Triathlon - Anyone here been formerly out of shape and turned self into Triathlete?

When I say out of shape I am being polite. I mean REALLY out of shape. Has anyone here been like that and decided to turn yaself around? And not only did you get yourself into some kind of shape but you eventually went so far as to become a triathlete?
I want to know because I am losing weight and getting motivated more and more into doing....more. :)
I've really become hooked on cycling and suddenly find myself gaining an interest in Tri bike riding. While I don't ever see myself really doing a triathlon.....a duathlon however is gaining more and more of my interest.

So.....has anybody here been in my shoes and have made it?

When I say out of shape I am being polite. I mean REALLY out of shape. Has anyone here been like that and decided to turn yaself around? And not only did you get yourself into some kind of shape but you eventually went so far as to become a triathlete?
I want to know because I am losing weight and getting motivated more and more into doing....more. :)
I've really become hooked on cycling and suddenly find myself gaining an interest in Tri bike riding. While I don't ever see myself really doing a triathlon.....a duathlon however is gaining more and more of my interest.

So.....has anybody here been in my shoes and have made it?

Been doing some studying of the forums and have come to realize I'm not as out of shape as some of you were. LOL I feel downright thin next to some of you guys. :D
Ah, but its no time for me to be lazy. I'm gonna go hit the bowflex for a little workout before bed. My planned saturday morning early ride has been ruined by the rain report so I will work on maintaining the bike tommorow instead.

yep, I was... I was a mother and a business owner who worried about everything else then herself and forgot to eat and exercise.. I was down right skinny, 103 pounds skinny.. at 34 I changed my whole life around. I started running, having a goal of doing a 5k, I did it and did plenty. I gained weight, muscle weight and went up to 118 pounds, only after 2 years of running, I ended up being good enough to run the Boston marathon and Im now 40 and quite a good cyclist and Im now a duathlete. It is duable to go from being out of breath climbing stairs to becoming an athelete and I feel younger and better then I ever did at 20 :)

it is very doable i would sugest a sprint distace tri this year will be my 4th one the biking and swiming was the easy part for me never liked to run (still dont) but the other two events motivated me to do one
they are fun look for begining tri's you will find a lot of people out of shape but ready to try one so you are not alone, once you do one you will be hooked

i have biked alot and am in shape for that(somewhat) but have never been a runner till i started doing tri's
3 to 4 miles is about my distance tolerance for running
i would highly sugest doing one you will enjoy it good luck

Well...if you've been searching the forums you may have seen some posts about the condition (or lack thereof) that I was in two years ago at this time. In summary, 5'8" 247 lbs and so out of shape that a single flight of stairs would take my breath away.

Yesterday I completed the Honu Half Ironman in Kona, HI in 7:58:55. The time wasn't fast by any means but that was primarily because I didn't do much run training. I'm still 225 and have lots of weight to lose but my body is much more lean than 22 lbs of total weight loss would indicate.

I would encourage you to do a tri. The swim really isn't all that bad and I gotta tell you, they are a lot of fun. Good luck with your goals and keep us posted.

Cheers.
-CJ

yep, I was... I was a mother and a business owner who worried about everything else then herself and forgot to eat and exercise.. I was down right skinny, 103 pounds skinny.. at 34 I changed my whole life around. I started running, having a goal of doing a 5k, I did it and did plenty. I gained weight, muscle weight and went up to 118 pounds, only after 2 years of running, I ended up being good enough to run the Boston marathon and Im now 40 and quite a good cyclist and Im now a duathlete. It is duable to go from being out of breath climbing stairs to becoming an athelete and I feel younger and better then I ever did at 20 :)

Well I'm not even ready yet to be in an amateur duathlon/triathlon. But when I finally am what amateur tri or duathlon races are out there for beginners? How did you guys know you were even ready for an amateur race? I mean, I'm not gonna do a race just to embarass myself by being dead last crossing finish line 5 hours after everyone has gone home. :|

Sprint Tri's are the thing for beginners. Even people who are not in great shape finish them in 1.5-2 hours and they get you on the road to fun. There is no embarrassment in triathlon...except not trying. People cheer louder for the last finisher than they do for the first.

I filled out my entry form around mid June for a race at the end of July. That gave me six weeks to train starting from absolute zero fitness. I beat three people in my age group and about 30 overall. In the end, I was just happy that I finished and I looked forward to my next race.

Some races even feature shorter distances. Last week Austin held the Capital of Texas triathlon, which had Olympic, Sprint, and My First Tri catagories. The My First Tri was a 400 meter swim, 6.2 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run. I figure if you can complete a 5k without walking (like, say, 35 minutes or so) , that distance should be very do-able.

Also, from what I've seen (in my whole two races that I've done) Sprint distance and shorter tend to attract a good number of first-timers with pretty wide ranges of abilities, so for sure you won't be alone. You can also poke around online to find last year's results for local races, just to see how fast (or not) other people are. And a slow first race just makes it that much easier to set a new personal record on your next one. :)

The thing that really helped me do my first race was to get a buddy of mine to do it with me. We picked a race about 3 months out, and did a lot of training together. Both of us being competative, we had plenty of friendly trash talk along the way, which really helped motivate me. We also signed up early and told a bunch of people we were doing it, so we couldn't back out.

Cool stuff. If I start training now to get my body into some decent shape I could be ready next year.......to then start training for a race lol. :D
What about duathlons? Wouldn't entering an amateur duathlon make more sense? Haven't seen a swimming pool in years is my point.

Edit: I've got an itch not only to get more cycling miles under my belt but to start doing some long distance running. Besides biking how were you guys in the begining when you started to learn how to run?......I mean really learn. :|

Understand though that my goal would be similar to you guys. I would just like to see myself enter a race and see myself complete one. Preferably I would like to finish not being dead last. And to finish with honor. :)

Well I'm not even ready yet to be in an amateur duathlon/triathlon. But when I finally am what amateur tri or duathlon races are out there for beginners? How did you guys know you were even ready for an amateur race? I mean, I'm not gonna do a race just to embarass myself by being dead last crossing finish line 5 hours after everyone has gone home. :|
The only way to know if you are good enough is to try it.. and keep trying...the only thing you should ever be embaressed of is when you dont even bother trying :)

If your scene is like the UK then there should be a good choice of short (sprint or super-sprint) tris with pool swims, which are very newbie friendly. These races will include some total newbies - your Mum - on a "try-a-tri" sort of basis. Bellies, mountain bikes, that sort of thing. You'll probably not be last. Anyway, your goal for the first event will probably be "survive" not "podium" :)

As for the original topic, I'm using tri as a tool for getting in shape. Gone from 106 to 90 kg so far this year. Not an athlete yet, but definitely work in progress and the toys are cool!

Edit: I've got an itch not only to get more cycling miles under my belt but to start doing some long distance running. Besides biking how were you guys in the begining when you started to learn how to run?......I mean really learn. :|

When I started running, I did 10 minutes for a single mile. Mind you, I have exercise induced asthma, but nonetheless, I was not in good aerobic shape. Now after several years of running, I have my mile PR down to 4:30, 5k at 15:50, and 5 mile at 26:50. Even at the end of a sprint tri where it was .5 mile swim, 14.4 bike, and 5 mile run,I was able to run the final leg in 29:50. You just have to dedicate yourself to go out first every other day, then 2 out of three, and eventually 5 or 6 out of a week to help workout the muscle groups. There really isn't a learning curve for the running itself, but more for learning what your body is capable of doing at any given time.Once you do that, you can build up your mileage, and you will start to see your times fall. It will take time, and I'm sure someone can give better, more detailed advice, but that's how I got my start running at least. Good luck and hopefully you can start to get some running under your belt.

I still plod out ten-minute miles. :)

Started running last year with a new year dare to do an Easter half-marathon. Found some newbie training plans at runnersworld.co.uk and stuck with 'em. Started out with half a mile and bad shoes; invested in some good shoes, and worked up to the Half by May, doing about two runs a week. Good for weight loss, too.

I still plod out ten-minute miles. :)

Started running last year with a new year dare to do an Easter half-marathon. Found some newbie training plans at runnersworld.co.uk and stuck with 'em. Started out with half a mile and bad shoes; invested in some good shoes, and worked up to the Half by May, doing about two runs a week. Good for weight loss, too.

Yeah.
Thing is though I suffer alot from pain in the heels. I don't know why frankly. I always used to thought it was because of the extra weight. But now that I have lost a great chunk of it I still have pain in the heels. Mind you its not enough pain to dissuade me from exercising. But its enough that when I stand still for any length of time my heels start to burn. Running on the treadmill or walking or whatever I'm fine though.
Currently I train with the NIKE airmax 360 (great product). But despite having its entire sole made up of air I still felt the need to insert an extra pair of foam/gel inserts...PLUS two sets....yes TWO sets of heel cushions. I'm starting to think that there is something wrong with the heels of my feet.

Do you think I should see a podiatrist before I start out training as a runner full out? Or is it just me being out of shape and I should just suck it up and continue with my plan to increase my training by learning to run?

A podiatrist can't hurt - or a running specialist who can look at your gait. You might want to think about moving your strike forward so you're landing on the ball of your foot instead of the heel (like you would if you ran barefoot).

Out of curiosity, where did you pick up the Air Max 360's? As great a product as you believe them to be, and they may be for you, if it was at a major chain store, like a foot locker or something along those lines, the employees there generally don't have beans for knowledge about how to fit a person's gait and stride to a specific shoe type. It might be worth seeing a podiatrist or even a local running shop where the chances of having someone know more about a shoe and the way its fits your foot so you run more anatomically correct are significantly better. I know I had been in lightweight trainers for years, before I really had my stride examined by a local running store owner. He put me in a completely different shoe, and it has made the running that much more enjoyable, surprisingly enough. Anyhow, even if there is something wrong with the heels of your feet, there is probably a shoe out there (and some extra cushioning) that could accomodate your problema nd make the heel feel better. Best of luck

Out of curiosity, where did you pick up the Air Max 360's? As great a product as you believe them to be, and they may be for you, if it was at a major chain store, like a foot locker or something along those lines, the employees there generally don't have beans for knowledge about how to fit a person's gait and stride to a specific shoe type. It might be worth seeing a podiatrist or even a local running shop where the chances of having someone know more about a shoe and the way its fits your foot so you run more anatomically correct are significantly better. I know I had been in lightweight trainers for years, before I really had my stride examined by a local running store owner. He put me in a completely different shoe, and it has made the running that much more enjoyable, surprisingly enough. Anyhow, even if there is something wrong with the heels of your feet, there is probably a shoe out there (and some extra cushioning) that could accomodate your problema nd make the heel feel better. Best of luck

Actually, first I did research online from the big athletic shoe makers to see if they had a flagship product that would suit my needs. Didn't want the addidas with the microchip in it because I saw that as gimicky. I wanted something with superior cushioning because in the end I thought that would help with the pain. I did consider nike's running shoe that mimicked the sole of a barefoot runner. But after trying it I laughed and realized that WAS NOT for me. :D
I settled on the airmax 360.

And I went to get them from paragon sports in manhattan. I didn't let the guy on the floor try to "sell" me. I already knew what I wanted. He wasn't that helpful in anycase. It was a good thing I knew what I wanted at that.

I don't think I'm worthy yet to go to a real trainer to assess my gait.
If I get healthy enough so that I can begin some specialized training for an actual amateur race...
Then I suppose it would be time to go to a trainer and have my gait examined and fine tuned. Til then I will have to just keep working to get into some general sort of shape and just do some "grunt" work til then.

My guess is that you'll eventually get hooked if you stay with it. In my view, there are really 2 things that increase your chance of success. 1) Your pi**ed off about how you look enough that it drives you to get better or 2) You become so encouraged by progress that you keep getting more and more addicted.

The long story:

I was a runner in the past (35 yrs old now) so like 15 years ago I was a pretty good runner (33 min 10K, 56 min 10 miles). The last severla years have been a mix of too much food and too much beer...probably still too much beer. 3 years ago while on vacation with some of my wifes friends one of the husbands brought his bike. I knew he did tri's and expected he would be physically impressive. he really looked pretty average. he wasn't really an athlete in the past but was very dedicated at that point. We went for a run (I could still crank out a run even at 208 lbs) we went 6 miles and hammer like hell. It became a little competitive. I came in about 1-2 mins before him, completely spent and feet covered in blisters. He finished, thanked me for a good run and then went for a 30 mile bike ride. I was shocked...my little victorty now seemed trivial. I knew right then I was buying a bike and going to train. I bought a bike in 4 days and started riding. I bought books, magazines browsed the web and started learning. The plan was to get several months of bike experience, run occaisonally and start swimming the last few months of the year. I fell in love with the bike and also learned I was a much worse swimmer then I could have imagined.

Year 2...I hired a coach, established some reasonable expectations and picked out a few races. The coach made all the difference (mainly because my approach to running had to be completely changed). Anyway, by following his advice and workouts I did very well in my first year and even placed high enough in my AG to win some hardware. Better yet (this is what I love and it continues to fuel me) I was beating people I had no business beating. They had more experience, lacked a big beer gut and looked like they were in insane shape. Year 3...well we are mid year right now and even though I'm not putting the hours I want to into my training, things are going better than ever. Swim is coming along, I'm actually pretty good on the bike now and I'm starting to see splits on my runs that I can be proud of.

If you stick with this, you may unleash something you never knew you had. I suspect you have no real idea of what you are physically capable of. Set some achievable goals, seek outside wisdom, educate yourself and watch your self transform.

I don't know about completely out of shape, but I was definately on the downward slope. I've been in the Army for 17 years, so never been in terrible shape, but I hit 40 in Iraq, and had a rough year when I got back. Mainly joint pain from an infection I got, but I also got way out of shape, 20 lbs overweight, high blood pressure and cholesterol. I snaped back this spring - lost the 20 lbs and am psyching up for my first Triathlon this weekend. My main program has been riding 15 miles each way to work. Two hours a day of aerobic exercise does wonders.

My wife got on board too. She was at leat 60 lbs overweight (military deployments are always harder on the ones that stay home) but is going strong. She won't get on a scale yet, but I can tell she has also lost about 20 lbs. She is wearing clothes that she hasn't worn since our second was born.

I know that it will take longer if you are starting out 50, 100 or 200 overweight, but my body tells me it can be done. I noticed significant improvement in running and biking corresponding to each five lbs that I lost. running at 180is a ton easier than running at 200.

Kudos to you all who are taking a longer road - see you at the finish line!

I've lost 50+ pounds since I decided to turn my life around almost 7 years ago. Just didn't like who I had turned into, got off the couch, and started moving. Since then, I've run 10 marathons, 3 50k races, and a 50 mile race. This weekend I will do my second triathlon and I've got to say that I'm hooked.

I applaud everybody who makes the effort to get in shape. It takes lots of hard work, but hopefully you can have fun while you're at it. Once you've made the change, you'll never go back. Keep up the good work.

There's more to a good running shoe than cushioning. Go to a specialty running store and let them fit you with the proper shoes for your foot type and gait. Don't wait.

Sprint Tri's are the thing for beginners. Even people who are not in great shape finish them in 1.5-2 hours and they get you on the road to fun. There is no embarrassment in triathlon...except not trying. People cheer louder for the last finisher than they do for the first.

I filled out my entry form around mid June for a race at the end of July. That gave me six weeks to train starting from absolute zero fitness. I beat three people in my age group and about 30 overall. In the end, I was just happy that I finished and I looked forward to my next race.


Wow this is really encouraging. I'm doing my first Tri in Waukegan, the Harbor Lights Triathlon, in two weeks. Exactly two weeks. I just signed up yesterday. I'd already signed up for the Chicago Accenture one this August, but I've been so nervous about the whole thing, especially the swimming and the crowd of people, that I decided I needed a smaller and quieter one to start with.

As for sticking with the topic of this thread, I can't say that I was completely out of shape, but I've always gotten picked on for being a weakling and such, and never believed in myself for physical abilities until I became such a loner that no one bothered to pick on me anymore. Haha. That's when I found solace in physical training. It's just nice to quiet the mind and do something monotonous like running or swimming.

Just this past February, I got hit by a huge SUV (a yellow hummer) while on my bike in a residential area, and he just sped away, leaving me with a broken leg, pelvis and jaws. Thankfully someone with a heart called 911 and I was rescued, but I couldn't walk for 8 weeks. When I started walking, I wondered, how the hell am I going to do this triathlon now? I was definitely out of shape--my leg just forgot how to work! I'm happy to say that I'm back on the bike and still Tri-ing. In January or February, I thought about trying to finish with a good time. Now I just want to finish without being completely in pain and tears!

So yeah, even if you don't think you're in shape, hopefully you aren't injured or anything. I stopped believing in physical talent (of course it exists, but not having it shouldn't stop anyone); I think with hard work you can get there. You say you're losing weight and feeling adventurous about doing Duathlons--don't lose sight of that dream! I think that's the hardest part, especially if you've been a certain way all your life. You sometimes think it defines you. OK. I'll stop now.

solostyle

i'll see you there, i ran Harbor Lights last year, the heat was brutal (almost 100 deg) but its a nicely run little event

solostyle

i'll see you there, i ran Harbor Lights last year, the heat was brutal (almost 100 deg) but its a nicely run little event

you're doing it fixed, too? sweet! Me too, and I love it. I'm glad there's someone else here who is doing this Triathlon. How are you getting up to Waukegan on that Sunday, I'm curious?

not fixed! i run a fixed for training and around town (the bike that i'm not afraid of getting scratched up), there's a lovely little false flat on the bike course (which is two laps) so id stay on a geared bike if i could.

I drive up to waukegan, get up pretty early, it only takes about 60 minutes or so, if i remember correctly we were back in Chicago for (late) sunday brunch last year

Just finished my first Tri The Scenic Mountain Triathlon in Richwood WV. Had a great time. Finished the 1/2 mile swim, 17 mi ride and 6.2 mi run in 2:19:32 putting me about in the middle of the finishers. The swim was the worst (way at the back) and the bike the best (passed people left and right up the 1000 ft climb. Best was just showing myself I could do it. Almost as good was watching the guy who had dropped 90 lbs over the last 10 months (but still weighed 220 or so) finish. He really earned it and did great!

Three years ago I was 49, 250 pounds at 5' 7", and recovering from a heart attack. Now I'm 160 pounds and I run, bike, swim and lift weights. I also am training for my second marathon (Chicago), compete in duathlons, ride single/ double centuries and am entered in my first triathlon on July 29th. I learned that diets don't work, sugar and refined flour are "poison", and it's not about losing weight...it's about getting healthy. :D Frankp

About 9 months ago, I was 230 pounds and not in the best shape (I am 6'00'' tall). At that time, I started to work out a little (lots of cardio as I don't like lifting very much), and got down to around 200 pounds in about 5 months. After that, my girfriend decided to do a sprint-triathlon for her birthday and I had always wanted to do one so I signed up too. Training for that has gotten me to around 185 lbs which is where I am right now, and the best shape that I have been in my whole life :)

Wow!! reading everyone's posts just got me super motivated. I was 280 (5'10.5") last september and I'm down to 235 right now, and just this morning on my Sunday ride my neighbor I and I were talking about competing in Tri's in the future. After reading everyone's posts I want to go do one Now!! I thought I was really out of shape still but after listening to everyones times I think I could do OK. Now I just have to find out what time the pool opens up at.

Well I'm not even ready yet to be in an amateur duathlon/triathlon. But when I finally am what amateur tri or duathlon races are out there for beginners? How did you guys know you were even ready for an amateur race? I mean, I'm not gonna do a race just to embarass myself by being dead last crossing finish line 5 hours after everyone has gone home. :|

Dont be intimidated by the fact that it is a "RACE". If you are training regularly, you will find that your first race, presumably a SPRINT, will take less time than some of your longer workouts. Start doing two events a day Swim/run, bike/run, swim/bike, etc. Once in a while, throw in a day where you can do all three.

By the way, you need to practice going from the bike to the run, your legs will do some funny things at first, and you can fall on your face if you arent ready for it!!

As for finishing last...........When I used to do some USTS races (do they even have that any more??) they would give a free set of Tinley tri bars to the person with the slowest bike split, so there is truely no loser!!

Just TRI it! When you are ready. and Good Luck!!

Oh, yeah. I'm your poster boy for the Tri turn around. I used to be a very fit/athletic sports nut through high school and college. I finished college at a trim 175-180lbs. I steadily gained about 5-10 lbs every year thereafter and by the time I was 29 I had ballooned up to a max somewhere around 245lbs. This was due mostly to the chaotic, time cruched lifestyle of med school and a residency--where soda pop, comfort food and 120 hr work weeks with no time to exercise added up to my expanding waste line. It was hard to tie my shoes because of my gut. I had back problems and my left foot was numb from a lumbar disc problem made worse by my poor physique.
Well, after finishing up the last of my long hour rotations, I decided enough was enough. I had always wanted to do a tri and had a bunch of friends signing up for their first Tri in the upcoming summer. So, January 15th, I stopped drinking soda pop (about 600 calories a day for me at that time), started swimming again and the weight started coming off. After dropping 10-15 lbs in the first 6 weeks, my back pain and leg numbness disappeared. Spring rolled around and I started biking. More weight came off. I didn't start running until I was under 220 lbs for fear of straining my joints too much, and that gave me 8 weeks to get ready for race day. At the time of the big race, I was a relatively svelt 205lbs and edged out my friend at the finish line. I was instantly hooked. I'm into my third season now, the weight has fluctuated a little bit(winters in Minnesota are hard), but I'm just about to dip under the 200 lb mark for the first time in about 7 years and am getting faster each season. I've got a deal with my wife that if I can hit my goal weight of about 180 lbs, I can get whatever Tri bike I want. I figure, until I shave off the 25 extra pounds on my body, saving 300 grams on a wheelset really doesn't make much sense. But a boy needs his carrot to keep going. Don't wait until next year, sign up and change your life now. 3 workouts a week, 2 if busy, 4 if possible and you'll be ready.

Yeah I did. It was a long process. I was 13 years old 230 lbs and way WAY out of shape. Well my mom became concerned and got me to start walking every day. First for just an hour and then for one full hour. I kept eating the same but the added activity was enough to drop me down to 175 by the time i was 15. Then I quit football and joind cross country and the pounds melted off from there. Now Im 17, just finished my first half ironman and remain at a lean mean 147 lbs.