Completely freaked myself out
Mr_Knight
Posts: 9,532 Member
I've committed to a 70.3 Ironman next June. Right now, I'm fine with Sprint distance, and would get through an Oly distance within the time limit. I laid out the nutrition map and did the burn numbers and blah blah blah at my expected race weight for a 5:30h finish time (70th percentile).
And now I'm struggling to talk myself off the ledge because I'm having the "WTF am I doing?!" moment. My mind says to chill the hell out because 10 months of steady training will take car of everything. But my heart looks at the distances and times and whigs out...
I *can* do this, right?
And now I'm struggling to talk myself off the ledge because I'm having the "WTF am I doing?!" moment. My mind says to chill the hell out because 10 months of steady training will take car of everything. But my heart looks at the distances and times and whigs out...
I *can* do this, right?
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Replies
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You *just* make the cutoff times for an Oly but think you can do a 5:30 half? 5:30 is pretty fast even on a flat course for most people.
Regardless you have 10 months to train for this. Stay focused, don't get distracted and try not to fall off the rails and you should do just fine. You are too far out to worry about the race day nutrition plan. That should start becoming part of your plan with about 3 months to go.0 -
You *just* make the cutoff times for an Oly but think you can do a 5:30 half? 5:30 is pretty fast even on a flat course for most people.
Agreed. I wouldn't get too bogged down in goal times at this point (unless finishing in 5:30 is the only reason you want to do the race).
Not that this will mean much but maybe it will give you some perspective... I typically finish in the middle of the pack overall, and slightly below (slower) middle in my age group. My finishing times in 70.3s have been 6:14, dnf, 5:43, and 6:46. The first 3 were exceptionally flat courses. IMO, 5:30 is pretty ambitious for your first HIM.
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Find a solid plan or a coach. Execute the plan and trust that it will get you to the finish line. Learn about the correct and incorrect ways to fuel for long course triathlon. Really once you figure out your sweat rate/fluid needs it's just a big math problem how to get in XXX ounces of fluid and 60-90 g of carbs per hour.
Whatever you do don't make it up as you go. That is a recipe for disaster.0 -
As another first timer, I'm two weeks out from my Timberman 70.3 ace. I went through a similar crisis moment back in May as I started to ramp up under the 16 week plan I followed. I looked at the distances and thought "*kitten*, WHY did I say yes to this?" But I kept plugging away and stayed focused on getting in the workouts. I can tell you now that I'm at "T minus 16 days and counting", I am confident that I can finish the course. My swim is a bit under trained but I'll get through it. As a reference point, my Olympic time on a hilly course (Quassy in Ct) was just over 3 hrs, so I'm guessing that a 7hr finish is likely for me in the hills of N.H. Of course, I'm an old fart of 57, so most people will be much faster than me.0
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What is magical about 5:30? If you want to do it in that time, you might be stressing yourself out because of that. I just finished my first 70.3 Ironman (Muncie) and only had done Sprints before that. For me, the journey was the training, not the event. The event was the celebration of finishing the training. It was hard, but very manageable. Oh, I'm 60 and couldn't run 2 blocks 5 years ago. You have plenty of time go for it and enjoy the ride. That's really what it's about.0
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5:30 is just a number that falls out of other numbers - if I was fit enough, it would be the upper bound of what I could theoretically do without bonking and with proper fueling, that's all. It's not something I'm aiming for, it's just a point on the horizon to focus on.
I just want to finish the damn thing!
Thanks, all.0 -
don't get too caught up on a finishing time (i'm saying this to you as much as i'm saying it to myself). 5:30 is a pretty aggressive finishing time, especially without knowing other factors, such as your half marathon time.
also, ten months is a really really long time to be training. even the longest training plans out there are 20 something weeks long, so five months.
i think you'll be fine and finish the race as long as you focus. a half is very different than a sprint distance, you really do need to have your nutrition dialed in.
and don't get too focused on racing weight. yes, drop a few pounds if you are over-weight, but don't stress yourself too much. less doesn't automatically mean better... http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/05/nutrition/chris-mccormack-on-the-triathlete-weight-debate_749450 -
You *just* make the cutoff times for an Oly but think you can do a 5:30 half?
This was my thought, too.
I'm a "meet the cutoff" person. I don't have any problem meeting it for an Oly. But my 70.3 took me an hour longer than I expected it to take. That expected time was AFTER I did 2.1 x Oly time, added additional time for the longer and hillier bike (I ride the actual course, and done after a swim on the actual course, so I had solid prediction data), and added a little more time for longer running, and longer transitions. And it still took me an hour longer than I expected. I met the cutoff for the 70.3 I thought I had met it by 3 minutes, but it turns out there were plenty of people amongst the different age groups who posted times on the Ironman website longer than mine, so maybe the cutoff was longer than I had thought it was. I trained very faithfully, and went the distances needed, and it was still tough.
If your goal is to meet the cutoff, stay with that. Because that is a very different thing than 5:30, and you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. Yes, I think you have a good chance of finishing before the cutoff.
Even with my plan to "just finish in time", I was still disappointed in my result. Most things I ever read are from people who finish in the top half. Maybe people (like me) who finish in the bottom - or at the bottom - don't post. I'm pretty strong in who I am, sizing up my actual ability - but I was still disappointed. The fact that I had so long to remind myself of what my goal was (to finish in time) kept my disappointment from being worse.
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You *just* make the cutoff times for an Oly but think you can do a 5:30 half?
No, that's not what I meant. I can do Oly distances comfortably cut-off time, and 5:30 isn't a number I think I can do at HIM distance, it's a number that appears to be the upper limit of what I might someday be able to do, considering that my body genetics favour wrestling bears over chasing gazelles across the savannah.
:drinker:
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I am sooo glad I wasn't drinking something hot when I read that. It would have hurt coming out my nose. Seriously, I am built the same and loved the image.0 -
I wouldn't spend the next 10 months freaking out. Half is a great distance. Find a plan, do the plan, race the plan. You'll finish. Good luck!0
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I agree. The plan is everything. Your body will get it. I'd worry more about acclimatisation factors - if you're travelling some distance to do your race. That and nerves which can make you hardly sleep the night before. I raced a 70.3 on jet lag and 90 minutes of sleep. I train in the UK and this was in the Alps. Commit to a plan and trust it because there are many other factors that come into play later on. But it's all a grand adventure!0
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The race is 60km from home - no acclimatization worries there - one less thing to worry about.
First week of the plan is done - rest day - back at it tomorrow. Thanks to all for sharing your experience! :drinker:0 -
Finished 4th week of the training plan. Roughly 400km on the bike and 120km running for the month - still lots of work to do, but no longer worried about completing the race.
:drinker:0 -
Over the past 24 hours, did all three disciplines, at HIM distances. Total time, 7 hours. I feel like *kitten* - really, my body is *done*! - but I got through it.
And I still have 9 months left to get better! :drinker:
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