Ready for Ironman?

Triathlon Forum
21

If the cutoff was 12 hours, maybe I’d try and maybe I wouldn’t - but far fewer people would do it overall. I don’t think I’ll ever be in shape to make 10 hours.

I never said anyone who finishes at 17 hours is out of shape - or that they didn’t accomplish an impressive feat. They certainly did so. My issue has to do with the idea of “paying your dues” - which I think ought to be done with a logical buildup of experience to suit the nature of the race. You, Andrew, and probably others will disagree. Both you and Andrew stated that you had the opportunity to do the IM, so you took it. I commend you. But what do you do for an encore? Perhaps you better your time, do other IM races, or try to qualify for Hawaii. Best of luck to you. But my original post raised the issue of: Why do people feel the need to move so quickly to the highest level of this sport?

I am involved with triathlon because I love training and competing in all 3 sports, and I like being in great shape. I discovered this by experiencing triathlon at its beginner level - sprint racing. On the contrary, I think that perhaps some that decide to do an ironman right away, entering the sport at its highest level, are doing so to check off a box on their goal list, or perhaps to settle a bet, as slick stated. Nothing wrong with that, but perhaps “ironman” in that sense should be considered a different sport than “triathlon”.

22

I think that the choice to do an ironman race should be no different than the choice to do a sprint or olympic distance. If you figure that you are in good enough shape to complete the distance and that is your goal then go for it. I know a lot of elites that train like crazy and go out and DNF. Personally, my goals were to race an ironman which meant that I spent 10 years in the sport before I moved up (I still don’t know if I’ve actually raced one yet though, since I was reduced to some pretty slow areas on the 2 that I have done and to me “racing” means trying to kick the asses of fellow competitors and not just hoping to shuffle over the line). However, I know that in my first year of doing tris (after a long time as a competitive runner) I could probably have gone and done a 13 or 14 hour ironman race as my first tri ever. Everyone has individual goals about why they race and how they want to race and if the first 2000 people that manage to register at Lake Placid are all rookies who go 14 hours, then they’ve earned the right (and paid a lot I might add) to be there and do their thing just like the seasoned veterans (Plus it will make Kona qualifying easier for the rest of us). As long as they know what they’re getting into, or at least have some clue, and take the race seriously enough to know the rules and requirements then I don’t see any problem with making ironman your first tri.

23

I came to running / triathlon very late, 26-27 and from a very unhealthy background.

Had I followed a more “normal” path prehaps I would have ran in HS, then college if I were fast enough.

In that time I’d have started with a 800, then 1500, then the mile and 8k XC, then the 5k in the summer and in college stuck with XC and the 5k prehaps moving up to the 10k…

As it is you play the cards you’re dealt, there are plenty of people out there that have been running for years and wont beat me, there are also plenty of people out there that I will never have a cat in hells chance of coming close to beating. I am fortunate to have been able to improve the way I did, you cant begrudge me that I dont begrudge the people here that qualified for HA first IM out.

I dont understand this “paying my dues” should I have stuck with the 10k before moving up to the half, then the half before moving up to the marathon?

What do I do for an encore?

Thats interesting, at the moment my goals are really clear cut, sub 2.10 for an oly, break 20 mins for 1500, run a half in 1.15, a marathon in sub 3.00 and an IM in 11 give or take.

Thats what I’d like to do, not saying I will and not saying I wont but that would be my encore but once I got there the goal posts will have moved and I’ll be just as disappointed with those times and want to improve so it does not get any easier.

I will be absolutely honest, sprints hold Zero interest for me, none, wont care if I never do one, there’s just nothing remotely attractive about it and I cant explain or justify why.

I like Olys in the same way I like half marathons, my favorite distance, you can go balls out for the entire race and not worry about self destructing, I could kill myself on the bike and still get off and hold together a reaasonable run but the IM thats the real deal, physically and mentally no matter where you finish.

24

I agree. “Paying your dues” is silly. If you want to compete, get in the game. Life is short. If you have a check list make sure you check em all off. If you want to excell at one thing, go for it. I have a check list. I just don’t know what’s on it yet.

25

Again, Andrew, no offense - from your accomplishments you sound to be quite an accomplished athlete, and still under 30! Good for you.

If the expression “paying your dues” doesn’t mean anything to you, then I doubt that anything I say will help you understand it. But I’ll try with a baseball example: Sometimes, a pro baseball team will sign a new recruit, a star pitcher with no major league experience at all. Instead of bringing him into their starting pitching rotation right away, they’ll send him to their farm team, and let him get some experience there first. They still have to pay him the million-dollar salary, but they figure its better that he accomplish things at a lower level before going right to the top. It’s not because he isn’t capable of going right to the top - its just that experience tends to make a better pitcher overall and for the long term. And sure neough, when he gets to the top, he feels prouder and more accomplished than if he had gone there right away. Why? Because he has worked hard at every level, mastering each level, working his way up, and has made it to the highest level with a solid foundation.

If you’ve nevere done a sprint, perhaps you shoudl try one - you might like it!

26

No I understand what you are saying but I’m saying there is more than one way to skin this cat.

Look I did not race the IM, not in the truest sense of the word and there are really only a handful of people in the race that do “race” it regardless of what you might think. Most people “Manage” their way through, manage their HR, their nutrition, their pacing etc etc

There are maybe a couple of dozen that combine this managing strategy with worrying about what is going on at the front end of the race OR their AG.

I dont think I missed anything for not jumping straight to the distance because there is NO comparison between any other distance in tri and an IM and I know that you can race this year or next and I have 2+ years experience in the bank.

The only way to get experience for an IM is to do one, it is not the same as any other race out there period. I cant explain why but a 2.5 hour Oly or a 4.5 hour half IM can not prepare you for the IM.

Pitching in the minor leages bears some similarities to the majors as does playing on sunday in the final pairing on the buy.com tour give you experience for the PGA tour. Nothing in tru compares or can prepare you for the IM, or the last 6 miles.

As to the sprint, I get better value for money from an Oly, I’m out there for longer :slight_smile:

27

Let me start by saying that I respect your opinion, and your right to express it. I somewhat understand what you are trying to say, however, I still disagree.

First of all, if the cut-off was 12 hrs, what are the reasons you would use to decide if you would or wouldn’t still attempt it?

The encore to my Ironman is easy, and it’s something that very few people can say they have achieved. Every day I walk out the door to train, I’m looking for the perfect training session, so I can have the perfect Ironman race. When that day comes I’ll worry about an encore. I personally don’t feel that I needed to move the highest level of the sport right away. I saw a challenge and I took it, then I fell in love with triathlon. And I payed my dues every hour I was on the road training, and every single inch of that race.

I’m not sure I think of the sprint distances as beginner and the Ironman as advanced, so I guess we have a different perspective. And, your right on the money when you said that I was doing the Ironman to check off a box on my goal list. I’m not embarrased to say that. And now after doing it, I’ve got a whole slew of new goals I hope to check off. I’m not sure I understand what you mean by: “Nothing wrong with that, but perhaps “ironman” in that sense should be considered a different sport than ‘triathlon’.”

So, I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. Sorry my response is so choppy, but I was just addressing different statements in your post one at a time. I’d like to thank you for your thread, it has gotten me all fired up and motivated, and also made me think about some of the things I have done, and why I did them. I wish you the best of luck in your racing. - Jack

28

as another view - i never saw shorter races as stepping stones to an IM. they are their own events in their own right, IMHO. do you have to be an accomplished 100 meter runner before you try the mile ? the marathon ??

like andrew, i was never remotely interested in shorter tri’s. i spectated at and helped some at a few and never felt the slightest urge to do one. to me they looked mostly like exercises in changing your shoes with your feet wet.

i heard IMMOO was coming to wisconsin one day on public radio - came home and found the site on the computer and signed up. i could not swim other than dog paddle to the side of hotel pool at the time. i hadn’t run in years and had only done one 10 k and one marathon in my life and suffered like a beaten dog in both of those. my wife laughed at me so i signed her up too and had the last laugh ( she had done shorter ones years back - we are mid 40’s in age).

we learned how to become tri-geeks in a year, mostly from friends we met thru forums like this one. long story short we both finished MOO in the middle of the field - top half of our AG’s and had the time of our lives doing so. we are just average schmoes from a small town, and everybody knows we are crazy and did the ironman - and this year my wife is bringing like a dozen women to the danskin - most of them for their first athletic event ever. you could say my wife has inspired these women, i suppose. if that is cheapening the sport then so be it.

as for me i did it because i thought it would be a challenge, and that it was. it has ended up becoming a lifestyle for me. i didn’t do half bad if i do say so myself, considering, and i doubt i got in anybodies way or defiled the sanctity of anything of consequence - sorry if i did. correct me if i am wrong, but wasn;t the first IM run more under the spirit of " i wonder if i am going to die" as opposed to " i have built perfectly to this using every resource known to modern athletics over years of preparation" ??? does not mr friel himself, in his book, lament that some of the swashbuckling attitude has gone from tri and the sport could use some back again ???

anyway - i did it for fun because i wanted to and things worked out to let me. it was an awesome journey that i will always remember fondly. people ask me from time to time if i think they can do one. i tell them they damn sure can’t do one if they don’t try. and, i have no real plans to do shorter tri’s per se ( maybe a relay with my daughter. . . . ) - i would rather race my single speed mt bike, and ya caint do everything. but i will do MOO every year it is here provided the good Lord is willing and the crick don’ rise. the IM has become the best day of the year for me. maybe i am a tri-geek and maybe i am not. maybe i have the “proper respect” for the distance/event and maybe i don’t. i mostly think it is fun, and when i don’t think that way anymore i hope i will stop.

30

I have no doubt about how hard those minutes are to come by, then again I have no doubt that lots of things in life are tough but just because it is’nt ez does not mean you should not have a go at it.

TTN

"my wife laughed at me so i signed her up too and had the last laugh "

Dude, thats the funniest S**t I’ve seen in ages. She looked happy at about mile 13 though, we kept passing each other, your niece took off though :slight_smile:

31

Jack,

Thanks for your replies. Though I know from what many people say, and from everything I’ve learned about triathlon in the past few years that the IM is a much different experience than shorter tris, I still think of it as a tri - albeit an extremely tough tri. I tend to think of the shorter races as beginner/intermediate level, and the IM as “expert” level. The common thread that seems to run through a lot of these responses is that people think of the IM as something different altogether, with shorter tris unrelated to IM - hence my statement about “triathlon” and “ironman” being two different sports. I don’t fault anyone for their chosen route to the ironman - but I still have my belief as to when it might be time to do it. We agree to disagree.

If the race cutoff was 12 hours, I would probably want to be even more confident of completing the race in that time than I would today - simply because I would not want to attempt the event unless I was reasonably certain I could do it - much the same way many athletes today are reasonably sure they can make it in 17 hours. 12 Hours would just make it that much tougher.

Good luck in your racing.

32

They really are to entirely different sports.

A half IM has more in common with an Oly than an IM IMO.

An oly is more like a half marathon in terms of intensity.

An ironman is more a war of attrition.

33

Cholla,

I think you’re too much in awe of IM. If you have the time and the right attitude an IM can be completed with a relatively short lead time.

When I did IMCal in 2000 I’d only been cycling/swimming a year apart from when I was a kid 30 years before, and I hadn’t run more than 4 miles since the early 80s. With no intention of doing an IM I just slowly increased my training distances. Within 4 months I was riding 90 miles, running 16 miles and swimming for 90 minutes. I almost didn’t do the race because I didn’t think I’d be ready and then a friend said “How can you not be ready in 8 months?”

I always tell people that the only talent I have is the ability to suffer.

There’s nothing sacred about an IM. After all, your friends just think you’re a looney.

34

Congrats to all who put their thoughts on this thread. I found it immensely interesting.

35

Oly distance beginner? Try telling that to Walton and Lindquist.

Sprint tris are awesome. I love them. You can go flat out balls to the wall for an hour. It is not how far you go but how fast you go which distinguishes levels in the sport.

36

Dude or dudette, don’t sell yourself short. You have no idea what your capabilities are. They far outstrip your perception of them. I know two people who’s first triathlon WAS Ironman. One of them had never swam open water before race day. They both did fine and both of them are still racing, one has 5 Ironman finishes. You can easily do Ironman inyour second year as a triathlete, maybe even your first if you have the time and motiviation. As for a life outside of triathlons, isn’t that kind of an oxymoron?

37

I guess if you goal is to just do an Ironman then, doing it in the first year is fine. If your goal is to race the Ironman, then you really need to build a base. A perfect example is Tim Deboom. Each year he has improved at the distance by building a solid base. It takes for most mortals years to build up a base in which to actually compete at the Ironman, not just do it. Mark Allen is another example. Every year he was able to build on the previous years volume and eventually beat Dave Scott.

IMO if you want to have longevity in the sport of triathlon, you need to build a base up in order to do the Ironman. Sure there will be those freaks of nature whose bodies don’t seem to ever break down (Scott Tinley & Ken Glah), but for most an injury is just around the corner.

I am all about injury prevention and when I hear so many people doing the Ironman as their first triathlon, I got to wonder why rush. Sure there are exceptions, but for most building a solid base for a few years would have been the much smarter path to take.

38

Good point. Developing a base is critical. The people who seem to make the transition to Ironman most readily are the “bored marathon runners” who have some marathons under their belt and have a good work ethic. And your point about surviving or finishing the race is a good one also. In 21 years in the sport and three Ironmans I think I only “raced” one of them. The other two came down to a survival contest.Each year you race you develop a deeper base and greater expereince and that helps a great deal, there is no diminishing its importance. Having said that, you could get by and survive without it. It might not be pretty or much fun, but it is possible.

39

True. My first tri being the Ironman was not a race. I learned a lot though and got hooked on the sport. But I didn’t go from couch potatoe to the Ironman, I’ve always been very fit. I don’t think it would be a good idea to go from sedentary to the Ironman in a year, you are asking for injury. But if you have always maintained a good level of base fitness then it is not so hard a jump, at least to finish with a decent time. To go fast in the sub 11 range is a different matter. Most people can’t do that if it’s your first tri ever, there are just too many mistakes to make without prior experience.

What I loved about doing the Ironman as my first tri was that it was a huge unknown. I had no idea if I could even finish or what it would feel like. That was cool.

40

I don’t see what difference it makes. I have seen total beginners beat some great triathletes who for some reason had a very bad day. Ironman is an unknown. You never know what will happen out there. You may have passed someone walking who will do an 9-10 hour ironman on a good day. Don’t judge someone by how their day is going

41

If you tow the line at any Ironman event with the mind set. “I am not sure if I am going to finish this” you should not be there. You should have a list of goals the last of which should be to finish.