I have a noob question for you all. First a little background… then my question.

About 10 years ago I was in a really bad car accident, breaking both legs, and now have 3 titanium rods and 11 screws spread out amongst both legs. I was in a wheelchair for 6 months and didn’t walk normally for about a year. To look at me now (with clothes on hiding the scars ) I look perfectly healthy.

Over the last 1.5 years I’ve fallen in love with road cycling. I can easily manage a 5.5hr century on the bike and, in general, keep myself in pretty good shape.

Over the last few months I’ve wanted to attempt an Olympic tri but was hesitant due to my past injuries. Last month I saw my orthopedic surgeon and he said the risk of injury was too high for him to give me the ok to run. He said swimming and cycling were ok, he just didn't want me to run.

I really want to do JUST ONE Olympic distance tri just to prove something to myself considering how far I’ve come from my injuries. After that one tri I would hang it up and just go back to cycling.

My question is… Would I be a complete idiot if I busted my a** for a good time on the swimming & cycling portions, but then did a sort of speed walk on the running portion?

Like I said, I’m not looking to win, but rather to finish the tri as more of a personal milestone/achievement.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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I say go for it. There are no rules against it. And since you're quick on the bike, you probably won't be last either

I can say from personal experience that you probably won't be last. I have never speed walked, but I usually split walking and running, and you'd be surprised how fast you'll actually go. Especially in an Olympic distance, it won't affect your time as much as you might think. I say go for it, and congratulations ahead of time.

I almost always end up walking a portion of the run...

Wow, first of all you should be ecstatic with the progress you have made. Sounds like swimming and biking are really helping with your recovery!

As for the Tri, the rules don't say you have to "run" anything, just complete it. If you complete the distance, you are a triathlete.

The only people that will tell you otherwise are the same people that say only Kona IMers have the right to the m-dot tattoo.

I say go for it - just don't get carried away on the "run" portion and actually try to run it - you wouldn't want to injure yourself to a point where you couldn't bike or swim!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great.

By the way, that is similar to saying I want to try heroin JUST ONCE to see how it feels...Good luck not getting addicted !

do it.

Do it!!! I think you may have a problem afterwards, because you will want to do another one to see if you can do more!!!!

GOOD JOB!!!!

WOW! What a life come back, you must have learned some real hard life lessons, but look at you now. I've only done one tri, but the people and experience was sooooooo positive I would say go for it. Tri's at my level are about personal accomplishment and quality of life, not winning. I agree with the others, you will be hooked.

Definitely inform your doctor of your intentions.

Man, huge props to you. I am faster on the bike, not by much, and I have 0 rods in my legs. Effin Eh man. Just to reiterate what everyone else has said. Just do it, push the swim and the bike as much as you feel comfortable, then just do the run, or i geuse in your case walk, as fast as you can. I know that completeing a triathlon is going to be a huge achievment, but you dont want to reinjure yourself to the point you cant ride anymore. And brother, cycling is a lifestyle, you just cant not cycle.....

Though i do have to say congrats regardless of if you do it or not. You are out trying, injuries be dammed. Now if only more of the population were like you...

you could always enter a team tri, do the swim and bike legs, and let someone else do the run.

If you really want to finish it yourself, you can walk the run (plenty of people walk) but a team event will give you a chance to keep competing and you'll probably want to after the first

either way, you have my admiration - "respect!"

/k

Thanks for the responses. I think I'm going to do it even if I do kill my time just walking the last portion.

At first the Dr's thought I was going to die, then they said I'd lose both my legs, then they said I'd never walk again, then they said I'd walk but with a gimp. Now I walk just fine and perhaps will be a triathlete... even if it is just one... and even if I did walk... :-)

That's an awesome story. Good luck with all your goals. As I said before, you shouldn't worry at all about walking the run, and when you get there and the adrenaline kicks in, you'll probably end up running half of it anyways.

Oh, and in conjunction with a marathon training book I'm reading, you should not question whether or not you will be a triathlete. If you keep telling yourself, as well as everybody else, that you're a triathlete, you will be one. You're a triathlete because you're training for a triathlon, and certainly don't let anyone tell you that you're not one if you walk. Remind yourself that you're a triathlete every day (I'm trying to remind myself that I'm a marathoner). Good luck again.

Oh, btw, that book is called the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. It's a great training book, and it's only like 10 bucks. The training activities themselves are specifically for a marathon, but it also delves into every other aspect of exercising, including the psychology. I think it's a great book for any kind of endurance athlete. Sorry for the commercial. We can now return to our regularly scheduled thread.

I have had a chronic knee injury for years. The only way I could compete in a full tri for a few years now has been to run some and speed walk some. I've completed a half ironman doing this. Obviously, my run time was slow. But as another poster indicated, I certainly was not last. My swim and bike times were not bad. Sometimes when people see you running they will cheer you on, as if you are walking because you are worn out. Sometimes I explain. Most of the time I just thank them for their encouragement.