How bad were you...

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  • I thought it was crashies thread but didn't look far enough back on his thread historyimage

  • I've talked some proper bollox since then, Seren image

  • I think we need a new one 'how bad are you one year after'

    image

  • SgtLardSgtLard ✭✭✭

    what a lovely thread.  cant wait to come back in 6 months with a couple of medals maybe....

     

    swim

    25m - 50 if I can have a rest half way

    bike

    own a very expensive at the time road bike ( very pre internet ) and a average mtb but anymore than 2 miles and id be very unhappy - were talking mentoring the kids distance until they got bored

    run

    why ? - i own a car.

    maybe 400m

    21st.8lbs couch in august 2012.( as of 10-1.13 :   19st10, run 6-7 miles, bike 20-40miles swim 2000m and growing all but the lard )   come on outlaw!

  • Boing for Newbies who dont know they want to do an Ironman in 2014 yet image

    Also for those completing their first in 2013 to add their start point if they want.

  • I was planning on not looking to enter a "big" event until after I have completed the London Marathon in April. This thread is making me think a bit harder........

  • In May 2012 I had been running for a year and a half, and had just run my first marathon in 4;18, I didn't do any serious cycling to speak of, although had completed the Transpennine Trail over 5 days a couple years earlier, and could swim 2 lengths front crawl.

  • Hmmm,  Interesting

     

    Can't swim,  legs sink in the water (injury to back) read some good reviews on wetsuits that help with buoyancy?

    Just started cycling, bought a Road bike last week upto 20 miles at just under 15 mph. enjoying the cycling. 

    Running - O.K several marathons times range from 3:30 - 4:00, btw Snowdon time faster than London.

    Started to look at two years time maybe next year?

    Oh and well done to you all

     

  • what do you mean ... how bad were you? ... how bad am I?

    bad, and not in a good way.

  • Just completed Outlaw 2013 image

    12 months ago;

    Swim - 400m FC max, although hadnt been for years. Also, still didnt go swimming until Jan 2013. No open water experience.

    Bike - Owned a secondhand road bike, used 'sparingley' to ride to work - Used a total of 2 times in 2012. Bike training started December when I bought a turbo

    Run - Had run a couple of Half marathons and was in training for Chester Marathon.

  • AvalafAvalaf ✭✭✭

    12 months before my first ironman  I was a 30 a day smoking couch potato who drank 6-8 bottles of beer every night and had done for 15+ years.

     

    Didn't own a bike, and could barely run a mile, tried running a mile and with dodgy trainers had done my knees in within a week. (good old JJB advice)

    Was looking for advice on how to fix my knees when I came across this site and an article on the front page saying anyone could do an ironman.

    Woke up the next morning with a massive hangover and 2 entries to IMCH.  I'd been so drunk I'd accidentally entered twice.

    All good fun though, at the end of the day, how hard can it be?

  • Final RVFinal RV ✭✭✭

    38  inch waist - now 32 inch waist

    Ate junk food twice a week - now eats fruit & nuts & seeds

    Swim 300 metres non stop - now swims 4k non stop

    Cycle?  Cycle? - now rides 100 and runs straight off it

    Run 2-3 miles - now does a half marathon as part of a Half Ironman in 1:40

    Drank too much - now drinks a lot lot less

    Once IMW is done and dusted I may just have a lie down.

     

  • Just adding my own starting point for a Outlaw 2014.

    Swim: Breastroke is OK for up to 20 lengths, tried front crawl in pool for first time yesterday, surfaced to see life guard stripped off and staring worriedly at me with rope and lifebuoy in hand! This is gonna need a helluva lot of work.

    Bike: Got a cheap-ish road bike for my birthday in August (was like being a kid again) having not ridden since a child on my Raleigh Commando in the 70's. NOw cycle to work three times a week (total of 19 miles - 9 miles there, 10 miles back ????). Averagng about 15mph, hoping this is OK.

    Run: Marathon number 8 on Sunday, current PB is 3:53.

    Glad I came across this thread as confidence took a bit of a kicking with my Sunday morning drownathon. Looks liek its going to be regression to childhood part two with some swimming lessons next month for me.

     

  • Minor scares (like drowning, or realising you can't cycle up a gentle slope without getting off the bike and crying) are always good.  They sharpen the resolve.

    "The pirates" have been organising annual group holidays since 2004... every year a bunch of absolute new starters are recruited with 9 or 10 months to go, every year the experienced members assure the new people that finishing an ironman is a piece of old piss with 9 or 10 months of motivated training, and every year the new people prove them right.

    I once checked average ironman DNF rates vs pirate "from scratch" DNF rates... the pirates kickes the average competitor's arse at finishing.  Probably because of the support on the day making quitting a less viable option.

    Whoever you are, however crap you are now, if you are motivated to make every week count for the next 8, 9, 10 months (whatever it is until the race) then you can do it.  No doubt.  It's not hard at all if you approach it correctly, as has been proved by at least 200 people over the past 10 years.

    Easy!

  • June 2010 40th birthday, weigh in 16st2lbs, 38in waist - bought a bike, stopped smoking in September, started running - after 20 years of lardiness.

    2011 - entered Olympic distance triathlon. Could only swim 50m front crawl when I entered.

    2012 - IMUK 70.3 Wimbleball - 6h20m

    2013 - IM Wales - 14h 55m - with sciatica. Did a half marathon in 1h33 this year too image . Weight now 13st2lbs, 32in waist

  • Perhaps we should have a new thread 'how bad are you now'   image


    Still churning out the 20 milers Mr Ollier? 

  • Something like that.  I'm even doing three runs a week now!

  • I watched FLM in bed 2006, thought, I can do that, I entered GNR that year and FLM for 2007. I hadn't run a step for 18 years, I survived!. I liked it so much and got really interested in sport science and embarked on the world of adult education, I qualified as a P.T in 2009 and started teaching boot camp fitness and coaching at the club.

    The OH was dabbling in tri at the time, so I thought if he can do it so can I. I hated every minute of my first triathlon and vowed never to do another one!

     Fast forward a 4 years, I coach my OH (now and has been for 2 years a middle/long course GB trithelete) and I have successfully completed 3 years in triathlon at various distances and this year I have gained a qualify time for GB middle/long course european champs for 2014 image

  • Postie, how inspiring, nice one.

  • Before my first IM, I had run quite a few marathons but had never swum more than a few lengths in a pool, almost no OW experience, and had only done one sprint tri on an ordinary push-bike. Didn't really have a clue about IM.

    The race (Sachsenman) was not fun - swim in a lake where you had to wade out about 400m before you could start swimming. There were loads of cobblestone stretches on the bike course and no spectators, 4 laps and each one came back past the finish area. The run was also 4 laps, lots of pot holes in the road, many twists and turns, ups and downs, 2nd half of each lap in a forest, and when it got dark that was lit by car headlights! Walked at least a 3rd of the marathon and finished in 15:51.

  • GraemeKGraemeK ✭✭✭

    Josey, as somebody debuting in Tri at Outlaw 2014, I'm looking to you.

    Swimming is ok, done 3000m FC in the pool a few times in about 1h20 and 2250 open water, in May this year a length was a struggle. I look like an electrocuted Octopus in the water though. Cycling is 40-50 miles at 16-17mph although I can't commute to work. Marathon? Well 12 months ago I did a 4.15 on six months training after a year out injured. Pre injury I was at about 1h40 for a half and training well for a shot at 3h30.

     

    Secretly I have an ambitious time target in mind for Outlaw, realistically I want to make it to the start, make it on to the bike and then run and as long as I make each cut off, I'll be a happy man.

  • Mine sounds somewhat less inspirational than most of the feeds here, it took me 4 years of triathlon, working up a distance each season and doing 5 half IM races before going for the Outlaw this year.  I was always a strong runner and had power on the bike but lack skill and experience, the swim is still my nemises not being able to convert good pool technique into a fast open water style.  Now I know I can do the distance next year is about getting the time down at Outlaw (I want sub 12.30) and getting through Lanza in one piece, although I am worried about that one.

  • I smoked 40 a day up until Jan 1999, gave up when it turned £3 a packet, started running and managed 3 miles without stopping by March. Did my first sprint at Horwich (for those that know me that is somewhat a sign image) and came 3rd, thought this was easy.

    Then in Sept 1999 did Bala Olympic distance and nearly coughed a lung up, back to reality.

    Bravado and a willingness to push further than my mates meant I did the Longest Day IM distance in August 2000, finished in 11.26 and loved it, unfortunately I am a mad sportsman at heart so that Xmas I snapped my ACL snowboarding in Whistler and took 3 years off, coming back in 2003 and doing IMCH.

    Done a few more since then getting faster each year, at least one a year except 2010 and 2013 when we had a child each of those years.

    Still love it and aiming to do Copenhagen this August for number 15.

  • I'll answer this next year, after IM Wales image
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