12 months before my first IM, it was my first 'proper' (read more than 2 events) season of tri. I was training for the Vitruvian (6 weeks away).
Swim had redicovered the pool some 12 months previously, happily front crawling
Bike had bought bicycle around 12 months ago (do you sense a pattern emerging?), max distance ridden 35 miles
Run had started running (well moving at a pace slightly quicker than walking) about 18 months ago (having packed in smoking), had just (two weeks previously) run first half marathon in 2:15
...very interesting (and encouraging thread!) thanks for Boinging it!
First IM (and tri) will be IMLZ in May 08...currently:
Swim...had been able to do 60 lengths very slowly....currently able to do 2.5k (very slowly!!)
Bike...have done around 20 miles or so in the past until I fell off my bike in heavy traffic and scared the bejeebers out of me...haven't been on a bike for 3 years until recently...now able to do around 35 miles at around 15 mph.
Run: 3 marathons, 3 half's...shockingly slow pb of 5:13 marathon...is there any hope!!
Swimming - strictly breast and back stroke only, could also do a bit of side stroke. No front crawl unless head was completely out of water all the time.
Bike - mostly commuting to/from work - total of 26 miles max. Didn't own a road bike. Had to borrow one from my uncle until the work cycle to work scheme kicked in.
Run Marathon PB of 3:14
IMA - swim 1:41, bike 6:27 run 4:38 (shockingly bad for me) Total 13:01:07
What would I do differently? More long cycles with a run at the end. Nothing I had doe prepared me for the way my legs felt when I got off the bike.
Swim: I could breast stroke but not crawl and hadn't swum for several years. It took me weeks to be to do 50m and a long time to start feeling that I wasn't about to drown. IMDE was about 1:33; IMA was 1:18.
Bike: used a crappy old mtb for commuting (about 5miles each way) but hadn't been on a road bike before. was pretty slow at first - 12-14mph. IMDE was 6:22, IMA was 6:00 (but slightly harder course).
Run: average runner but doing it for quite a while. Marathon PB 3:36. IMDE was 4:45, IMA was 4:15 though the improvement was really because I was better on the bike rather than a better runer.
Not done a tri yet, entered Bala IM Nice 6 months before the event
Swim: er well ok held breath for 10 metres, then stood up coughed spluttered and basically looked stoopid
Bike: got a bike 2 months ago - keep falling off it and am pretty carp
Run: running 18 months - fell mainly. Done most of the lakeland races, off road mara and 2 ultra's (1 52miler) so got the long slow shuffle sorted.....just have 6 months to work on the rest!!
Swim:- Hadn't been in a pool for ages, couldn't do a length of crawl - still can't without a wetsuit but why worry.
Bike:- Occasionally (like maybe once every 2 months, if there wasn't a 'Y' in the day, and if the sun was shining, and it was downhill with the wind behind me) commuted 2-3 miles.
Run:- You're having a laugh here aren't you! Hadn't run for about 3 years. I could just about walk to the bus stop on a good day.
I think I can safely say I wasn't prime Ironman material.
Managed to train occasionally, learnt to swim a bit better, did a couple of longish bikes, and I am now a racing snake - well not quite, but I did enough to get round.
I stopped at Half Ironman but in 2002 I think my swim time came in as 1hr 16 mins for the 1.9kms so I guess I was not just bad in the year before but bad during as well. I swam breast stroke as my crawl never improved.
Bought bike 6 months before and was good for 17mph :¬0
Swim: errrr... could sort of swim breast stroke but never attempted crawl, had to learn from scratch. Biking: Did 42 miles once many years ago on my hybrid and it nearly killed me... never owned a road bike. Run: Did a few mara's, best was 4:27 so not brilliant.
... and I still hate cycling.
Training for this IM isn't going too well. I've got ITBS so my cycling is 30 odd miles slowly, can't seem to turbo for much over half an hour and not running too much. Swimming is going okay though!
Comments
bike: no idea and no bike, now have 2 bikes and still no idea
run: had done a marathon in 4'07 venice and a couple of half maras
Swim
had redicovered the pool some 12 months previously, happily front crawling
Bike
had bought bicycle around 12 months ago (do you sense a pattern emerging?), max distance ridden 35 miles
Run
had started running (well moving at a pace slightly quicker than walking) about 18 months ago (having packed in smoking), had just (two weeks previously) run first half marathon in 2:15
Swimming - 18 months out I couldn't swim FC at all. 12 months out I managed 1500m very slowly.
Cycling - I've always ridden a bike but hadn't owned a road bike or cycled any distance since I was a teenager.
Running - 3:57 marathon PB.
...very interesting (and encouraging thread!) thanks for Boinging it!
First IM (and tri) will be IMLZ in May 08...currently:
Swim...had been able to do 60 lengths very slowly....currently able to do 2.5k (very slowly!!)
Bike...have done around 20 miles or so in the past until I fell off my bike in heavy traffic and scared the bejeebers out of me...haven't been on a bike for 3 years until recently...now able to do around 35 miles at around 15 mph.
Run: 3 marathons, 3 half's...shockingly slow pb of 5:13 marathon...is there any hope!!
12 months before IMA2007:
Swimming - strictly breast and back stroke only, could also do a bit of side stroke. No front crawl unless head was completely out of water all the time.
Bike - mostly commuting to/from work - total of 26 miles max. Didn't own a road bike. Had to borrow one from my uncle until the work cycle to work scheme kicked in.
Run Marathon PB of 3:14
IMA - swim 1:41, bike 6:27 run 4:38 (shockingly bad for me) Total 13:01:07
What would I do differently? More long cycles with a run at the end. Nothing I had doe prepared me for the way my legs felt when I got off the bike.
Swim: I could breast stroke but not crawl and hadn't swum for several years. It took me weeks to be to do 50m and a long time to start feeling that I wasn't about to drown. IMDE was about 1:33; IMA was 1:18.
Bike: used a crappy old mtb for commuting (about 5miles each way) but hadn't been on a road bike before. was pretty slow at first - 12-14mph. IMDE was 6:22, IMA was 6:00 (but slightly harder course).
Run: average runner but doing it for quite a while. Marathon PB 3:36. IMDE was 4:45, IMA was 4:15 though the improvement was really because I was better on the bike rather than a better runer.
Swim: Couldn't swim front crawl 25 meters
Bike: Hadn't even owned a bike in 15 years much less ridden one.
Run: 3:16 marathon pb.
Not done a tri yet, entered Bala IM Nice 6 months before the event
Swim: er well ok held breath for 10 metres, then stood up coughed spluttered and basically looked stoopid
Bike: got a bike 2 months ago - keep falling off it and am pretty carp
Run: running 18 months - fell mainly. Done most of the lakeland races, off road mara and 2 ultra's (1 52miler) so got the long slow shuffle sorted.....just have 6 months to work on the rest!!
running was ok sub 1:30 for a half mara, thou longest run I did in the year of IM was 14 miles.
Cycling pants. its was april (IMUK aug) before I managed more than 17mph average on a ride and that was only an 8 mile job.
Swimming was truly rubbish. 50m was beyond me, turned me into a huffing puffing splash making machine, Doggy paddle would have been quicker.
Swim:- Hadn't been in a pool for ages, couldn't do a length of crawl - still can't without a wetsuit but why worry.
Bike:- Occasionally (like maybe once every 2 months, if there wasn't a 'Y' in the day, and if the sun was shining, and it was downhill with the wind behind me) commuted 2-3 miles.
Run:- You're having a laugh here aren't you! Hadn't run for about 3 years. I could just about walk to the bus stop on a good day.
I think I can safely say I wasn't prime Ironman material.
Managed to train occasionally, learnt to swim a bit better, did a couple of longish bikes, and I am now a racing snake - well not quite, but I did enough to get round.
I saw Calf and can confirm he was pants , then he went and kicked the arse of my time. Harumph's unconvincely
BTS is a Leg end or is that Legend nuff respec!
Bought bike 6 months before and was good for 17mph :¬0
I was a 40 ish min 10km runner
Oh, I'm retired.
Biking: Did 42 miles once many years ago on my hybrid and it nearly killed me... never owned a road bike.
Run: Did a few mara's, best was 4:27 so not brilliant.
... and I still hate cycling.
Training for this IM isn't going too well. I've got ITBS so my cycling is 30 odd miles slowly, can't seem to turbo for much over half an hour and not running too much. Swimming is going okay though!
July 2004
swim - about to do my first Vitruvian, done a classic Tri 1500m swim. hated pools then; hate them now. reluctant swimmer.
bike - years of MTB'ing in UK and overseas in my 40's following rugby retirement after doing some road touring in my 20's; improving road biker
run - one FLM (4:07), various halfs and 10k's...
IMCH 2005
July 2004
Swim- couldnt do one length of proper front crawl
Bike- Had never so much as sat on a road bike
Run- FLM 2004 (4.28)
swimming: county standard, university squad, swam channel twice
cycling: had completed Race Across America and Race Across Australia, semi-pro mountain biker, worked as a cycle courier
running: completed 35 marathons, average time sub-2:45
how did you end up being a fat git then Candy?
at least you're consistent in always being a git though.
I haven't seen you since you were a fat git, so my humble apologies
lol! of course not, I'm past the critical age and sadly I seem to have started shrinking
I could have sworn I was 5'3" but now I'm only 5'2"
I'm still hoping to become a lean mean racing machine though