I Did An Ironman 70.3 Without Any Training - Here's What Happened
I Did a Half Ironman With Zero Training — Here’s What Happened
A Half Ironman is comprised of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.
If you haven’t already, check out my article where I talk about my first triathlon — Ironman Cozumel 2020.
Is it possible to complete a Half Ironman with zero training?
Simply put: yes.
Would I recommend it? Probably not.
“But Chris, what about every other website out there that says you need to dedicate at least 6 months to train for a Half Ironman?”
Sure — six months of training would be extremely beneficial (and quite frankly, I recommend putting in as much training as possible before any triathlon). But it can be done without any training.
The primary — and arguably the only — reason I ended up doing this was because I registered for Ironman Ohio 70.3 shortly after completing my first official triathlon, Ironman Cozumel 2020. At the time, I was riding the lingering “high” from finishing a full Ironman and developed a short-term obsession with the sport.
Not long after, I realized something important:
I didn’t enjoy spending 10–16 hours per week swimming, cycling, and running.
To be completely honest, I don’t really like any of the three disciplines.
At that point, I had already been working with the incredible coach Michael Fitzpatrick of Trū Endurance for three months and had paid a good chunk of money for training. I called Fitz, told him I’d lost interest in the sport, and he completely understood. We stopped training shortly thereafter in February.
I figured I could just “kick it into gear” a month or two out from Ironman Ohio 70.3.
Then a month became four weeks.
Four weeks became three.
Then two.
Then one.
“Well… it looks like I’m going into this race with zero training,” I thought to myself.
📸 Race Photos
Image carousel: Ironman Ohio 70.3 — 2021
(Photos from race day. Click to enlarge.)
Race Morning
The morning started off relaxed and easy-going — but it quickly turned into one of the most stressful mornings I’ve ever had before a race.
Everything was planned the night before. My bags were nearly packed. Breakfast was ready. My sister and her fiancé traveled down to Columbus with me to experience the Ironman atmosphere and cheer me on, since they weren’t able to make it to my first Ironman in Cozumel.
We planned on leaving the hotel at 5:45 AM for what should’ve been a 21-minute drive to Delaware State Park.
At 5:55 AM, I plugged the address into Waze.
47 minutes.
“How the hell did the drive time double overnight?” I yelled — as if anyone in the car had the answer.
What I failed to consider was that Ironman and the city of Delaware had closed multiple roads overnight to clear the bike course. That put our ETA at 6:42 AM — twelve minutes after the race was supposed to start.
I drove faster than Ricky Bobby trying to impress his estranged father and shaved a few minutes off the drive, but I was convinced I’d missed my chance to race.
Luckily, the road closures caused massive traffic backups on the shuttle buses, making hundreds of athletes late. Ironman ultimately pushed the start time back from 6:30 AM to nearly 7:00 AM.
Crisis averted.
I arrived with time to decompress, inflate my tires, and seed myself into the 40–43 minute swim group.
Swim
The swim course was a triangular loop in Delaware State Park Reservoir, swum clockwise with right-hand turns. This was a rolling, self-seeded start based on estimated finish time.
Even though I hadn’t trained, I used my previous swim data:
- Training pace: 1:22–1:35 / 100yd
- Ironman Cozumel pace: 1:37 / 100yd
I seeded myself toward the front of the 40–43 minute group to minimize chaos and reduce my chances of being swam over.
Best-case scenario: I hold ~1:45 pace and finish closer to 36 minutes.
Worst-case scenario: I blow up and finish near the back of the group.
Before entering the water, I downed a chocolate GU with 20mg caffeine.
The water was… disgusting.
Dark, murky, and completely opaque. You couldn’t see your hands even when fully extended. It made Lake Erie look crystal clear.
That’s when I realized something I never trained for: sighting.
I zig-zagged through the water like a happy-hour hero leaving the bar after a dozen drinks. Inefficient doesn’t even begin to describe it.
I finished the swim in 46 minutes, averaging a painfully slow pace.
Oh — and around the 1,200-yard mark, my stomach decided it was done digesting oatmeal. I didn’t feel sick, which somehow made it worse. I did what any reasonable person would do, wafted the water away from other swimmers, and kept going.
Transition 1 (T1)
7:41
No rush. Walked from the lake, put on shoes and helmet, and calmly made my way to the bike mount line.
Bike
56 miles.
This was the part I felt best about.
The course was mostly flat with about 1,400 feet of elevation, running through Delaware and Marion County farmland before returning to town.
My goal — with zero training — was to finish under 3 hours, which required an average speed of 18.7 mph.
I averaged 18.9 mph.
Mission accomplished.
Could I have pushed harder and averaged 20+? Probably. But my shoulders weren’t prepared to hold the aero position for extended periods, so I played it conservative.
My only hiccup: I forgot to fill my bottles with water before the race. I had to stop at the first aid station 17.5 miles in to fill them.
Still — I felt controlled, fueled well, and rolled into T2 feeling solid.
Transition 2 (T2)
6:21
Definitely room for improvement here.
Run
The run is the make-or-break portion of any triathlon.
If you push too hard on the bike, the run will expose you.
I felt surprisingly good leaving T2. Heart rate was controlled. Legs felt heavy — but manageable.
Then I made a wrong turn and ran onto the bike course.
After correcting myself, I settled into my planned pace: 9:45 / mile.
Two miles in, my quads had other plans.
They cramped hard and without warning. My heart rate was fine. My energy was fine. My legs were done.
The run turned into a run-walk, and while that sucked, it was expected. My legs simply weren’t prepared for the cumulative fatigue of a 70.3.
Despite that, the run was still a blast. Incredible volunteers, loud spectators, sprinklers, music, and great conversations with other athletes.
Final Result
I finished with an average 13:09 / mile on the run and an official finishing time of:
6:57:07
Ironman Ohio 70.3 was my third triathlon overall.
My first was a locally organized 70.3 (which I regrettably raced fasted until mile 12 of the bike).
My first official triathlon was Ironman Cozumel 2020.
Final Thoughts
Can you do a Half Ironman with zero training?
Yes.
Should you?
Probably not.
But if you do — you’ll learn exactly where confidence ends and preparation begins.