re: Triathlon/Ironman/Half Iron Man Thread

What's your current bike? You doing it on a road bike with aero bars, dedicated tri bike?

Bike fitting for a road bike is probably something I'd never pay for. And I nerded out on this stuff for years. Aero position is a bit more complicated. I still never paid for it, but I did spend a lot of time researching, videoing myself on my bike and trying different bar systems. I had tririg aero bars that cost as much as my first bike. It's the only way I could comfortably hold a low position with enough extension. I have a long torso for my height and it took a bit of fiddling around. I like that stuff though. Some people just pay a guy to figure it out for them. Over an IM distance, having a bike you are comfortable staying in the aero bars can save a lot of time. Tires, helmet, clothes, and fit can save 15 watts which may translate to 20 minutes with no additional energy expended (I'm just making up numbers, but it's that substantial). If you are just trying to finish, have a good time and don't stress that stuff too much. If it becomes a real hobby, look into it.

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It’s definitely not a top of the line bike, but I’m not interested in dropping $10k. I’ll upgrade if I continue to do tris but this may be a one and done

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I did my first Ironman on a road bike with clip on aero bars, since it was just supposed to be a one and done bucket list thing.

Went all in and bought at tri bike after that race. The bike I bought cost $8,000. If you are in the Dallas area and do end up buying a tri bike go buy it from PlayTri in Las Colinas or Colleyville. Those guys are amazing, its where I bought my bike, if you buy a bike from them they will love you forever and always hook you up with freebies and discounts and also have the hook ups with Shimano, etc. for parts fast if you ever need them in a pinch. Before Ironman Wisconsin my Di2 battery died and they were able to get me a new one in 3 hours the day before I was supposed to leave because of their connections.

Even though I live in Miami now I still buy all my stuff from them and they ship it to me.

Did the first swim of the journey today. Swam 800 yds in 50 yd intervals. It was brutal. Gonna have to work my way up to being able to do 100 yds without stopping to catch my breath. Gonna swim tomorrow and sunday and squeeze in a 6-8 mile run in at some point this weekend.

Get a buoy and a swimming snorkel. I’ve only been swimming for a couple of weeks and I’m already doing sub 4 minute 200s. Not flying by any means but respectable. The buoy will help you learn how you should feel swimming and the snorkel will let you focus on capacity

That’s awesome. I almost did 70.3 Des Moines but opted for Louisville instead. I’ve done double digit Ironman 140.6 races along with Kona. So, if there’s anything I can do to pass on some experience or knowledge I’ll be happy to do so.

I’ll say from reading your post and not knowing too much.. based on your current fitness.. you’ll be fine. Lifting and stretching is great and something a lot of triathletes overlook. Swimming is everyone’s weakness typically but confidence just comes with time in the water. One thing I would say is to take less of a break on your swims. I’d say 30 seconds max.

I’d also highly recommend a trainer. I always did 2 rides a week inside and my long rides on the weekend outside. I have a wahoo kickr and love it. Has a built in power meter which is so crucial for cycling. If you plan to continue on the road for triathlons I’d highly recommend a smart trainer and a power meter for the bike. Best of luck at Des Moines

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Get a buoy and a swimming snorkel. I’ve only been swimming for a couple of weeks and I’m already doing sub 4 minute 200s. Not flying by any means but respectable. The buoy will help you learn how you should feel swimming and the snorkel will let you focus on capacity

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Any reason for the downvotes on this? One of my baws was a college swimmer and he’s been swimming with me and helping me. He was the one that recommended both.

I’m genuinely asking and trying to learn

Training plan this week
Mon: 1 hr strength training, 45 min swim
Tues: 1 hr strength training, 45 min bike
Wed: 1 hr bike, 45 min swim
Thurs: 1 hr strength training
Fri: Run
Sat: Run
Sun: Rest

Leaving town Thursday after work so will just have to run where I'm at, no access to bike or pool.

Question on the bike portion. We have a peleton at home and I have a hybrid bike. Would the peleton be sufficient up to a certain point in training? I'm looking at options for bikes/trainers/etc.

Went back and read your post in this thread. I’m going to give my honest opinion from my experiences. I was your typical overweight highschool athlete. When I first started my journey in endurance sports I couldn’t run 1 mile on a treadmill without stopping.. I just finished up my 14th Ironman in Kona, Hawaii.

Ironman (even a half) is mostly mental. The only question is.. can you suffer. It’s about being uncomfortable and continuing forward. If your goal is a 70.3 then I’m 100% confident you can do that within a year if you already have a decent base fitness level. You don’t need 1 year much less 5 years. Now you can be smart about the course you choose.. Augusta is a super easy downriver swim and wetsuit legal. So if you’re worried about the swim then that’s a great option. It’s a perfect venue for a first timer.

Secondly, your training plan is dependent on your goals. Your plan is fine. Now if you want to be a little faster then maybe you back off some on the heavy weight training focus and dial in some more bike and run training. A peloton or stationary bike at your local gym is sufficient to an extent but at the end of the day if you’re doing a 70.3 then you need a road bike at minimum or a tri bike eventually. Getting your body used to that position and running off the bike will be a big thing.. and I don’t think you’ll get the same feel for the run off the bike using a peloton. It’s such a different position. Even using your shoulders and triceps steering the bike outside for 2-4 hours will be an adjustment.

If you’re new then I’d recommend a used tri bike if you can find one. But make sure it fits your body before you buy it. Bike fit is important. For a trainer I love my wahoo kickr smart trainer. Highly recommend!

Swimming is so difficult. Form and technique are more important than anything. If you’re feeling like you’re having a hard time floating and speeding up your stroke to stay above water then a few things to try.

1) use a pull buoy between your thighs and do catch drills. Focus on long reaches for your stroke and just find a comfortable grove. Also think about your breathing technique.

2) think about your body position. Look down not straight ahead (imagine if you were trying to hold a tennis ball between your chin and chest). Think of your hips being up and kicking on top the water. You want to be parallel obviously. Hips dropping means your feet are dropping too causing drag.

3) in swimming smooth is fast. Look up some YouTube videos on swim form and just keep practicing. The more you touch the water the more you will progress. Be patient with yourself. It’s the hardest disciple of the 3 to really master.