Life after Ironman

[tin pot]

Bolton is my second and final hurrah as far as Ironman goes for the foreseeable future

We welcome into the world out third child on July 28th, so I'm not expecting to want to put in huge hours anymore.

I also start with a new client on July 18th, so summer will be hectic!

I do hope to stay in triathlon and move down to short course, low training hours, maybe even try to get fast on the run. Again.

Any tips on transitioning down to short course/staying in the loop on minimal hours?

I've got an olympic at Hever in September again, may do a little structured training for it. Maybe do some local sprints/olympics next year if it suits us.
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Iron ‘17 16h11, '16 14h30
Half Iron ‘18 DNF, '17 7h39, 6h28 '16 5h53
Olympic '16 3h18 '15 3h33, '13 3h36
Sprint '16 1h17, '14 1h40, '13 2h01
Half Mara '16 2h04, '14 2h07
Trail 10K '16 54:01 '13 54:46

[JeffB]

With the work you've put in for the IM's it should be less of an issue keeping\getting fitness for shorter races, and even an odd 70.3, as long as you don't aim to be on the podium etc.

IM's are tough mentally and physically when you look at the long bikes & runs, and I'm not sure I'll be doing one next year (or this).

Jeff

[Chrace]

Last year I had my second child in March, so training was <1 hour/week. For various reasons I turned up at Triathlon X in June and managed to get around both swim and bike (bailed on the run).

This year I completed the X on 2h45m/week average between January and June (sure, it took me 19h34m but I did complete ).

It all depends what you want to do in the IM. If you want to be racing, either against your own PB or others, then you need the hours. If you want to complete and have a laugh then really you just need to go out once in a while, keep a really low base, and take it easy on the day.

I don't think kids and IM are mutually exclusive. But they sure as hell restrict your training volume, so set your targets accordingly.
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Where the mind goes the body follows.

[tin pot]

Thanks guys, it's not just whether I could keep doing long distance, it's that I don't want to, and I see opportunity in that.

By writing off long course I can focus on the family for a while.

Long course training had many benefits, but nutrition and recovery is something I still haven't learned, and I don't think I can improve until I can eat and sleep healthily. Sleep I won't be getting for six months any way!

January 1st I would be obsessed with training for July, but a sprint or only you can just rock up to and enjoy, no need for mental anguish.

In four years I've learned that I cannot train consistently for any significant period of time. The TR Low volume Olympic Plan is only six workouts a week, or if I just focussed on one of my clubs I could run three times a week much more likely to be consistent then and improve.

I have really enjoyed racing this season, but being way from the family rather than having them with me isn't really the direction I want my life to go in.
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Iron ‘17 16h11, '16 14h30
Half Iron ‘18 DNF, '17 7h39, 6h28 '16 5h53
Olympic '16 3h18 '15 3h33, '13 3h36
Sprint '16 1h17, '14 1h40, '13 2h01
Half Mara '16 2h04, '14 2h07
Trail 10K '16 54:01 '13 54:46

[Jorgan]

I would pick some shorter races that appeal due to location or format, rather than standard sprints or olys. There seem to be less of them around these days, which is a shame. What about the Perranporth Tri for example?
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26 Years since it all began....

[SGreg]

I struggle massively

I go into year offs with good intentions and end up doing next to nothing.

Its only the thought of doing ironman undercooked that inspires me to do the required training.

Years off tend to be me trying to kill my liver

[Davem]

same here - from the heights of being able to do stupid amounts of training and events to nothing then trying to get back into it...

gets harder every time I have a timeout..
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[TriSam]

For periods with younguns or when people have lost their mojo, enjoyment is a big part of the sport. If you're not enjoying something, why bother?

A guy I know well forced himself to do a year of long distance racing and training when he wasn't feeling it, and meant he left the sport for a long time afterwards. If you wake up one day and feel like you have the time and the drive for a run, go for a run! If not, don't put pressure on yourself to do it.

Like Jorgan said, get yourself entered into an event that appeals due to location and format and just enjoy it! I've had a blast this year doing some races I wouldn't normally (MTB Duathlons, Crit racing) purely for the fun of it. If you're only entered for the experience, there's less stress on times/position.

[tin pot]

[snowie]

i've cut back from 15-20hrs per week since november to between 3-5 hrs per week & for me its the eating.
i can eat for three but have had to cut back because of piling on the weight.
the good news is that i can still do a 1/2 in podium time

[hammerer]

[TriSam]

And we all know why they didn't last long...

[tin pot]

All except me.
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Iron ‘17 16h11, '16 14h30
Half Iron ‘18 DNF, '17 7h39, 6h28 '16 5h53
Olympic '16 3h18 '15 3h33, '13 3h36
Sprint '16 1h17, '14 1h40, '13 2h01
Half Mara '16 2h04, '14 2h07
Trail 10K '16 54:01 '13 54:46

[explorerJC]

why not take up triathlon?
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[caesar]

How about concentrating on one discipline at a time for a while? TTing is fairly family friendly, can stay sharp or make gains off a couple of hour long turbo or road ints sessions and another 1 or 2 hour ride a week. Opens are quite often early in the morning so sometimes I'm home by 8am on a Saturday after a 10 and have the whole weekend free.
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Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and they'll have no shoes.