1/2 IM for first race ever?

Hi Ryan,

Sound like your training is going well. When is your event? If its a few months away then you shouldn't find it too much given the sort of training you're doing.

It is going to be brutal though - what's the point otherwise?

Good Luck and go brutalize yourself! 

Hello, and welcome to BT!

Depends on your fitness, conditioning, etc.

A little background about me first.  I'm 43 years old, 6' 3", 162 lbs.  I was a lot like you with swimming and riding a bike.  I used to be a runner, was fit, have a lot of natural talent, didn't drink or smoke, in good health, and took the time to put the training in  I started doing triathlons 2 years ago. However, I didn't fit the mold of most persons going from couch to a tri.  But, I wouldn't recommend these races until the person puts the time in to train properly, which I did.

Is it feasible?  I would think so, with proper training.

I would recommend checking with a doctor for a health check first, then looking into some plans from here, or talk with your friend or a tri group in your area, and, of course, ask questions in these forums - there are many great persons that can help.  Use the Search Forums first before posting your question to see if what you might ask has already been discussed/answered.

Welcome and good luck.

Ryan,

 I understand your enthuciasm. I've been competing in triathlon for nearly 4 years now, and just signed up for my first 1/2 IM this May at Wildflower. I'm a strong cyclist and runner, and an average swimmer. I wanted to sign up for a 70.3 after my first year, but after talking with several triathlete friends and joining a local tri club, decided to put it off until a few years (and races) later. Most of the friends I know competing are between 25-60 years old. You have plenty of time to do a half distance and even a full distance IM. But take your time building a base and improving your sport.

If you go out too long too soon, you risk injury and potential for not being able to compete at all in the future. I'd rather do a 1/2 IM strong, then just to go out and do it poorly, just to say i've completed one. Hope this helps!

Corey

I have known people to do it.  I actually had someone do a full ironman as their first race.  I'm not sure if they finished it though...

Probably not the typical route, but not unheard of.  Just be careful with your training and work on a solid base.  I would say you want to be able to swim 3000 yards, bike 56-60 miles, run 10-13 pretty comfortably on their own by the time the race happens.

Thanks for the encouragement.  It is nice to know that it has been done before.  There are many mixed opinions out there, but the thought of a sprint or an olympic just don't get my heart pounding like a HIM.  Did you set any time goals before the race?  I am definetly most concerned about the bike, but hope to get in enough long rides to gain some confidence before the race. 

Any other training or preparation advice is welcome.

Thanks  

My time was 5h27.  Advise on the swim:  My standard workout was 100 lengths.  Which was either 2500m or 2500yards depending on which pool I used.  I only got to practice in a lake with a wetsuit within a month of the event.  It took that full month to get used to open water and the wetsuit.  I did not bother with fancy drills in the pool figuring all that effort would result in at most 3 minutes saved.  The bike was a big factor.  The course was a lot flatter than the terrain I normally ride on and so in training I was not in aero the whole time.  My body took a battering being in the constant aero position.  I figure with a winter on the bike trainer I can take about 20 minutes off my cycle time. 

Enjoy the training.

Brian

I did my first Tri last year and felt a sprint was too short and settled on an Oly.  It was a learning experience.  I went too hard in the swim and early portion of the bike and finished OK, but I didn't have much fun in the latter part of the bike and and zero fun on the run.  My problem was getting caught up in the competition.  I feel I learned a lot about pacing, and if I had been doing a HIM and paced myself like I did in the Oly, the run would have been a nightmare.

I would recommend doing an Oly before a HIM.  Based on your post, you will have a good base, and an Oly is long enough to allow you to make some mistakes and pay for them for an hour or so instead of 2+ hours.

Just my two cents.  Good luck in your training.