A colleague in work was doing one before joining the army. It inspired me to follow suit. I did my first standard distance in Llandudno October 2023. I loved it, and spent last year doing 2 sprints before returning to Llandudno and knocking 15min off my time! This year doing 3 sprints to get a league place and back to Llandudno to try for sub 3hours.
Still on it really. Only did a single sprint tri last year, and yet to take on open water. Confident on the bike and a seasoned (just not fast) runner, so like Phil it's the swim that offers the biggest challenge. Signed up to a 'standard' distance in May and planning more. Watch this space...
@@gtn finished year 12 and didn’t know what do do with my spare time. I saw videos on Ironmans and have done some little ones as a kid so decided I would try for the biggest one. Not only the biggest one being a full Ironman distance but also off 5 months training, the only person who said I could do it was my girlfriend, everyone else said I couldn’t. At the age of 18 I completed my first ever full distance Ironman in 12 hour 53mins and proved everyone wrong. By setting myself a scary goal I was determined to show people and myself what I was made of. Go for that goal. My triathlon journey is just beginning🫡
Thanks Mark, I guess we’re doing this now mate. Thanks for the nice comments so far. Just finished another slow run 🏃 those on similar journeys see you on the GTN Strava club. 🎉
It's NEVER too late to learn swimming. Best thing I did for me, did it by myself and conquered my fear of open water and 'not touching the ground'. It's just liberating.
Good luck my friend :) and enjoy the journey. Triathlons changed my life. I began 2020 at the age of 30. I had some mentally problems and struggled with a major depressions. Started at absolute 0 knowledge of the sport, had to learn freestyle swimming, learn to eat more healthy, had to buy a bike, because I was a enthusiastic car driver. 2022 I became an Ironman and it was one of the most emotional moments in my life. And everything I’ve learned about me, my body and what I want it life through those years I’m really happy about. Since then I’ve only ran a couple of Marathons. This year I want to do an Olympic distance again. Currently it’s hard to manage the triathlon training with the job. It was easier through the corona lockdowns 😂😅
I did an Ironman in 1997 and many other shorter distance races. My daughter was Born in 1998 and that started the end of my triathlon career. I continued competing in Masters swimming but haven't been in the pool since Covid. That daughter of mine did a half Ironman last fall (her first triathlon) and when I was there I felt an energy I hadn't experienced in 25 years. I had long given up the idea if doing another triathlon and now we plan to do an Ironman 70.3 together for my 65th in 2026. This will be a great series for me to watch for all the little things that I have forgotten both in training and race day.
@@gtnabsolutely! She lives in Vancouver and I am in Toronto but we kept in touch during her training and I was giving her tips and advice along the way right up to race day. But it was the day before the race at registration with the excitement building and then the race itself. Like I mentioned it awoke a long dormant energy in me I hadn't felt in over 25 years. Nothing I had done since then gave me that same feeling. I was immediately hooked again. I joined your channel and watched the Ironman world championship for the first time in decades. I don't know any of the big stars any more - I am from the Mark Allen era! But I am relearning. Love your channel!
Great job getting started. 30-year triathlete here. My advice: keep it fun and don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed. There is always “more” you can be doing. Celebrate and be proud of what you ARE doing rather than lamenting what you aren’t. Also, join a club. The social side of it makes it so much better (and easier to keep it fun). Good luck!
I smoked like a chimney for 25 years and wrecked my body. Last year, I decided to pull the emergency brake and set a goal to participate in an Ironman before I turn 40, so by 2026 at the latest. I wasn't even able to climb the stairs to the first floor anymore. My first mental "preparation event" is the Vienna City Marathon in three months. Wish me luck, I'm looking forward to this series!
I entered triathlon just over 2 years ago and my first event was outlaw full. It was a tough journey learning how to swim and starting to cycle. I’d been a reasonably good runner years before but hadn’t done anything over 15km for 5 years prior to starting triathlon and it was just injury laden. I am now fitter and stronger than I’ve ever been, injury free to thanks to the multi discipline training benefit. I’ve done 2 full distance, 2 brutal half and Celtman half. Celtman full and snowdon ultra awaits me this year. The community is brilliant especially in the xtri and smaller events. Starting triathlon is the best decision I’ve made. You’re going to love it Phil and never look back.
Great to see someone who is frank about restarting tough training and the challenges; the family stuff, the age/stage of life but still that determination. Cheers. Well keen to follow closely.
Thanks for doing this, guys… I am Phil!! (Dave actually) but I will be emulating this journey.. aiming for a half iron man in 2026. Wishing you all the best, Phil 👍
@@phillipbailey7080 Yes exactly! Well done! Good luck and hope you can somehow combine triathlon and family time.🎉 You just motivated me to go for a swim. Just 30min and slow, but one has to start somewhere. 😊
Good luck Phil! I’m currently on the same journey this year, starting with small tri’s, balance the family and life and goal of the 70.3 at the end of the year. Excited to see your journey along the way! Best wishes 💙
I'm so excited for Phil! He's about to learn so much about himself he didn't know he was capable of. And to do it so publicly? He's already braver than most! Thanks for sharing and inspiring many people already, Phil!
Im training for my first triathlon at 34 (although I've been running for years), 1 week in at the moment and loving all the GTN content to keep me on the right path. The hardest bit ive found so far is trying to source and buy all the gear without having to remortgage lol
i can not tell you how much i love seeing this! this sport is amazing for health, fitness, and social aspects. though it may appear intimidating, i found the community supportive. cant wait to see how Phil gets on!
I love this! Phil is so genuine, and Mark is a great encourager. I have learned so much from GTN, and just wished I would have had this when I started in Triathlon 16 years ago. Keep up the good work!
Amazing job. A “off-the-couch” FTP of 236W is really good. If he can lose some weight, he will have a lot of potencial!! I’ll be following this series for sure
Got my first sprint triathlon this year in May, your videos have been super helpful! My running is fine, but been years since I was on a bike and even longer since I swimming properly. Your videos have been brilliant for getting my swimming technique dialed in and I have seen big improvements so far. Keep these videos coming!
Can’t wait to follow ur journey Phil, Iv done a sprint and 3 standard distance tris and am embarking on my 1st middle distance in Sept, so I can’t wait to follow you and hopefully get some tips and motivation along the way 😃
Way to go Phil for getting back to it! Working on my own Ironman competition and its been quite the road to get there. Looking forward to following your journey to eventually your own Ironman! You got this.
Great timing, and thanks for starting this. First race is on the books, and starting totally new with a run pace and FTP right along with Phil. Definitely following along, the goal is a 70.3 before my 50th birthday in 2026!
I love you picked a bigger guy for this!! We all have different journeys. When you’re bigger… gravity and pounding on the body makes it a little harder.
I did my first IM last year in Wales. My main advice: 1) no shortcuts, stick to the plan. These guys in the GTN team and us will get you through 2) there’s going to be good times and bad times. This is not linear. 3) resilience is the key to IM distance. To keep moving forward. You’ve got this Phil 💪 It’s not “one day I want to do an IM” it’s “day one”.
You can do it Phil! I started my tri journey last year too... never swam properly before, and did my first ever at cheddar tri in april (sprint, great event !) Then trained rest of the year for Ironman Wales! I smashed it, and loved it!
63 years old, started triathlon on a bet with a girl in the gym that I'd never be able to do an Ironman. Completed Barcelona twice now and booked again for this year. Re your figures; the first year my ftp was around 130 and my run pace over 8 mins/km, so from your figures, come and join us at Barcelona in October. There are still places left, usually sells out around July. Only thing you need to know is this: People always say that the mind gives in before the body. For an ironman athlete that just isn't true. Watch the final finishers at an ironman; their body gave in long ago, but their mind refused to.
I wish you for this yourney all the luck aaaand health! Huge respect to Phil that he made a decision to take this challenge. Its not easy to start. Looking forward :)
Good luck Phil 39 years ago I completed my first triathlon and after a few had quite a few decades off - 3 ( family , life, career) then due to Covid started again ..! Consistency will be key as will Not overdoing things particularly at the beginning.. Most importantly have fun!
GOOO Phil! You’ve got this! I’m currently also on this journey and registered for IM Barcelona! 🤦♂️ Done only a sprint so far and have planned an olympic and two halfs until the big day on October, 5th. I’m looking fw to all the upcomming videos to see your journey and also to learn from your experience. Have fun with it!👏👏
This is great stuff. I am training for my first sprint triathlon happening in April and swimming is also my concern. My goal is to do a half iron man in 2 to 3 years. I will definitely be following Phil's journey.
Let's go Phil!!!! We are watching you now! Will definitely follow along. I expect you get a pretty good coaching so you will be doing your first 70.3 in no time! I myself signed up for my very first 70.3 happening in Germany in late May! Good luck to you and enjoy the progress 🚀
Oh wow! Just in time for my first sprint triathlon in Japan this autumn. I can really identify with Phil from a lack of swimming background. But I’m envious of his 6 min/km pace. I’m at 7.30ish. My goal is “to complete, not compete.”
Lets go Phil, first of all, good on you for getting through those tests, especially when you've got an ex pro triathlete next to you 😂 You are gonna love the journey, ups and downs will come but be present in the moment and don't lose sight of what you're trying to achieve. Set yourself a scary goal and go for it with everything. We are all behind you and cheering you on. COME ON PHIL!!!!!!!! can't wait to see you on the start line!! ❤
Good luck, Phil. I hope you can do it. Please, share your training plan as well as tips and tricks for dealing with training, work and family. I am 42 years old and I would love to do an Ironman, but finding time to train is holding me back.
Looking forward to more videos in this series... im also doing my first Triathlon this year. Bike and run should be okei, swim - get exhausted after 20m crawl... :(
Go on Phil 👏👏we’re with you👍🏼. Come do Castle to Coast (Full Steam Event), it an epic one day triathlon sportive from Windsor to Brighton. Little bit over a 70.2 but not much.
I'm just staring my triathlon journey, aiming for one in July. I am 53 and only background is running. I've done 3 swims in last 2 weeks amassing a total of 400mtrs from the 3. This will be my biggest challenge, I'm also having to purchase a second hand bike to ride as i only own a mountain bike which i ride when car fails me. Thats what I call a beginner 🤣
Could you please break down how you work out the zones based on the threshold pace you’ve now worked out.This is perfect timing! I’m now starting to train for my first Ironman 70.3 after taking a year off of training after completing my first Olympic distance tri!
Am 58 years old this year, and will be doing my first ever Ironman Triathlon this year in Spain, Barcelona (I have done a beginners Tri course and that was it) - am strongest on bike, as have been a bike rider since aged 8 and find this discipline my easiest and most enjoyable, running I can just about get by and with training will improve….but sea swimming, never done this before - am I am not a good swimmer - so this is going to be the biggest challenge for me…. So I getting coaching from the Tri team I joined to help me through this - and this series will help 😉
Good luck Phil! My top tip - consistency with your training REALLY pays off. Just take one week at a time, and keep stacking them on top of each other. Wishing you all the best in achieving your goal!! P.s. IM Barcelona 5 October 2025 gives you 10 months… 🤔
Way to go Phil. Good luck in your journey. Although Mark comes off as the king of pain he has a plan I am sure. I just hired a swim coach and so far has improved my 100m by 20 seconds. I also look at my coach as the king of pain and torcher. I must say though, it's working, I look forward now to getting in the pool.
I want to start training for a triathlon... Again. These series shall help me get over my worries and laziness. Thanks for this. Keep up the good work. I come from running background. Terrible swimmer.
Exactly the content I hoped for this year. I wish phil a fun and injury free season. Imho he should go for a 70.3 at max. Why not stick to Olympic distance and enjoy a couple of tris.
Maybe "starting again" would sound even more relatable to most of us than "beginner journey" :D Besides training I would really like to see some advice related to: * how to take care of your bike (or other equipment) * how to prepare for having a puncture (mid race or during the training) * maybe highlighting some typical beginners mistakes ... before they happen :D
I commented this on the video about the history of watches, and I feel the same about this style of video as I did there: Longer videos please. I don't even do tri. I only run. But I found your channel through running, and I still enjoy watching the tri stuff. With 8 minutes, it's hardly enough to even get invested. Can't listen while I drive, can't do many chores. Because as soon as I start, it's over
I will definately follow this journey. Much better than always to watch some highly trained near-elite guys with sub 10h goals etc. etc. i have also started my triathlon journey. i am over 40 now but have been active pretty much all my life. back in august I have decided to start a structured training with triathlon as a goal. more specifically, a half ironman in june and the full distance attempt in august. im so stoked already but also well aware, that its gonna be super difficult. both races have a lot of elevation in the bike section. 1100m and 2200m. if anyone cares to give me some feedback, these are my current abilities: - my swim is the weakest part. my swim time is around 2:00min. i can shave that down a little bit but i wont be a fast swimmer. the full neopren will hopefully give me the little extra boost ;-) - i do (road)bike for 1.5 years now. my ftp is 240w at 69kg. i can comfortably bike at 2.2w/kg for a long distance. distances of 100km+ have become fairly common in the meantime. at the moment its very cold here so I have been using zwift a lot. i did the pretzel there in 2h28min, the mega pretzel in 3h47min or a 160km ride in 4h14min. the alpe du zwift i can climb with effort, but not all out, in 59min. - my running threshold atm is at 4:30min/km. if the weather gets better and i can run more outdoor again it will be more like 4h:15min but i was told the running threshold does not matter at all for long distance. but i can run without any preparation and without overdoing it a 20km distance with 400m elevation. did that a few weeks back in like 2h20min. just stopped two times to take a gel each and thats it. all in all i am confident that I am right on track for an exciting day at the half ironman race. my goal is 6 hours which is not easy to get due to the elevation in the bike section. if it was flat i wouldnt worry too much. the long distance is another story tho. for that i am probably not ready yet but i have time left until august. but thinking to run a marathon after 180km and 2200m elevation is still a crazy thought :D with the data above, if any helpful, do you think i am on the right track?
This will be fun to watch. I'd like to follow progression and how his metrics improve over time. A question I've always had is how does an athlete's potential (maximum possible performance) relate to starting point. So if he's running at 6:02 now, what's his ultimate potential?
Good luck Phil - GTN, would be interesting if you would also follow a more intermediate triathlete without it being a pro, maybe someone trying to take their next step and attempting to qualify for IMWC or IMWC70.3, follow the changes to training, equipment, nutrition, testing, when you move from completion to competing? Would be an interesting comparison with Phil starting his journey
How did you get on with your first triathlon journey? 💬
A colleague in work was doing one before joining the army. It inspired me to follow suit. I did my first standard distance in Llandudno October 2023. I loved it, and spent last year doing 2 sprints before returning to Llandudno and knocking 15min off my time! This year doing 3 sprints to get a league place and back to Llandudno to try for sub 3hours.
Still on it really. Only did a single sprint tri last year, and yet to take on open water. Confident on the bike and a seasoned (just not fast) runner, so like Phil it's the swim that offers the biggest challenge. Signed up to a 'standard' distance in May and planning more. Watch this space...
Triathlon at high school! short but awesome !
@@gtn finished year 12 and didn’t know what do do with my spare time. I saw videos on Ironmans and have done some little ones as a kid so decided I would try for the biggest one. Not only the biggest one being a full Ironman distance but also off 5 months training, the only person who said I could do it was my girlfriend, everyone else said I couldn’t. At the age of 18 I completed my first ever full distance Ironman in 12 hour 53mins and proved everyone wrong. By setting myself a scary goal I was determined to show people and myself what I was made of. Go for that goal. My triathlon journey is just beginning🫡
straight to full iron! was a blast
Thanks Mark, I guess we’re doing this now mate. Thanks for the nice comments so far.
Just finished another slow run 🏃 those on similar journeys see you on the GTN Strava club. 🎉
No problem 👍
Ironman World Champs - Here we go!
This series is just in time. I'm also starting my triathlon journey with the caveat that I'm at the same time learning how to swim at 35 years old.
It's NEVER too late to learn swimming. Best thing I did for me, did it by myself and conquered my fear of open water and 'not touching the ground'. It's just liberating.
Love this!! Good luck with the swimming. I honestly did watch a lot of GTN videos learning to swim. A good place to start
36 here, got my first Ironman this year and the swim is still the biggest challenge!! But we’ve got this 💪
Enjoy learning to swim. 2 years in for me & took a year to start feeling “comfortable”.
Good luck my friend :) and enjoy the journey. Triathlons changed my life. I began 2020 at the age of 30. I had some mentally problems and struggled with a major depressions. Started at absolute 0 knowledge of the sport, had to learn freestyle swimming, learn to eat more healthy, had to buy a bike, because I was a enthusiastic car driver. 2022 I became an Ironman and it was one of the most emotional moments in my life. And everything I’ve learned about me, my body and what I want it life through those years I’m really happy about. Since then I’ve only ran a couple of Marathons. This year I want to do an Olympic distance again. Currently it’s hard to manage the triathlon training with the job. It was easier through the corona lockdowns 😂😅
I did an Ironman in 1997 and many other shorter distance races. My daughter was Born in 1998 and that started the end of my triathlon career. I continued competing in Masters swimming but haven't been in the pool since Covid. That daughter of mine did a half Ironman last fall (her first triathlon) and when I was there I felt an energy I hadn't experienced in 25 years. I had long given up the idea if doing another triathlon and now we plan to do an Ironman 70.3 together for my 65th in 2026. This will be a great series for me to watch for all the little things that I have forgotten both in training and race day.
wowwww what a great plan! keep pushing
Did seeing your daughter compete give you an urge to try again?
@@gtnabsolutely! She lives in Vancouver and I am in Toronto but we kept in touch during her training and I was giving her tips and advice along the way right up to race day. But it was the day before the race at registration with the excitement building and then the race itself. Like I mentioned it awoke a long dormant energy in me I hadn't felt in over 25 years. Nothing I had done since then gave me that same feeling. I was immediately hooked again. I joined your channel and watched the Ironman world championship for the first time in decades. I don't know any of the big stars any more - I am from the Mark Allen era! But I am relearning. Love your channel!
Great job getting started. 30-year triathlete here. My advice: keep it fun and don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed. There is always “more” you can be doing. Celebrate and be proud of what you ARE doing rather than lamenting what you aren’t. Also, join a club. The social side of it makes it so much better (and easier to keep it fun). Good luck!
Thanks for the tips!
I smoked like a chimney for 25 years and wrecked my body. Last year, I decided to pull the emergency brake and set a goal to participate in an Ironman before I turn 40, so by 2026 at the latest. I wasn't even able to climb the stairs to the first floor anymore. My first mental "preparation event" is the Vienna City Marathon in three months. Wish me luck, I'm looking forward to this series!
best of luck! 🤜
@ thank you!
236 FTP / 6.02 is superb!!
I entered triathlon just over 2 years ago and my first event was outlaw full. It was a tough journey learning how to swim and starting to cycle. I’d been a reasonably good runner years before but hadn’t done anything over 15km for 5 years prior to starting triathlon and it was just injury laden. I am now fitter and stronger than I’ve ever been, injury free to thanks to the multi discipline training benefit. I’ve done 2 full distance, 2 brutal half and Celtman half. Celtman full and snowdon ultra awaits me this year. The community is brilliant especially in the xtri and smaller events. Starting triathlon is the best decision I’ve made.
You’re going to love it Phil and never look back.
Great to see someone who is frank about restarting tough training and the challenges; the family stuff, the age/stage of life but still that determination. Cheers. Well keen to follow closely.
as long as his day job doesn't suffer, we don't mind 😂
Thanks for doing this, guys… I am Phil!! (Dave actually) but I will be emulating this journey.. aiming for a half iron man in 2026. Wishing you all the best, Phil 👍
You've got this!
I have a 70.3 on July 27th. There is no pool around here, so no swimming until ice-out in the spring. I haven't done a tri in 2 years.
Mate, love this courage. You’ve definitely got the heart to go Iron distance. Rooting for you on this amazing, life changing journey 💪💥
We're all rooting for Phil!
👏 Yay Phil! I am trying to do the same. Also starting again "from scratch". The first times running again are the hardest. 😅
Thanks!! Yeah, aching after a 5k was a strange feeling, but at least we’ve started right! Good luck
@@phillipbailey7080
Yes exactly! Well done! Good luck and hope you can somehow combine triathlon and family time.🎉
You just motivated me to go for a swim. Just 30min and slow, but one has to start somewhere. 😊
Whoop whoop good luck and definitely sticking around to see the progress :)
Lets go Phill! Looking forward to seeing your journey! You got this!
Looking forward to following Phil's journey! You got this!
Good luck Phil! I’m currently on the same journey this year, starting with small tri’s, balance the family and life and goal of the 70.3 at the end of the year. Excited to see your journey along the way! Best wishes 💙
thanks for the support. Phil is overwhelmed by all the kind messages! best of luck with your journey!
I'm so excited for Phil! He's about to learn so much about himself he didn't know he was capable of. And to do it so publicly? He's already braver than most! Thanks for sharing and inspiring many people already, Phil!
Phil is certainly up for the challenge!
🙌🙌🙌🙌Heja heja Phil from Sweden 🇸🇪. You will do great. You are in good hands.
Thanks!
Thanks for this and all the best Phil. I’ve signed up for my first sprint in May and 70.3 in Aug. 53 years young 😂 I’ll be watching intently.
Thanks impressive and thank you mate! Sounds like you have a fun and challenging year ahead!
best of luck!
Im training for my first triathlon at 34 (although I've been running for years), 1 week in at the moment and loving all the GTN content to keep me on the right path. The hardest bit ive found so far is trying to source and buy all the gear without having to remortgage lol
hi, welcome to the world of Triathlon and GTN! We can't wait to hear about your own journey!
C' mon Phil 💪 you've got got this!👍. Best of British! You have a great team behind you, too 👏
i can not tell you how much i love seeing this! this sport is amazing for health, fitness, and social aspects. though it may appear intimidating, i found the community supportive. cant wait to see how Phil gets on!
It's a brilliant feeling!
I love this! Phil is so genuine, and Mark is a great encourager. I have learned so much from GTN, and just wished I would have had this when I started in Triathlon 16 years ago. Keep up the good work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yeah Phil go get it!!!!!!! 💪🥳 Good on you to take on this challenge!! Looking forward to seeing your progress!! 👍
The whole office is right behind him!
Amazing job. A “off-the-couch” FTP of 236W is really good. If he can lose some weight, he will have a lot of potencial!! I’ll be following this series for sure
Got my first sprint triathlon this year in May, your videos have been super helpful! My running is fine, but been years since I was on a bike and even longer since I swimming properly.
Your videos have been brilliant for getting my swimming technique dialed in and I have seen big improvements so far. Keep these videos coming!
Great to hear! We are so happy you like the videos
Can’t wait to follow ur journey Phil, Iv done a sprint and 3 standard distance tris and am embarking on my 1st middle distance in Sept, so I can’t wait to follow you and hopefully get some tips and motivation along the way 😃
Good luck Phil! Slow and steady!
Way to go Phil for getting back to it! Working on my own Ironman competition and its been quite the road to get there. Looking forward to following your journey to eventually your own Ironman! You got this.
thanks for the support!
Great timing, and thanks for starting this. First race is on the books, and starting totally new with a run pace and FTP right along with Phil. Definitely following along, the goal is a 70.3 before my 50th birthday in 2026!
I love you picked a bigger guy for this!! We all have different journeys. When you’re bigger… gravity and pounding on the body makes it a little harder.
Excellent love these. Give him Lanza as his first Ironman.
Good Luck Phil
I did my first IM last year in Wales. My main advice:
1) no shortcuts, stick to the plan. These guys in the GTN team and us will get you through
2) there’s going to be good times and bad times. This is not linear.
3) resilience is the key to IM distance. To keep moving forward.
You’ve got this Phil 💪
It’s not “one day I want to do an IM” it’s “day one”.
wise words!
You can do it Phil! I started my tri journey last year too... never swam properly before, and did my first ever at cheddar tri in april (sprint, great event !) Then trained rest of the year for Ironman Wales!
I smashed it, and loved it!
That is awesome!
63 years old, started triathlon on a bet with a girl in the gym that I'd never be able to do an Ironman. Completed Barcelona twice now and booked again for this year. Re your figures; the first year my ftp was around 130 and my run pace over 8 mins/km, so from your figures, come and join us at Barcelona in October. There are still places left, usually sells out around July.
Only thing you need to know is this: People always say that the mind gives in before the body. For an ironman athlete that just isn't true. Watch the final finishers at an ironman; their body gave in long ago, but their mind refused to.
Wow, that's so nice to hear your own journey! We love to see these stories!
Fair play Phil, excited to watch you go through your journey while I am training for my first ever Ironman! Good luck and enjoy the ride 🎉
This is great! Happy to see more beginner oriented content on this channel.
thanks for the comment, what else would you like to see on the channel? thanks!
I wish you for this yourney all the luck aaaand health! Huge respect to Phil that he made a decision to take this challenge. Its not easy to start. Looking forward :)
You got this, Phil. I shall be taking the journey alongside you. All the best.
Amazing! Let us know how you get on!
Good luck Phil
39 years ago I completed my first triathlon and after a few had quite a few decades off - 3 ( family , life, career) then due to Covid started again ..!
Consistency will be key as will Not overdoing things particularly at the beginning..
Most importantly have fun!
LOVE THIS SERIES! Thanks Phil for sharing your journey with us- I’m going to try to follow along with you! Thanks GTN!
thanks for the love, we are so excited to see the journey too!
Good luck Phil - looking forward to following this. So relatable.
GOOO Phil! You’ve got this!
I’m currently also on this journey and registered for IM Barcelona! 🤦♂️
Done only a sprint so far and have planned an olympic and two halfs until the big day on October, 5th.
I’m looking fw to all the upcomming videos to see your journey and also to learn from your experience.
Have fun with it!👏👏
Thanks Stefan!! Barcelona sounds amazing. Enjoy that and good luck with the training and keep going!
This is great stuff. I am training for my first sprint triathlon happening in April and swimming is also my concern. My goal is to do a half iron man in 2 to 3 years. I will definitely be following Phil's journey.
Let's go Phil!!!! We are watching you now! Will definitely follow along. I expect you get a pretty good coaching so you will be doing your first 70.3 in no time! I myself signed up for my very first 70.3 happening in Germany in late May! Good luck to you and enjoy the progress 🚀
thanks for the support and best of luck in your 70.3!
Good luck phil, looking forward to the rest of your journey. Great benchmark levels allready. I would be delighted with 6.02 pace kms 💪
I am doing my training for my first IM 70.3 and look forward to se Phil’s progress! For me swimming is also my weakest. Go Phil Go!!
I really wish you all the best in this fantastic journey. I will follow you and use your videos as inspiration from my journey in parallel.
Oh wow! Just in time for my first sprint triathlon in Japan this autumn. I can really identify with Phil from a lack of swimming background. But I’m envious of his 6 min/km pace. I’m at 7.30ish. My goal is “to complete, not compete.”
Lets go Phil, first of all, good on you for getting through those tests, especially when you've got an ex pro triathlete next to you 😂 You are gonna love the journey, ups and downs will come but be present in the moment and don't lose sight of what you're trying to achieve. Set yourself a scary goal and go for it with everything. We are all behind you and cheering you on. COME ON PHIL!!!!!!!! can't wait to see you on the start line!! ❤
Thanks for the tips! Phil is reading all of the comments!
Looking forward to following your progress Phil! Have similar aspirations myself 💪🏼 enjoy!
Go Phil... Those starting stats are great, looking forward to following your journey!
Good luck look forward to seeing your journey
Great job mate! Like watching these kinds of series with blokes getting back into it
Just signed for my first 70.3 last week… perfect time for this series to pop up!
Let's do this together! You can do it!
Great to see Phil with that ambicios goals and motivation! Go for it! 💪🏼 always inspiring for many people.
For sure!! He is hyped about the journey!
Yay so cheddar tri, that was my first one last year and am doing it again this year 👏👏 Tiverton is also a good local one
Looking forward to seeing Phil's journey, I bet he will be a beast by the end of it!
Good luck, Phil. I hope you can do it. Please, share your training plan as well as tips and tricks for dealing with training, work and family. I am 42 years old and I would love to do an Ironman, but finding time to train is holding me back.
Looking forward to more videos in this series... im also doing my first Triathlon this year. Bike and run should be okei, swim - get exhausted after 20m crawl... :(
Awesome! Have fun!
Go on Phil! I just started training for my first 70.3 this week. 2 runs done! Alot of work to do in the pool.
Joey
Go on Phil 👏👏we’re with you👍🏼. Come do Castle to Coast (Full Steam Event), it an epic one day triathlon sportive from Windsor to Brighton. Little bit over a 70.2 but not much.
Brilliant! My first Ironman 70.3 this year too! Will be following this for motivation :) Good luck Phil
good luck too!
I'm just staring my triathlon journey, aiming for one in July. I am 53 and only background is running. I've done 3 swims in last 2 weeks amassing a total of 400mtrs from the 3. This will be my biggest challenge, I'm also having to purchase a second hand bike to ride as i only own a mountain bike which i ride when car fails me. Thats what I call a beginner 🤣
I'm on similar journey. Still at 0 and clock to the first full is ticking. But I believe we can do it!
Good luck with your training phill.
I’m training for IM wales
Pretty cool idea for a series! Go Phil!
Rooting for you Phil, all the best! 👏
Could you please break down how you work out the zones based on the threshold pace you’ve now worked out.This is perfect timing! I’m now starting to train for my first Ironman 70.3 after taking a year off of training after completing my first Olympic distance tri!
Am 58 years old this year, and will be doing my first ever Ironman Triathlon this year in Spain, Barcelona (I have done a beginners Tri course and that was it) - am strongest on bike, as have been a bike rider since aged 8 and find this discipline my easiest and most enjoyable, running I can just about get by and with training will improve….but sea swimming, never done this before - am I am not a good swimmer - so this is going to be the biggest challenge for me….
So I getting coaching from the Tri team I joined to help me through this - and this series will help 😉
this is great to see! Let us know how your Tri journey goes!
@ - thank you - will do!
Good luck Phil! My top tip - consistency with your training REALLY pays off. Just take one week at a time, and keep stacking them on top of each other. Wishing you all the best in achieving your goal!!
P.s. IM Barcelona 5 October 2025 gives you 10 months… 🤔
Way to go Phil. Good luck in your journey. Although Mark comes off as the king of pain he has a plan I am sure. I just hired a swim coach and so far has improved my 100m by 20 seconds. I also look at my coach as the king of pain and torcher. I must say though, it's working, I look forward now to getting in the pool.
Good luck with your training Phil
Come on big man! I'm looking forward to the this series, easier to relate to as an amateur myself.
Hope you enjoy it!
I want to start training for a triathlon... Again. These series shall help me get over my worries and laziness. Thanks for this. Keep up the good work.
I come from running background. Terrible swimmer.
You can do it!
Awesome! 🤩
Exactly the content I hoped for this year. I wish phil a fun and injury free season. Imho he should go for a 70.3 at max. Why not stick to Olympic distance and enjoy a couple of tris.
230 ftp to start with is pretty good IMO. Lets go phil
Yes Phil! Smash it 💪
Maybe "starting again" would sound even more relatable to most of us than "beginner journey" :D
Besides training I would really like to see some advice related to:
* how to take care of your bike (or other equipment)
* how to prepare for having a puncture (mid race or during the training)
* maybe highlighting some typical beginners mistakes ... before they happen :D
You got this Phil I'm right with ya.
I commented this on the video about the history of watches, and I feel the same about this style of video as I did there:
Longer videos please.
I don't even do tri. I only run. But I found your channel through running, and I still enjoy watching the tri stuff.
With 8 minutes, it's hardly enough to even get invested. Can't listen while I drive, can't do many chores. Because as soon as I start, it's over
we will see what we can do! thanks for the feedback
Awesome video, I'm going on my triathlon journey too.
Amazing. Interested to see if you’ll stay friends after all the punishing training sessions! Good luck!!🤩
😂
Inspiring stuff. I’ve been planning to do this, but got injured last year. Happy to follow along and maybe take the same journey.
Hopefully we can help you out with our series 🫶
Bravo Phil 🎉
Good luck Phil! On a runner-to-triathlon journey myself rn. 70.3 coming up!
good luck!
I will definately follow this journey. Much better than always to watch some highly trained near-elite guys with sub 10h goals etc. etc.
i have also started my triathlon journey. i am over 40 now but have been active pretty much all my life. back in august I have decided to start a structured training with triathlon as a goal. more specifically, a half ironman in june and the full distance attempt in august. im so stoked already but also well aware, that its gonna be super difficult. both races have a lot of elevation in the bike section. 1100m and 2200m.
if anyone cares to give me some feedback, these are my current abilities:
- my swim is the weakest part. my swim time is around 2:00min. i can shave that down a little bit but i wont be a fast swimmer. the full neopren will hopefully give me the little extra boost ;-)
- i do (road)bike for 1.5 years now. my ftp is 240w at 69kg. i can comfortably bike at 2.2w/kg for a long distance. distances of 100km+ have become fairly common in the meantime. at the moment its very cold here so I have been using zwift a lot. i did the pretzel there in 2h28min, the mega pretzel in 3h47min or a 160km ride in 4h14min. the alpe du zwift i can climb with effort, but not all out, in 59min.
- my running threshold atm is at 4:30min/km. if the weather gets better and i can run more outdoor again it will be more like 4h:15min but i was told the running threshold does not matter at all for long distance. but i can run without any preparation and without overdoing it a 20km distance with 400m elevation. did that a few weeks back in like 2h20min. just stopped two times to take a gel each and thats it.
all in all i am confident that I am right on track for an exciting day at the half ironman race. my goal is 6 hours which is not easy to get due to the elevation in the bike section. if it was flat i wouldnt worry too much. the long distance is another story tho. for that i am probably not ready yet but i have time left until august. but thinking to run a marathon after 180km and 2200m elevation is still a crazy thought :D
with the data above, if any helpful, do you think i am on the right track?
This will be fun to watch. I'd like to follow progression and how his metrics improve over time. A question I've always had is how does an athlete's potential (maximum possible performance) relate to starting point. So if he's running at 6:02 now, what's his ultimate potential?
Feels like my last comment started a series 😅
Love it! ❤
Good luck Phil - GTN, would be interesting if you would also follow a more intermediate triathlete without it being a pro, maybe someone trying to take their next step and attempting to qualify for IMWC or IMWC70.3, follow the changes to training, equipment, nutrition, testing, when you move from completion to competing? Would be an interesting comparison with Phil starting his journey
Brave guy. 👍
I would have loved to see Phil’s test results, just to then see how much he improves over time
Crack on!! Journey of a thousand miles mentality, i love it
Goodluck! :)
Love it. How did the Kona at 50 guy get on?
Go Phil!
A 70.3 would be challenging enough while still allowing him to enjoy the journey. I’m looking forward to the next episodes