Off the couch, I wanna Tri - any advice?????

I'm a total beginner so therefore maybe not the best person to give advice, but I'll give some anyways.

My only thoughts would be don't start this thinking about the Ironman. Read some of the articles on this great site, do some research, find a sprint distance race in your hometown and best of all find a training group to sign on with. That's what I'm doing! Had my first workout with the group today and it rocked - having other people to train with is amazing - support, motivation, new friends. There's no way I could do this alone, so that's my other piece of friendly advice: start with a small fish race, and join a training group!

Good Luck!!

Where do you begin?  You already have!  You have set goals by planning to do an IM in 5 years and by your decision to try to eat healthy (start by cutting out McDonald's ... yuck!)  You say that you have "plenty of stress", well excercise, especially swimming will go a long way to reducing that.   Hawkeyes' suggestion of seeking a "Couch to Tri" training program and seeking as much information on this forum as possible is spot on.  Also, read all the articles you can on trainign, swimming, cycling, and running; there is a lot of useful information on this site.  Oh, and welcome aboard ... :-)

Edited by Machiavelo 2005-05-02 8:57 AM

Just do it!
Baby steps....
Go to the training program session and decide on a "couch to" training program:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/index.asp?catid=31
Follow the program, increase distance little by little and get enough rest.
Come here often, there are incredible people willing to offer their advice.
Go to active.com and pick one spring triathlon to race in your area, you need a goal!
This is not and easy sport, you'll need time to train, but it is incredible rewarding and addictive.
After your first tri, you can decide if you are in or out. Then if you are still crazy enough, who knows...... IM?
Good Luck....

not to sound too much like a commercial...but..."just do it"

beware though, this is addicting

I agree. As you know, there are different distance triathlons with the Ironman being the longest. Most of the people on this board train and race in shorter distance races. Those being, 1/2 Ironman, Olympic distance, and Sprint. If you're starting from scratch, find a Sprint distance race to aim for. Try active.com to find a race, or post a message asking for recommendations for races near where you live.

There are several training plans available on this site to you can use to prepare.

Congratulations on taking the first step!!!


Edited by dontracy 2005-05-02 10:33 AM

Hi. I'm a 35 yo guy, 6'. 350+ lbs & I've done sprint tris. You can do it. Ironman is a big goal. Don't give up the goal, but don't focus on it right now. This year, you want to start small.

Start walking.....a lot. Park all the way in the far spots and walk into the stores. Get to a GOOD running shoe store and get the right shoes. Yes...you'll be spending some money on good shoes. Do it. You'll need them.

Find a good sports medicine doctor to address your previous injuries and to find out why your leg hurts on an exercise bike. (find a local running club or HS/college track program & ask who they recommend) After you get that addressed, start doing short rides on the bikes. Gradually add time as you go. (5-10 minutes a week maybe, depending on how you feel) Ask around here, as well as a local bike club to find a good bike shop that can set you up with a good bike. DO NOT go to Wal-Mart or any other box store. Spend the money and do it right. Buying a Wal-Mart bike may very well end your dream right now.

Take a swimming lesson. Let the program director know what you're doing & ask them to hook you up with someone who has the experience to help you fine tune your form.

Read EVERYTHING you can find. This site is full of good info. There are other sites that have good info. Some books are available, but most of them are the same info you can find here.

Find a sprint distance race in your area. Fall would be good. Maybe a duathlon (run-bike-run) if you don't feel ready for a distance swim. Start focusing on that race, not Ironman. Remember, it's like eating an elephantne bite at a time.

This is a big step. Most of us have come in from one of the three disciplines. (I came in via cycling) You ARE going to spend money. You don't need top shelf equipment, but the basics I just described will set you back a bit. You're looking at $500 or so, just to get started. Ironman will require A WHOLE LOT MORE, both in time and money. Still doable, if you want it bad enough.

Triathlon is a neat place. I said how big I am. The minute I started talking about doing one, I got nothing but support from "real" triathletes. (my quotes) This is easily the most accepting group of athletes I've ever seen. I think you'll like it here.

Edited by Staredge 2005-05-02 4:34 PM

Oh yeah.....McDonalds. Not a problem....IN MODERATION.

Fast food restaurants require a little work. Grilled Chicken, no mayo. No fries. Most of them have something similar. There are some good sports nutrition books out there that will help you eat right.

Welcome to the site. My advice is to take it slow in all 3 events and aim to just finish. Choose a shorter triathlon (calleda a sprint) to start with as your first.

Go to http://www.trifind.comto findyourself a race.

There are a few training programs listed here on the site that will get you moving in the right direction (the finish line.)

H13

Edited by H13 2005-05-02 5:02 PM