Ironman Triathlon

[Blieb]

I was thinking the other day, after my 100 mile bike, that it would be cool to do an Ironman. I mean, it's so long that the times aren't as important as just getting through it and crossing the line.

I might warm up with a few triathlons, or maybe a half ironman ... of course this means I have to start running ... which I don't like ... :

Anyone here done an Ironman competition before?

 

[Nomada]

No, but I have competed in an Irongland Competition. Basically it entails copious amounts of liquor and drugs, lack of sleep for 48hrs., and the ability to argue with everyone you know about who gets the dregs from the polished bottle. Can't say I won.

 

[radioouman]

I used to have an Ironman Triathlon. I found it while at a Boy Scout camp. The battery was dead, but once I replaced it and put a new band on it, it was fine!

 

[StageLeft]

No, you'll find few who have. 100 mile bikeride is tough, but it's not as tough as swimming a good distance, then doing 120 (?) miles, then doing an entire fvcking marathon the second you get off the bike.

 

[AbsolutDealage]

I just did my first olympic tri last year. I'm a pretty decent biker, but that run ruined me.

If you are already at the ~100 mile mark with biking alone, you should practice up your swim/run and get in for an olympic tri. It's a good time... even if you don't like the run.

As for the ironman, you have to be totally hardcore to do that. The marathon run scares me even as a standalone event. Even at my best, a 114 mile bike would have made rubber out of my legs... no way could I follow that up with a marathon. I had initially thought that I would work my way up to the ironman as a goal... but I have since abandoned that goal. With the amount of training I have to put together to handle the olympic, there wouldn't be anything else in my life if I was working up to the ironman.

Anyways, if you're serious, you should sign up for an olympic and see how you fare. That way, you will be able to judge the amount of training you will need for the ironman. Good Luck!

 

[Blieb]

That's what I'm thinking, maybe setting a goal for a few years down the road. It would be like the ultimate physical achievement.

2.4 mile swim ... 112 mile bike ... 26.2 mile run ... in that order

 

[Blieb]

Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
I just did my first olympic tri last year. I'm a pretty decent biker, but that run ruined me.

Is an olypic tri ---- oh I get it, just standard because some are all wacky:

"Olympic triathlon employs the distance used at the Olympic Games: a 1.5K swim (about 0.9 miles), a 40K bike ride (24 miles) and a 10K run (6.2 miles)."
ehow.com

 

[DrPizza]

I could complete the swimming, but the time would be horrible. I'm in the middle of "training" right now on biking - back to getting in excellent shape. I've done 100 miles numerous times. Once, I got done with a charity 100 mile bike ride, had a couple hotdogs and beers at the picnic which followed, then biked another 30 miles or so to where my friends were camping for the weekend. I thought nothing of it. (but back then, I didn't own a car, nor desire to own a car.)

I did a smaller triathlon many years ago... won my division. Smoked almost everyone in the cycling (25 miles IIRC), didn't do too poorly in the run, but they switched the swim to canoing several miles. I can assure you, that being alone in an 18 foot flatbottom canoe, paddling into the wind which was strong enough to make whitecaps on the river was one of my least favorite experiences EVER in any sporting event.

Still, though, I find biking >100 miles to be far far easier than running 26 miles.

 

[AbsolutDealage]

Originally posted by: Blieb
2.4 mile swim

This might seem like the most trivial of the three, but it is also a monster. The 1 mile swim took a lot out of me at the race... and I'm a decent swimmer.

If you train in a pool and your race is in a lake, you're in for a surprise. You can't see anything, it's very difficult to swim in a straight line... and don't forget about the other 100 people within 50 feet of you, all of whom are attempting to swim over your head. I had a rough time.