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Outlaw 2014
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Indeed I will. Lots of first-class support, advice and encouragement all from personal experience of IMs, and a feckin' handy right size 10 when required
Shhhhhh, don't tell anyone, but it looks as if I'll be relaying next year
An easier alternative to Ironman would be the Marmotte sportive in the Alps, well if you like cycling it would be, same weekend as the Outlaw. Might be a good intermediate target for those that struggle with their bike leg too - then do an Ironman year after - I've done it last 3 years and about half the group we go over with are current or former triathletes.
Sounds like working to distance not to HR might be the best plan, Pix. (though after 50 miles of the bike on IM day, you should be fresh as the proverbial daisy.
remember kiddies, there's no medals for completing an IM.
oh, hang on...
There are cooler things than medal's through that pint at the end is brilliant. Well it would be if they ever stock enough of the chuffing black stuff to go round.
Outlaw was very nearly the 3 year anniversary of my first tri - Cheltenham off road fun super sprint. I was hooked at that first event and wanted to go further each year. Sprint in 2010, Oly in 2011, HIM in 2012, Full in 2013. Seemed like the way to progress to me. 2014 is the year I'll turn 40 so M. branded one for me I think. Then I can retire gracefully
Pix, it sounds to me as though you do have the motivation to crack this next year. But I think it would be a huge advantage if you can keep a consistent level of training from now on.
There will be tons of advice thrown about, and perhaps it's worth spending the next couple of months having a bit of fun, and experimenting to find out what works for you. Obviously a straight commute to work and back won't work, esp in the winter, but if you try a one-way trip on adjacent days in the summer, you'll know if you can do it. Likewise, play with your turbo set-up to make it easy to get going, and as comfortable and interesting as possible (fan, computer etc...). Try out a (cycling, not tri) club ride - you don't have to go back if you don't want to! When can you fit regular runs in? When can you most efficiently get to the pool without it being a mad rush?
Once you've done all that, you can draw up a realistic regular weekly schedule, say 7-8 hours per week. Can you keep that up right through the winter? Do you want to? If the answer's yes, then go for it.
Just thought I'd add my two pence worth as a first timer... I don't think I did enough biking, especially long rides. In fact I only did 5 over 50 miles. longest ride was 70 miles. I also didn't do enough long runs, only 2 over 12 miles and only 3 OW swims.
However, even though I had a period of slobbing, smoking etc I do think I have a good base whereby I'm not overweight and never really have been(maybe a stone max) and played football,rugby,cricket and golf all competitively(albeit to not a very high standard
) for 15 years or so. I also trained for my first marathon last year... Could have done more training for that but didn't and I got round.
My point being I think it is a massive undertaking for someone to go from nothing to ironman in a year unless(as a stated in prev posts) you have a really good base from a period earlier in your life.
Secondly, I felt I was extremely well mentally prepared. I wanted to enjoy the day and the whole experience and I took on all the advice given to me. I also know my body and knew how much I could push and when, I have learnt this in training this year.
Didn't intend to waffle so much but I seem to have...apologies
On a different note - I've looked at Fink's maintenance plan, and it seems like a misnomer, because you can't maintain peak fitness
I know that you train for an event, you peak on that day, and then rest, and then reverse taper to build back up after, but my question is ...
what do you build up to? What distance in the pool, on long rides, long runs is sustainable now? I guess the answer to that is pretty individual, but how are others planning to 'maintain' before starting to build for the next big day?
+1 to that one Nursey
"Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast!"
"It jumped up a notch."
"It did, didn't it?"
Bit more tough love than usual in here today!
For what it is worth I have found it very hard this year to fit my training in due to the conflict between family, work and training, expecially in the last 6-8 weeeks when I just had to get some longer stuff in. It meant very early starts on the weekend to get back mid morning to be with my wife and daughter and sleep definitely suffered which didn't help my mood or health. I wasn't enjoying it all for quite a few weeks and said to my wife there would be no way I would do it again next year (although the post race euphoria has almost lurred me in again already as it makes you forget the sacrifices!)
The only way I can possibly fit the training in is to swap commuting time for training time and most of my cycling was commuting to and from work (28miles each way) and if I didn't have the time/inclination to cycle the whole way I would cycle to the train station on the way home and jump on the train. Likwise my only long runs were taking a very early train half way to work then running the rest.
I am probably just repeating what has been said, but anyone can do an Ironman if they are sufficiently motivated to do so and make the sacrifices but I recommend making sure you understand why you want to do it and being sure that commitment will stand the test of time , making sure you have genuine family buy in before you start and working out how you can fit training in with the minimum of inconvenience to your family (ie lunchtime or commuting training). Also be prepared that you are likely not to enjoy the full journey.
Still worth it in the end though, for me at least. But 70.3s may well do me in 2014.
darkness.this is the time of year for tough love.when people ae thinking of signing up.......
we do all the lovely dovey encouragement of you can do it in the weeks up to the event when its too late to make any changes........
the pirate theory is that everyone can do it....If.............you want it badly enough and you train hard enough....and I think this still holds true...for some more than others the training has to be harder and longer
Pix and this is my last word on the subject unless you ask me for it as like someone said its not pick on Pix day
you really gotta get hubby to buy into this and understand what you are trying to do and the commitment involved so you can suceed, a lot of your posts revolve
Around requirements to garden and negative comments about your ability family support and buy in really is key my missus has long since stopped coming to events but fully supports my desire to do it and even uderstands why any DIY gets shelved till a break in training
My top tip would be to get yourself organised so you have space in your life for your training sessions. I have a mad busy life with 3 kids and a job, so I understand how hard it can be to fit everything in. I have learnt that the only way I can squeeze what I want in to each 24 hours is to be on top form organisation wise, especially where training is concerned.
You have to stay one step ahead of your best excuse to miss a session.When I'm training, I really do cut back on my social life. I think twice about saying yes to nights out etc because that impacts training. I only have so much energy so things that aren't in keeping with the goal take a back seat until after the race.
I have a weeks food plan all sorted out a week in advance. I shop online for what I need and as a family we stick to the plan. So on a Monday I not only know what we are all having for dinner on the Saturday, but I've shopped for it as well. I still manage to cook healthy nutritious meals from scratch every single day. I never have to think 'What's for dinner tonight'.
I lay out kit, pack swimming stuff etc well in advance, have turbo set up and cycle stuff good to go. On a Sunday I make little piles of kit for the week. I know I can get home from work and be in my run kit and good to go out through the door in a few minutes if I have to.
These may sound like little things but it all adds up. Staying one step ahead and planning well in advance makes the training easier.
I have become a black belt at juggling family/work/life/training. It CAN be done. Plan, plan, plan!
Also regarding nutrition. Please do your homework. Don't just jump on the latest food fad diet. An Ironman training schedule is a LOT to ask of your body. You need nourishment, not in excess but good quality home cooked food in balance. Start to ditch the rubbish now.
A slowcooker is a brilliant investment imho especially through the winter months.
If you have your life organised then you are more likely to get the sessions in. You do pay a price for your Ironman medal, and I'm not just talking about the entry fee. You can expect it to take over you life for months. And during peak training time, you really are not going to have the time or energy for much else. It IS worth it the sacrifices you make, it IS doable, but as others have said, start now. Make space in your life for the training. Nail the nutrition. Find a training plan and a mentor who you trust and when the training plan kicks in to will be raring to go, not playing catch up!
The sun is shining i finish at 3 and my bikes parked outside enjoys the weekend people
(lurks)
I *like* all of these posts
This thread should be stickied for anyone attempting their first IM. When do the mentors for 2014 challenges get started?
someone mentioned a half 4 weeks out.
Thats really recommended for an IM - trial of nutrition, pacing etc, or just go hard - its a great training day.
Again it forms another weekend session during those last 10 weeks.
other ideas include....
Hope great tips on the food i am the cook in my house as Mrs RBM is the cant cook wont cook type
i make lots of home made casseroles, curries and chillies in bulk and freeze family sized portions it saves me bags of time and they are mega low fat compared to stuff made with jars of sauce 
Training weekends with like minded individuals are slso. Great no need to go to Lanza etc group book a YHA thats near a lske or the sea and a pub then swim bike and tun like nutters all weekend and chill in the pub each evening a fave place for my lot is YHA Snowdon Ranger I will be putting one together near Lands End next year for my group if i have spaces left i will post on here if anyone is interested it will be a sea swim and hill fest weekend
All statements above are why my hubby didn't want me to do Outlaw this year - mainly the bike he knew unless i could a certain mileage by last December then it was going to be a hard task - I did enter Outlaw but after we went to Club la Santa (hubby on the tri course) and i tried to do some of the training they were doing I knew myself that it wasn't going to happen this year, so I pulled out.
Now I've actually done my first tri (sprint) and i have an oly next month I'm feeling better about the training, but my biking as I only learn how to cycle last year (I'm no spring chicken to those that don't know me) is still no where near fast enough for me to complete an IM, but Hubby and myself are aiming for Sweden in 2015, but next years aim is to do a half and lose the weight before Xmas.
I've got a long way to go, but I want to finish and not chase cut off, I'm lucky I only work 6 miles down the road so have no excuses for not training, also having a husband that is into Tri's and anything mental does help (although could sometimes kill him when he kicks me out the house when I've just got back from the bike). He has also made me a trining diary so I see where I've improve or not as the case may be.
I'll stop wittering now, and where I'd decided not to go OW tonight as I can do that Monday I'm now going,. so darn you lot for making me feel guilty.
Pix, and anyone else in a similar boat, I agree you need family support when training for a big endurance event – IM for you, 10in10 for a runner like me. I'm lucky (I guess!) in that I don't have to think about people's needs and wishes but over the last couple of years I've seen fellow TiTs struggle to fit their training around family life. It's so much easier when you've got their support.
Hmm in a failures defence my stats are up there in the something completely different thread and they are decent amongst everyone else's.
I did the sessions, I did the miles and I did the time, what I didn't do was go quick enough, that is what I'm now working on.
I failed because I did quantity over quality, ironman is a lonely business but I suggest training with others where possible to keep your speed up.
Oh and coming from East Anglia, there's nothing like that bank on any of the many routes near me. That's also added to my to do list, find a bloody big hill, might have to head for the coast. Although again I did peddle up that bloody bank fine both at the half and the full. I think a weeks cycling in Yorkshire needs to happen a few times before 2015.
Ali you didn't fail at all you just didn't get to the end, failer would have been to not train or turn up to Outlaw. What you did was brave and tough anyone tell's you different they have ever never tried to do it or are a bit of a d*ck so none of that young lady or I will be evil.
So to summarize.
Get a turbo with or without resistance or if you don't like turbos don't get one.
Buy a fixed wheel/Single speed and Mountain bike.
Do loads of long sessions and back these up with loads of short sessions
Get a mentor or don't and follow Fink unless you follow something else.
Seems to me that we all do it differently and the main thing is find something that works for you and stick to it, the problem being finding that winning formula.
That has made me chuckle!
I'll take a summary of lots of this stuff and put a page on the web site with it in there - top tips for starting your ironman campaign...
I'll even update the pirate roll of honour and events pages. I have been lazy, (busy)
thanks for all the advice, for what its worth, I am a combination of all the above.
but I know more than ever I can finish this thing and I wanted to sign up again straight away.
Limiters are all 3 in different ways.
Swim - freaked a bit as not used to o/w swim so did most breastroke - need to improve f/c can do it with decent technique but b/s has always been my fallback - now b/s is a no no everything will be f/c. This will buy me time for the bike.
Bike - biggest problem was the 70-90 mile rides need lots at above race pace. Already been in touch with local bike club to join up over Autumn and Winter for long rides.
Run - intervals and hills and lots of them.
Weight - need to lose, but unlike what others have said I need the IM goal.
What I can say is that I have stood on the start line and been S*** scared but I got through it, got on a bike and up to a point nailed exactly what I wanted to do, then faded and failed.
Having been through Fink I can adapt a new plan to my limiters, build, keep fitness and get stronger and better, and best of all wife saw how much it really meant to me so she hasnt even questioned it this time.
and yes I am a wannabee pirate because wearing the yellow and black and the banter and help on here beats anything I have ever come across.
Shoot me down if you want but every pirate I have ever spoken to in person and one here has given me something that helps or questions what I am doing and made me rethink.
Yes I got it wrong, but I think I have learned a lesson and will be back and finish.
Finally, thanks for all the help and support.