40 & training for 1st ironman - advice needed

[dvickery]

Hello all,

Okay, to start with, I'm far from being ready to participate in an ironman contest. The thing is, I just turned 40 and got permission from my better 1/2 to begin training for my 1st one. So, I'm looking for lots of advice and encouragement. 1st of all, I'm giving myself about 2 years of training for the big race. Is that too long or too short? I'm sure a lot depends on my current physical condition so here are my stats:

- I'm 40 years old.
- I'm 6'5" tall.
- weigh 220 lbs - yes, i need to loose about 30 more. about 5 months ago, i weighed 250lbs so I'm on my way.
- I can run 5K (treadmill) in about 28 minutes. could probably do it in 26 minutes but would be through with the rest of the day. At a pace of 11 min/mile, I could do probably do 8 miles +/-
- Can road bike approx 30 miles with moderate much effort. (i ride a Felt F90 63cm). I could force myself to do a century but would regret it and probably be out of action for a week or so.
- I can swim to save my life. I can dog paddle several laps at 24hr fitness or look like a fool and try to swim normal and manage possibly a 1/4 mile.
- Physical limitations are that my left leg is an inch shorter than my right due to a childhood accident. I have adapted pretty good using inserts and such. Probably shouldn't even mention it but it plays a factor when running.
- I'm no stranger to physical pain. I served 8 years in the Army, 4 in the infantry and 4 as a cavalry scout. So, if you know anything about these Army programs, you know that I'm no stranger to long distance running although I've never ran 26 miles at one time.
- I work 12 hour shifts, every Thurs., Fri., Sat., and every other Wed. So that means that I work 3 days one week and 4 the next which also means that I have equal time off. I'm married with two daughters who a are 6 and 4 and I live in Portland, OR.

Throughout these two years, I plan to participate in as many local races as I can. I figure this will prepare me somewhat for competing with other athletes.

So what do you guys think?

Thanks in advance,

Dave

[JoeBAR]

I think you need to practice your swimming And I really can't see how 220 is too much at 6'5, I'm 205 @ 5'11 and I'm quite comfortable

Good luck!!!!

[Otter13]

DV, like you I too am training for my first Tri. However, I am not going for the Ironman right off the bat. I've set my sights on something a little easier. A sprint triathalon. Like you I am also ex military, only I am retired. I have been retired now for 10 years and am now 48. I'm just a little rusty from not have run allot in 10 years. Plus my knees need to be convinced that they can run again. I found a pretty good web site called beginnertriathlete.com. It's free and has allot to offer. I found a training program that will take me and the wife from the couch to our 1st sprint in 22 weeks. I'd be able to get there faster, but I need to get the ole ball and chain back in shape so I'm doing it with her. Any how check out the site I mentioned and I bet you'll find some very usefull info. Good Luck.

[dpez8]

Dave, first off, congrats on beginning the first step to a new view on life. I havent done an ironman yet but have started doing triathlons and working my way to hopefully by an elite by the end of college. Everyone that i have talked to said that it takes around 8-12 months of training to be ready to finish an ironman. In the months leading up to the race you should enter in some olympic distance, sprint triathlons as well as foot races such as 10k's and half marathons. Take the training easy and don't go for a 100 mile bike ride your first day, ease into it. Also, most people will look into getting a coach or someone with previous ironman experience to help guide them through the proper training. As far as motivation there are some videos on youtube such as "becoming an ironman" pt. 1... the man did a great job making this video and watch it whenever i decide to train... makes me think twice about complaining.
Good Luck and hope this helps

[RoJoGo]

Build slowly! If you build too fast you will get hurt...if you get hurt, then you can't train!

1) SELECT YOUR RACE.
I recommend on that gives you enough time train outdoors...maybe IM AZ in November. I am doing IM AZ 2008 in April, but the race organizers are moving the event to November, so they will be hosting 2 IM AZs in 2008. (My 1st was IM FL 2006, I was 39)

2)BUILD YOUR BASE.
Slower, easier "base" mileage keeping your heart rate around 60-70% of max. It will be difficult, but will become easier. You need to get your body prepared for the pounding. Increases should be between 10-15% on a bi-weekly basis based on your fitness.

3) CONSTRUCT AND DEVELOP A NUTRITION PLAN
This is very personal because everyone is different, don't be afraid to try new foods in training...find out what works and stick with it! Remember ...Garbage in = Garbage out!

4) RECOVERY IS VERY IMPORTANT
If you begin to feel sluggish, it might be time to take a few days off...learn to listen to your body... it will take some time and you will become forgetful, so write it down so you have a reference....keep a daily training journal, record your activities, weather, whatever affects your training! This is a valuable tool that you can learn from once you see the pattern! Go to www dot OnTri dot com This site can help...I am a registered user there as well.

5) REWARD YOURSELF
Once in a while...maybe once a week, it is ok to reward yourself...especially if you are on schedule with your consistant training!

6) WORK ON SPEED AND STRENGTH
But only after you have developed a lot of base miles! If you work on speed or stength too early, you could hurt yourself. Don't be afraid to hit the weights either...muscle burns more calories!

7) CONSISTANCY IS KEY
A constant routine while training helps to train those slow and fast twitch muscles! It also helps to believe in yourself and your training, because come race day, when you toe the line...you do not need any other distractions....you need to be focused and ready for anything the day has to throw at you! When you toe that line, you need to feel that you are ready...any other negative feeling about your training is useless wasted energy which needs to be conserved for later!

Good Luck Dave!

[FitnessPhotos]

I'm 41; when I turned 40, I ran a sprint tri. Thats not much, but it was good enough for me and it was really about the training not the event itself. My wife has run 4 IronMans, its pretty rough on the body, I would suggest starting out smaller and build up from there.

[wildstang]

first off welcome aboard ef and good luck. 220 and your height is pretty normal. you may have excess skin thinking your still fat from being heavier at a point in your life. at your height maybe five pounds reduction more. before actually participating in the event if i was you with the shorter leg i would invest in some specially made shoes as opposed to inserts for that kind of distrance. ie thicker insole on one side. as far as swimming goes what works for me when tired is side stroke and back stroke alternating them over a period of time. both use less energy in my opinion for me at least opposed to breaststroke. and at our age you should also start supplementing with glucosamine for your joints wich will be getting severley taxed with your training regimen.