Hi,

I'm an aspiring triathlete and just started riding road bikes a few weeks ago. I've been sitting on my butt for a few too many years so I have a long road ahead of me. The plan is to enter a 2006 ironman or half ironman in Europe after a year of training. I'm an Arizona resident who will move to Holland in July. I've got two basic questions. Could someone point me in the direction of a good website that focuses on the nutrition/training part from the start? I'm going to have to shed weight first before I get real serious. The other question deals with training in the flattest country in Europe. What do I do to simulate climbs? I know the winds are fierce in Rotterdam where I will relocate so maybe that will help. Thanks.

Slisk

Start here http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/default.asp

and here http://www.trinewbies.com/

I am also active on a german tri-forum. There are a bunch of users, who live in Northrhine-Westfalia (?), which is of course right next to holland.

If you have some time to spare i suppose the nearest (semi) mountaineous region would be the Eifel mountains in Germany / Belgium. With you moving to Rotterdam of course that puts you almost as far away from the Eifel mountains as you can get while staying within Hollands borders.

What i hear some triathletes do to simulate climbs - especially during the wintertime - is riding in empty carparks (wording?). After business hours in the evening or whenever else they're closed. (in europe due to lack of wide open spaces multilevel carparks are preferred over open parking lots)

as for training tips and such: in my experience there is no such thing as one source. as for the basic essentials of training reading MHRs posts on this board (particularly those from 3-4 weeks back) is as good a source as anything you have to pay for.
The rest is something that is also significantly influenced by the amount of time you have for training, personal preferences and disposition and so many other factors.

if you're in "old" europe and have settled in by july 10th and have time, you might want to come down to frankfurt and support me on my IM deflowering... :D


edit:

obviously going from "nothing" to an IM or 1/2IM within a year is something you will want to take seriously. i don't want to discourage you, i admire your decisiveness. you just want to do the "right" things as soon as possible to get you on the right track.
so my advice would be to work on running and swimming. it always depends on your athletic background, but especially swimming requires a lot of attention unless you have the technique down from days gone by.

let's start from the goal. an IM or half IM (i'll stick with the IM franchise). you have the choice between IM Germany, IM France, IM Switzerland, IM Austria, IM UK, 1/2 IM Monaco (hope i got all of them) (actually there will most probably also be a 1/2 IM Germany in 2006). IM Lanzarote is technically also in Europe, but because of the fierce Hawaii-esque winds, I wouldn't recommend it for a first IM race.

IM France is usually in June. IMs Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in July. IM UK in August. 1/2 IM Monaco is in September.

I guess training time is key for you. So (even if it's just one month) france is probably not such a good idea. austria and switzerland should be considerably more hilly than IM germany, which has a relatively flat course. plus: a lot of seasoned IM veterans / pros say that IM Germany is actually the best organised IM race there is. it's also only a 3-4 hour drive from rotterdam.
in any case i suppose your mesocyclic training plan should be to do plenty of aerobic base training as well as working on (swimming) technique from today onwards until next spring. during that time i would focus on spending most of my training time within your aerobic zone - ultimately at the bottom of it (meaning keeping your pulse at an HR somewhere in the 130s).
if you say you're just starting out with exercising after a longer break it'll take a few months before you get your body that place. especially when running. so don't be discouraged if staying in the 130s means powerwalking in the beginning. actually i would recommend not using a HRM for the first few weeeks/months. i would play it by ear and exercise at an intensity where you feel like you could keep it going for hours. another way of describing it is a pace where you feel comfortable chatting.
throw in long, easy rides on the bike whenever you feel like it, maybe a little more this year as long as it's warm. you'll be hindered by the weather during the winter months enough, so make the best of the weather while it lasts.

another reason you will want to focus on basebuilding is to avoid injuries. since your plan is relatively tight, there is not too much room there for longer breaks b/c of injuries. on that note: make sure you buy at least one pair (better two pairs) of decent running shoes. you do not want to screw up your feet / legs.

and then, come spring you'll pour your heart and soul into training for 3-4 months and enjoy the ride! :D

the key to all three disciplines imho is posture. not only in the metaphorical sense (i.e. being strong mentally and having heart), but body posture. meaning core strength. meaning a strong lower back and abdomen. so make sure you work on that as well. personally i would recommend yoga, but that's not everybodys cup of tea. classical calisthenics is fine as well. just don't do situps or other calisthenics "military style". i'm pretty sure you would like to enjoy the benefits of healthy joints 30 years down the road as well! :) so you might want to join a fitness club if you can afford it and don't hate them.

you would want to do a marathon before the IM. i'm not sure if this fall or next spring would be the better choice for you. i guess you'll have to make that call. maybe decide spontaneously if you're up for a late marathon this year. the frankfurt marathon is october 30th. it shouldn't be a problem getting signed up even days in advance. even if registration should be filled up you should always be able to get a slot from some athlete, who has to bail last minute.

i'm most problably going to run frankfurt again this year. so if you're up for it let me know!

PS: my HRs are average. varying the intensity in your microcycles of course will get your body to the place you want it to go faster. it's just a matter of focus. base training is volume. work on speed and anaerobic stuff when it counts: before your race!

Here's two books I have that contain great information for those of us preparing for half IM and IM distance triathlons:

Going Long (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?isbn=1931382247&itm=2)

and

The Triathlete's Training Bible (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?pwb=1&ean=9781931382427)

The first contains training advice specifically for IM distance races.

Nutrition: Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. You will drop weight and be healthier. Your body with thank you. There is a special section on how to modify his eating plan for an athlete. The gist of the way of eating is to eat mainly vegetables, fruits and beans and whole grains. Pretty easy. Pretty effective. I don't think you need to supplement with protein drinks or

Swimming: Triathlon Swimming Made Easy by Terry Laughlin. Also get his Freestyle Made Easy DVD. Be patient, do the drills. Its worth it.

Running: ChiRunning by Danny Dryer.

Cycling: Chris Carmichael has a pretty good book that I read that covers all sort of bike stuff. I forget the name of it.

As you get closer to a triathlon you may want to read some triathlon training books. I liked Eric Harr's book. It is written for new triathletes preparing to do sprint or olympic distance triathlons.

Thanks everyone. I agree with James that my timeframe is tight. At the very least, I want to complete a half IM in 2006. I'm concerned most about the swim (no experience in ocean swimming) and have already begun training on the bike (by far my strong suit). It's hard to train with two small kids and an international move forthcoming. I plan to join a gym in Holland and get a trainer to help. If I can negotiate the training time with the wife, then time will not be a factor (I teach so all summers and holidays off).

If for scheduling reasons I decide to enter a full IM next summer, what's wrong with a personal plan to only swim and ride? I know that the 112 miles is within me based on the progress I've already made. If I feel like continuing, then I can walk if necessary to see how far I can make it in the 17 hours. Maybe I could enter a few sprints overseas. Are there many of those to sign up for? Thanks again.

Slisk

i don't know what the triscene is like in holland, but in germany there's plenty of sprint tris or any other distance tris to choose from. and as i mentioned: germany's not even a 2 hour drive away!

i think not running is a risky (read: no recommended) way to prepare for an IM.
i mean sure: with a decent swim and bike you should have plenty of time to hike the run to the finish line before the 17hour cut-off, but isn't it also a question of pride? ;)

personally i think you can get away with not cycling easier than not running...

Thanks James. To answer some of your earlier questions, I will be flying out July 12 so I will miss seeing that race. I definetely would like to do the German tri thing (I'll take the train). My plan is to start the run after my weight is down 15 more lbs. Swimming will start in July (no pool or gym membership now). I continue to ride the bike, stretch and learn about training and nutrition. About the swim/ride comment I made...too many folks seem to believe that getting to a full IM distance in one year is not advised/possible. If that's the case, I'll still train for all three with a goal to at least finish the first two legs in time. Anything above that is gravy. Hopefully, I will put in the megahours required and will be ready to keep going to the end...so there is some pride involved I guess.

James, I'll look you up once I get settled in. Thanks again.

Slisk