need inspiration to do a triathlon

run slower and longer ... you will feel the benefits ... triathlon can change you life , I was 16 stone 5 years ago now 4 times ironman and 12 stone you also will meet some of the most supportive can do people in the worldenjoy it its fantastic

I completed the running leg of the team olympic at the Michelob Triathlon on Saturday. This has given me the bug to try the whole thing. However, I was disappointed with my 10km run which I did in 51.24. More disappointingly, I walked a couple of time albeit for only 30 seconds. Even though I had done a lot of training it just highlighted that its so, so important to really put it in and also get rid of the weight (although I'd say I was only a stone overweight at 15 stone and 6ft 3lb).I know how terrible I felt on the run alone so need a bit of inspiration from someone out there who's had a similar experience and ended up achieving something as tough as a triathlon. Anyone got sound advice which will convince me to register for the Olympic Distance as an individual now?

Go for it, hopefully my story will give you the inspiration you need, but be warned this stuff becomes addictive!I am 6'4" and back in January 2003 aged 33 I weighed in at a mighty 18 stone. With some work colleages we had a challenge to lose 10% of our body weight by easter & in order to achieve this I decided to try running. When I started I couldn't run 1km without stopping for a rest, but in a few months the distances gradually increased so I could run 10k (the distance from home to work) in less than an hour, so I started to run to work a couple of mornings a week. By Easter I was down to 15 stone & that is where I have stayed (+/- 5lbs).Then a friend bet me that I couldn't run a marathon in less than 4.5 hours. So I started training & ran the 2004 London marathon in 4hrs 9 minutes. At the time this was the most physically painful but most rewarding thing I had ever done. Bitten by the bug I ran the marathon in 2005 & this year but have not improved on my time (injuries & illness were factors both times). Driven by a mid life crisis of wanting to do an Ironman before I am 40 I entered the Olympic Distance at the London Triathlon this year to see how I would get on. My training programme was probably a little short as I concentrated on the marathon until April & then took a whole month off to recover. When I started I found I could only swim 100m before I needed a rest & I was taking over 1.75 hours to cycle 40k. I made gradual progress & by the end of July I could happily cycle 40km on a Sunday afternoon in 1.5 hours & swim 1500m in 35 minutes in a pool once or twice a week.I arrived at Excel on Sunday absolutely terrified, I had never swum in open water & never covered the race distance in training. My stated aim was to finish, secretly inside I wanted to be under 3 hours, but I knew there was a chance I might not even make it to the finish line.As it turned out I did better than I could ever have hoped for. Swim 31:58, Bike 1:20:55 & Run 57:26 plus transitions for a total time of 2:57:26. I too was forced to walk a couple of times on the run but it was very hot & I knew I need to drink.As I reflect on what I have achieved, I was 365th out of 504 finishers in the 35-39 age group so 72% of the people were faster than me BUT I am 6'4" & 210lbs which is not really the ideal build for an athlete, 3 years ago I struggled to run for a bus & this was my first attempt at triathlon.As for damaging your bank balance, I tried to keep costs down by buying a bike off ebay for £250 & renting a wetsuit. On the day I passed people on far more expensive bikes than mine & was passed by people on older cheaper ones, maybe spending thousands on equipment helps if you are at the sharp end of the race but it cannot be a substitue for training.So in summary, I am 1" taller than you & exactly the same weight, my 10k pb is 51mins and I managed to finish the olympic distance in under 3 hours so I am sure you can too.