My year in review! First year as a hybrid athlete

So, last October 2023 In my quarter life crisis I took up cycling. I had been a big gym head in my late teens and when college happened and working jobs I put my health to the side.

Now the year of 2024 is coming to an end I thought I’d share my mediocre lifts and slow race times for my first year as a hybrid athlete. I have had months of very good commitment and months of scraping the barrel.

So this year I complete my first triathlons a sprint to begin with a finish time of 1 h 45 (22 min swim, 46 min cycle, 30 min run and transition times) and my first Olympic distance triathlon in under 3 h! ( 35 min swim ( idk what happened I think I kicked for the first time) a 1 h 15 cycle for the 40 km and a 1 h run with transition time.

I also finished my first 100 km cycle in 4 h 25 mins and to be honest nearly died I did this months before the triathlons and it was the end of my peak zone 2 but ass pain, elbow pain a lame bike fit and stronger then normal headwind did have me struggling.

Now onto strength! While weighing 78 Kg as a 26 yo man at 5’11” I managed the following at a little friendly lifting competition- bench was 97.5 Kg very sadly missed the 100 I think if stars aligned I would have pushed it but not that day, a 145 Kg squat a 175 Kg deadlift and a 62.5 Kg military press.

You may be new and ask what did my year look like? Well it started learning to swim with lessons once a week and me practicing drills, kick board and paddles on my own twice a week. I would cycle twice a week and run twice a week. I was trying to get a 3 day 5x5 gym week at this time usually on a swim day and ensured I had one full rest day. There was maybe one week a month where I wouldn’t miss a session (usually run or gym)

From about march onward I started to ramp up the cycling 3 times a week with longer days of light I could go after work for a shorter cycle and I put the gym down to two weeks as I ramped into higher volume aerobic doing a full body and an upper body split. I don’t prioritise legs during this time and usually train for utility on full body and not strength, it’s a lot on the legs to run, cycle and lift so much I find.

This brings me into the summer where I swapped the pool for sea swims which I loved and started getting comfortable with 2 km slow swims. These were honestly therapeutic and would always help me with recovery. Although on colder Irish days my girlfriend wouldn’t appreciate having to keep an eye on me while out at sea.

The summer also brings me into triathlons where it ended in August with two races I shared before.

Then September to now was the winter bulk, I cut down aerobic to 2 sessions a week which was a long session and short session alternating as evenly as possible between swim run and cycle. One week short cycle long run next week short swim long cycle next week long swim short run etc. In the gym I had a 4 day week and would stack one of these days with the short aerobic session and have one long aerobic session on its own day giving me 2 rest days. I did an upper lower split with about 50-55 minute gym sessions. Upped the calories and put on some size. Started the bulk at 72 Kg and ended at 79 Kg.

Now I’m back into zone 2 training and reducing the gym down to an upper lower upper functional mobility 4 day week and 4 aerobic sessions a week until probably march where I’ll resume the cycle!

My goals for next year are to pull 200 Kg bench 100 Kg for 4-6 reps and squat 160 Kg with an Olympic below 2 h 40 and a sprint below 1 h 30. Also hoping to maybe do a half Ironman in October but that’s a on the fence as I’m final year PhD writing my thesis this year so might have to put that on the back burner.

Here’s to another year and for anyone who is having their first all I can say is slow is fast! Runs cycles swims and lifts start slow, grow slow but do it consistently and stay injury free!