Can I do this?
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Captain Mal posted 12 weeks ago.
I don't know how comfortable I am giving this advice to a NYfan. I did my grad school in Boston and became a Sox fan. (jk)
Depending on your goals, I totally think you can. I, like you, have very limited time but my wife and I both enjoy triathlon as a hobby. I am signed up for a HIM the first weekend end June and am certainly not the picture of health. I have done several sprints and oly's but this will be my first HIM. I picked up "Training Plans for Multisport Athletes" by Gale Bernhardt on Amazon and just got it last night. It has a nice 13 week training plan for those with limited time to train. It looks like something that will work with my schedule and goals (i.e. finishing). As long as you are in decent shape and aren't dead set on setting some sort of record, this is a decent way to go. The first week has a long run of 60 minutes and a long bike ride of 90 minutes. If you can get to that point comfortably by April, you should be able to prepare with this plan.
"Faster would be better!" -Captain Mal, Serenity-
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kylie posted 12 weeks ago.
The mental training is the part that it is really hard for anyone but you to answer. Some things tot consider for it... When you are stressed about the relationship, does a workout help? Or do the workouts add stress to the relationship and then your life? How important is it to you to do this race? Do you still get that excited race feeling thinking about it, or is it more dread of another deadline to meet?
Best of luck!
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nyfan21 posted 12 weeks ago.
Thanks Captain Mal-
Picture this you just gave advice to a NY Yankee Fan living in Boston!? (Orginally from NY)
Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I have enough space in the brain to do it. Good luck with yours.
-EC
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Tikal Dog posted 12 weeks ago.
I agree with kylie about the mental part only you can answer how much those factors will or not be an issue.
Regarding the pure training part...... you will at least need 20 weeks.(personal opinion)
Hyperactive Trifueler!!!! (I refuse to let the status go :p)
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theShiba posted 12 weeks ago.
My advice... do whatever you care about most. If you care about the relationship most, then you should focus your energy into that and figure out what you need to do to make things work. I mean... if it's a fiance, then it must be pretty serious, so I assume you have some time invested in it. If that's not a priority to you, or you don't think you are going to be able to make it work, then focus on the training.
"Every journey has a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware." —Martin Buber
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deepbluex posted 12 weeks ago.
You can be ready for the HIM by July. Everything is up to you.
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jsk85 posted 12 weeks ago.
You definately have the time to build and be ready. But you have to be focused and start to build relatively soon. If there are going to be distractions and serious life events for most of the time leading up to the event, I would hold off and try for another one once things have calmed down.
My blog: http://jsktri.blogspot.com
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TryScott posted 12 weeks ago.
I thought you were going to ask "can I finish a HIM with X amount of hours to train with per week?" I couldn't answer that, but I'm sure there's lots of people that could.
The mental question is of course different for everyone. Just like Kylie said, it depends on if working out makes the stress of school and a relationship worse, or if it gives you a break from the really tough things so you are refreshed and ready to take them on after the workout. For me, I had the same job and same family before I worked out, and life was a little more stressful. As long as I let my wife know that she and our daughter come before workouts, she doesn't mind.
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gfd posted 12 weeks ago.
You definetely could do it. Only you know wether or not you should do it. Is it going to enhance your life or become a detriment to the other things you have going on in your life. Good luck making the decision.
Go Yanks. You must be a popular guy around town when you wear your Yankee cap. 1st time I ran Boston I was near a runner with a Yankee hat and shirt on. The abuse was relentless. I had to distance myself.
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TriSooner posted 12 weeks ago.
I'm going to be somewhat of a contrarian. I know I am pointing out the obvious, but if your fiance "is talking about splitting up," - during the engagement! - then it is better now than after you get married. Let him/her leave, finish your MBA, focus on your career and training. (Full disclosure: I am single, never married) If you are single again, you will have no problems getting in the training. In fact, hours on the bike will be therapeutic. In fact, you will look back and say, "That was my first race after we broke up." I don't know how married people (or people with kids) train for half's and fulls. Also, I have no idea how you could repair a relationship and train for a half. So if you are dead-set on fixing the relationship, I would put off the race. Otherwise how are you going to convince him/her that you won't go out on Friday and Saturday night; get up early for long bikes/runs on Sat/Sun morning; and take recovery naps on the weekends? Tri training takes a very supportive partner (or no partner, as is my case). I know this is nonna-my-bidness, but you brought it up :)
On a side note: I was fired from my job and black-listed in my profession in February 2005. (It was devastating. I resorted to substitute teaching during the day and waiting tables at night to keep from losing my house.) Anyways, I was already signed up for IM Couer d'Alene in June. I coulda dropped the race, but instead, I through myself into training for it. It was the best thing I ever did.
Ironman Germany, July 6, 2008
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scottbland247 posted 12 weeks ago.
I'm with trisooner to a degree, and I'm married five years with two kids, a full-time job as a construction manager and a part time one as a youth pastor (my wife also owns a pre-school)
Without support from your spouse, it does not work, we have the "i just got home at 9pm after leaving the house for work at 630am, honey do you mind if i go for a long run....i promise i'll be back by 10:30 unless I pass out" conversation at least twice a week.....
if this tri is a once in a lifetime, bucketlist kind of thing then put it off and work on the relationship (If you want to work on it) but if it's a part of your life then your fiance' needs to be able to evaluate that as part of the equation........brace yourself for the chance that it might not help.......you may have other issues as well in the relationship
on a merely physical side, 30-40 minutes of light cardio growing into 6hours or race pace (including swimming a mile......swimming stinks so much ;) ) is a big deal......i think it will take a much bigger time commitment then it has gotten before
but the race doesn't mean anything compared to your life long happiness, so my advice is to just focus on deciding what's going on in your personal life.....that could mean buckling down and making it work, or it could mean feeing yourself from a relationship that is not for you.......those are difficult things to figure out and i pray you find your answer soon...........i agree with trisooner wholeheartedly that if it's going to end, it is far better to end before the wedding day........i have not gone through a divorce but my sister is currently and it's not as easy as some people think
good luck,
scott
It is better to hurt from doing something than from doing nothing...
First Triathlon (400m/20k/2.75mile) 1:39.15 including 33 minutes in the water
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Socket posted 12 weeks ago.
I ended up splitting with my fiance almost 2 years ago. It was a huge mental drain before and during, but I got over it and moved on and lots of introspection later I'm better off for it. My advice is to sit down, take each issue you have with each other one by one and just go at it (no holds barred). Maybe there's communication barriers or unfair expectations, but get it all out and in the open and decide one way or the other if you can fix it or if its not worth fixing. Sitting on the fence is the worst. (we ended up getting back together 8 months later once we worked out our individual issues, but to each their own)
Physical training-wise... sure, why not. With enough time and determination all things are possible.
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tri-ac posted 12 weeks ago.
this week is the first week of my 20 week training plan for a HIM July 6. so, in that regard yes, you have time.
as others have mentioned....as for your other responsibilities, it depends on how organized you're able to be and how sympathetic your family/friends are to you training time
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nyfan21 posted 12 weeks ago.
I want to thank everyone for your comments/experiences and suggestions. I wasn't expecting to get so many replys; thank you. Me and my girl are in that phase where we are going to take a "break"; I know typically this equals a break up. But I am going to increase my triathlon training and go through with the Half Ironman; working out makes me feel better when nothing in my life seems to feel right. It's the only thing that keeps this horribly feeling off my chest. I will try to work on the relationship to make it work but at the same time I don't know if working at it is going to help at this point. Didn't think at 32 I was going to be out again on the singles scene. (If it happens it's going to be funny as h3ll)..
Thanks again. Sometimes I feel like I get a more in-depth response from pure strangers than I do from close friends.
-Mat
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scottbland247 posted 12 weeks ago.
i tend to use working out to deal with stress as well, if i'm struggling with some area in life i kind take out my frustration on the road and i actually end up impressing myself with the result (and the pain afterward) ;)
good luck bro
It is better to hurt from doing something than from doing nothing...
First Triathlon (400m/20k/2.75mile) 1:39.15 including 33 minutes in the water
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RV posted 12 weeks ago.
Lot going on for you ... but that is the case with most of us.
Certainly enough time to prep for the race, assuming that you are able to commit yourself to the training etc.
Training and racing for me is a great escape and helps me to recharge mentally etc. for the other real world issues that we each have to deal with.
Good luck - let us know how you progress.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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Anton posted 12 weeks ago.
I'm in with RV on this...plenty of time to prepare.
During some nasty times in my life maintaining workout routine was the one stable point in the day...
I found that racing while being pressed on all sides was a great release and a chance to be myself again...
You go, lad.
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"
- Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
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gfd posted 12 weeks ago.
Training can be like therapy or meditation at times. It helps keep me sane when things are tough. Hope it all works out for the best for you.
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tbs_craig posted 12 weeks ago.
i just split with my wife, (much more expensive than splitting with fiancee by the way). yeah it was rough, but all this free time has made me a training machine.
and my sexy beautiful bike always loves me, never bitches, and is always down for a ride.
so... drop the girl, pick up the race is what im trying to say i guess.
So I signed up for a HIM on July 13th. I haven't been training that hard yet but I have been doing light cardio; 30 minutes-45 minutes a day. I am in graduate school for my MBA (I graduate this semester) and I work full-time; plus now my Fiance' is talking about splitting up...bummer. Can I mentally start this training for the HIM and do I have the time or is it too late??
Thanks for your thoghts..
-MC