90 minutes - there are plenty of people coming on the Switzerland trip next July who can't swim a length yet - Cougie and Suffolk Punch to name but two. Its not hard to learn, honest guv.
candy - thanks for the thought, but I really don't enjoy swimming either. I'm back to the flm forum, it seems drier over there (although my run this evening probably wasn't!)
Absolutly fantastic amazing stuff totally mind blowing well done Andy,Monique and Nick stuff of legends!!!!! I hope RW do a an article on this for next months issue!!!!!!
ALF: Always a little further Miles makes smiles. Progression
I cut and pasted Candy and Monique's comments into a doc to send some non-forum friends who have all peed themselves laughing and send their hearty congrats....
I started in 1999 when I decided playing hockey wasn't giving me enough exercise, so I started doing a few runs with some friends from work. It just so happened that 2 of them did triathlons, only Olympic distance at the time but it caught my attention.
I did my first ever 10k run in the June, I did my first sprint triathlon in Horwich in the July/August and then did my first Olympic distance race at Bala that year.
I decided that for me it wasn't enough and they were talking about doing a 1/2 IM in 2000, I decided to do a full. I got myself a coach from the internet.
This guy set my plans, invited me on a weekend course to determine my levels and then planned my way thru London marathon 2000 and then The Longest Day in the August 2000, I finished in 11.26. He gave me the encouragement I needed in the bad weeks but I always knew mentally that I would do it myself.
All of this in the same year I got married, stag do, etc etc.
I then gave up for 2 years while I played golf and drank beer cos I snapped my ACL in 2001. I took it up again last year and did IM Switzerland and just did IM Austria. Hooked again, golf has taken a firm rear seat and most of my enthusiasm comes from my club at Chester who are brilliant, I have been a member for 3 years but only started going again last year and it is a real boost to be recognised when you start attending more sessions.
If you want it, you will do it, however a few more tips for those starting out on the slippery slope of IM training.
Use the rest of the year to learn to swim if you can't now as once Xmas comes you want to be training not learning, there are some adverts in 220, especially the one by Robin Brew who advertise coached sessions, they even do a warm weather - learn to swim in a week at La Santa lanzarote.
Read up on getting a coach, if you can afford one I recommend it, mine cost around £30 a month which is less than a gym membership, some do it by email, some do courses, others use phone etc. I still use his plans now and put my place in this sport down to him, Lawrence Oldershaw, respect !
Get the full support of your partner, they will be going thru it with you and the training is long and sometimes gets in the way of normal life, better to have a willing partner than a negative voice in your ear everytime you go out for a 4 hour bike !
I used to look at Ironpeeps and say - not me, never ever, not me. Fat blokes don't do IM - especially ex-prop forwards aged over 50.
But my thoughts have been straying to this - thinking, yep I can swim OK now (that was my BIG worry), I can bike OK (just need to do the miles), have run a marathon and loads of 1/2's (and longer) - so if I put in the training, maybe just maybe, I could do one. Looking at Clydesdale sites have helped.
I need to get my head around the training commitment, am sure Petal will support me, so am in serious contemplative mood at the mo.
A little curious as to the 4 hour bike. I guess with all the training you do for Ironman it doesn't leave the time for fulltime philandering so that sounds like a fair compromise. Nice your bird is so understanding.
One detail I missed from my report. When I was noting with glee all the rippling Adonises who had one run band to my two, I was past coming the other way by a guy who was in his late 40s or early 50s and, I'd guess, weighed 19 or 20 stones. At first I thought he was ghosting the course, but he had two bands and a race number. I was around km 33, he was around km 39. He must surely have got sub-12.
My plan is do the Vitruvian in September, maintain running milage, keep swimming and do a couple of Turbo Trainer sessions per week. Then at the beginning of March start gradually uping the mileage and have no goal beyond beating the cut-offs.
FB - have you seen dangerous's link that he keeps putting on the Switzerland thread? It helps to dispel any unfounded presumptions that IM is un-doable.
give me the weekend Candy - am reading DD's link, want to have a good natter with Petal, talk to a few friends.................it's a big ask at my age, weight and ability........it's no longer a question of whether I want to do it - it's a question whether I want to commit to the training and make many sacrifices........
Comments
these ones have a jolly roger design, but they also come in m-dot and paisley
http://asp.ailec.at/webshop/ironmanBilderdienst/imagesDetail/K2004/b7f0_DSC_0133.JPG
I hope RW do a an article on this for next months issue!!!!!!
Miles makes smiles.
Progression
You look too professional ! :-)
great report Nick....
I cut and pasted Candy and Monique's comments into a doc to send some non-forum friends who have all peed themselves laughing and send their hearty congrats....
I never wanted to do Switzerland, I wanted to do IronMan USA Lake Placid, but I was outvoted. grrr.
Hmmmm.....maybe...maybe...
But 6+ hrs on a bicycle? Never!!!!
hm, but maybe, one day.
I dunno, am definitely going to give a 1/2 IM a go next year. not sure after that....
But it does sound very exciting!!
I started in 1999 when I decided playing hockey wasn't giving me enough exercise, so I started doing a few runs with some friends from work. It just so happened that 2 of them did triathlons, only Olympic distance at the time but it caught my attention.
I did my first ever 10k run in the June, I did my first sprint triathlon in Horwich in the July/August and then did my first Olympic distance race at Bala that year.
I decided that for me it wasn't enough and they were talking about doing a 1/2 IM in 2000, I decided to do a full. I got myself a coach from the internet.
This guy set my plans, invited me on a weekend course to determine my levels and then planned my way thru London marathon 2000 and then The Longest Day in the August 2000, I finished in 11.26. He gave me the encouragement I needed in the bad weeks but I always knew mentally that I would do it myself.
All of this in the same year I got married, stag do, etc etc.
I then gave up for 2 years while I played golf and drank beer cos I snapped my ACL in 2001. I took it up again last year and did IM Switzerland and just did IM Austria. Hooked again, golf has taken a firm rear seat and most of my enthusiasm comes from my club at Chester who are brilliant, I have been a member for 3 years but only started going again last year and it is a real boost to be recognised when you start attending more sessions.
If you want it, you will do it, however a few more tips for those starting out on the slippery slope of IM training.
Use the rest of the year to learn to swim if you can't now as once Xmas comes you want to be training not learning, there are some adverts in 220, especially the one by Robin Brew who advertise coached sessions, they even do a warm weather - learn to swim in a week at La Santa lanzarote.
Read up on getting a coach, if you can afford one I recommend it, mine cost around £30 a month which is less than a gym membership, some do it by email, some do courses, others use phone etc. I still use his plans now and put my place in this sport down to him, Lawrence Oldershaw, respect !
Get the full support of your partner, they will be going thru it with you and the training is long and sometimes gets in the way of normal life, better to have a willing partner than a negative voice in your ear everytime you go out for a 4 hour bike !
Great report and great race Nick, nice to see some seriousness back on this forum, unlike that other couple of clowns ;-)
Thanks for those comments - very useful.
I used to look at Ironpeeps and say - not me, never ever, not me. Fat blokes don't do IM - especially ex-prop forwards aged over 50.
But my thoughts have been straying to this - thinking, yep I can swim OK now (that was my BIG worry), I can bike OK (just need to do the miles), have run a marathon and loads of 1/2's (and longer) - so if I put in the training, maybe just maybe, I could do one. Looking at Clydesdale sites have helped.
I need to get my head around the training commitment, am sure Petal will support me, so am in serious contemplative mood at the mo.
Your comments are helping.
Go for it mate.
One detail I missed from my report. When I was noting with glee all the rippling Adonises who had one run band to my two, I was past coming the other way by a guy who was in his late 40s or early 50s and, I'd guess, weighed 19 or 20 stones. At first I thought he was ghosting the course, but he had two bands and a race number. I was around km 33, he was around km 39. He must surely have got sub-12.
You're going to do it, so the sooner you committ and get into training mode, the easier the race will be!
Absolutely brilliant, bloody brilliant
Well Done Andy, Monique and Nick