Triathlon Thread (Sprint, Half, Olympic, etc)

[synthsis]

you guys are so damn encouraging it makes me want to puke.

now that I think of it, the pool may be a full Olympic, I'll have to see if I can find it online somewhere, it's at Rowan Univ if anyone knows of it here in South Jersey.
edit: Olympic sized

As far as my stroke goes, I do like freestyle better, and I completely get the long, lower stroke count. They have those little floaty kickboards you can use, I might give that a try so I can work on my leg form first, get my thrashing and splashing to a minimum.

[chris@revotechnik]

I see you looked it up already but yes most universities pools will be olympic since they don' have 6 year olds needing to go 25m in competition

I'd work on your kick but it should not be a focus, you need your legs to bike and run not your arms so you really want to concentrate on keeping your kick to a minimum, just enough to keep you afloat and going straight. Just like the stroke should be long and deliberate so should your kick, don't kick from the knees only. IF you want to use a kick board get some fins to use, not only will you skoot across the water super fast which is fun but they sort of force you to have good form, if you try to kick from the knees with fins in on they don't do much, use your whole legs and you'll really feel the difference with the fins as to what is right and wrong.

Really longterm you should look into using a pull buoy so you can focus on your stroke and being efficient without kicking at all, right now though its honestly probably dangerous and would not suggest it.


For now just slowly get laps in, getting the distance covered while not sucking up all your energy should be your goal, you will get efficient automatically for that to work.

[synthsis]

I think one of the reasons I puked after swimming today was an extremely poor breakfast. I honestly hadn't thought about it when I was eating but I had a couple slices of locally baked Cinnamon Raisin bread and an espresso. Sure it had the carbs I needed, but it wasn't "right". I need to decide how often I should swim and how often I should be running.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

I think one of the reasons I puked after swimming today was an extremely poor breakfast. I honestly hadn't thought about it when I was eating but I had a couple slices of locally baked Cinnamon Raisin bread and an espresso. Sure it had the carbs I needed, but it wasn't "right". I need to decide how often I should swim and how often I should be running.

I always run the most. It's just something I enjoy more than the other two. Then biking then swimming.

I never, ever seem to get enough swimming in. I can run on the road in front of my house and I can bike there too...or in my basement, but I can only swim at a few places.

I eat a bagel and some water if I'm doing an early morning workout. I'll save the coffee/expresso for afterwards.

I just want to add that you shouldn't be stressing. You have plenty of time to do what you need to comfortably finish a sprint. Just map out your work outs for the next 3 months. This really helps.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

My knees hate breast stroke so it always slips my mind, but yes as you mentioned before it is a great stroke to work in when starting off.

It's an easy stroke for me to do recovery when getting swims in and it doesn't bother my legs like it does yours.

Every stroke "requires" a breath so it is a good one to just get used to having a nice rhythm and working on exhaling. ?You can just take a nice long deliberate stroke to work on going longer while still being in an easy and comfortable position to pop your head up if need be. It is also a good one to be used to for siting in open water, which I believe you also mentioned.

When doing freestyle since it sounds like exertion was an issue as much as getting air, remember that long efficient strokes are better then tons of short fast ones. Bad habits are hard to break in swimming since you can't see what you are doing if you are taking tons and tons of strokes per lap try and slow down your stroke and go longer. You may go slower at first but you'll get better form and use less energy as well as keep your heart rate in check.

[synthsis]

Did another treadmill 5K today. warmed up, blasted out a fast mile hitting the 7 minute mark, walked for a minute or so, then cranked the treadmill back up to finish out at 28 minutes. Might not be super impressive to real runners, but it's a personal best for me. I walked for another 1/4, then did some regular walking around the indoor track. My lower calves are killing me again and I stretched them real good. Can't wait for my Calf Compression Sleeves to get here.

[synthsis]

Swimming again today. felt MUCH better. I'm still only doing 100m at a time but I don't feel like I'm going to die now. I have gotten the swing of using more arms to move me through the water, based on the advice to save my legs for the bike/run portions.

[Steveo989]

I've pretty much just been running and lifting lately. I am considering getting geared up for a collegiate nationals race, but my 55,000+ students school no longer has a tri team

I dunno, I am kinda burned out from competing. I did an Ironman this Sept and finished 14:5X:xx I wanna say 14:54ish, but anyway I just couldn't get motivated to train since leaving the service. I guess I had a decent time for really putting in no training volume of any significance, but paying $700 plus hotel, etc. that kinda makes me sick to drop $1500+ in a season to not really give two ****s about training.

I have been lifting pretty consistently, and since doing University Course-work I do not like training for the amount of volume needed to do well in a Ironman.

[synthsis]

Swam again today, getting better each time. Got a weird outside calf cramp so I had to stop after a half hour. Going to run tomorrow, then back to the pool on Wednesday.

[synthsis]

Haven't really updated the thread recently. Ran 2 5Ks this week, one on the treadmill, and finally got a couple miles in outside. Felt good to be outside again, even if the wind was brutal. Went swimming tonight for about a half hour, still have a long way to go with that.

[Navydub]

This thread is dead, and it saddens me.

Anyone signing up for any races so far this year? I'm considering the HIM in Racine, Wisconsin in July, just debating if I'll actually have the time to train.


The break in the weather is nice up here though and am enjoying getting the miles in on the bike .

[Katie-S]

I'm doing this one on May 6:
http://ultramaxtri.com/trizou/

It's really short so I'm not doing any special training for it.

[brickfrenzy]

I've been idly thinking about entering a triathlon this year, but I'm such a poor swimmer and runner (speed wise) that I'm not sure my ego can take finishing in the bottom 25%.

[joness0154]

I've been idly thinking about entering a triathlon this year, but I'm such a poor swimmer and runner (speed wise) that I'm not sure my ego can take finishing in the bottom 25%.

Who cares? You finish higher than 100% of the people that didn't race that day.

I'm a super competitive person in a lot of other team sports I play, however for tri's my only goal is to set a personal best and finish every race. The fact is I don't have the time nor the willpower to train enough to be in the upper percentiles of finishers in my age group. I just do it to have fun.

[Katie-S]

Exactly! Finishing in the bottom 25% is better than not going out at all. Go for it and have fun. It's a great way to improve your fitness for pretty much anything. Also a good way to get out and meet people if you join a training/social club.

[Cooper]

My wife and I had lunch yesterday with someone she used to work with. She said her husband has been running 30 - 50 mile races in rugged terrain. She said that he runs marathons for practice.

[moose82]

This thread is dead, and it saddens me.

Anyone signing up for any races so far this year? I'm considering the HIM in Racine, Wisconsin in July, just debating if I'll actually have the time to train.


The break in the weather is nice up here though and am enjoying getting the miles in on the bike .

I'm pretty bummed I won't be able to do any races this year. I jacked up my hip training for a marathon last fall and it just refuses to heal, no matter how much time off I give it. So running is pretty much out of the question. I was hoping to get a few Olympic distance races and train up to a HIM. With a kid on the way, we'll see how much time I have next year.

[synthsis]

had a minor setback: found out the pool is NOT an Olympic, it's Half-Olympic. I had a hunch that it seemed kinda short. I put in a solid 40 minutes today using some flippers and doing resistance swimming. There's a guy who swims at my pool who is a coach and was giving me some drills to run. After the swim I came home and did 20 minutes on my bike on a trainer (40mph winds today).

[rockit]

im glad i found this thread. ive been away from biking and swimming for a number of years and have only been dabbling in occasional running over that time. this past weekend i signed up for a local 5k on a whim and had a blast. i ran into a friend afterward that i hadnt seen in quite some time. we used to bike together almost a decade ago. he has gotten pretty involved in triathlons now and he pointed me to a few local sprint triathlons that i plan on doing this summer. the more i read about them, the more questions i have.

some background:

i have a decent road bike and used to ride a fair amount (3k-4k/year) so im comfortable with biking.

i havent swam for fitness in over a decade but remember how grueling that training was back when i was doing it. there is a local lake that i hope to use for most of my swim training. its clean and only paddlecraft are allowed.

i run periodically but never stick with it for long. with zero training, my 5k/3.25m time was 30:12 and i left a lot in the tank. i think when paired with swimming or biking it will be easier for me to stay motivated.

dedicated training of this sort is new to me. i used to just go out and run or ride and not really concern myself with specific distances or pace, id just go full bore. now that im older it seems that i cant just bull through everything anymore. im not looking to win, just do my best. (unless winning is a possibility, then that will change dramatically.)

the info in this thread has been great so far and the advice from those more experienced is super helpful. thanks for that.

[synthsis]

swam again today, did about 600m with some breaks. Came home and rode the bike outside for about another 20 minutes. taking tomorrow off but will probably run on Friday depending on the weather.

and rockit, I've never swam for fitness until I started this thread and man, it is brutal. I've already had a strong back but this is making me sore in a completely different way, which is great.

[synthsis]

Got my best outdoor run to date in today.

Distance: 3.16mi Time: 00:27:15 Pace: 8:37min/mi Speed: 6.96mi/h

the temperature was around 50 degrees and I was definitely having issues with the cooler air in my lungs. I managed to complete that distance without having to stop once.

[moose82]

A buddy of mine is trying to talk me into do a half iron with him this Jan. I think if I can get my hip to cooperate and let me start running consistently again, I'm going to do it. The only thing that's making me hesitate is the timing: our first kid is due in late August so I don't know what my training schedule will be like after that. And being in Jan, being able to stay on the bike through Nov and Dec might be touch and go.

Also, for those of you asking about swimming workouts, check out beginnertriathlete.com. They have all kinds of workouts in there. I typically do declining sets: start off with whatever you're comfortable with (typically a 500m for me). Do that straight through. take a 30 sec to 1min break. Then 19 straight. Rest, do 18, etc. That will end up being a bit over 5000, or about 3 miles. I like this because you know every set is shorter than the previous one.

Alternate between that, speed work, and just straight up distance with no breaks, which is terribly boring in a pool, but helps your body prepare. Also, if you're training in a pool but doing an open water swim, don't push off the wall (no flip turns)

[synthsis]

Wow, Moose is pretty serious. I can barely do 100m without needing a break. That's a good link too, something I'm going to use. I've been doing a lot of flipper work, but not using my legs, just my arms to pull me along since ideally I want to conserve my legs for the other 2 legs of the race.


At some point I'm going to need some guidance on how to execute the change over from swim to bike then bike to run in terms of changing clothes, etc.

[moose82]

Wow, Moose is pretty serious. I can barely do 100m without needing a break. That's a good link too, something I'm going to use. I've been doing a lot of flipper work, but not using my legs, just my arms to pull me along since ideally I want to conserve my legs for the other 2 legs of the race.


At some point I'm going to need some guidance on how to execute the change over from swim to bike then bike to run in terms of changing clothes, etc.

I'm not that serious, just comfortable in the water. It's like anything else: you build up to it. Plus, there's no real way of resting during the race. With so many other variables as compared to the pool (dirty water, no visibility, people ALL over, the excitement of the race, particularly your first), I like knowing the distance isn't an issue.

As for the transitions, bike to run is simple: change shoes, eat a Gu if you want/need it, slap on your number and go. That should only be 60 seconds, max. You can take your cycling shoes off and leave them clipped in to your bike and run in barefoot. The one thing I do, which I may have mentioned earlier: I typically will power walk for the first 2 or 3 minutes of the run. If I try to run straight away, my legs are jello. My overall run time will suffer. If i walk for a few minutes, my legs acclimate and I can run almost my normal pace.

Going from the water to the bike is a bit longer and will vary depending on if you are wearing a wetsuit or not. But a quick dry off, if nothing else of your feet. Rinse your feet if you are walking over dirt or gravel, if you need to put your shirt on. I don't wear gloves during a race as I find it unnecessary. In the transitions I feel like rushing too much will slow you down. For your first race, particularly if you don't have intentions on winning/placing, you can afford to take your time, have a drink, get your bearings.

One tip which you can take or leave: put your gear in a large bucket. Lay everything out before you swim in order that you'll use it (there's typically not much space that's "yours"). you can use the bucket as a seat to swap shoes and dry your feet. Just remember to make a list of everything you'll need a day or two before the race and TRIPLE check it when you're packing. I'd be the guy who would forget his helmet.

I don't take the races too seriously. Obviously I want to do well for me, but I have no illusions of winning. Just have fun and enjoy it for what it is and you can be proud of yourself when you're done.

[synthsis]

awesome info again! I think I need to figure out my clothing situation first. I'm considering renting a wetsuit for the swim, I'll have to see what the water temps are going to be like in June in that lake. I know I'm not going to want to ride the bike leg with no chamois in my drawls, but then that creates a problem when I switch to the run as I won't want to run that leg with a chamois squishing around in my crotch the whole time.

[rockit]

my training started today. registered for a sprint tri on may 31st, got a membership to a local pool that starts may 9th and ran 3.25 miles.

synthesis- ive spoken with a few people and it seems that a primary benefit to wearing a wetsuit, when in fresh water, is the increased buoyancy. it might be worth considering it for that. hopefully some of the experienced people in this thread could chime in on the validity of that too.

ive been wondering, if you wear a wetsuit, how does changing after the swim work?

[robhurlburt]

meh, just wear your bike shorts, your doing a sprint, not an ironman. you won't chafe, try it out first

[rockit]

meh, just wear your bike shorts, your doing a sprint, not an ironman. you won't chafe, try it out first

with water temps in the low 60s and my having a free wetsuit, i am going to be wearing one.

[synthsis]

ive spoken with a few people and it seems that a primary benefit to wearing a wetsuit, when in fresh water, is the increased buoyancy. it might be worth considering it for that. hopefully some of the experienced people in this thread could chime in on the validity of that too.

2 times a week I end up swimming next to a girl who's training for a half Ironman and she tried out her wet suit for the first time last week. The first thing she mentioned was how buoyant it made her. My brother has a wetsuit for surfing but I'm pretty sure it's not the right style.

[synthsis]

today's run:

Distance: 3.11mi Time: 00:26:01 Pace: 8:22min/mi Speed: 7.17mi/h


Swam yesterday and it's getting a little easier as most of you said it would. I can easily do 100m without stopping when I could only do 50m before.

[synthsis]

Did my first semi-legit brick workout today.

Bike: 11.44 miles 36.44 minutes, avg 18.18 mph

Run: 1.58 miles in 14.23 minutes, avg 9:05 mile

Honestly, both of my averages are higher than I was anticipating. I haven't been on the bike much since it's been kinda chilly and I was surprised I was able to do stay under a 10 minute mile. About 2 minutes into my run my calves cramped real bad. I thought I was sufficiently hydrated but I guess I was down a little on fluids. Gotta get some coconut water tonight for in between legs.

[rockit]

good work! im looking forward to starting bricks.

i ran again today: 3.25m trail run, 29:00. I'm happy with this as its 3 minutes faster than the same run a week ago and 30 second faster than 2 days ago. im going to try a run on the street soon as im curious to see if the time are similar for the trails vs pavement.

As a cool down, I ran home from the trailhead (another 1.5m) but didnt time it.

[synthsis]

Been swimming mostly this week since it's been unseasonably cold around here for some reason. Add in a solid 25mph wind and it makes it hard to get on the bike and do some miles.

[synthsis]

any comments on one of these, they keep popping up on Chain Love for $42.

All the early mornings and time spent training comes down to race day. Get the most out of your performance when you compete in the Louis Garneau Pro Tri Suit. Tri-specific features such as quick drying materials, a stretchy fit, and compressive properties ensures every second's cut from your time.

lightweight Tri Air chamois is treated with anti-bacterial solution to combat growth of bacteria
Carbon-X Mesh fabric provides enhanced circulation for reduced fatigue
reflective logos for low-light safety
Wind tunnel tested for optimum aerodynamics

[synthsis]

been a long time since I've posted up any updates.

I did a small brick workout today: 8 mile bike, 1.5 mile run. I felt pretty good, legs were a little wobly at first but managed to run the entire time, no stopping or walking. I'm about a month out from my first race, I need to buy my ticket soon.