To IM or not to IM?

'may have become' .... so you're not ruling it out yet ??

As I said on trannies, it can be so demoralizing to have a meltdown like that, you start questioning everything. BUT don't let this make you give up on your dream. Assess if in 28 months you're chances are really MUCH better of getting there - only then would I put it off. Too much could happen and your 'window of opportunity' might actually close.
I'd hate to see you not get there, and you've already got your bed booked
Don't let this put you off - it WILL make you stronger, after a little while
And I know what is a major concern with the whole thing, but there are ways, me and others always happy to help

Dave or Andrew would get a very different response on Trannies if you posted a similar question. Hiltz has a long questionable history which everyone enjoyes jumping all over.

Fundermentally I roll though my sporting life with this mind set and it seems to work out.

No body is making you do it.. No body cares if you do it.. So only do it if you want to do it. and by want.. you have to really want.

Wake up every morning and do what ever you want to do. Do what makes you happy.

If waking up and training for IM is what makes you happy. then dont ask us if we think you should. Just do it and ask us how to do it.

Deep down you will already know the answer.

I'm building up the courage to commit myself to Iron Distance next year. If my wife gives me the nod then I'll be entering Challenge Barcelona in the next few weeks.
I figure that the prospect of a European holiday will help me through the cold winter mornings where I'd (normally) want to roll over and go back to sleep rather than get out and train.

She put the blocks on the Barcelona trip. Said I would have to wait until 2011 - mentioned something about needing the money for a house purchase or other such serious stuff.

But... she said that she would be happy for me to have a go at IMWA next year; in fact she fancies the trip out there to support me.

Now I just have to work out how to keep myself training. I am a slack bugger and seem to go in cycles of:

a. plan for a race and train enthusiastically for a short while
b. taper off as if I've (apparently) forgotten about the race
c. remember that the race is only a few weeks off and panic, throwing myself into everything trying to gain some fitness.

I'm hoping that the prospect of IM will push me into consistent training. Has anyone noticed that effect themselves or am I delusional?
Or do people usually find themselves as consistent trainers first, and the desire for IM follows after?

Mike M wrote:
a. plan for a race and train enthusiastically for a short while
b. taper off as if I've (apparently) forgotten about the race
c. remember that the race is only a few weeks off and panic, throwing myself into everything trying to gain some fitness.

That pretty much describes my HIM build.
Except I was telling myself I'd done enough instead of panicking.
I did swims in squad, but everything else solo.

For IM, I'll be trying to find some partners or do more sessions with a squad.

Dave Tyno wrote:
My next main goal is a 25k run - Kurrawa to Duranbah on Dec 13th.

OK, so I finished that at 6:13/km (2:35.27)
Including naturale break and shop stop to buy another water - no worries about outside assistance in this event!
I walked a few spots - the 2nd half of the stairs up Nobby's, up Burleigh Hill taking in a Gel, just before Currumbin Creek & another gel and around Bilinga + gel, then the hill up to Point Danger because I couldn't possibly run up it.

Based on that, I'd probably be looking at 5+ hours for an IM mara. (McMillan says 4:3x mara time extrapolated from my time today)

Which all in all would put me around 14 hours I think.

Dave, I would stick to your guns mate and keep working hard and training smart. I am in the same boat as far as times goes and I am aiming for am IM in the next couple of years..18 months or so.

I am now concerntrating on body composition and skills, as well as low HR endurance work. I have found in the past as soon as I wick up the pace I fall apart, thus, I need TIME to give my body a chance to adapt to the training required of IM.

When I do end up competeing, it won't be "fast", but, it will be "fun". Hope this helps. And remember, IM is a five to ten year game, not a 1-3 year game. "It takes a long time to get good" - Scott Molina.

Samuel

When I decided to do IM I think the following were most important.

- Body Composition aand diet. You can't fuel a Ferrari with Diesel. This is amazingly apparent after a year of nothing trying to get back into things for me right now.
- Organisation. See Ballance below.
- Outlook. If you can't say something positive, say nothing.
- Consistency. Everyday, every session.
- Balance. Schedule your entire non triathlon life then schedule the training. This does not mean to have the training take a back seat but it will mean that you have ticked every box to allow you to be consistent and execute every session set.
- Know the difference between an excuse and a reason.
- Swim Bike Run follows the above.

Alex R wrote:When I decided to do IM I think the following were most important.

- Body Composition aand diet. You can't fuel a Ferrari with Diesel. This is amazingly apparent after a year of nothing trying to get back into things for me right now.
- Organisation. See Ballance below.
- Outlook. If you can't say something positive, say nothing.
- Consistency. Everyday, every session.
- Balance. Schedule your entire non triathlon life then schedule the training. This does not mean to have the training take a back seat but it will mean that you have ticked every box to allow you to be consistent and execute every session set.
- Know the difference between an excuse and a reason.
- Swim Bike Run follows the above.

Gives me plenty to think about, thanks for that. Good post.

Body Composition aand diet. You can't fuel a Ferrari with Diesel.

if you were to only pick one point off that list, the above would be the holy grail of long distance racing.

get the basics right first and then move on to think about how much you're going to train, how fast you're gonna go, etc etc

Alex R wrote:When I decided to do IM I think the following were most important.

- Body Composition aand diet. You can't fuel a Ferrari with Diesel.
- Consistency. Everyday, every session.
- Balance.
- Swim Bike Run .

+ 1

These are simple tips but all true. They are honest ways of improving ones performance.

Matt C wrote:
Deep down you will already know the answer.

The more I think about it the more this is true.
Deep down, I know it's too much.
It hurts to admit it, but it's not for me at this stage.
I have to reasses my goals.

Just do what is for you dude. You dan't 'have' to do anything. I don't get the whole stepping up to IM thing. It is just a passtime for all bar probably 20 guys in the world.

Dave Tyno wrote:

Matt C wrote:
Deep down you will already know the answer.

The more I think about it the more this is true.
Deep down, I know it's too much.
It hurts to admit it, but it's not for me at this stage.
I have to reasses my goals.

Gutsy call Dave - well done, I have made exactly the same decision. Fark I hate it when Matt says something that makes sense
My goals have been re-assessed. Bit of fun for the rest of the season here. Considering playing a season of aussie rules now with some mates - I figure i have a year or two left where this might be possible, so what the hell. next season Ill be racing short again (maybe a HIM or mainland race if the budget allows) , but starting a slow build for IM the season after.
Oh and Im going to watch at Port in March and going to thoroughly enjoy that experience and enjoy my other passion in photography at the same time.

yeah yeah fuk you all..

no one has to do anything.. do what you want to do, have fun, the result will be no regrets.. this is where motivation comes from.. not some mis-guided desire that you 'have to' do IM or anything for that matter. if you love fishing dont waste your time doing triathlon... go fishing FFS

at the moment i love every morning when im out riding and the sun comes up.. and seeing a sleepy city slowly grind into gear.. i always feel so far ahead of their game by the time i get to work ontime and have a story to tell of how i almost won the wednesday worlds ride this morning

IM is not the be all & end all of the world. So just take your progression slow, there is no hurry, IM is not going anywhere. I have decided to not do Port this year, & work on the base & run another marathon. I really feel running a marathon is something you should do before an IM to see if you can handle the pain.

Good idea Clarkey.

Why noot get yourself around the Goldy Marathon this year Tyno? Is a great event. You can then use that info/time to give yourself some sort of reasonable idea of what to expect come the time you do an Ironman.

GC Mara is part of the plan. It just seems like it's a long time away.
I'm contemplating some trail runs - short events at Glasshouse etc too.

Gotta work on the flexibilty as well. My physio tells me my hips are way too tight, which is making my running harder than it needs to be.
Most likely my riding too.
At this stage I'll be doing a team at M'ba now with my brother and the missus. I'll be swimming.

Good work. Having a plan like that is a clever idea. July is not all that far away. My next race is late July and I started training this week.

For your flexibility, if you get the chance come down to a Cycos Saturday swim at 6am and do the stretch session for some ideas to do yourself. We do a few specifically for hips.

As it turns out, that's the plan for this week.
End my self pity party Friday, Cyco swim Sat a.m.