

You take an athlete that is successful in another sport and you bring him to triathlon.

He didn’t need motivation.

He had the desire to train intelligently.

He knew how to prepare himself for the race.

He stood a better chance than many AG’ers that are first timers or recreational because of his background. Yeah it’s not an endurance background, but still the point is that he is an athlete and knew how to get himself to where he was. It’s the same process just in a different sport.

94

I was his weight/height when I got into triathlon although my bf% was a touch higher and although hes jacked, he is easily in the realm of potentially natural. He could be juicing, many in the industry are but his physique is not unrealistic naturally.

Although I had done a few triathlons before my first Ironman I was 5’9 185 and finished in 10:10 in Louisville within a year of triathlon with no swim, bike or run experience. Don’t get me wrong it took dedication from his part but I feel like we are too easily impressed since the vast majority of people in this sport slack on their training and are happy with finishing. Most males are capable of a 1:20 swim, 5:30 bike and 4:00 run with a year of training.

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If you’re now the expert on ME, then please enlighten me on what I should be doing with my current training volume to hit USAT 88-90, compared to what I’m doing now. Seriously, I’m all ears!

Not interested.

96

That’s what I thought. Pure speculation

97

The Bare is on the juice crowd is kinda funny. Some of us can pack on a bunch of muscle and keep it while endurance training. It’s genetic. Deal with it and except the fact that you are a skinny ass that can’t accept that people can be big and perform at an endurance event. To the douche canoe “coach” that keeps insisting that finishing a full distance tri is “easy”, just shut up. You sound like an endurance sport elitist prick. For most who enter, it isn’t easy to balance a real life and prepare for a race of that distance.

98

Guess I’m too easily impressed, or maybe I under valued the advantage of having the luxury of total dedication to Ironman training. I think most people are satisfied with just finishing because they aren’t truly dedicated to triathlon and maintain their work commitments, family commitments, etc. Yes, Nick’s life and experiences are more suited to meeting the consistency/tenacity required by Ironman, so he’s probably not the “average” first time Ironman.

I do think he’s bridging the triathlete / cross-fit divide as to what’s better for fitness. I still get agitated when they cross-fitters say their the fittest athletes when most of them can’t do any endurance event beyond 1 hour.

99

I’m not “insisting”, I’m telling you how it is. Hear me now believe me later. If I sound elitist, that’s just you projecting yourself onto me.

The point is, people need to reframe their thinking. If they buy into the marketing hype, and convince themselves finishing an Ironman is hard, then it will be hard. But if they frame it differently, looking at it objectively that finishing an Ironman is easy, then it will be easy.

If you insist on your limitations they are yours to keep.

Good day

The Bare is on the juice crowd is kinda funny. Some of us can pack on a bunch of muscle and keep it while endurance training. It’s genetic. Deal with it and except the fact that you are a skinny ass that can’t accept that people can be big and perform at an endurance event. To the douche canoe “coach” that keeps insisting that finishing a full distance tri is “easy”, just shut up. You sound like an endurance sport elitist prick. For most who enter, it isn’t easy to balance a real life and prepare for a race of that distance.

100

Triathlon. Where 200 lbs is considered really big.

smh