General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Zero to IM - Is it possible? Rss Feed  
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2014-03-28 8:52 AM


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Subject: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
At my last race (HIM and IM combined) the announcer at the prep meeting asked if anyone was taking on the IM with no prior tri experience of any sort. I thought this was crazy since I have taken the "natural" progression of doing a number of sprints first, followed by a number of HIM's, and I plan to take on an IM this year. I have learned so much by following this "natural" progression, I can't imagine going from zero to IM. Aside from pro's and full time athletes, anyone know of someone who has successfully gone from zero to IM? Where they in bad shape after the race?


2014-03-28 9:07 AM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
Originally posted by tjudson

At my last race (HIM and IM combined) the announcer at the prep meeting asked if anyone was taking on the IM with no prior tri experience of any sort. I thought this was crazy since I have taken the "natural" progression of doing a number of sprints first, followed by a number of HIM's, and I plan to take on an IM this year. I have learned so much by following this "natural" progression, I can't imagine going from zero to IM. Aside from pro's and full time athletes, anyone know of someone who has successfully gone from zero to IM? Where they in bad shape after the race?


one of the guys who was in the house with me last year at B2B was doing his first triathlon as an IM - admittedly, he was part of the Navy cycling team prior and a runner...but yeah - he did it and was the fastest out of all the ppl doing the IM that day
2014-03-28 9:22 AM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?

My 2 cents is that it's probably not uncommon, but the people who do it probably are less likely to hang out on triathlon forums or even raise their hand at the race meeting. Especially if they get the vibe that there's any stigma attached. Which there shouldn't be, but they already probably feel sheepish about being a newbie. 

There's a guy in my tri club who is doing IMWI as only his second race. And I started with one Olympic and am planning on moving up to HIM and IM right away just because the short distances don't interest me as much--for right now.

To each their own. 

2014-03-28 9:36 AM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?

i rode with a guy a few weeks ago who said his first tri was an IM, and he KQ'ed through rolldown. not sure what he was doing prior to that. collegiate track i think. 

2014-03-28 9:54 AM
in reply to: Clempson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
I don't subscribe to the 'progression' through the distances. It implies that IM is more of an achievement than any of the others.

I've raced all the distances multiple times and I choose to do HIM and IM races as I prefer the training for them. Personally I'd find Olympic the hardest distance - that's 2.5 hours at 98% and lots of training in a similar vein. I can't handle that.

Five hour bike ride at 50%? Yes please.

That said; I wouldn't recommend going straight to IM as I wouldn't want the first time I went through transition to be in a $1k race weekend where mistakes like forgetting a bit of kit are very expensive.
2014-03-28 10:38 AM
in reply to: tjudson


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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
I know a guy who did an IM as his first race. DNF. Missed time cutoffs.

He was significantly undertrained, though.


2014-03-28 11:57 AM
in reply to: modiolus

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
I went from couch to IM my first season (I'm talking no real exercise in the 10 years prior to hey I'll do an IM why not). Heck is was my first bike ride over 100 miles and first 26.2 all at the same time too. Suffered thru the race and finished it slightly ahead of my wife who was during her 2nd IM. Dropped over 2 hours on the same course the following year, ahhhh what a difference some training and experience makes
2014-03-28 12:30 PM
in reply to: magic

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
Sure. Any able bodied person who can swim can do it. It might be painful but certainly do-able. 17 hours is a lot of time.
2014-03-28 1:57 PM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?

I think that race experience helps for an IM if you really want to race it.  But if you just want to finish...I don't really think you need that much race experience from shorter distances.  So long as you put in the training and have an idea about your long nutrition...you just go at an easy pace...and you probably end up walking some of the marathon to get across the finish line.  IM is a distance where you generally race slower and easier than your normal training paces.  In almost every other shorter race...you go harder than your training paces...so yes...experience becomes more important for those distances.  At least IMHO.  

I would still recommend that someone try shorter races before attempting an IM...but if someone chose not to...it's not like they will automatically fail.  They'll fail if they don't put in the training.

 

 

 

2014-03-28 4:01 PM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?

I mentored a couple BT'ers a few years back who both did IM's their first year. 

Discipleguideservice did IMKY.  

Laurak11 did Rev3.  

No reason people can't as long as they are willing to train properly.  

 

2014-03-28 8:57 PM
in reply to: McFuzz

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
I signed up for IMLP with no triathlon experience, no running experience at all and no swim experience beyond swimming in a pond as a kid. I did Mooseman 70.3 the month before as my first tri then IMLP. I would have had no problem at all doing IMLP as my first race and actually would have been better off as I lost valuable training around peak as a result. For background I was 38 at the time and was in reasonable but not great shape. IMHO anyone can do an IM as their first if they put in the training and execute the race plan. It's not overly hard, the training and being dedicated/consistent is, but it's far from impossible. I finished both races - the 70.3 (which I did for fun) had a 35 on the swim, 3:56 on the bike (hard course and attacked a bit too early) and 2:08 on the run. IMLP did an easy 1:28 swim, rode the number on the bike until I cramped badly hour 4, fought through cramps until mile 13 on the run. From there ran to a 16:50. Neither race was impressive at any level but I finished and learned from both of them (and was an awesome experience!). So in short, yes it can be done.


2014-03-28 10:37 PM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
Depends on the persons sporting background IMO.
2014-03-29 4:13 AM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
It's possible, but not advisable. You'll learn quite a bit in the shorter distance races that makes your IM experience so much greater.

And it takes quite of bit of athletic background to do an IM, so starting from true zero, not possible. Starting from a swim, bike, run background, then yes, it's possible.
2014-03-29 10:50 AM
in reply to: audiojan

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
Originally posted by audiojan

It's possible, but not advisable. You'll learn quite a bit in the shorter distance races that makes your IM experience so much greater.

And it takes quite of bit of athletic background to do an IM, so starting from true zero, not possible. Starting from a swim, bike, run background, then yes, it's possible.


Totally possible starting from true zero and does not require quite a bit of athletic background or I would have failed. I know several people who went from couch to Ironman in a year. All that's required is a year commitment to the training. When I finished IMLP, I was surrounded by people who looked like they have never trained in their life, were 50+ lbs over weight and 40+ in age. Most of whom beat me to the finish none the less. All you need to do is put in the time imho.
2014-03-29 8:26 PM
in reply to: #4972676

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
Very possible. I did only a 5k and two sprint triathlons previously. I went 12:18 at IMFL in 2012. No real running background, zero bike, and zero swim. I was also hurt during training so I really couldn't run much.

Here's my RR. Sorry it's on another forum.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=4318555;
2014-03-30 11:35 AM
in reply to: slow123


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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
The first triathlon I signed up for was an IM (IMCanada this year). I'm going to do an olympic distance as part of my training, so my actual IM will be my 2nd race, but I think its entirely doable.

That being said I come from a cycling background, so I know the bike part won't be an issue. And so far in my training, I'm feeling completely confident that I'll finish, and finish strong if things keep up this way for the next several months. I think it really depends on dedication and to a lesser extent one's athletic background.


2014-03-30 2:11 PM
in reply to: tjudson

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
Two hours to swim.

Eight hours to bike.

Say 20 minutes in transition.

Still gives you 6:40 to walk/jog 26.2.

I would say entirely doable if you commit to a moderate training plan and have some mental and physical grit.

I often wonder if staying out there for 17 hours requires more mental toughness than being done in ten. Either way, it is going to hurt. Maybe just in different ways.
2014-03-30 2:30 PM
in reply to: #4973420

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
There was an article a while back on BT about a guy whose first tri was a IM. He had rub marathons previously though.
2014-03-30 2:47 PM
in reply to: #4973595

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
I did zero to IM last year. Never swam a lap or rode a bike more than 15 miles in my life. A little bit of a running background, which basically means I enjoyed running 4-7 miles a few days a week to stay in shape. Did train for a marathon about 5 years prior. I was able to go sub 12 hour in my race, but that was because I followed my training plan to the T. I was very dedicated. My only advice is that jumping straight to IM like I did, really burned me and the family out. My life was nothing but training. In fact, I'm just finally getting back into the sport after a long layoff. Good luck
2014-03-30 3:26 PM
in reply to: jmug23

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Subject: RE: Zero to IM - Is it possible?
I just listened to the "Triathlon Training Podcast" episode 24 http://triathletetraining.com/tt024-first-time-ironman-experience/about a 61-year-old woman who trained for IM in her first year of triathlon. But she had already done distance running and cycling-- swimming started from scratch about 10 months before IM. It was a very inspirational story! She did do other shorter distances during the year en route to the IM. She issn't fast but she is dedicated to the training (and is an empty-nester, and works part-time so has lots of time to arrange her training).
2014-03-30 5:27 PM
in reply to: tjudson

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