Training for a shorter Tri

I bow in awe to all those who are Ironman's or training to do one this year, but I'm afraid that's not going to be me this year! image

However, I do want to do 'something' so have been lurking on this forum for several months now summoning up the courage to jump in.

I'm 35, mother of four little girls and have been running for a year and do about 18miles a week. I swim 35-40 lengths once a week but my biking has only been around town on a 3 gear sit-up-and-beg bike with my 3yr old on the back. Not sure that will get me round a tri course image.

Have also spent the past hour looking up training schedules and am now feeling rather nervous and excited in equal measure.  I've signed up for a short duathlon in March and a sprint tri in May and hope to do an Oly in July. 

Hope there are some other folk out there who will join me on this thread and share their goals, tips, ideas, training and sucesses.

Chilibean

P.S. apologises in advance for all my stupid questions - I'm pretty clueless. 

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Comments

  • sounds like you can swim, and run, but the biking needs some work.

    Start with trying to do something (ie biking, running or swimming) 6 days out 7.....

    first target is to do the distance in every discipline - once you can do that, then the confidence to go faster will come

    this might be of interest - http://www.pirateshipoffools.co.uk/?p=467

  • Chilibean,

    welcome aboard. Sounds like it is all there. Run, Swim and even bike. Remove toddler from child seat and even the 3-speed will go a lot faster.

    18 miles a week seems like you have a good traning base to work towards the shorter distance stuff. I will take a stab in the dark and predict you would make it round tomorrow (if not for the fact that you have four packed lunches,  four school runs, four sets of homework and some baking for a cake sale to do).

    So is it just about speed?

    In which case you have some bike acclimatisation to do.

    Meface

  • Hi there Chilibean,
    O.rangeCannon wrote (see)
     this might be of interest - http://www.pirateshipoffools.co.uk/?p=467
    Check out the The Unofficial PSOF Guide to Sprint Triathlons
  • CB - welcome to the dark side image

    You can always improve, but you're at least covering all the disciplines and as meface said you could probably knock out a sprint tomorrow just on the base training you've done and some race day adrenaline. A lot of us juggle kids, jobs, and all manner of non-tri issues just to get to the start line, so it ain't easy but it certainly isn't impossible. There's a good many Pirates of the female persuasion who are also Mums, so you're in good company here for support and advice. I've been doing this for years and am still clueless, so that doesn't need to be an impediment either image
  • Which sprint tri have you signed up for?
  • Hi

    May i join in, signed up for East Grinstead Ladies Novices Sprint Tri.

    My training is limited at the mo, due to broken arm, but walking and cycling on static bike in garage, also have managed to pick up chest infection as well.

  • Chilibean wrote (see)

    P.S. apologises in advance for all my stupid questions  

    No such thing only a stupid answer. Welcome image
  • Hi everyone

    Thanks so much for your replies and help  - have looked up the PSOF site and will read through the info.

    I'm not particularly looking for great speed. I regard myself as a 'steady runner' (my 5k PB is 28:25) and the same with swimming too I guess. Shall see what happens with my cycling over the next few months. My aim is to complete the tri's and still be half alive at the end.

    It has been encouraging to read on this forum of so many mums with young kids who also do tri's including ironman! I don't have any friends who run let alone cycle and swim too so I admit I am relying on this site for info and encouragement. My hubby is great and does a little bit of cycling as long as it's flat and ends at a pub or coffee shop, but he's not sporty. Have been getting a few tips from KittenKat by e-mail too. Thanks KK.

    SuperCaz - I've signed up for the Tri Nations at Windsor on 7th May. My hubby is a Rev so Sundays are pretty busy and so i look for Saturday events. Having said that, if I do sign up for the Eastnor Oly in July we are taking the weekend as holiday to camp and play.

    Hi SteadyCJ - please do join in. Hope you are feeling better soon! I'm hoping to get a few on here to cheer each other on.

    My really exciting news is that I got a new bike this afternoon. A hybrid with gears so hopefully I shall be able to cycle up the hills instead of walking. Am in love with it already. image

  • hello chilibean , im here too now. hello you hard Tri people. im in same position as chilibean, can run- but want to Tri without getting taken to casualtyimage- be gentle with us !! we are mums!
  • chillibean......im looking at bikesimage
  • CB - I've seen many and varied excuses/reasons for not being able to train on specific days/times, but have to say you may be unique hereabouts in being married to a Rev. Don't worry, we'll sort him out and have him in lycra in no time image

  • Save yourself Chilibean...

    Don't do it...

    You'll be addicted for ever!

    smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

  • loulabell wrote (see)
    be gentle with us !! we are mums!
    Pfft. If you can do childbirth you can do tri's, so man up and sign up for IM Regensberg with the rest of them image
  • What on earth happened to my smiley???

    Try again...

    image

  • You broke the forum mate image
  • image He broke me that night at the camp site with the food. image Best not to talk about that through.
  • Had to stop you smoking somehow! image
  • Kanga! you speak words of wisdom- childbirth is a true test of strength,stamina AND PAIN THRESHOLD-shall i call you a wimp now or wait until i see you at IM?imageLOL
  • Mmmm, was going to do the Eastnor Oly tri in July but just found out that has been cancelled. So i guess I'll have to find another one. Was kind of banking on the Pirate support team to keep me going.

    Yes, my hubby is a Rev so racing on a Sunday is difficult but that doesn't mean I don't sneak in a training run or ride between sermons! image

    Loulabell - glad to see you made it over here. I wonder if we can encourage a few others from our running thread?

    Went out to play on my new bike today. Tomorrow is my first test. Can I cycle and run both on the same day?

    Then I think I really do need to work out a training plan for the duathlon in March.

    Cake - was the food that bad? I'm a great cook - very well known for my home baking image

    SuffolkPunch - i like adventures, but they have to fit round the rest of my family. This is my adventure for 2011. If I like tri's I might do some more, but I have also a strange attraction to ultra running. Very strange since running one of these town based marathons doesn't appeal to me at all.

    Actually, what I'm most concerned about is my 8yr old big girl and my 7yr twins deciding they want to do tri's too! Have you any idea how difficult it is to manage a household of 'runners'  - not sure I could cope if they decided they were going to be triathletes as well! Haven't got the pennies for one thing.

  • Chilibean - about a training plan for a duathlon in March, just get some cycling and running in, do a few brick sessions.

    I have entered the Portsmouth Triathletes Duathlon in April, but can only walk and ride static bike in garage at the moment due to arm injury (sustained falling over in the ice/snow whilst sober). Hoping that at least the legs and lungs will be ready for it.

    Today walked nearly five miles at a fairly brisk pace, tomorrow aim for a 45 min session on bike.

  • this may be another dim question but do we qualify as piratey people if completing Duathalon, or does it have to be Triathalon?image i have a beautiful piratey t-shirt i had as a prezzy , not feeling 100% qualified to wear it yet!
  • I would have thought if you feel like a pirate then you can wear the T shirt with pride.

    I did my first duathlon last year and talked to some friendly tri competitors who imformed me that it is harder than a tri. I know it felt hard work and since then did a novices tri which did seem easier, something to do with the run being first and last and the swim is non weight bearing.

  • Chilibean wrote (see)

    Went out to play on my new bike today. Tomorrow is my first test. Can I cycle and run both on the same day?

    Cake - was the food that bad? I'm a great cook - very well known for my home baking image

    Sure you can run and cycle on the same day. Beware wobbly legs.

    I have a tendancy to er like food a lot. image

  • Well, I didn't do the bike/run combination. I poured with rain and was really dark all day and I'm a wuss and decided cleaning my kitchen floor was more fun.

    Did run 5miles this evening though when rain had stopped. 

    Have decided to enter the the Upton Oly on 9th July image The downstream river swim sounds great.

    SteadyCJ - I'm impressed at your committment. 45 mins on a static bike would drive me nuts with boredom. Really hope your arm heals quickly.

    As you've gathered the bike is my weakest part. I'm going away for the weekend but next week I plan my training plan is in place. Shall be riding 3 times a week and building up to the distance. One of those will be preceded or followed by a run. And shall build from there. Does that sound reasonable? I have 8 weeks until the race. And it's only run 5k, bike 21k, run 5k.

    Are legs always wobbly? Or does that ease off when you are fit enough?

    okay, here is one of my stupid questions - Am I right in thinking cycling shorts/tights have abit of padding in them?  Is it still easy to run in these? I can't imagine needing padding for 21k but I'm sure it would be nice for longer distances. I need some new tights for training so I was thinking of going for cycling ones this time.

    Loulabel - I haven't got a priate t-shirt yet, but my family have said they will all wear them to cheer me on at my tri in the summer if I decide to join the PSOF.

    Chilibean

    P.S. pudding tonight was apple crumble with a wholemeal topping - i usually only add cinnamon but today i went for a festive flavour and also put in a little ground cloves and nutmeg. image

  • Sorry to disappoint you but did not get on bike as leg was a bit too sore, thought i would give it a day of rest will try tomorrow as it is easing off. will post to let you know.

    I only go on the bike if the radio is on, it is psitioned to face a window so i can watch birds coming down to a feeder, that helps keep me going.

  • To answer the question on shorts, tri shorts have a smaller padding, which makes the run more comfortable. I couldnot run in my bike shorts, although have done bike/run in running shorts and suffered from lackof padding.

  • loulabell wrote (see)
    Kanga! you speak words of wisdom- childbirth is a true test of strength,stamina AND PAIN THRESHOLD-shall i call you a wimp now or wait until i see you at IM?imageLOL
    Can only take your word for it. I'm a wimp from way back. Quite happy not to do all that hard work myself and leave that to the missus, although she did cheat and have both ceasers. Mind you, the little bloke was 11 weeks early image
  • Managed the 45 mins on bike, but got a bit bored as it was raining outside and only one pidgeon and a squirrel came to the feeder.

    The mention of apple crumble has got me planning meals for the weekend, i'll get OH to make one, plenty of cooked apple in our freezer.

  • Today was day one of week one base phase on my training schedule for a sprint tri in the summer. This is the plan I had carefully found and altered slightly to fit in my coached swim session and pilates class before my fall.

    Result did one hour easy bike ride - weather dry so some birds to watch on the feeder (magpie, robin, great tit and blue tit) and listened to Bruce Springsteen CD for music.

    Chilibean -  I get the wobbles going from bike to run, sometimes just getting off bike is enough to set it off, though it does not last too long.

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