my life up to 40 was also rugby but I’m the sub-6’, 100kg+ prop forward shape not really suited to triathlon (did my first aged 50). There are a large number of ex-rugby players in triathlon and our bulk is always an issue if you want to win - you’ll never beat the skinny whippet runners. Some ex-internationals have done quite well but they are usually the jessies from the backs - us forwards struggle more.
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Ah good to hear there is another heavy rugby player in the ranks!!!
I resigned myself to never having the chance to win before I even started, for me and where I am now, completing them will be the win.
I’ve set myself 4 goals of where I’d be happy.
Top 50% in my age bracket = feels like i’ve won it
Top 75% in my age bracket = Really happy
Just complete and don’t come last = happy
Come last but finish = still happy 
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Does the extra height weight help on the Bike? TBH the bike is the part that I’m finding the easiest and which in my heads bodes well as it’s the biggest portion of the races.
reckon the extra watts must help
the first tri bar here is low btw:
my first tri:
swam backstroke half the way
did whole thing in Banesto team bike kit
towelled down
wore socks and trainers
fell off my bike on a bend
which was a mountain bike
got told off by a marshall for language (after the fall)
still finished happy 
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Training update - short one on Zwift tonight.
Was intervals 8 minute warm up then:
6 sets of 30 secs of 110% of FTP with 15 secs of recovery
4 min Zone 2 recovery
6 sets of 30 secs of 110% of FTP with 15 secs of recovery
6 sets of 30 secs of 110% of FTP with 15 secs of recovery
3 Min cool down
Was enjoyable, legs felt a bit heavy from yesterday so took a while to get them spinning properly in the warm up, 2nd set was a hard push towards the end but got through it.
Tomorrow is an easy 20 mins run
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Ok This makes me feel better as this sounds far more like what I imagine my race is going to be like.
Altho I have have absolutely ALL the gear. AAALLLLLLLLLLLL of it as my wife likes to remind me
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If you’re larger, then it’s a mixed bag:
It takes more effort to get up to speed but then you hang onto it for longer (conservation of momentum)
Power typically higher which is good on the flat
Weight tends to be higher which is less good on the hills
The only real advantage of being tall is in the swim as each stroke is longer (if you’re competent).
Being lighter is better in almost every conceivable circumstance … < waits for inevitable examples > …
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@G8zzaj enjoying reading this thread and best of luck with your training and upcoming event. Lots of people on here much more qualified to give you triathlon advice than me. Only thing I would add is that atm your motivation is extremely high and hopefully it will stay that way. Things can feel very different in the middle of a cold and wet November and it can be easy to see your motivation to train take a knock, so always worth trying to make sure that some of your weekly sessions are with your mates, or a club session etc. it’s always easier to get out the door and do this hard stuff if you’re going to do it with other people.
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@Cobbie Thanks for the insight, looks like I won’t be winning any King of the Mountain anytime soon then!!!
Hey @wheezy glad to hear you’re enjoying it. I’m in Dubai so it’s the opposite for me, at the moment I’m running and cycling in 35-40 degree heat with 50-80% humidity so November will be absolute heaven for me with 20-25 degree’s and low humidity!!
But I deffo agree with the support group, I have my friend who I’m doing the Ironman with, a cycling group and a couple of other people that are doing the smaller events on the way to the Ironman so have a nice community around me which deffo helps.
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I’m sure you’ll find more if you stick with tri long enough 
Definitely not all needed though.
There’s a good chance you have close to as much as me already.
Oh yes! I’m finding that out each and everyday!!!
I bought two cycling bib and jersey combo’s - one is jumbo Visma and the other is Team UAE. It was only after watching the Tour De France unchained that I’ve realised wearing those to my cycling meet is like turning up to my first 5 aside game head to toe in Man City kit
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Found more
Got the Wahoo Roam computer today and somehow got talked into the favero assiona uno power meters, collect them tomorrow along with my TT handlebars
This is what I imagine crack must feel like.
Does anyone else hide their receipts in the glove box of the car away from the wife???
Training update tonight, did 45 min on the bike, at a constant power of 170W in ERG mode for 10 mins then 4 mins at 135W for 3 rounds, straight into a 2.5k run which took 19:47.
Feel quite confident for the Duathlon 1st October as it’s 2.5KM Run, 10KM Bike, 2.5KM run and that should take me in and around an hour and the brick session I just did was over an hour and I felt ok
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Don’t need to, as am at least 400 miles away from your wife 
That is however quite a shopping spree, praying for you when she finds out.
Doing a brick is the mark of a serious triathlete I reckon, so respect for that . Doubt many people do them just for fun.
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If she finds the receipts I might be moving in next to you to avoid the headache!!!
It was but I’m kind of the opinion that if I am going to get these eventually to for the Ironman then I may as well get them now and get used to them.
I do however think I am done, actually ignore that! I’m going to get TT handlebars and then i’m done
Although I did find myself in the bike shop eyeing up a Cervelo P6 like child looking through a toy shop window!
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There’s a bike shop a few metro stations away from us called Carbon Wheels.
Wife has run crime scene tape around it in a 250m radius to keep me out.
Bet you have stuff equally blingy, or more??
edit: unfortunately Mrs FT believes this establishment in the old souk is more suited to our budget:
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I have SRAM on my commuter (gathering dust for years now!). Do the modern levers still have that awful up/down shifting method using the single lever behind the brake?
My Trek SC also runs SRAM R2C shifters and mechs. Again that’s gathering dust after I broke the RD Zwifting one day! Canyon Endurace has a mix of R6800 & 8000 Ultegra; I need to fit the new cassette/chain and pads.
Yes, or at least they did a couple of years ago on Rival.
I have a feeling SRAM will drop mechanical groups soon-ish. Or at least stop any meaningful development work.
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My mate has a brand new Force etap i think.
If i recall it’s no longer the ‘extra’ lever, but you push the whole brake lever in. Left for up, right for down and push them both in at the same time to change the front chainring.
You mean that double-click thing to shift up the cassette? I’ve got that on my gravel bike and it’s shit. I think they dropped it as it was much maligned.
The new AXS stuff is good. Rival is very good VFM and being wireless with individual batteries makes for easy bike assembly.
Best thing about new AXS is the wireless “blips” you can buy (second pic, under bars). Satellite shifting buttons. Just glue them to your bars, TT extensions, helmet(!) wherever you like and shift from there. Both derailleurs. Or pair them to your mate’s bike when he’s not looking and mess with him on the hills
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Yes. Didn’t they call it Double Tap?
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