Step up to half ironman

Having decided about this time last year to enter my first triathlon in 2017, I completed the sprint distance at Blenheim and the Olympic distance at London. Having definitely caught the bug, I am planning on stepping up to the half ironman distance next year, and have a couple of queries.
I currently have a Canondale CAAD8 road bike, bought about a year ago. Is a tri bike essential at the half iron distance or would adding aero bars be a cheaper alternative?
I’m also looking for recommendations on UK based events. I live in Cambridgeshire, and travelling to train is difficult, so not too much climbing on the bike leg is preferable. Any suggestions for a well run event and picturesque setting? Happy to travel for an event, and I see that Lakesman has a half next year, which has caught my eye.
Any other tips?
Thanks!
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Comments

  • Tri bike certainly isn't essential, many people do half and full IM distance races with road bikes with clip-on bars, just did Outlaw myself in that way with no issues. That being said, there's never a reason not to buy more bikes ;)

    Lakesman is indeed where the cool kids are heading next year as far as a UK event goes. Monster Racing are (I think) based Cambridge-way and run various distances.
  • PapermanPaperman ✭✭✭
    If you are in Cambridge and looking for a half, then you can't do a lot better than the Outlaw Half Holkham on the Norfolk coast. Stickleback did that in its first year, and it was well run and a nice course.
  • I'd second that.. Holkham half is a well run, supportive event, at a great venue!
    lets be honest.... its all prep for an Ironman on my 100th birthday
  • And I'll third it. Did it this year and it was excellent. 

    Monster Racing have got a half on at Ely on 20 August, if you want to go and have a look. I don't know much about them but will find out as I'm taking part in the race. 
  • PapermanPaperman ✭✭✭
    I did the Monster Mojo half at Peterborough last year - was a cheaper race, but well enough organised. They were caught out by the suddenly hot weather that day, but then so were the rest of us - hottest April race I've ever had!
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    Why the rush to long distance? Have you mastered / Oly distance already? I did London as my first oly distance race too and planning on sticking with it and getting quicker. Did a reasonable time for a beginner too but there's room to get down to 2h15 with more bike and a lot more swim work.
  • edited August 2017
    why not rush to long distance?.... not sure anyone ever masters any distance anyway!

    For some people, long makes a whole load more sense than short.... I'm one... I'm much more suited to slow and suffer for ever than fast and suffer for a short while.

    My first ever Tri was a half, and my second a full, and I don't regret it one bit. (I've done a 'few' at every distance since then! *)

    * EDIT... I withdraw that... I've never done a supersprint. Doubt I ever will either.
    lets be honest.... its all prep for an Ironman on my 100th birthday
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    > @Magna Carter said:
    > why not rush to long distance?.... not sure anyone ever masters any distance anyway!
    >
    >For some people, long makes a whole load more sense than short.... I'm one... I'm much more suited to slow and suffer for ever than fast and suffer for a short while.

    I understand that. My response is in a similar vein to the threads on here about people rushing to run marathons from a zero run base. It takes time to build up enough training to give these amazing achievements a really good go and to get to your potential. Though it depends on where you sit on the compete----->complete spectrum.
  • Ah, the old debate.  Training to be as quick as you can over any distance is equally valid, do whatever you enjoy most.  It's fair to say though, as the distance increases the kudos for 'just' completing from the uninitiated increases.  Tell the folks at work you rang a marathon at the weekend and they're impressed, tell them you ran 10k in 35 minutes and they'll look at you blankly, even if you've worked your arse off for months to get that time.
  • Surely everyone starts from a zero run base, some just take longer than others to reach marathon/IM distance  :-)
  • I finished with a zero run base.........
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    > @Cheerful Dave said:
    > Ah, the old debate.  Training to be as quick as you can over any distance is equally valid, do whatever you enjoy most.  It's fair to say though, as the distance increases the kudos for 'just' completing from the uninitiated increases.  Tell the folks at work you rang a marathon at the weekend and they're impressed, tell them you ran 10k in 35 minutes and they'll look at you blankly, even if you've worked your arse off for months to get that time.

    True but the kudos from people "in the know" for running a 35min 10k is worth far more than the kudos from any old Joe for completing a marathon in 6 hours...well imho anyway. Completing an long distance tri (gotta be Ironman for man on the street to know what you're talking about) within the cutoff time is worth all the kudos in the world, that is a seriously difficult thing to do.
  • Thanks for the comments. No real rush to long distance, but also no real reason not to. I'm firmly in the complete, rather than compete camp, and while I always want to do the best I can, I'm never going to set the world alight with my pace. I guess I just like to tick one challenge off the list and move onto the next one. Not really interested in kudos from either those in the know or the man on the street, just my own sense of acheivment.
  • There's a saying... "If you can't go fast, go far"
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