To Iron or not to Iron???
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lala2021 posted 32 weeks ago.
My coach is coaching a guy that has just completed his first Tri and is registered for IM Ky and by the way he's in his forties! I decided at almost 44yrs and 4 race seasons which included 2 HIM's to just go for it so i will do IM KY! A coach is always good especially if you have one like mine that will actually be racing w/us and doing a weekend IM camp @ the race site so we all can ride and run the course! GO FOR IT LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO HESITATE!:)
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Anton posted 32 weeks ago.
Heck, yeah...do it!
You don't need a coach. There is a great plan here at Trifuel that's free. You have a great online community to answer all your questions. You most certainly have the fitness base to get through it.
As I often tell folks here...I have run into folks at IM's where that IM was their first race...period. so you're fine. As to the course comparison to where you live, I can't say. However, Every year I meet athletes at IMLP who live and train in Houston or south Florida or some other flat palace and do just fine on the big lumps of Placid.
Go while you've got the fitness and are in the groove.
lala... don't be amazed by someone in their 40's starting an IM program. Look at the 40-44 and 45-49 AG at your race. It will probably make up a goodly portion of the Men's field. I did my first at 49. Considering that two of the three disciplines are non-load bearing, and the Marathon is walkable (and many do) IM is a very realistic goal for almost anyone. Including young types like yourself! ;)
"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
http://antonspath.blogspot.com
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DannoE posted 32 weeks ago.
Granted, I am no expert, but I'm under the impression that the main factor ought to be the amount of time you have available to devote to training each week--along with your own personal inclinations.
If you have 20-25 hours/week to devote to training and a burning desire to do an IM, then do it. If, being honest with yourself, you don't have the time to train correctly, then consider specializing in a shorter distance and just be the best triathlete that you can be.
DannoE
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..."
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gfd posted 32 weeks ago.
The only question I asked myself was how badly did I want to finish an IM? It was in my head for years. I completed one in my 2nd season of tri. It is absolutely doable if you have finished a HIM and can commit to the training. You don't have to kill yourself or include speedworkouts that leave you beat up. You just have to get in the volume so you are ready when you hit the starting line. The actual IM is extremely hard but the motivation you will feel and the atmosphere of the race are so powerful that they helped me to keep going and going without any doubts. I can't wait for September and IM#2. It really changed my life in that no physical goal seems impossible any longer.
"If we help someone else up a steep hill, we get nearer to the top ourselves." ~Unknown~
~Garen~
http://baldhungariantriproject.blogspot.com/
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burnman posted 32 weeks ago.
DannoE wrote:
If you have 20-25 hours/week to devote to training and a burning desire to do an IM, then do it. If, being honest with yourself, you don't have the time to train correctly, then consider specializing in a shorter distance and just be the best triathlete that you can be.
20+ hours per week is a pretty extreme requirement for completing an IM. I know at least 5 full iron racers (finishing top quarter to MOP) that simply enjoy racing the distance and get by on 15 hours per week or less. I swim with two of them and I've never seen them in the pool for more than 35-40 minutes on any given day. Understanding your goals is always important, but filtering your plans through unrealistic training metrics can derail almost any endurance athlete - fast or slow. If you have time to train for a half (and safely complete the race), then you have time to train for a full.
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jtrimom posted 32 weeks ago.
go for it!!! I am planning one more season before a full, but Fall of 2010 is the plan for me (mostly to get more available training time)
Taper Naked
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TriSooner posted 32 weeks ago.
What questions should I be asking myself to determine if I'm ready for this?Not necessarily in order or requiring a 'yes' . . . Do I have the time to train? Do I have 10-20 hours per week? Is the weather in Houston during June, July, and August the time of year I want to be out in it for 3 hour runs and 6 hour bikes? (For me in Dallas, I can speak from experience training for IM Wisc., the answer is "Hell no, never again.") Do I have a sympathetic boss or work arrangement where I may “accidentally” come in :30 late or leave :30 early some days? Can I sneak in a swim occasionally over lunch? Is my work schedule mostly self-directed so I can plan training accordingly? Do I travel extensively (if so, it will get really hard to stick to a schedule)? Is my wife cool with it? What are my weekends like? Can I spend 6am-12pm Saturday and Sunday training, recovering? Do I have a social life that can be put on hold for six months? Do I have the funds for all the prep-races, bike adjustments/repairs, additional caloric requirements, race entry fees, travel expenses? Do I have a readily-available pool? Do I have groups to ride, run with? Is my bike up-to-par for 2,000-3,000 miles this summer?
Is anyone ever "ready" when the sign-up for their first IM or do they just jump off a cliff and do it? Yes, you can be 'ready' by doing 70.3s and some marathons, but they aren't required. But mostly you need to be mentally ready, and the only way to get there is to train consistently and follow a proven plan. 70.3s alone won't provide bullet-proof prep because they just don't give you the same sense of enormity. And marathons help too, but you start them with fresh legs which isn't the case at an IM. Mostly, as you noted, people sign up and say, "Let's do this thing."
Is 5 - 5 1/2 months enough time to go from half to full IM for a first timer? Yes, plenty.
Also, given my topography here in Houston, is Redman a decent fit? I live in Dallas and have lived in OKC and Houston. More or less the same. Not like you are going from Houston to the Alps.
Lastly, am I just plain dumb to try and do this without a coach? No coach required unless money isn't an issue. There are plenty of free programs to get you started, and then make adjustments if necessary. If you feel compelled to buy something, try one of the online paid training programs.
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beads1985 posted 32 weeks ago.
You can do it if you can do 1/2 IM you have a good base already. Check out one of the plans for IM on trifuel. You don't need 20+ hours of training every week. You can easily get by with 10 or so a week.
Good luck!
'Nothing to it, but to do it!'
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JohnieTri posted 32 weeks ago.
"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." (Henry Ford) or as an even older, wiser person once said,
"For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7.) I say do it!
-Johnie
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pkp190 posted 32 weeks ago.
i also live in houston and have recently completed my first Half. Since i finished that one i know i can finish a full, with more training and paying more attention to my hydration on race day. I have signed up to do IM St. George. So I know I will have to train harder getting ready for the hills but i know it can be done. I am not going to use a coach but a self modified program to meet my needs and time. I say go for it.
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run2race posted 32 weeks ago.
You should do it. You really only need 15 to 20 hours a week to do well (smart hours). But why do you think you need a coach for the full, if you didn’t for the halfs? As long as you have someone(s) to get feedback from about issues that come up and to flag overtraining or burnout, I’m sure you’ve learned enough from your halfs to get you to a good full. I think coaches are good for people with short course experience and want to do a full.
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nyfan21 posted 32 weeks ago.
To the orginal poster-
20-25 hours a week is so extreme, most training programs are 13-18 and the 18 is near the end, yes u can do it.
The only question to ask yourself is do you have the time to train? If yes then do it since your obviously ready to start..
Do it!!!!!
OK, so I just finished my third half-IM this past Sunday and it went fairly well. While I was exhausted at the end, I did manage to run the entire 13.1 miles with the exception of walking through aid stations. Even the wife said I looked better at the finish than last year. I'm now debating about whether to try and do an IM this fall. Living in Houston (flat and windy) and with the general IM-distance sign-up limits (1 yr in advance), I'm thinking about Redman this September, which I believe is still open.
My questions are...What questions should I be asking myself to determine if I'm ready for this? Is anyone ever "ready" when the sign-up for their first IM or do they just jump off a cliff and do it? Is 5 - 5 1/2 months enough time to go from half to full IM for a first timer (who has also never run further than 15 miles or bike further than 70 miles at one time)? Also, given my topography here in Houston, is Redman a decent fit? Lastly, am I just plain dumb to try and do this without a coach (right now I'm leaning the "get an online coach" direction)? Thanks for the advice.
Braden