[dpeck]

I appreciate the modesty, but talking about completing an Ironman and having the phrase “really wasn't all that fit” anywhere near it is comical.

Getting through any one of the stages of an Ironman (or heck even a half of each stage) represents a level of fitness most adults do not have and will never attain.

[andreskytt]

Not necessarily true, I think. It’s a mental barrier more, than a physical one. Tell someone you ran 100 m in 12 seconds and they go “meh”. Tell them you did a marathon and they go “i could not do that, awesome, how could you etc.” whereas an average person can do a marathon with a years worth of training and never achieve that sprint time.

It took for me 21 months of training to go from effectively zero to a half ironman and the biggest barrier was swimming, which is very technical in nature. I still can’t swim very well. I was in no shape at all and overweight. If you look at the speeds required to stay within ironman time limits, they are quite low and a person in a slightly better than average condition would be able to sustain them with relative ease. The barriers might be swimming technique (which one might have from training as a kid) and things like biking position and running technique but not necessarily fitness as such. In fact, I see quite a few people visually in much worse shape than I am (i.e. fatter) doing long IMs and beating me at shorter distances.

[swores]

The person you're replying to spoke of what levels people do and will reach, not can reach.

Just as the ability to learn how to fly planes within a year doesn't change the fact that most people aren't and won't become pilots.

[trentnix]

Sure, but my point was really to suggest I’m just a regular guy who did an Ironman very slowly. There are physiological freaks at Ironman events, but I was certainly not one of them. Regular people with a plan and appropriate training can do it.

[moneywoes]

How much running training did you do and if you don't mind sharing what was your marathon time?

[trentnix]

When I started I was able to run a 5k and that was about it. I trained for 21 or 22 weeks.

I think my marathon was a 5:30 or something like that. Lots of walking, but I never stopped moving.

[thelittleone]

Respect for achieving that in 21 weeks.