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Triathalon - thinking about doing one
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I'm now back to running after having pneumonia for 10 weeks. My legs feel like they belong to someone else, my luings are a bit wheezy and I've taken up swimming again.
I need a challenge for this year - something to get me into my trainers and out of the house so i thought I'd try a baby triathalon.
I can swim 200-400 metres ok, running 3 miles feels like hell but getting better slowly. The bike thingy must be easy.....at least I'll be sitting down!
Does anyone know of a tri happening on the south coast inthe next couple of weeks that I can go along and watch? Thinks I should find out a bit more.
What do I wear? Can girlies run in wet suits? certainly not running in my bikini for obvious reasons!
How do you train for a tri?
Help - so many questions!
I need a challenge for this year - something to get me into my trainers and out of the house so i thought I'd try a baby triathalon.
I can swim 200-400 metres ok, running 3 miles feels like hell but getting better slowly. The bike thingy must be easy.....at least I'll be sitting down!
Does anyone know of a tri happening on the south coast inthe next couple of weeks that I can go along and watch? Thinks I should find out a bit more.
What do I wear? Can girlies run in wet suits? certainly not running in my bikini for obvious reasons!
How do you train for a tri?
Help - so many questions!
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Comments
A novice Tri is well within your reach this season - There are plenty novice or "try a tri" TRIs about -
normaly about 200-300m swims 15-20k bike and 5k run
You dont run in the wet suit - get yorself a swimming suit to swim in (aim for a pool based swim for first race)
At the change over onto the bike - pull a close fitting T over your swim suite (you can buy the propper gear if you get into it) - cycle in you runnin shoes for ease - again no point in spending money on cycling shoes yet and you MUST wear a helmet and put the helmet on befor you touch you bike
Id advise sun glasses - any bike will do for you first race as long as its sound and safe
Aproaching the bike/run transition change down a gear and incease you revs (stand a bit to stetch) - hang up your bike then remove your helemet (it must be in this order)
Then off on the run
Great!!!
To train try and get 2 swims 2 runs and 2 bike rides in - during your training period - if you cannot fit this in during 7 days, have a 10 day training cycle
about a 5 weeks prior to the race include a brick session once a cycle - this is when you ride you bike and get off and run as a single training session (this is done in training cos its hard to do if un prepared)
If you brick session is going to be an hour - cycle for 40 mins and run for 20
Good luck - and feel free to mail me if you want a specific raining program or any other help
I will post details of southern races for you later
Again good luck
will
Lots of questions answered all at once!
I'm definitely going to give it a go but will need to sort my training plan out. At the moment I'm swimming most days with a run every other day (2-3 miles easy pace). Cycling is limited to the weekend only. Think training will be easier to do when the clocks change as I'll have more daylight time - I hate running at 6am in the morning!
Please send details of tri's in the south.
Thanks again
LJ
Will
Triathlon: Tips for Success - ISBN:1841260290
It gives a good overvew of the basics including training, kit, racing etc
I'm off to Amazon now to do some shopping! Its such hard work being fit!!!!
LJ
I did the great north last year and then lost all motivation. Hoping to get hooked on tri's.
LJ
I tried tri's last year after the london Marathon when suddenly you have nothing to train for. Did a tri-a-tri first and everyone was so friendly since all in the same boat. Then did a sprint tri and again found it friendly and fun. Because the swim is staggered you don't feel any pressure since don't know where you have come in the whole race until everyone has finished -unlike a run when everyone starts together so you know you ar near the back!!! Last year I finished my whole tri then went to watch the better swimmers who were only just starting!! I found I got lazy so this year after the Paris Marathon I am going to aim to try (tri) harder! You should enjoy it, I live in Surrey and there are quite a few around here, the first the East Grinstead which has a tri-a-tri. WildWill I believe has migrated from the triathlon 220 site (whose forum was closed down)(but correct me if I am wrong, I used to eagerly read the site to see what would be written next!) so be guided by him. Good luck and have fun.
By the way LJ have you found the tri site, from 220 Triathlon mag? www.220magazine.com
or www.britishtriathlon.org
or www.triathletes-uk.org
or www.triathlon.com
maybe of interest if you want to look further.
Dare I say I am off to play golf now -a rest day before the Cranleigh 21 tomorrow -gulp!!!
Have fun.
Good luck with the training!!
And it will be worth your while practising riding the bike and then running right afterwards,e ven if only for a short while. You need to get used to the feeling and learn to deal with making your legs move while they feel like they are stuck in deep mud.
I did a cycle then a run this weekend - it felt like someone had stolen my legs and replaced them with some really heavy ones!!
I'm a bit scared of joining a tri club (there is one in Southampton) as I may feel intimidated. Like the sound of a tri-a-tri.
Will look at the other websites.
I'm off for a wee swim now.
Thanks
LJ
XX
If the general verdict is I'll look a fool doing breast strike then I may just give the Tri a miss until I have more swimming stamina. By the way 1500m breast stroke would probably take the best part of an hour which would leave me hopelessly last for my age catergory getting out of the water.
I'd appreciate any comments from the regular Tri mob.
"Still drowning" PPB.
Have a look at last years results and the times that people completed the 3 disiplins ( a few people were above 55 mins)
dont be worried - just go 4 it
With practice you'll improve and there is nothing like sailing past crawlers.
It is often my favourite part of the race because when I'm on the bike someone steals my running legs!
i've been considering doing a tri but have two main concerns which have put me off:
1) not very fast on a bike - but i know that training should sort this
2) being a well endowed girl i can't understand the logistics, garment wise. i mean, there's no chance on earth of me running without my sports bra so does that mean i should swim with in on underneath my swimming cossie? and don't tell me to try the lycra 2 pieces - for a girl my size it just won't work (34D). the only thing about swimming in a sports bra is that won't it then rub terribly because it's wet?
anyway, hope someone can help. i'd also be interested in the list of newbie friendly tri's in the south. thanks
Another Triathlon question then just to continue a theme, Which book is best: Triathlon: Tips for Success; or
The Triathlete's Training Bible.
I'm also debating getting that Total Immersion swimming technique book but that's been discussed elsewhere before on the forums.
PPB.
Don't dismiss the 2 piece tri suits - I'm a 36C and I wear a Speedo 2 piece tri suit (got it from Bourne Sports) and find it more supportive than lots of sports bras. They are really really firm and hold everything flat. Might be worth buying a copy of 220 magazine and sending off for one to try out. (I think Speedo have stopped making the tri suits, but there are lots of other makes) Alternatively, Sportsjock bras are like crop-tops, so would be ok for running without having to put a t-shirt over it. You'd need to experiment to see if it dragged much while swimming though (and didn't become see through!), but I don't think it would rub, even if it was wet.
I don't live in the south, but all the tri's I've done have been really friendly and the last ones home get more support than the winners. Try to find a novice distance or a sprint distance at most for your first one, to get you used to the format. They are really good fun, even for a rubbish swimmer like me.
220 Magazine in my opinion varies in usefulness - sometimes they have good articles, sometimes not.
There seems to be a lot of talk on these forums about Triathlons - perhaps Triathlon should have a section of its own
Don't bother with books just yet.
220 is a good mag.
Do your cross training. Get a feel for it.
Then you'll be able to pick a book which suits your ability/methods/goals.
For the record I prefer one by Steve Trew probably called Triathlon! It's an interesting read but i don't follow it religously just use it to supplement/change the sessions that have evolved from changing to a runner to run-swimmer to triathlete.
Enjoy!
one of your queeries answered -don't have any problem myself!! But about the "south" tri's, go into www.hedgehogtri.co.uk and that gives links into Sussex area tri's with tri-a-tri's also. This is where I did my first ones last year and found them very good so plan on doing some of them again this year. Look forward to them and enjoy, I'm looking forward to finishing the Paris marathon then getting the bike out ready for tri season. Go for it.