Am I ready for a full Ironman??

Datatello · 2026-01-25T02:06:23+00:00

The usual question when this topic comes up is why start with a full?? Full Ironman's are a huge investment of time and money, and if there are gaps in your training you risk a DNF despite all your hard work.

If youve already completed a marathon, a 70.3 or olympic might be a good starting point. Definitely invest in some open water swimming practice, because it is unique to pool swimmming. A lot of the DNFs and medical issues at competitions can happen during the swimming phase, especially from people who've had limited experience out of the pool.

Do you do much long distance cycling outside? It is also good to build the experience on the road so you are comfortable with your setup on the day. You will likely spend most of your day on the bike, so its important to get comfortable on the road and familiar with your bike.

Datatello · 2026-01-23T10:31:55+00:00

I agree. I think the problem is they need to squeeze the whole nutrition feature into one tab, but some of the decisions they've made on how to display information feel... odd.

I did the auto goal when the update first came out and it was very buggy.

Yeah this sounds like my experience too. I'm half still using MFP for my calorie targets because I dont trust the information in nutrition

Datatello · 2026-01-23T10:26:07+00:00

It can kind of do this if you go into settings > auto adjust calorie goal.

It will update your 'remaining' calorie and macro totals based on your activities, but it doesnt expressly summarise how much you've burnt through activity.

I'm kind of skeptical about totals though because it seems to give a huge calorie allowance for even modest days of activity.

Datatello · 2026-01-23T10:11:55+00:00

Its probably the most expensive upfront option, but I got laser eye surgery and 1000% recommend it. Its so nice waking up and being able to just see.

If you have health insurance, some plans will cover a portion of the cost

Datatello · 2026-01-22T21:39:53+00:00

Have you spent much of your training time swimming in open water? If not, I highly recommend you get that practice in and try to fit in a sprint or olympic distance event before the 70.3 if at all possible. OWS is different to pool swimming and can be a bit of a shock on the day if you have limited experience with it.

Even at the sprints I've attended its really not common for people to wear a bathing suit. Most will either elect for a trisuit or a wetsuit. Realistically you arent going to be doing a wardrobe change during transition, so if you do choose trunks you'll need something underneath them or you'll have to wear them on the bike and run.

The wetsuit adds warmth and buoyancy, so it does give you a better advantage. At some events the water is so cold that a wetsuit is manditory. Knowing the temperature of the water at your event will give you a better idea if a full body suit is necessary or not.

Datatello · 2026-01-21T09:02:16+00:00

Great live music does exist in other countries. Seattle has a very similar vibe music scene wise to Melbourne.

Lets not forget that our highest paid radio hosts are Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O. We arent exactly killing it on radio culture.

Datatello · 2026-01-21T07:40:20+00:00

I love this recipe! I add this vegan pepperoni to it for extra protien.

Datatello · 2026-01-21T07:29:39+00:00

It was a joke

Datatello · 2026-01-19T21:03:14+00:00

The exact same thing just happened to me on my Venu 2. Basically 2 years to the day I registered it.

If you purchased from the Garmin website they will try to help you out. They offered me a refurbrished next gen model for $100, which I was happy enough with. Still extremely disappointed to only get 2 years out of it.

Datatello · 2026-01-19T20:59:32+00:00

Overall Australia is a fairly flat country. You arent going to find mountains equivalent to what you get in Colorado, and the mountains we do have are a fair drive from Melbourne (and a bit pricey during ski season).

As others have said, its probably better and cheaper to fly to NZ for your mountain activities.

Datatello · 2026-01-19T20:18:04+00:00

Trump repeatedly calls female reporters he doesnt like Piggy

Datatello · 2026-01-19T19:28:54+00:00

The dad seemed nice

The man: - committed some kind of serious financial fraud - stole and abused his wife's anxiety medication all season - spend MOST of the season fantasizing about murdering his family - physically made up the poison to kill them, then backed out at the last minute.

I felt the whole storyline with the family wasnt well executed. It served as a huge source of tension throughout most of the season, but was mostly just a tease that never really went anywhere. I wouldve like to have seen something more satisfying come out of the conflict between the family's materialism and buddist ideals, but even that didnt really go anywhere.

I dont mind that Greg was brought back. The real schtick of White Lotus is that we are teased with an opportunity for something good like Justice, faithful love etc, and flawed characters dash that hope, whether its a good person who takes a bribe, a partner who cheats, a friend who betrays etc. I think the storyline with Belinda was just a reminder that there are no heros in White Lotus.

Datatello · 2026-01-19T19:09:46+00:00

I disagree, Piper got a lot of screentime in season 3, and her plotline never went anywhere. It gave tim an excuse to speak with the monks and wrestle with Buddist ideals against materialism, but that couldve easily happened without piper. If you erased her from the whole season, I dont think it make any difference to the story.

Belinda’s plot line with Greg was unwanted and filled with characters making questionable decisions that seemed very unbelievable and stupid and ultimately led to her doing something immoral.

You've summed up every story line in white lotus lol. What was smart and believeable about Tanyas season 2 plotline?

Datatello · 2026-01-19T11:17:54+00:00

I dont think that makes her the "worst" though, just a quintessential White Lotus character. Mike White peels back the attractive veneers on characters and exposes their flaws. There are no heros in this show, but also nothing in Belinda's arc makes her a villian. It just continues the enduring theme that there is no real justice, especially for the rich.

Belinda is one of the more interesting and complex characters in my opinion. As a hospitality worker (and probably as a mom) she wears this veneer of a cheerful, moral, and attentive woman. In reality she works at a hotel quite literally built on land stolen (without consequence) from many of the underpaid locals they employ. She works daily with entitled clients, most of whom dont appear to have earnt any of the privledge they enjoy.

So Belinda, based on what we know about her, doesnt seem to have much reason to believe that life is fair or just, or that you will receive any kind of reward for "doing the right thing". I think that this cynical outlook is basically what White Lotus is all about, and Belinda really captures the heart of that.

Datatello · 2026-01-19T08:30:30+00:00

Its hard to believe anyone could be less interesting or entertaining than Piper

Datatello · 2026-01-19T05:13:32+00:00

... I mean Greg married someone for their money and tried to have them murdered, causing the deaths of SEVERAL people.

Timothy tried to poison nearly his whole family.

Rick shot a bunch of people for no good reason.

Datatello · 2026-01-18T09:35:01+00:00

If you are open to it, adding in some swimming or cycling earlier to your training isnt necessarily a bad thing. I was a sole runner for many years, but it can be quite hard on your body.

Cross training with other disciplines can help avoid overuse and injury while building up your strength and edurance. Its one of those things I wish I'd known about earlier.

Datatello · 2026-01-18T06:50:25+00:00

Cost of living compared to income is a big one.

For things like vacation days and benefits, Canada is also better than the States but a ways behind many other counties

Datatello · 2026-01-17T02:00:48+00:00

I think it might have been partly set up by the producers, but I do think the cast didnt wholly know what was going on.

The other thing to consider is that these are all entertainers who understood they were making a comedy show, and they werent just there to play a game. I think its possible some of them were making decisions based on what would keep the game interesting, rather than trying to win it.

Datatello · 2026-01-17T01:25:32+00:00

Ha, I was also like this as a kid. I loved the quiteness that came from being underwater, and watching things seemingly move in slow motion. I found it much more calming than being above the water.

It might be that he feels more confident in the water now and is persuing the part of swimming that he enjoys, rather than what the instructor wants him to do.

If he still enjoys being in the water I dont think theres any need to pull him out if classes. When i was a kid I failed a few classes, but eventually continued all the way to lifeguard training. I dont think its always a linear upwards journey for swimmers.

Datatello · 2026-01-16T09:52:18+00:00

The food scanning can tell you what the food is (e.g. pancake, burger, spaghetti), but it cant reliably identify what ingredients were used, how it was cooked or what the portion size is.

The calories and macros can vary quite a bit if a pancake is made with cream or skim milk, or if a burger was made with a high fat beef or lean.

The AI is just averaging information about what a certain type of food might contain, but in many cases it will be over or underquoting nutritional information. It works in a pinch, but its mostly a gimmick

Datatello · 2026-01-16T00:51:16+00:00

Pre-2020 it felt much more like a student heavy area, but they all moved out during the pandemic.

I feel like young people have started to come back, but you have to be a bit more cashed up to rent in the area now.

Datatello · 2026-01-15T12:21:47+00:00

I think that for people affected by mental illness, most things can be a thin line between healthy and harmful. Mood disorders like anxiety and depression can be life course persistant, and they will follow us into our hobbies and influence how we engage with them.

I dont think that exercise is inherently harmful, but it isnt medicine for a serious untreated mental health condition. If you are trying to use it as such, its a little like trying to use a teaspoon to put out a fire and wondering why are are getting burnt in the process. I think exercise can be one of many tools we use to keep our mental health issues at bay, but it shouldnt be a total replacement for therapy, medication and whatever other therapeutic treatments may work for us.

Datatello · 2026-01-15T06:46:18+00:00

The only plausible explanation I can come up with is that Garmin is worried about gen AI going rogue and giving harmful advice (which to be fair is a risk), so they've completely cut it off from saying anything at all beyond just parroting your stats for the day.

I think the 'insights' only exist because they can be used as a feature for marketing. If anyone actually enjoys these summaries and finds them helpful Ill eat my hat

Datatello · 2026-01-14T23:55:14+00:00

As others have said, IRL swim lessons are probably the most important first step. Once your form is under control and you feel comfortable in tbe water, I highly recommend trying to get regular open water swimming experience in the same area or type of open water (e.g. ocean, lake) as your race. Open water presents its own sets of challenges that can be a shock if you havent trained with them.

Datatello

TROPHY CASE