re: Triathlon/Ironman/Half Iron Man Thread

So I've convinced myself that I'm going to do the full Ironman in Chattanooga in 2026. I did a 70.3 a couple of years ago. But I've gained about 30 lbs since then. I'm back into CrossFit and riding my bike. I intend to be about 220 by this time next year. Currently the scale hits 268. Yikes.

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So I've convinced myself that I'm going to do the full Ironman in Chattanooga in 2026. I did a 70.3 a couple of years ago. But I've gained about 30 lbs since then. I'm back into CrossFit and riding my back. I intend to be about 220 by this time next year. Currently the scale hits 268. Yikes.

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Nice - once you get to the 220 weight range you should be in prime shape for a build

February through May totals:

Run: 174 miles
Swim: 28 miles
Cycling: 1050 miles

Didn’t get quite as much training in as I would’ve wanted. Had 2 weddings, a bachelor party, and 2 Monday through Thursday work trips on this timeframe so did the best I could, but wish I would’ve had 2 or 3 more weekends where I could do long 4-5 hour sessions.

Do you have any goals or is it to just get across the finish line

I'm trying to train for a future 70.3 at some undetermined date, but I really dislike swimming. But I think the cycling and running portions are well dialed in. In terms of cycling, I ride my fixed gear daily and if I have time, I try to do a 2-3 hour ride on a bike with a very high ratio, usually either 64/13 or 65/12. This does a couple of things. It seems to help retain muscle mass despite the intense cardio, as I ride without brakes, just my legs to stop if I am at a more normal ratio like 48/17. At higher ratios, it requires me to use more of my upper body in addition to my lower body to stop. This setup requires an extremely stiff handlebar which really helps. Secondly, the lower body workout is amazing. I can do 40-50 miles with no problem, time, weather, and traffic permitting. The bike I plan on using for the triathlon will have a much lower ratio, and my thinking is that the last few miles of the biking portion should be okay.

I don't have a lot of time to work out, but when I have a spare 30 minutes to an hour, I will try to run a 5k. I haven't timed myself much, but when I go hard, I can do it in about 22 to 24 minutes, which I think is an average time. When I have more time, I can hit the 13k mark, but my thinking is that I won't really have a problem with this, as I usually bike to my weekly soccer games, play for 2-3 hours, and then bike home.

Swimming is my biggest issue, as I don't have regular access to a pool that is close to my house. Also, I don't have a frame of reference for what a good time is in terms of swimming. I was a strong swimmer when I was younger, but that is going to be the hardest portion to train for in my estimation.

Dialing all this in and combining it with the proper nutrition on race day will be a challenge. I use those energy gels, a Camelbak with this slurry I make of a pre-workout, and lots of bananas when I'm training.

Mainly I think I just like biking and dialing in that portion has been really fun. I need to work on the swimming though.

I am not an expert at all. There are some folks around here who have a ton of experience and wisdom that I would listen to before anything from me. Maybe one of them will respond to you. In the meantime, it looks to me like you have a very solid fitness base to build from. I don’t think there is any doubt you could do a 70.3. A good plan (and better yet a coach) and the opportunity to execute the training would put you in a very good spot to have a great first race day.

The swim seems to be a concern for you (very common, it was for me too). You also note that you don’t really have a convenient place to swim near your home. That’s something to figure out. It is impossible to improve the swim without swimming. The good news is, if you give yourself a long enough runway, you can build sufficient swim fitness and technique with as little as two swim sessions a week to cover the 1.2 mile swim and not be toast for the rest of the race. I have seen people go this route and be fine. Obviously, won’t be the swimmer and triathlete you might be, but it’s doable.

Since you don’t have a race picked out yet, maybe you can find a place on your calendar sometime in the future where you can get creative and build in getting to a pool for a couple of months twice a week? The sessions don’t have to be long. I would think 30-40 minutes with rest included is probably a good start. You might have to step back from soccer or something else for a bit to fit this in. Constant tinkering with your calendar to fit in triathlon training sometimes feels to me like one of the more difficult pieces of this whole sport.

Anyway, my guess is that after a couple of months of regular swimming, you would make progress, have a better sense of what your eventual race training might look like, and, most importantly, would likely have a little less worry about the swim. Good luck!

Mingo, fewer turns on race day and I bet you are right there. If it’s a wetsuit swim you are going to definitely be golden for your goal time. The Ironman website says the average temp for Des Moines allows for a wetsuit legal race too. Will cross my fingers about that. The hay is in the barn. Rest up. Keep the edge sharp. Have a day!

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but I really dislike swimming

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Honest question. Then why start with a 70.3? Does anyone race sprints or Olympics anymore? Key word being “race”. What’s the point of slogging through a half in six hours?

I set my goal of doing my first 70.3 and then put a sprint race on my calendar in front of it as part of my training. It was a particularly helpful exercise for me because it gave me opportunity to learn about things like race packing, race morning routine, transition set up and the actual rules of triathlon. That was also my first experience swimming in open water with others all around me. There were other things I picked up as well from that experience and I think it helped make my first 70.3 much more enjoyable. A person doesn’t have to do a shorter distance race before doing their first 70.3, but for whatever it is worth I think it is a good idea if you can. I also didn’t realize how many sprint triathlons were out there until I started looking. I bet there will be some options within a few hours from wherever you live.

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It's scary when folks join our Master's swim group that have horrible swim form, can barely swim 200 yards, but have signed up for a 70.3.

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What does it matter if they can swim by race day?

I signed up before I could swim and plan on swimming sub 40. Couldn’t swim 200 meters freestyle 4 months ago