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Loving the advice and useful info on here, definitely cheered me up today!!
Thanks all for the water/bottle advice!
T-2 weeks and the nerves are definitely ramping up! Had three OW sessions this week, managed 800m this morning before bailing out. I figure if I can do an extra 200m every time I go, then I should be ok. It's really hard to swim having to keep looking up every few strokes!
Question: do you all have a wee whilst in the water? Whilst swimming or just before you come out? I managed a golden shower but only when stopped in between laps and even that was quite tricky...
Wee in wetsuit to warm it up. But GET IN THE WATER FIRST or you will feel a bit of a tit and I would laugh at you. If you remember to let one out before getting out, all well and good, saves needing one on the bike. Otherwise, use as chemical weaponry for the one following you who keeps accidentally tapping your feet. It is really hard to keep a leg kick up when having a wee I find.
Someone else can cover weeing on a bike.....I have never done it. Some do.
Weeing on the run just gives you blisters on your feet and smelly legs.
Sighting is practice, if you know you are doing ten strokes in a straight line, sight every ten. Adjust it to suit. Do your own sighting, don't follow Mister Zigzag, he will wear you out. Sight to distance, not close up. AT least next buoy, preferably a large tree that is recognisable. At Outlaw, it was 40 minutes sighting on the sun. Even I could see that. Good luck. Report back, don't forget.
whoops my post ended up in the quote!
Personally I don't bother with a bottle at all for an Oly (or spare tubes etc - if I flat, its game over at that distance anyway).... well hydrated before the start, a good slug on a bottle in T1 and T2, and I'm sorted... unless its hot, and then I'd stick a single bottle behind my saddle with some electrolytes in in too...
and to build on Dustboy's post..... if you DO have a wee in your wetsuit before getting in the water, make sure you don't have a hole in the crutch of your wetsuit first.... otherwise you stand chatting to someone while piss pours between your legs.....
I weed on the bike for the first time ever on saturday.... but only because A] I was in a national park, and weeing was a DQ, so I needed to be surreptitious, and B] Some ejeet was sucking my back wheel and refused to back off despite repeated warnings... so I helped him wash off his handlebars.....
Banjai .. can you elaborate why you bailed at 800M ?? is it cold, tired, scared or lack of swimming ??
Slightly horrified at the number of people weeing during the swim, I don't want to swallow that
.... people wonder why they get upset stomachs 
Anyway, it helps hide the taste of the inch thick duck shit.
I don't
... you will
Ah yes, I forgot to mention, due to bladder issues (I only have one kidney), its very unlikely that I can manage the race without a wee, and I'm really not keen on weeing on my bike. I stopped during my ride yest to wee in some bushes, got some one my shoes and was disgusted with myself. Not sure I'll cope with it streaking down my leg and bike!
Magna: if we do get a puncture, are there people to help? Or do I have to carry my own tube/gas? I really want to at least finish!
M...eldy: I think was more panic/scared than anything. It's definitely not as cold as I thought it would be with a wetsuit, and I'm permanently tired nowadays so it doesn't make much difference. When there's no one anywhere near me then I seem to be ok, but as soon as people come near then I panic and try to sight every stroke and end up flailing my arms around. It's definitely better than the first couple of sessions where I only managed 400m! I've got at least 8 sessions left so I think I should be able to get there....!!
I did start stalking someone on Strava who happened to be in the lake at the same time. She does 13k swims!!
for most races, you're on your own ref sorting a puncture.... if you are regularly out on a bike, you ought to learn how to do it anyway. For the longer races, there is often a support vehicle to assist, but you could wait a really long while for that.
I can't wee in my wetsuit.........and I've been on (sorry "in" !!) the game for years..........
Just can't do it - my mother has a lot to answer for!!!
However I would also say as someone who frequently needs to pee in general life I never seen to when "racing" and it's not a case of dehydration either as I'm always well hydrated at the end
You may find the same come race day Benjai
Aye! So the day is drawing near! This sunday! Looking forward to the rain!
Just had a quick (hopefully the last) question about racking on the Saturday. Do I have to put ALL of my stuff there including wetsuit and running stuff on Saturday? Or am I allowed back into my bike stand on the Sunday to do final checks?
Thanks!
PS my swimming is still not great, but I managed 1800m on wed in the lake so hopefully I'll manage to bobble all the way to T1!
Ah also, I have a 6:40am start....if I arrive at 5am, will that be enough time to sort myself out? Or should I arrive even earlier?!
Thanks!
you don't leave your wetsuit there sat.... put it on Sunday morning over your tri suit or whatever you are wearing... most tris let you in sun am, and this is when you leave all your other kit there, inc shoes etc... but check that, as they're not all the same.
5am for a 6:40 start is about right.... enough time to not be in a panicky rush, but not so early that you are hanging around twiddling your thumbs!
Have fun!!!
I'd be there about 6 but then i like my sleep
Haha so I finished (just)! What great fun! Here's what happened in case anyone's interested:
T-2 days, supposed to be final swim session, but I forgot missus was going out partying so I have to switch my swim to a brick session instead
Missus gets back with minor lurgy.
T-1 days, have my final swim session, gentle 800m, only managed 400m without stopping, don't feel good at all. Missus gets super lurgy, whilst son has 6th birthday. Rush back home to take him to school fair and take missus' place to run a stall. Some of the dads are talking about a super tri, run to Dover, swim channel, bike to Calais?! Is that even legal? go home, realise I left my goggles at the lake!!!! Too late to go back; fccCKKK. Missus asleep and I can't find hers. Will have to worry about that later. Then lug son over to rack because I can't leave him with the missus. Walk to and from carpark with a 6 year old with all my gear feels like a marathon already. Drive back, grab cake, grab dinner, birthday time, everyone happy, am wiped out. Manage to find wife's goggles, why is my head so BIG? They barely fit!! And they're not polarised like mine; will I be able to see anything?! Double fcccKKK.... Will just have to wing it. Catch half England match, why is Rooney playing?! Realise I have minor lurgy coming, and my throat is hurting. Gulp 3 paracetamols and pass out.
augh missus is calling...tbc...
Hahaha did I say it was so much fun?!
So arrived there at 5am on the dot for the 640 start, which was probably a tad too early. Put down all my gear nicely and met a top bloke called Johnny who was racked next to me and therefor starting in the same wave as me. This was his second tri and first olympic.
So start time, and we all jump in the river. As we're going downstream first, the current makes everyone bunch up by the start line whilst we wait for the horn. Before I know it, I'm jammed in like a sardine. Suddenly remember I better relieve myself so golden shower time. Hope that puts everyone off! Horn goes, loads of splashing, and panic! Like really panic like the first time I went into OW weeks back. How on earth am I going to get to the end? And why are people kicking me?! I really really struggle, and takes me maybe 10 mins to calm down. At this point I'm way back already so just take my time, but its still difficult going. Most of my technique has already gone out the window. Finally make the turn point and swim back upstream! Which is very hard...I feel like I'm barely moving at all! And somehow I make it! In 32 mins! I was aiming for 37 so I'm not really sure how that happened. But I'm still miles back. I'm ranked 900 out of 1000 males at this point.
Run to the bike, and Johnny runs past me! How was he slower than me? And how is he running so fast barefooted?! Try to get wetsuit off, and feel tinge of cramp in calves, uh oh. Better sit down and ease it off. Grab bike, off we go. I can see Johnny about 10 seconds ahead, I have to hunt him down! Hunt him down I do, but then he passes me not long after. 10 mins in and I feel a minor urge to pee. I forgot to pee before I came out the water! Pass loads of people, but the seem to be mostly girls...hmmm..although I do pass a couple of people on full TT bikes with deep rims. Take that suckers! Johnny and I continue leap frogging each other every 5k or so. Get out of my way! 10k to go, and the urge is strong. No choice now, must try to pee on the bike. Is that actually possible? Do people do that? Because I couldn't! Shit, have to find somewhere to take a piss. Hop off on the side of the road and Johnny blazes past me. Pee, get pack on the bike. Ahhhhhhh much better now. Suddenly feel like I have loads of energy again so put the hammer down. 1k to go, and I pass Johnny! So I've climbed 300 places up to 600 now.
We head into T2 together and again, touch of cramp in my calf and also quad now! What is this?! Sit down and gingerly change my shoes, and off I go. Normally run -ve splits so start of reasonably gently for 1st K. Johnny has already blazed off, no matter, I'll show him! Speed up a bit for 2nd K, all going to plan. 3rd K - why is this suddenly so hard? Ok, slow down a bit. 4-6k, fcccckkkkk....this is really hard...I can't get faster at all.....I see Johnny coming down at the turn points, how is he running so fast?! Last lap, see missus and son cheering me in the crowd. TURBO! The turbo lasts....30 seconds...fckkkk shttttt.....this is really hard...I'll just have to maintain pace, no sprint finish for me. 50m away from the finish line, I notice Johnny in the crowd egging me on. Jammy bastard. Anyhow, I make it to the end!!
Wow that was awesome! The swim was a bit depressing and scary, bike was so much fun, and the run was much harder than I thought. But such a fun day! Somehow managed to make up another 100 places on the run, so finished bang in the middle of the males and also my age group. Must do it again next time and work on my swim!
Thanks for all the help people!
Excellent write-up!
Most, if not all of us, can relate to that battle with a single individual on a race course!
Sounds like you had a lot of fun, which is the main thing...
Excellent ! I am going to do the Olympic distance (first time) next June. Can I expect a good mix of people then or will there mainly be hardcore triathletes?
Oh, and do we get a medal ?
There will be a good mix of beginners and experienced triatheletes but all will be a friendlyand helpful. You will normally get a medal and a t shirt