Introduction from Hilly

Been lurking for a few days now, think it may be time to introduce myself. Where to start... I've signed up for a half distance IM next year, I'm starting from a very low base fitness level, having done very little exercise since leaving Uni. A few years ago I decided to try and get in shape, and did will, commuting to work and for nights out on my bike, cut back on the alcohol a lot too. My dad was taken ill, and all of a sudden things changed from being about the journey to getting places in the quickest way. So I lapsed back to no exercise again.

A few months ago I decided it was time to get back on the bike, I also bit the bullet and started the process of buying myself a road bike, had been wanting one from back when I was cycling. I decided I wanted something to work towards, looked in to London to Brighton, and that was not enough to work up to. Thought about century rides, again it was a goal, but I didn't have any doubts it was achievable, I wanted something more.

For a while I thought I had found it, an end to end cycle. My main problem here was that it would be me my bike and no one else. I had doubts, but started reading up on it, one website a guy talked about planning and riding his end to end, but then mentioned something called an Ironman. So I started looking into what was involved, and knowing I have never run more than 400m back at school, and only swim when on holiday, and I’m not sure if floating around a pool counts as swimming. All in all it seemed like a stupid thing to do, so I decided this was my goal. My wife was surprisingly not all that against the idea, I still think she is waiting for me to decide I won't bother.

Two weeks ago after signing up for a half IM I took a weekend to see where I was starting from, on Saturday swam 400m in about 25min and was really tired after, that afternoon I took the bike out to visit my brother, who lives about 12Km away, this was really slow going, but very hilly, the ride took me a shameful 40min. Sunday I talked the other half into joining me for a run around the local forest, we did a 3.8km loop there in 25min, with a little walking. One thing I learnt from this is I run too fast and tire myself out, the other half keeps the pace down but goes the distance, so having her join me was really helpful, and I’m hoping she will join me once a week for my short runs.

Well I guess all I have written so far is how everyone starts out in their IM journey to some degree. A little info about me, I’m 28 weigh in at 65-67Kg and struggle to keep my weight that high without the help of alcohol.

My goals for 2013 are:

Half Distance IM

Marathon

Century Bike Ride

Learn to Swim a Decent distance

2014 is my year for IM, think it will be outlaw, but I have time to decide that later.

Finally hello everyone, from my lurking about this seems like a great place full of supportive and friendly people. Am looking forward to sharing my experience with you all and following other people's progress, highs and lows.

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Comments

  • welcome to the madhouse

    just join in any of the banter, ask as you need to.   there are many around in your situation so you'll find plenty of advice.

  • Welcome to the asylum.

    What part of the country are you in?

    Your goals are all achievable!

    Which Half distance race do you fancy, some of the good ones are already sold out. We run a very small one which you are more than welcome at.

     

     

  • I'm based in the south, Guildford being the closest place people may know.

    I've signed up to the Dartford Nightman, did see most things were starting to sell out. Not sure it is really the right one for me, but am already committed.

    Thanks for the welcome messages, seems like a great place to learn, and i do appreciate the light hearted attitude.

  • Another one bites the dust !!!

    Guildford... shudder  (teehee)

  • Welcome!  All your goals sound really similar to mine, so I hope to hell they are achievable, as thats what I'm counting on!

  • image Ay up and welcome.

  • welcome to the party.  Im convinced that loosing a you sized person from my weight will make it possible for me to get around a half distance. ( otherwise, im going to be in a world of pain come june )

  • I'll do a few catch up posts that will cover what I have done so far. There has been a fair bit of blog and book reading including Be Iron Fit, and Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run. I set out a training plan based on my first weekends efforts, the hope is to get close to the Competitive Plan from Be Iron Fit. But as I’m not in great shape and I'm more than 30 weeks away from my event I have extended the base phase, to work my way up a little more gradually.

    The first weeks training went exactly to plan, with an hours swimming, 2 hours 40 min on the bike, and 1 hour 30 min running. My main problems during the week were keeping my heart rate low enough. At the end of the week the rest day felt really odd, almost needed to be out and doing something, but I stuck to my guns and took it easy.

    At the time of writing this I'm in week two, have got the long run out the way already as I have a busy weekend. Went through my first low, did a run and a swim Tuesday morning, but my HRM was out of battery, not the end of the world but frustrating. So when I got in to work I plugged it in to charge, bad idea. I forgot it when I left to go home but only realised just before bed, I was itching to train most of the evening then had a disturbed night as I knew I would not want to do the planned turbo training session in the morning with no HRM. That put me in a bad mood, and looking back it seems silly to let things so small affect your mood. Wednesday though turned out to be a good day, got confirmation the last part I need to build my bike was in the UK at last, and may be with me as soon as Friday. The turbo session was not great, 5 min in I started to get an odd feeling in my left knee, ended up lowering my saddle a little which helped. Thursday saw me do my long run (45 min, so not long by normal standards) and a quick swim straight after, Friday morning was another quick turbo session before work. Then the frame arrived, even boxed up it felt light, things are so busy this weekend I don't know how much building will get done, and I need to book an appointment at my local bike shop to get the fork cut to length and have a bike fit done. Come next weekend though I should have a working road bike for the first time.

    Thanks for all the welcome messages, next post will come with bike pics hopefully. Had a good read through your thread Sgt, I'm sure the pounds will drop off especially as you are doing more 1 hour plus sessions in Z2.

  • Another jolly fellow for my beginners guide ride then? Over Guildford way, usually starting at Newlands but also do a few flattish ones too around Tongham and Seale etc.

  • Dusty, you got my attention, what, where, and when?

    You may need to give me a couple of weeks as I am wanting to get happy on the new bike. Should have some pics to upload tonight. Won't be ready to ride till thursday though. Am having a bike fit and the fork cut to size etc by my local bike shop.

  • Mmm, could be persuaded to 20 miles Pirbright, Normandy, Merrist Wood then up and over the Mytchett Ranges and back via Frimley. Nice steady ride, nothing too onerous, and mostly flat. Bit parky to do long rides at the mo. There's a pub on Pirbright Green for afters too, lunch whatever.

    Anyone else provisionally?

  • well, thrown a few parts on, still got a fair bit to do, but here is an early photo of my new toy, saddle will be changing to a nicer one once the build is done.

    /members/images/743385/Gallery/20121102_232426.jpg

     for the ride, sounds good, as long as you are perpared for just how slow i will be :P. I'll post here or PM you when the bike is done and ready to be tested.

  • When I saw you were in Guildford I wondered how long it would be before Dusty recruited you!



    Surrey Hills rides are great! I'm planning to get back on my bike ready for some soon
  • Panic Over

    I actually though that it was forumite Hilly, coming to stalk me for a change.

    Welcome to a many new converts as can be dredged up.

  • Just thought i would pop on to give a little update and share a thought or two. Saturday, my long ride day turned into an unplanned rest day, hoping to be able to ride the new bike on the TT, but found i was missing a couple of bits i needed for the gear cabling. Had stripped a little too much off the old bike so ended up not riding at all. By the time the parts arrive it will be tuesday, so no ride until then.

    Having cut thursdays swim short i decided to add a little time onto the end of todays swim, this resulted in the longest swim distance wise of my life. Only 1.1km but something at least. My run before the swim also went well, did 30 min in my Z2 HR, then added a little on the end with a slightly higher tempo working my way up to 11.5kph, again not fast by most standards.

    Finally one thought i had last night, how much of a role does the internet play in people taking part in things like an IM. For me, reading blogs and books sourced off the internet was the spark that said an IM is achievable for me. From the looks of other peoples threads the support people get seems to keep them going. Sure local clubs have been there but for me the internet will have played a role in what ever i achieve.

  • Welcome to the Surrey branch of the madhouse, you will be in good company around here.
    Dustboy sounds like a good ride you suggest, leave the hills for another day is my motto for the present time.

  • I try and stay off the serious lumps in the winter. I just seem to end up in another hedge when I lose traction. It does, however, seem to cause a great deal of amusement for everyone else.

    Re tinternet, yeah, clubs are clicky and I am not. They have their place and I go to one mostly to swim train, but avoid the rest of it. There is a great support ethos here though. Clubs seem to be "sporty" people where you are expected to keep up with the rest and "live" the club, here is more well done for getting off your fat arse, we'll help you if we can as long as we can have a larf and a life as well. IMO. 

  • PS, wot bike is that, is it a ti frame? Van Nix?

    Don't worry about slow. Some of my rides have people who are more "stop and wail" and that's downhill.image You know who you are!

  • The frame is Ti, it's a Burls, and english steel frame builder, but he works with a russian Ti frame producer. Everything else is bits from the internet, am putting it together my self, first bike build so a bit of a learning experience.

  • Burls reviews well on the net. New one on me but they seem well screwed together. You'll have a whale of a time on that. Perfect choice for our sodding Surrey potholes and bad surfaces. Are they Fulcrum 7 wheels?

  • Fulcrum Racing 5 Wheels 2012

    Pro-Lite Forks - Road Giralba Carbon Forks 2013 Carbon 1.1/8"

    Shimano 105 Groupset

    Selle Italia Saddles SLR Kit Carbonio Flow Saddle 2012 Black - Carbon Rails

  • 5's will suit that quite nicely.

  • Well its been a few days, bottled the weekend long ride, combination of being too busy and no bike, also skipped wednesdays ride. But the bike is now complete, had it fitted today, attempted to tape the handlebars, not the neatest i have ever seen but there appears to be tape in most places there should be.

    So, took it out for its first ride, nothing too special, did reasonably flat route covering just over 18 miles in 1 hour 14 min. Was reasonably good with keeping my HR down, although I really need to confirm the zones i am supposed to be traning in are right for me.

    Nipped out for a reall short run, set out with the aim of not setting of my HRM alarm for the run. I failed, normally i bounce off the upper limit, but i did manage to only set it off twice and immediatly slow my heart back down. A nice bonus when i got home was finding i ran at 8.5kmh which is a marked improvement for me.

    So dusty does an average of 14mph make you want to retract your offer for that ride?

  • Nope, not at all. That's not a bad pace. We might even tempt a few others out with that as the pace. Without giving exact details on tinterweb, what sort of area-ish are you. I am Woking.

  • Dustboy wrote (see)

    Mmm, could be persuaded to 20 miles Pirbright, Normandy, Merrist Wood then up and over the Mytchett Ranges and back via Frimley. Nice steady ride, nothing too onerous, and mostly flat. Bit parky to do long rides at the mo. There's a pub on Pirbright Green for afters too, lunch whatever.

    Anyone else provisionally?


    You rang? I'm in for the pub dinner afterwards. 20 miles is a long ride nowadays...

  • Dustboy wrote (see)

    Don't worry about slow. Some of my rides have people who are more "stop and wail" and that's downhill.image You know who you are!

    Oi Soupy - guess who's dissing you image image

    Would that be the pub we ate in last winter??????

  • Think so, but I had to shoot off that day, Siggy ate I think? Are we tempting Podds out as well then?

  • I'm Farnham based, so not all that far away. Life is busy this weekend and next but from then on i'm all free.

    I only have one worry, the fixie i spotted on eBay, if i buy it i'm a dead man, but its too good to turn down. If thisis my last post it was good knowing you all.

  • training hill wrote (see)

    I'm Farnham based, so not all that far away. Life is busy this weekend and next but from then on i'm all free.

    I only have one worry, the fixie i spotted on eBay, if i buy it i'm a dead man, but its too good to turn down. If thisis my last post it was good knowing you all.

    Castle hill reps then image.

    Good luck with the fixie.

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