Been thinking of getting off the couch...

Hi team, been a while since I posted on here...because I have been on the couch. Not sure why I am posting but maybe the reasoning will unfold for me, and hopefully then you, over the next few paragraphs.

So a few years ago, weighing 128 kg (282lbs) I took up triathlon as a way to get motivated, after meeting a guy who had done the same. I started by doing a 500m/20km/5km tri like most of us, then an Olympic distance. Over the following 2 years I kept going, and to cut a long story short, I ended up doing 3 x half IM's, and then finally entered New Zealands Taupo Ironman in 2010. I finished in 13 hours 23 mins, and throughout the 2 year journey I lost a fair bit of weight (hit the start line at 107kg/235 lbs). Loved the whole experience.

However since then, I progressively let it all slide. In the first year I enjoyed the 'residual fitness' I had left over, and I did a few offroad running events (20km +), but mostly stopped training. Eventually we (family & I) decided that my bike was becoming a wall ornament in the garage, so we sold that and sold my GPS watch and all the other bits...the rest is history, as they say.

So here we are in 2014, I am back at 120kg. But...the family & I went and watched a mate at Ironman NZ last weekend. And I wanna do it again.

I started swimming again a month ago, and it is amazing how quickly the body 'remembers'. Within a few sessions I am back up to being able to swim 1.5km at a time. It was my strongest leg during my previous events anyway.

I would have to buy a bike (is it just me or have they gone up in price? LOL) and then start the running again. I ran offroad last weekend and completed 11km...felt good. A bit of walking, especially up hills (no clydes are friends with hills right?).

So I think I can build my endurance up enough in the next 12 months to do this. I'm not concerned about the time I take to do it, I just want to 1) get fit again and 2) enjoy the whole buzz of doing IM. So I dont mind if I have a 7-8 hour cycle and walk the marathon, as long as I hit less than 17 hours.

Last time around I had only the odd twinge/body breakdown issue, which was early signs of shin splints. Got it right and the end of the training program, and backed off the miles and ran offroad, and it all went away. So I am thinking my body might handle this. BTW I am now 43 years old.

What do we all think? Can I get back up to IM distance within the next 12 months?