Contemplating 1st IM next year
56
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1187 days
cg posted 1 year ago.
Thats a good base for a year of training and racing leading up to an IM. Sign up ... doit (Ben Stiller voice from Startsky & Hutch).
Seriously, obviously you can swim. And cycling doesn't appear to be too much of an issue. Most people train for their first marathon over 4-6 months.... even if it wipped you out, the fact that you ran 13 miles last week (over a year before the IM) you have plenty of time to be physically ready.
Just be sure to race enough shorter races next year to keep gaining race intensity experience.
My opinion.
903
Member
1069 days
PJT posted 1 year ago.
I say go for it. Your times are as good or better than many of ours who will be first timers. You don't need to be fast, you just need to be smart and stubborn.
For the record, I had a similar experience level to you when I signed up last year (2 seasons with a total of 4 sprints, 2 Olys, and a half), albeit slower in all 3 events. Doing a marathon was a bit of a mental hurdle for me, so I signed up to do one over the winter. I'll be at the starting line on Sunday.
4096
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1591 days
beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
Go for it!!
Sign up for the IM, you can do it.
I started with running and had a few marathons under my belt before I signed up for an IM.
I think if you are comfortable with how you swim and bike then concentrate on your run. Use the swim and bike as your cross training.
I would suggest training for a spring marathon. Do that to get your head and body around the idea of doing the 26.2 miles
(There are many plans out there but I was happy with
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/)
Then after the spring marathon then you will have plenty of time to work on your IM training and you will have a great run base and still have maintained your swim and bike fitness.
Just my $ .02
358
Member
760 days
kkocan posted 1 year ago.
Thanks for all the info...I will probably be on the computer 1st thing Monday. I can't wait to do the Half IM at the end of September!
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2008 Main Races:
VA Beach Shamrock Marathon
Desoto TTT
WV Mountaineer HIM
IM Wisconsin
2285
Member
2291 days
Tribro posted 1 year ago.
Ya, DoIt! Ill be online Monday morning as well. Going to try and get in for IMWI as my race for next year.
3311
Member
1278 days
RV posted 1 year ago.
Ya it is enough time to get ready.
Make sure you guys save me a slot for IMWI! Guess I won't be able to sleep in after the race and will have to get up to register!
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
173
Member
767 days
wesmeyer11 posted 1 year ago.
do it. I had only a print under my belt before signing up for IMCDA and with a year's training was able to go sub-11. Just be sure that you and your wife know what you are getting into time wise. To be competitive I would say you have to put in roughly 15 a week to begin with and then kick it up to around 20 down the road. While I don't know for sure, I suspect the people that I saw suffering at CDA were undertrained, that is they maybe had run a marathon before and thought they could do it based on that, but didn't actually put in the time. With your base, if you train right, it will be an enjoyable experience, if you don't, you will suffer.
2595
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1233 days
Anton posted 1 year ago.
Sure you can do it...
Ironman really isn't that hard.
Getting to the start line..THAT"S hard!
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
277
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721 days
djrez4 posted 1 year ago.
I just might have to join you folks for IMWI too....I can't think of a better way to wait for bar exam scores!
-Dave
173
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767 days
wesmeyer11 posted 1 year ago.
djrez4;51824 wrote:
I just might have to join you folks for IMWI too....I can't think of a better way to wait for bar exam scores!
I was so pissed off when studying for the bar and that is when I actually when I signed up for IMCDA...
114
Member
981 days
iron_girl posted 1 year ago.
Hello Kkocan: I do hope you were able to register for the 2007 Wisconsin IronMan. I just did it, I finished it , I enjoyed it, I had a blast!!!!!!!!!! and I just turned 55 y/o September 7th. My finisher's medal was the best Birthday present I could ever hoped for. I will be there next year volunteering and also, registering for the 2008 race. Good luck in your training, you will do great. Obviously, you have a good base in swimming and biking so the running will follow. I am NOT a runner nor have ever been. I am a swimmer so I really had to learn to run, literally learn to run during my training. I am not fast but I can last and my Marathon time at the IM was 5:18 and change. You can do it, so good luck with everything leading to your "A" race. Keep us posted about your progress.
Maria.
"Far better is to dare mighty things, to win glorious Triumph, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spiritis who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not Victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt.
358
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760 days
kkocan posted 1 year ago.
YEah, I did sign up for it. Just did my first Half, harder than I ever thought but loved it. Despite a cold and injuring my foot 1 mile into the run I was able to limp through the half marathon and finish in 5:49. Not the time I was looking for, but considering I had to walk 1/3 of the run due to my foot I'll take it. Just gotta do lots of run training between now and next Sept.
________________________________________________
2008 Main Races:
VA Beach Shamrock Marathon
Desoto TTT
WV Mountaineer HIM
IM Wisconsin
3311
Member
1278 days
RV posted 1 year ago.
Glad you got in! We should have another good group there next year. Only 346 days to go!
How are you doing your training? Coach, IM plan, own plan?
Just curious - I use IM plans from trainingpeaks and tweak 'em a bit.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
1
Member
660 days
brickmaster posted 1 year ago.
I think you can certainly train for an IM in a year. Good coach always helps. Check this dude out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54973866@N00/235680550/
:eek:
-BM:p
8
Member
681 days
sxevegan posted 1 year ago.
Do it! I just completed my first iron distance tri on Saturday. I really think that the key ingredient to finishing is desire. If you want it bad enough, you can do it.
Before May of this year I had never done a triathlon in my life. Actually, I think June was my first event but my training started in May. I never would have thought that I'd be doing a full by the end of my first tri season. I had never swam with my face in the water before May. At my first sprint tri I had to stop and take a break just about every pool length and I busted out every stroke in the book that i knew....and probably a few strokes that aren't in the book because they suck.
Before this season my longest bike was a 100k and my longest run about 10 miles. I made friends with a group that was going to do their first full and I started training with them. It wasn't because i wanted to do a full at that time. It was becasue i really liked hanging out with these people and made my training fun. About 2 and a half to 3 months before the iron distance i decided I was going to do it and started training hard. I did my first oly in july, first half in august, and the full in september.
I'm not a special person. I consider myself in good shape, but I'm not some kind of athletic machine. I'm just a guy with a strong desire and an ego that keeps me from quitting. If i can do it, anyone can.
Good luck!
Ok, I am contemplating signing up early Monday morning for IMWI next year. A guy I know has done it twice and really enjoyed it and is signing up for it next year. My question is (besides how to convince my Wife that the entry fee is justifiable and that I will not be backing off the training this winter) is a year enough time to get into IM shape?
My current health/base is as follows: I have been training for Tri's for 4 months now, completed 3 sprints with a fourth this weekend and am doing a half IM at the end of September.
My swim is strong, I am not at all worried about that. I can swim a mile in under 25 minutes in the pool regurlarly. I am also pretty good on the bike and 112 miles is not too intimidating. I do group rides once a week with 6-10 guys and we can do 40-60 miles averaging over 20 (Including waiting for the slow guys once in a while.) I can do a 50-60 mile solo ride at a comfortable pace (not close to race pace) and average 18+ mph (I live in a pretty hilly area). I also due 3-4 races a year and usually place in the top 10 citizens category and come in the top 3 in my age group. So I'm not too worried about my swim/bike base.
The run is the big question. My longest run, ever, was this last monday. In training for the half IM I ran a half marathon. Despite a 3 mile steady uphill finish that sapped me I didn't feel too bad and ran it in a comfortable 1hour 50 minutes. That is my longest run, as my usual training runs are 6-8 miles 2-3 times a week. Before this spring, I had never run more than 4 miles in my life, and that was on a treadmill. My first ever 5k was part of my first ever tri. As a non-runner, would a year be enough time to get into marathon shape for a full IM?
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2008 Main Races:
VA Beach Shamrock Marathon
Desoto TTT
WV Mountaineer HIM
IM Wisconsin