How bad were you...

People often ask on the forum if they could do an IM, bearing in mind that they can't currently swim or cycle, so I thought I'd start a thread :o)

How bad were you 12 months before you became an Ironman?

Swimming:
Crashie...25m fronnt crawl

Cycling:
Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike


I reckon this will end up as a very long list :o)
Cut'n'paste luvvies, c'n'p!
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Comments

  • Hadn't done a tri, only just learnt to do crawl, owned a road bike 3 months and not run at all for 2 as I'd been injured training for my first marathon (that I'd DNS'd). 6 months before the IM then I was still about a 2 hour half mara runner, and splasher rather than swimmner.

    (Can't remember what I time I ended up finishing in for IM Austria, you'll have to ask Smiffy)
  • hmm, 1 year before IMDE06

    swim: hadn't swum for 12 years.

    bike: would have just done my first road ride (avg 12 mph) - think i did 16mph (17mph for the first 60 miles) on race day.

    run: not run further than 4 miles.


  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m fronnt crawl
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
  • Need to include JD

    Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles


    D74...you can interpret and put yours in...
  • running and swimming wernt bad for me apart from not been very confident open water


    but my down fall was the bike .. slow and not capable of many miles
  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs.
  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
  • I've added on to this list, but given that I've not done my event yet, I'll let you know the outcome in September!! :o)

    Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke
    MTB - couldn't do FC at all, but was "passable" at breastroke.

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles
    MTB - owned a MTB that had been out of the shed less than half a dozen times in a year. No road bike till January of this year.

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
    MTB - slow but steady, mara and ultra completed
  • (I have to admire our optimisim!!)
  • but it was well founded as we all (I think) have gone on from there to do an IM...
  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke
    MTB - couldn't do FC at all, but was "passable" at breastroke.
    Garr - fast but inefficient as a child. Never been a 'serious' swimmer.

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles
    MTB - owned a MTB that had been out of the shed less than half a dozen times in a year. No road bike till January of this year.
    Garr - Only a few >100m, mainly <25m or sprints. Nothing in a club or TT.

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
    MTB - slow but steady, mara and ultra completed
    Garr - one marathon to check I could go the distance before signing up to an IM the next day.
  • I still have to finish one of the bliddy things but........


    Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke
    MTB - couldn't do FC at all, but was "passable" at breastroke.
    Garr - fast but inefficient as a child. Never been a 'serious' swimmer.
    Plum .... 10 metres top wack, never been good in the water

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles
    MTB - owned a MTB that had been out of the shed less than half a dozen times in a year. No road bike till January of this year.
    Garr - Only a few >100m, mainly <25m or sprints. Nothing in a club or TT.
    Plum ...Used to go Youth Hosteling at school back in the days of quill bens and abacus'

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
    MTB - slow but steady, mara and ultra completed
    Garr - one marathon to check I could go the distance before signing up to an IM the next day.
    Plum ...... 40+ marathons
  • PLUM

    "never been good in the water"

    I'll not have you say that ... you are a natural fish

    ;o)
  • Even a dead one one floats Willie :-)
  • Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke
    MTB - couldn't do FC at all, but was "passable" at breastroke.
    Garr - fast but inefficient as a child. Never been a 'serious' swimmer.
    Plum .... 10 metres top wack, never been good in the water
    FeKK - couldn't swim front crawl at all, could barely do 25 yards breas stroke

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles
    MTB - owned a MTB that had been out of the shed less than half a dozen times in a year. No road bike till January of this year.
    Garr - Only a few >100m, mainly <25m or sprints. Nothing in a club or TT.
    Plum ...Used to go Youth Hosteling at school back in the days of quill bens and abacus'
    FeKK - Hadn't owned a bike at all or even been on a bike in 15 years.

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
    MTB - slow but steady, mara and ultra completed
    Garr - one marathon to check I could go the distance before signing up to an IM the next day.
    Plum ...... 40+ marathons
    FeKK - Ok I was a 3:16 marathoner but you have to get to the run for it to help being a good runner.
  • Nicely done Crashie. The Barlist spirit lives on! :)
  • A very encouraging thread!
  • Just out of interest (and this is probably another thread) what kinds of times did you end up with for each of the disciplines in your first IM? I find it impossible to imagine being in the water for 2 hours or on a bike for 6 etc. from where I am now.

    Sorry if that's being too cheeky.
  • It's only hard to imagine because you haven't mentally opened your mind to it yet. :)
  • You can find the exploits of many pirates at www.pirateshipoffools.co.uk
  • Jeez BO, that's a bit awkward. I got:
    1h23m
    7h
    6h
    or thereabouts, but once I hit the bike my lack of tri-experience ruined me.

    I'm pretty confident I can manage:
    1h05m
    5h20m
    <4h
    if I pull my finger out and actually train though.
  • BO, awkward because of trying to match people's times to the previous page.
  • Actually, WTF am I talking about, it's easy...

    Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke
    MTB - couldn't do FC at all, but was "passable" at breastroke.
    Garr - fast but inefficient as a child. Never been a 'serious' swimmer. First IM - 1h23m
    Plum .... 10 metres top wack, never been good in the water
    FeKK - couldn't swim front crawl at all, could barely do 25 yards breas stroke

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles
    MTB - owned a MTB that had been out of the shed less than half a dozen times in a year. No road bike till January of this year.
    Garr - Only a few >100m, mainly <25m or sprints. Nothing in a club or TT. First IM - 7h
    Plum ...Used to go Youth Hosteling at school back in the days of quill bens and abacus'
    FeKK - Hadn't owned a bike at all or even been on a bike in 15 years.

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
    MTB - slow but steady, mara and ultra completed
    Garr - one marathon to check I could go the distance before signing up to an IM the next day. First IM - 6 hours
    Plum ...... 40+ marathons
    FeKK - Ok I was a 3:16 marathoner but you have to get to the run for it to help being a good runner.
  • Aha.....Garr oulines his time goals for IMF...
  • Cheers kk :o) I'd better put my running prowess on too :o)


    Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke
    MTB - couldn't do FC at all, but was "passable" at breastroke.
    Garr - fast but inefficient as a child. Never been a 'serious' swimmer. First IM - 1h23m
    Plum .... 10 metres top wack, never been good in the water
    FeKK - couldn't swim front crawl at all, could barely do 25 yards breas stroke

    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles
    MTB - owned a MTB that had been out of the shed less than half a dozen times in a year. No road bike till January of this year.
    Garr - Only a few >100m, mainly <25m or sprints. Nothing in a club or TT. First IM - 7h
    Plum ...Used to go Youth Hosteling at school back in the days of quill bens and abacus'
    FeKK - Hadn't owned a bike at all or even been on a bike in 15 years.

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
    MTB - slow but steady, mara and ultra completed
    Garr - one marathon to check I could go the distance before signing up to an IM the next day. First IM - 6 hours
    Plum ...... 40+ marathons
    FeKK - Ok I was a 3:16 marathoner but you have to get to the run for it to help being a good runner
    Crashie: 4:08 mara
  • Great thread! I did my first sprint tri 13 months before an IM but it was a women's only event with minimal training done (just wanted to get around the thing).

    Swimming:
    Crashie...25m front crawl
    JD...Not swum for 12 years
    Ratbag ... 50m front crawl (ish)
    WildWill ... No Good open water
    cougiw - 25m breast stroke - tops. No crawl and wouldnt thing of open water.
    IW...never had any swim training and no long distance OW stuff.
    Swissbobby could not swim 25m of any known stroke - could get in water and move but calling it swimming was generous.
    jellybabe..couldnt swim from crawl, max 40 lengths breast stroke
    MTB - couldn't do FC at all, but was "passable" at breastroke.
    Garr - fast but inefficient as a child. Never been a 'serious' swimmer. First IM - 1h23m
    Plum .... 10 metres top wack, never been good in the water
    FeKK - couldn't swim front crawl at all, could barely do 25 yards breas stroke
    ABB - 300m but a mixture of front crawl, breast stroke and back stroke with stops at erach end of the pool (IM 1:21)


    Cycling:
    Crashie...non-cyclist, didn't own a road bike
    JD...Newbie-12mph
    Ratbag...Didn't own a road bike
    WildWill ... slow as hell and took all day 2 MTB 40miles (lots of rests)
    cougie - fine - had done 100m TTs and ridden 140 miles when i was 16.
    IW...just showed up and raced, never did any cycle training to speak of.
    Swissbobby... Did not own a road bike
    jellybabe..owned a MTB for occ w/e rides, never riden more than about 25 miles
    MTB - owned a MTB that had been out of the shed less than half a dozen times in a year. No road bike till January of this year.
    Garr - Only a few >100m, mainly <25m or sprints. Nothing in a club or TT. First IM - 7h
    Plum ...Used to go Youth Hosteling at school back in the days of quill bens and abacus'
    FeKK - Hadn't owned a bike at all or even been on a bike in 15 years.
    ABB - MTB only for 4km commute to work. Bought a road bike 7 months before IM (IM 8:16)

    Running
    Ratbag...OK
    JD...up to 4 miles
    WildWill ...Not bad
    cougie - had done a couple of FLMs
    IW...ok, having run all my life.
    Swissbobby Marathon runner with 3:38 pb
    jellybabe.. never run more than a half mara
    MTB - slow but steady, mara and ultra completed
    Garr - one marathon to check I could go the distance before signing up to an IM the next day. First IM - 6 hours
    Plum ...... 40+ marathons
    FeKK - Ok I was a 3:16 marathoner but you have to get to the run for it to help being a good runner
    Crashie: 4:08 mara
    ABB - Could only manage a v slow run/walk (25 mins for a 3km) (IM 6:37, total IM 16:38)

    After improving my overall fitness and dropping a few more kilos I'm aiming for a much better effort come March 1 next year.
  • my first ever was

    swim 2:09
    bike 7:40
    run 5:52

    plus T1 & T2: 8 mins

    total: 15:51
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