Only decision is which of the 3 training programs to follow- they are ‘just get round’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘competitive’
Plenty of other useful info as well as the 3 programs! Keep us posted!
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Echo that, used that exact book to get me round my first and only IM back in 2007 and it worked well.
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Happy birthday for tomorrow and good luck.
Main things I’d add is that if you have a local tri club that does coached sessions that should help improve your swim, or if there’s anyone locally that might do it for a few ££, technique is first way to get faster in the pool.
Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike.
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Another vote for Iron Fit…. for a newcomer to IM, its an absolute bible… only criticism is that its swim heavy, and as Jeff says above, more bike is probably wise…. but its a minor gripe, not a major issue
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+1 from me as well - £7.19 at world of books (guess it might be a bit sweaty)
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Happy birthday Pete! Good luck in your quest to become an Ironman and enjoy the process. Please keep us updated 
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The million dollar question (almost literally) - which one do you fancy ?
I’m sure you would get lots of different favourite ones here, but there’s local/exotic, flat/hilly (sometimes called scenic), quiet/razamataz, some don’t sell out and some sell out in about 1 minute (well one does)
Happy Birthday
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Do you want to do an Ironman branded race or or an Iron distance race?
Happy Birthday @Pete and welcome. The next 12 months should be quite exciting. You need to let us all know how it progresses.
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Many thanks for the friendly welcome.
The Iron Fit book looks just the ticket so I’ve ordered a (hopefully not sweaty) used copy from World of Books. Thank you @TROSaracen for taking the time to post a pic of the contents.
I’ve dug out my ancient Garmin Forerunner 305 and chest strap. To my surprise it still works, though it bleeped like something from a hospital drama all the way round this morning’s Parkrun so I may need to adjust the heart zones. Or walk up the hills.
Must admit I haven’t thought far enough ahead re which event, whether branded or not. I do know that I want to have the ‘official’ IM label which I think means doing it within a certain time(?). I’m definitely in the ‘get round’ category.
Been given some resistance bands for my birthday, so along with my Forerunner and my trusty old touring bike I guess I’m good to go. Just need to get down to the ghastly business of training now.
Thank you again for the advice and welcome. No doubt I’ll be back soon with lots of questions.
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Sounds like you’ve got everything in place.
Do keep coming back… you will inevitably have a squillion questions about the event itself and race day protocols, but also training and progress and the setbacks we all experience, and there is SOOOOOO much great experience on here. I dread to think what the combined IM count is across just the regulars, let aone the whole registered communtiy, and good advice is offered freely and willingly all the time.
PS. It has to be Lanzarote. All other IMs are no harder than a Parkrun, and are for wimps…. 
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TBF Wales gives anywhere a (park)run for it’s money, hilly swim, hilly T1, hilly bike, hilly run 
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Training is over-rated. Just let the power of the crowd carry you round! 
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I walked past a local authority ‘sheltered housing’ place the other day; it was for “55+”. Fuck me that was sobering, not really that far away.
My biggest worry is losing my marbles long before the rest of me is ready to give up. A growing 21st Century issue.
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This place is a couple of kms behind where we lived for years. We used to ads on the TV for it all the time. Strange to think I qualify to live there now!
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Flicked through the thread and realised I’d not read it since 2020 … oops!
Turned 57 in Jan and thinking of retirement so, I guess like most of those earlier in the thread, have started to construct a spreadsheet to do the outgoings and income calculations. This has turned out to be more complicated than I imagined. Did anyone either find or develop something reasonable comprehensive?
I’ve been very fortunate in that, moving freelance in 2007 has allowed me significant amounts of time off. On the other hand, I’m an older dad, with a son who turns 10 this year so need to factor that in.
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That’s the concern when you are physically fit that the body outlives the brain.
But there’s a lot of research which implies keeping fit, active and social helps reduce it.
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That’s for sure a concern, but for me, that’s a much better outcome than the other way round.
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welcome to my world
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I’m more worried about outliving my pension🤣
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