Never ran, never biked, never swam!

[colokid]

I turn 30 on Saturday, and am the proud new parent of a 4 month old baby boy. Life is good, I am happy, but I need something else!

In brief, the last sport I was involved in was 8th grade football, except skiing the last few winters. High school, college and all of my twenties were filled with beer and hangovers. Many consider me to be uncoordinated and unathletic. I'm 6'2 and weigh about 180, my diet is better than most.

All that aside, I've never ran in my life, only used a bike in leisure, and have never gone beyond playing Marco Polo in a pool.

So, what can I do? I want a huge challenge and want to start asap, but where do I begin. The Olympics got me thinking about a triathlon, but some club support might be appropriate. Any thoughts?

[Aussie Rob]

Simple. Start running, start swimming. If you decide you like either of these activities....buy a bike and start riding. I say this because i consider riding by far the most enjoyable of the three disciplines, and if you are happy running and swimming....the bike is a sure thing imo.

People all seem to be doing their last big races of the year right around now, and then fall training will begin for many of us (except for clearwater peeps). So there will be opportunities to run and swim with people this fall/winter. Group rides will disappear unless you find some like minded cold weather riders (i plan to be one this year).

In the meantime, i suggest stopping buy either Fleet Feet, or Second Sole (depending on your location, west v east) and getting a real pair of running shoes and start running to find out what you're currently capable of. Will set you back around $80. After that, join a local rec center or YMCA and see what you're capable of in the pool. Then find some swim classes, or masters sessions and work on that.

I doubt anything ive written is a huge revelation to you, but thats the beauty of this sport. You can make it as simple or as complex as you like....from just getting out there and swim/bike/running....to setting LT numbers and measuring how much liquid your mouth holds to exactly pin point your caloric intake in zone 2 while putting out 189 watts on the bike.

Finally, welcome. Stick around, ask questions, and come to any group training sessions. People of all ability levels are welcome...so dont be intimidated like i was when i first started out. I soon came to realise there was no reason to be.

p.s. congrats on the little one. No doubt you're already operating on a level of exhaustion unfamiliar to you prior. The fact that you're looking to further fatigue yourself says to me you're exactly the kind of masochist that triathlon caters to.

[MattCollister]

Why triathlon?

Volleyball looked like more fun.

[alison]

If you really are as clueless about the three sports as you claim, I would suggest focusing on swimming right away and through the winter. Swimming is, by far, the hardest to learn from scratch. Hire an instructor to give you a few lessons, or find a friend that was a competitive swimmer to help you out, then join a group (like OHIO masters) to swim with and get faster. There are many people on this board, myself included, that swam competitively for many years and are more than happy to help out a fellow triathlete.

Other than that, Rob is right on. Have running shoes? Go run. Have a bike? Go ride. Worry about getting the fancy gear later on.

Most important, have fun.

Alison

[erinj]

portage lakes is having a race september 6th and 7th...go watch...if you feel like you can commit, offer to volunteer...it's a great introduction to the way the sport works and might find you some workout buddies/coaches...

welcome!

congrats on the bambino!

[unlimited]

YOU CAN TOTALLY DO THIS!!!!!

My best advice is HIRE a coach. There is so much to learn about proper form in all 3 areas. It will also save you wasted workouts and overuse injuries. He/she can make your workouts fit into your life.

Its the BEST money I have ever spent.

[bprack]

I believe this is all good information.

My insight for you based on your intro would definately be to find a local gym. Upon getting a membership take a fitness test to determine what your cardio capacity is currently. Upon watching this sport you may see many people make it look easy, but the underlying truth is they probably have 15+ years under there belt unless they are a genetic freak. Take it one step at a time and enjoy the nostalgia of working your body into a lifestyle instead of a sport!

[nickymt]

Ok, this is my first post on this board, but I think we have a few things in common! With the exception of one year of high school swim team 20+ years ago, I too had never ran, biked, or swam. I joined a gym last august for the first time ever (after having my 2 kids) and in the spring i decided to train for the Cleveland Triathlon (Sprint distance). I had worked with a trainer for a while at my gym through the fall and winter so i built up a little muscle and endurance, then I found a training plan that called for 2 swims, 2 runs and 2 bikes a week. The beginning times were quite short so I could work up to where I needed to be. I got some advice from friends who could swim and others who run and biked, but basically my only goal was to finish. I did Huntington in July, Cleve Tri in Aug, Greater Cleve, and I am doing Portage next Sunday. I hope to train up to Oly by next summer (childcare being my limiting factor right now) So you can totally do it - I recommend doing some open water swims next summer before a race so you get used to it - that can be tough. But as I tell everyone, if I can do it ANYONE can do it - just be reasonable in your expectations and take time to train properly and you'll be fine. And it's totally addicting!

nicky

[colokid]

This is all great advice, and I'm really excited to get started. I think I'm going to start with the 'couch potato to 5k' running plan to introduce myself to running for the first time. Also, I work at a facility that has a pool, so I will jump in the pool to see how it feels to swim. My mountain bike was stolen in January, so I may wait until next Spring to get on the bike. I would love to hire a trainer, but the budget is tight these day, so I may just try trial by fire.

I'm may try to make it to Portage next week, again, the little one will ultimately dictate how the weekend goes! Thank you all, and hope to see you soon.

Brian

[suziharman]

There are also many great books about triathlon out there. That is how I was first introduced to some of the lingo and gear. Some have basic training schedules in them as well.

[JenCollister]

Might I shamelessly suggest that you join our fine club? Come out to our picnic on 9/21. Come join us for training sessions. Talk with those who went through what you will be encountering! Indoor triathlons are also a great way to get your feet wet (literally and figuratively!)

[sarajean]

Aug 28, 2008 11:07:26 GMT -5 colokid said:

This is all great advice, and I'm really excited to get started. I think I'm going to start with the 'couch potato to 5k' running plan to introduce myself to running for the first time.

From someone who used to hate running:

If you've never run before, don't be afraid to start SLOWLY. A mistake often made by new runners is to start out running too quickly, wear themselves out, and decide running stinks because it's too strenuous. As a young person, you may find that your speed and endurance improve quickly, but if they don't, you don't get discouraged. Sometimes these things take time.

If the pace that's comfortable for you is slow, don't feel self-conscious about entering a 5K. There are plenty of slow runners out there, and when you do your first 5K, you're guaranteed to set a personal record. A slow first 5K means you're more likely to set a personal record for your second 5K.

To avoid injuries, go to a running specialty store and get fitted for running shoes. Fleet Feet is a CTC sponsor. Second Sole is another good shoe store. You'll pay more, but if you get a shoe that works with your feet, you'll be more comfortable running.

[Eric R]

May I suggest two books, Slow Fat Triathlete (no disrespect intended, it's just a funny book) and Your First Triathlon by Joe Friel. His book has a three month plan to a sprint distance triathlon - I did it for about five months (just stretched out some of the weeks) and had a blast in my first two sprint tri's this year. I would also recommend doing nothing longer than a sprint. I'm now planning to do an Olympic distance next year, but I'm definitely glad I started slow. Congratulations on your decision to start a new sport (& on the son), and have fun. The sport's a blast!