First Triathlon Goal? Complete!

I got a good deal on a Specialized Allez Elite Triple road bike.   It's a little small for me but it will do what I need it to do until I start doing some of the longer tri events.   The tri we did yesterday was a shorter bike but the ones that I'm doing after the marathon slowly increase in length all the way up to 56miles for a half-Ironman to 125 for a full-Ironman.    If I get a slot in Kona then I will consider laying down some serious cash for a really nice bike.   They can get VERY pricey.   As in I could probably trade my Harley in and still be a couple grand short of the total price of the bike.  :)

This is a link to my bike:  http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=21898

after reading your post i needed to take a nap. i don't have endurance. i do my little 2.5 mile run ( whole time thought it was three until i bought a pedometer!) and call it a day. i have the wind but my joints say stop. good job. i know scott got into this big time with aj too. these guys are machines now. sounds like you found what works for you and that's the whole key. maybe this will encourage a few guys to try. i've always stated, like everyone else, find something you like, is fun and will stick with. this will keep you in shape and unfat the rest of your life.....carbonblob

Wow congradulations chad.  When will you know about the ironman? It is snowing here in Oregon and I cant get to the gym. So since wood is our only source of heat I guess I'll go chop some for awile...lol Hey it counts doesnt it? I was happy to be running on the treadmill for 30min straight....lol Oh well baby steps! Derrick

I'll know if I got in to the Kona IronMan at the end of March and the Escape from Alcatraz in San Francisco at the end of February.  I really want to do both but if I had my choice I'd definately choose Hawaii.  :)

Man I don't know how you guys up north deal with snow.   It's gotta be cool for around 15 minutes then it must become a big freakin' pain in the ass. 

Well we are both born and raised in Arizona so this snow deal is kinda new to us. It is not to bad were we live it snows from time to time but is mostly gone by the afternoon. Rarely does it stick all day. We miss the sun but when I get really tired of it all I just go on a trip with the wife to somewhere sunny. Since her airline started to go to Hawaii it is all she wants to work. She goes about 3-4 times a mounth. So we just abbandon the kids...lol (17,18,19) so it's ok I have not been to Kona yet but several times to Maui,Kawaii and Ohau. Good luck With getting to both. Derrick

Nice job, Chad!
Looks like you've caught the bug, my friend!
Careful, now... This hobby can get quite expensive... $8000 Carbon Tri Bikes, $3000 Wheel sets, $500 Wetsuits, not to mention the crazy entry fees for some of these damn races!
I've actually taken on some freelance work to pay for all of this stuff!

And just some notes about Kona.
While I think that it's a GREAT goal (happens to be one of mine, as well)... Kona ain't no joke. It's widely recognized as being WAY tougher than any other Iron distance race. Only the best of the best qualify. I train with some elite and professional triathletes in all age groups and classes who can't make the cut. Of course, there's the Kona lottery. But, the chance of having your number called is quite slim. And even if you're picked, you must complete one of a very few IronMan sanctioned qualifying races before they let you anywhere near the Queen K Highway.
The Race directors and the World Triathlon Committee HATE having to let newbies race... it's all about safety. And, if an athlete isn't 100% prepared, it can get real ugly. The TV broadcast shows all the inspiring stories... they never show the folks who have to be pulled from the water or hooked up to an IV for dehyration.

Personally, I've completed 4 Olympic Distances and I've got 2 Half-Irons this season (Including The IronMan® sanctioned qualifyer Eagleman 70.3 in June). Next year, I'll be taking on either Full IronMan Wisconsin or Louisville.

The mistake most triathletes make is not respecting the distances.
Baby steps my friend... Train hard and train safe.
Congrats on all you've accomplished, thus far.
Good luck with everything

Be Well,
A.J.

Thanks A.J.   I'm in the lottery for Kona and I know it's pretty much a pipe dream but hey everyone can dream.  :)

I've got 2 marathons and around 10 triathlons on tap in the next 4 months all over Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Florida.   Most of the triathlons are sprints with a few Olympic Distance tris thrown in too.   I've got my eye on the Florida Challenge Half-Iron Tri in October as my 'qualifyng' race.   By 'qualifying' I mean completing them.  I'm not in it to compete.  I'm in it to complete.  For me it's not about the competition.   It's about crossing the finish line.

I'm reading "Slow, Fat Triathlete" by Jayne Williams right now.   It's a break from all the training manuals I've been reading and if you haven't read it, it's a great read.   She's funny and provides a great insight into the sport from a newbie's perspective.

Thanks again.

Chad.

Nice!
I'm with you... Crossing the Finish Line is my ONLY goal for any race.

I'll let all those life-long, die-hards worry about drafting or shaving a few grams off of the bike weight by upgrading to expensive carbon watter bottle cages!

Jeez... 12 races in 4 months?
That's a heavy schedule... Don't forget how important proper Recovery time is between races. I pushed too hard last season and my body just gave out by October. 2 Months of Physical Therapy on my knee, and I'm finally back to semi-serious running.

And yup... "Slow, Fat Triathlete" is one of the first Tri-books I read. (I made my wife read it too)

Go Get 'Em, Bro...
Keep us updated
-A.J.