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I'm doing a half Ironman in Dec. I'm a few months into training. It's been very, very hard. This is my first time doing a long race like this. It's been demanding, but fun. Here are a few pros and cons I've had (for anyone looking to get off the couch and try it out!).
Background: I was an elite high school athlete. Started running the mile and 800m in hs, but then switched to the 200m and 400m junior and senior year. Ran 21 for 200m and 48/49 in 400m. Got a small scholarship for d1 track. Uncle rico proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbs2t9znAnU ….pic.twitter.com/r1Bh7SYY0f
I only competed in college for 2 years. After school, I didn't workout much. Now, 8 years later, I'm getting back into it. Slightly above average fitness, but went into this training not being that fit. Ok, so here are the pros and cons.
Pro: Doing cardio 10-15 hours a week, sweating that much feels great. Having a goal/deadline made me 10x more disciplined about fitness. Hours in the pool without a phone is my fav. Training is more about nutrition than I thought, so learning about that has been game-changing.
Pro: Its easy to see gains. I couldn't swim well before this, but I'm surprised how fast I've improved. Feels great. I thought 60 min of cardio was awful. But now that's just the warmup. Makes me proud of myself + expanded what I thought I could do.
Pro: 10-15 hours is a lot of time, but it's not too bad. 60-90 min on school nights, and 2-4 hours on Saturday/Sunday. My weekends are dedicated to long rides/swims/runs. But it's cool. The alone time is great. The triathlon/weekend warrior community is super supportive.
But the biggest pro: I hired a coach ($200/monthly). And because I have a goal, I've eliminated fuckarounditis with fitness. I've had this for years. Having a goal, a plan, and accountability...I should have created this setup years ago vs dicking around at the gym for years.
Ok, now the cons, which are maybe bigger than the pros: 10-15 hours/week doing cardio is not at all the best way to get general fitness. A few hours of weekly cardio and weights would be better for general fitness. Easier. 3-hour bike rides suck and getting it done is an ordeal.
Cons: It's freakin expensive. $2k bike/gear, $500 wetsuit, $400 watch, $1k random other things. I've actually gained 5 pounds since training. This is common. Burning 2k calories in a workout makes me overeat. Fighting that sucks. Still learning.
Cons: for power athletes, doing lots of cardio just makes me feel skinny fat (even though I'm not that skinny!). My body would feel better/look better/respond better with 5-10 miles of weekly running along with heavy lifting.
Cons: For most people, I bet doing fast sprint intervals weekly would be far more efficient and better. But for Ironman stuff, doing that training is a no go, so missing that sucks. Injuries: stress fractures, strains, soreness, feels like I'm teetering injury constantly.
Ok, that's it. Overall, I'm happy I'm doing this. It's more fun than it is bad, but I don't know if I'll do it again. After, I will 100% create a new goal and get a coach. It's been game-changing vs casual excercise. Anyone have anything to add about their experience?
1 more note to anyone who's fit now: don't stop. Losing my fitness after college, trying to regain is 1 of my biggest regrets in life. Regaining takes forever. I wish I had kept exercise in my life and maintaining a healthy life vs going from all in to nothing. But was burnt out.
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