From drunk overweight golfer to triathlete in 3 days

Training
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Hey everyone,

New hear and looking for some training advice for my first super sprint triathlon.

I had never really thought about cycling or triathlons EVER, I’m a big guy 6"5 118KG (41 years old) and have always stuck to sports such as rugby, boxing and golf.

It was after golf on Saturday, whilst having a few refreshments that an off hand comment about getting a bike planted the seed like Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception.

Sunday I was up and straight out the door and spent all day driving around all 15 bikes shops in Dubai and I returned home with a Bike, smart trainer and all the accessories needed to crack on. 3 evenings of zwift later and I now find myself signed up to a Super Sprint Triathlon on the 29th October.

Of my 5 bike rides over the past 3 evenings I have completed 10k in 22mins,16k in 30 minutes 26k in 1hr, Ramp test and a 10k KOM climb in 27 mins.

Going for my first swim this evening and will run as far as can at the weekend to get a base line

I think I will be comfortable with the cycling as with the indoor trainer I will be getting in around 4 sessions a week, currently starting the FTP Builder training on Zwift so that will be 5 a week.

Would love advice from anyone who has done a super sprint what to expect.

I have drafted up a training schedule below, please let me know thoughts or amendments, as I have the smart trainer I will do most of my cycling in doors in the evening.

Mon - AM Swim/PM Bike
Tues - AM Run/PM Bike
Weds - Rest Day
Thurs - AM Run/PM Bike
Fri - AM outside 40km Bike/PM Swim
Sat - Golf - Rest Day
Sun - Golf - (PM Bike ride dependant on how the legs are feeling) If struggling will have another rest day

Long term golf is to get the super sprint done in Oct, a Sprint in Dec/Jan and then an Olympic before the end of March.

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Welcome, good goals to have and perfectly achievable. I as well as Mr Ramsey on here are both your height. When I started I was in excess of 100kg as well.

Admirable to want to do 2 sessions a day and definitely something to work towards but realistically you may find fatigue sets in after a couple of weeks and consistency suffers. Also what is the content of those sessions? Are you a full “Couch 2” type athlete? what is your running / swimming background? times over say 1k /5k runs / 100 or 400m swims.
There are other considerations also, sleep quality? how much?, how is the nutrition looking?, external stress levels, kids/wife16hr days at work? This also dictates the levels of training we can do.
What I will say is I have done Ironman on avg. 7hrs training a week, so for Olympic distance you can have fun on that and do well. I’m no “athlete” but did a 2:18 off that sort of volume in my late 30’s

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Are you in the UK and/or do you have races in mind as Triathlons pretty much stop after Sep/Oct and switch to duathlons until about April?

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Thanks Hammerer,

I flit between couch potato and intense!!! This time last year I signed up for a white collar boxing match and was training 10 sessions a week for the 15 week camp and went from 126KG to 112KG and felt amazing. Had a cartilage op earlier in the year and set me back so now going to throw myself into this. Hoping to get as close to 105KG as possible before the sprint and sub 100KG as the end goal.

Running/Swimming background is non-existent. Cycling background is 5 Zwift sessions this week.

Sleep quality up untl this week has been great, been staying up until midnight watching cycling and triathlon videos all week so need to reign that in.
Food is a meal plan service for 2500 Kcal with 200g protein.
No real stress - job is going well, young family but they’re amazing

Cycling - I can easily get the 8k done
Running - will go for a run at the weekend to see what my baseline is an update here
Swimming - Going with a pal this evening and will see how many lengths of 25m pool I can do as a base line and will update here

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Hey JaRok - I’m in Dubai so my season is the opposite to yours, it’s all through the winter and stops when it gets too hot

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My only surprise is that you are yet to sign up for an Ironman

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don’t encourage him or he’ll become a right PITA and piss off to IMJ :wink:

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Welcome, good planning, very do-able.

But what we all actually want to know is exactly what bike did you buy?

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Love it! Everyone is different but the fact you have managed to get set up on Zwift so quickly and get all those sessions under your belt is frankly amazing.

Main challenge as I see it could be not melting when training outdoors over the next 2 months, have you got a plan for that? And have you got a group to train with? That can help a lot.

Good luck & please keep us updated with your progress, pics especially welcome :desert: , unless toes.

PS I’m based up the coast from you but am currently on shore leave in UK & have spent the last 3 weeks attempting the same athletic journey in reverse. Doing fine with the weight gain & beer consumption, just haven’t quite got to the bit about taking up golf yet.

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Could we start another thread -

from-drunk-triathlete-to-overweight-golfer-in-3-days

I have a set of clubs.

Maybe time to make the switch myself!

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Thanks for the warm Welcome everyone!

@Cobbie - there has been some talk of it on the group chat :slight_smile:
@LordFlasheart - I got a Giant TCR ADV1 KOM - which means absolutely nothing to me :slight_smile: I’ve got the Wahoo Kickr Core, Wahoo Tickr HRM and Wahoo Element Rival Watch so I guess I’m team Wahoo now!!! Actually just went back for a fitting and they tweaked a few things and it feels so much better now.

@fruitthief - Loving the Zwift so far, think getting into and completing the FTP Builder is going to be great fun. Think most of my training will be indoors on the Kickr, Treadmill and Indoor pool and then end of Sept I will venture outdoors. Will have a 40KM every Fri at the cycle track at 6am to beat the heat. Let me know when you’re back in the region and I can help with the last hurdle of taking you to the golf course!!!

@toby_Hole_in_the_leg This sounds like a plan, let me become an athlete then this sounds like a fun reverse!

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I started playing golf back in 2006. After about 6 months I’d broken 15 golf bats in temper and spent more money on lost balls than a brand new Pinarello Bolide costs. I also had a wardrobe full of really bad, ill fitting jumpers

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thankfully I never took up golf - I tried to hit balls on a driving range and realised then that I would be pretty crap at the game so never bothered.

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Strong choice for a first bike. Kudos.

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To be honest it wasn’t my choice, I was trying to get in and out with a Contend 2 for a 1/3rd of the price!!! Got chatting to a proper cyclist and he was explaining to me about that The shimano Claris won’t be as good as the Ultegra and I should upgrade. next thing I know I’m at home with a different bike!!!

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The best decision you made that day! 105 or Ultegra every time

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cough Campag cough

:grin:

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The wife disagrees with this!

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Nothing wrong with Claris per se; the new version levers work in the same way as all other Shimano levers. But the wide spacing between the gears is something that you will begin to see as a limitation.

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Unlikely to survive I suspect

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