Put your hand up who's a Triathlete!

Go on then we must inaugurate this new Folder!!

I have done one Super Sprint, but wasnt very good at it anyway it was great fun and am training to do a few next year!

Is anyone here training for it? Maybe we can exchange tips?

Never done one before, but decided not to fanny around and have signed up for a 70.3 (half iron-man) next year. I haven't got into structured training at the moment - just trying to shift some weight and get general fitness levels up. In the New Year, I'll start training more systematically.

I sense already though that the bike-run transition is the tricky bit and getting enough food in on the bike to survive the run.

Lots. Not very fast! But staggered round my first Ironman in 13:21 this year

WOW that's impressive , I like the thought of doing a BIG one but I think I will get bored of running/cycling for 10hr +! Which ones are you going to do?

This year I did Mallorca Half Ironman (stunning!) and Austria IM (stunning too!). I stuck firm to my coach's plan and it all worked out on the day. Next year I am doing Antwerp half IM again (did it in 2010). Boredom was never a factor.

I'm looking at doing a Sprint in July next year as a first ... possibly.

Not yet, though I'm currently learning to swim so I can become one. Have competed in a "Mountain Duathlon" though, where I came comprehensively last! (The winner finished the entire event before I finished the bike leg!)

Did a couple of Duathlons this year and looking to get some swimming lessons with a view to tackling a few tri's "OneDay™". Other things just seem to be getting in the way right now though!

You are just showing off now! Only joking! Well done ! Now I know who's going to answer all my tri questions!

which one DC? It'll be good to post your progress here, let us know how you are doing!

It doesnt matter what position you got, at least 'you' achieved it and not 'everyone' could have done that! Now you got something to work on.
From what I have read, the Swim is where most people take it 'easy' in the sense that (for sprint/ ss at least) being suche a small partion of the race it doesnt matter if you take 2/3 min longer than the fast ones. But 10-20 min off a cycle or run make a LOT of difference!

Good luck with your swimming, I am working on this at the moment, just to perfection my technique and currently using swimming as a conditioning exercise (and relax in sauna afterwards) in between running/ cycling.

No, and don't intend to try... I am building up a bike for my wife to use when she has a go

In one of those odd co-incidences, JayClock is the only other person on this forum I know of who has done an Ironman - and we both did the same race (Ironman Austria 2011). I didn't realise that he'd rolled in about 10 minutes before me, though (I finished in 13:27).

I've done half-a-dozen or so sprints, a few duathlons, a couple of Standards, and one Middle Distance (half Iron distance) as well as the Ironman.

How important have you found having a coach, JayClock? I'm doing everything on my own at the moment and plan to work to an training schedule I found on-line. I'd be interested to get a feel for how much coaching helps.

Might see you in Antwerp!

Edit: congratulations on completing an ironman!

I am an old roadie, I got in to triathlon two years ago after I started swimming to recover from a longterm knee injury and I was talked in to it by my wife. I did two duathlons and 10 triathlons this year and got in to the age group competiton side of things. I qualified for the world champs but did not register to go due to work comittments but I'm off to the European sprint champs in Eilat in April followed by IMUK in July. So mixing distances is a new challenge and it's my first IM. (tattoo or no tattoo ?)

Good luck to the newbies, when you get hooked you are really hooked. Once you buy all the gear, there is only one thing you can do... buy more gear. N+1 on everything.

Well the coach is our club coach who I pay to devise a monthly programme. In 2009 and 2010 I did half IMs with no huge problems devising my own programme, and it worked ok. Personally I liked the discipline of having it laid out for me and stuck rigidly. Do practise clothes, food drink etc that you will use on the day.

Nice coincidence. For once in my life I followed the rules rather than winging it, and was lucky to have no injury or mechanicals, and never once felt I could not get round. My first ever marathon and that was 5:21 with a fair bit of walking (ball of left foot very painful)

How about you? And what's next?

I was a triathlete - did Nice in 1986 and the Finnish Ironman in 1987 (12 hrs 23mins). I also spent several years competing in the UK Grand Prix series. My last triathlon was in 1989 when my baby boy was born (he's now 22). I've still got five bikes (three made by Bob Jackson) but prefer to tour these days. Last summer my wife and I did a 14 day LEJOG. I'm planning a 28 day LEJOGLE next summer.

Despite my retirement from triathlon, I still enjoy watching it on Eurosport and feel proud that this is something that the UK has some strength in - roll on the 2012 Olympics!!

Working my way there...was rowing until October but after a year of back trouble I've decided to work on my swimming over the winter in preparation. First duathlon coming up in 2 weeks then I'm excited for tri's, overall goal is working up to Ironman within the next few years. After years of team sports it's time to find out what I'm really made of - also planning an ultramarathon or two within the next 6-8 months

I am now, having started last year at the deep end (see my signature for the painful details). I am now engaged in serious winter training with a view to doing a whole range of events from sprint tri's to a half-Ironman next year.

xxmimixx - it'll be the Yorkshire one at Pugneys in July, simply because it's about 10 miles from me.

The only concern with that one is I'm doing the 3 Peaks in 24 hours (UK not Yorkshire) a week later for charity.