Huge change of plans...!

dang, wish i were as strong as you. no, i take that back... i cant wait until i'm as strong as you!

good job! i'd do the same in your shoes.

You are not alone.  I signed up for a full IM before I completed a HIM.  My HIM was about 3 months before the full IM and everything went pretty well.

Good Luck!

Cheers guys completely take on board all that you have said...I am determined to do this and want it really badly.

I will keep my head down focus more on the bike and bkie/run stuff... I have a great programme called the 'Method' which is an IM prg that I will follow post chrstmas. I am really pleased with my current training and will hit the plan running with my base training in place...

What do you mean that IM and Half IM are both hard for different reasons?

Thanks again for all the awesome advice...

I am logging every session at the moment in a planner and then drawing up a weekly breakdown of distances/times etc...

I know it's going to be a long journey and I am looking beyond my HIM and IM. I do not want it to be a one race thing... Just to say I completed an IM.

I am so hooked I can see myself doing this for a long time.

I need to learn more about when to take on nutrition and will experiment with a number of things.

Any tips? I find gels easy to take on board for a carb input but I like the sound of maltloaf but that would only be on the bike though eh? There is no way I could eat that stuff on the run...!

Thank you so much for all your input.

Regarding nutrition - this is something that takes practice and experience to dial in, and you don't have yet. 

Use the 70.3 to try out your IM nutrition plan.  It's not overly simplistic to plan out your IM nutrition then do exactly half that for the HIM. 

I also suggest doing a full 2.4 mile swim (open water if possible), then going for a 90-110 mile bike ride.  You'll find out if your bike nutrition plan is working by the end of that.  Nutrition issues often show in the last 20-30 miles of the IM bike, so shorter rides won't do it.

Some people swear by specialized liquids and gels only plans, others like solid foods too, others swear by "normal" foods like PBJs on the bike etc.  Very personal, "everybody is different" and all that, but some things are common.  Read and listen and you'll find what's common and what's different for you.

There's a common tendency to over-eat or over-supplement or over-hydrate, resulting in GI issues late in the bike or on the run.  Your body can only process so much, there are common rules like so many grams of carbs per hour per kilo of body weight. 

Massive marketing from all sports supplement companies have convinced people they can't run 10 feet without a capsule, and that's not true.  You may need them (I do in hot weather and that won't be Wales) but not as much as the marketing may make you think. 

You could throw out all planning and 'listen to your body' but that all works only if you know how to interpret the language your body is speaking.  I didn't for years.  "My gut is feeling squirmy, what does that mean and what should I do about it?" is left as an exercise for the reader by the "listen to your body" crowd.  Again, you'll slowly learn over time what that means.  I can tell you story after story what I thought I heard my body say, what I did, and how it didn't work.

Oh, and btw fantastic you're doing well.  You're off to a great start.  I hope you have years of happy times ahead training and racing.

To add another point to the above post... pay attention to your body during the workouts... but also AFTER. If you feel a certain way during a workout, write it down... also write down how the rest of the evening went and into the next day. 

I know if I wake up in the middle of the night thirsty... I didn't properly hydrate. Make sure you keep track of oz's of fluid in addition to calories. 

Thanks again guys...

Loads to think about and try out.

I'll keep my head down and train on and intro the nutrition the further I start to go...

The advice and people on here are awesome!!

I'll give you one tip you'll thank me for later. Use the logs on here so you don't have to hand-calculate everything!

Also, not sure what a "maltloaf" is, but I wouldn't eat it on the run either!

In all seriousness, sounds like you have a great start.. you should be well prepared for a HIM and IM if you keep on your current path. Good luck!