The Triathlon thread - Ironman, 70.3, Olympic, Sprint
Discussion
Magic919 said:
Anybody else suffer swimming in the weeds at the Thorpe Park Sprint Tri today? My wife managed 4th in her category.
I did this - the swim was pretty grim, it was also a very long 750m. The Thorpe sprint series races were in a different lake and it was much much nicer!! They've also added 30 secs to everyone's times since last night. I did 1.16 thirty something - was 40th overall - my actual times are pretty respectable but as ever my transitions are awful.......
Top tip - make a list of all the stuff you need ahead of time and tick it off as you load it in the car so you don't forget anything.
Mentally rehearse your two transitions once you've set up your stuff - that way you'll be sure that you've set it up correctly and haven't missed anything.
And have fun!
Mentally rehearse your two transitions once you've set up your stuff - that way you'll be sure that you've set it up correctly and haven't missed anything.
And have fun!
My first Tri this Sunday 
Sprint Distance at Roade. Pool based, 414m swim. I did a 7:53 400m TT with my coach a week or so ago so hoping for about a 7:40 on the swim. Aiming for 36 mins on the bike. Run is going to be appalling as I haven't done much and my ankle has been playing up a bit recently. Hopefully my transitions shouldn't be too bad as I will be swimming in my tri suit. I will need to wear socks for the run though.
Sprint Distance at Roade. Pool based, 414m swim. I did a 7:53 400m TT with my coach a week or so ago so hoping for about a 7:40 on the swim. Aiming for 36 mins on the bike. Run is going to be appalling as I haven't done much and my ankle has been playing up a bit recently. Hopefully my transitions shouldn't be too bad as I will be swimming in my tri suit. I will need to wear socks for the run though.
944fan said:
My first Tri this Sunday
Sprint Distance at Roade. Pool based, 414m swim. I did a 7:53 400m TT with my coach a week or so ago so hoping for about a 7:40 on the swim. Aimingu for 36 mins on the bike. Run is going to be appalling as I haven't done much and my ankle has been playing up a bit recently. Hopefully my transitions shouldn't be too bad as I will be swimming in my tri suit. I will need to wear socks for the run though.
Good luck, and have fun :-)Sprint Distance at Roade. Pool based, 414m swim. I did a 7:53 400m TT with my coach a week or so ago so hoping for about a 7:40 on the swim. Aimingu for 36 mins on the bike. Run is going to be appalling as I haven't done much and my ankle has been playing up a bit recently. Hopefully my transitions shouldn't be too bad as I will be swimming in my tri suit. I will need to wear socks for the run though.
MrsMiggins said:
Top tip - make a list of all the stuff you need ahead of time and tick it off as you load it in the car so you don't forget anything.
Mentally rehearse your two transitions once you've set up your stuff - that way you'll be sure that you've set it up correctly and haven't missed anything.
And have fun!
Good tips. Make sure that you really do know the routes through the transition area, and where your bike is.Mentally rehearse your two transitions once you've set up your stuff - that way you'll be sure that you've set it up correctly and haven't missed anything.
And have fun!
If it's warm, don't be too quick to zip up your wetsuit. There can be a lot of hanging about when you will get hot. If you are a fast swimmer, go at the front. If you are slow, go at the back. The place you want to avoid is right in the middle. I'd rather be on the outside, even if it means swimming further. It's OK to navigate by following a group since they will probably go in roughly the right direction. But don't assume that one person on their own is going the right way.
The bike ride there is hilly, especially just near the start, but none of the hills is steep compared with others in that area. Be careful on the bumpy corner where you go right, under a bridge.
Don't under any circumstances run without socks unless you have tried it before and were OK.
944fan said:
I will need to wear socks for the run though.
Randy Winkman said:
Don't under any circumstances run without socks unless you have tried it before and were OK.
Definitely heed this advice.Having forgotten to put my socks on in T2 (at my first Bananaman tri at Eton Dorney - 7.5k run) I can vouch for it
and it's the first and only time it's ever happened!!Finished the run, but spent 30 mins in the back of a St John's ambo having my feet patched up afterwards - tore the skin off in a ~30mm strip from the knuckle of my big toe, through my foot arch to the other side of my ankle on BOTH feet.
Went out in Twickenham that night and spent the entire night having my mates rip the piss out of me for walking like John Wayne!!!
Greg66 said:
Anyone else in for Mallorca 70.3 next year? I seem to have managed to enter...
Don't you hate it when that happens??!?!?!I haven't eentered anything yet, but have you noticed IM have moved a couple of races to earlier in the year? I was all up for Luxembourg 70.3 in September, but it's been moved to June. My next choice would have been Pays d'Aix, moved to May!!! Henley has also been dumped, so nothing local at that time of year unless I head back to Wales, but i'd rather try something new.
If only it wasn't so expensive to ship the family I'd go out to the states. #
Decisions, decisions...
ETA - best of luck to all those racing this weekend. Smash it.
Fourmotion said:
Don't you hate it when that happens??!?!?!
I haven't eentered anything yet, but have you noticed IM have moved a couple of races to earlier in the year? I was all up for Luxembourg 70.3 in September, but it's been moved to June. My next choice would have been Pays d'Aix, moved to May!!! Henley has also been dumped, so nothing local at that time of year unless I head back to Wales, but i'd rather try something new.
If only it wasn't so expensive to ship the family I'd go out to the states. #
Decisions, decisions...
ETA - best of luck to all those racing this weekend. Smash it.
It is *unbelievably* annoying I haven't eentered anything yet, but have you noticed IM have moved a couple of races to earlier in the year? I was all up for Luxembourg 70.3 in September, but it's been moved to June. My next choice would have been Pays d'Aix, moved to May!!! Henley has also been dumped, so nothing local at that time of year unless I head back to Wales, but i'd rather try something new.
If only it wasn't so expensive to ship the family I'd go out to the states. #
Decisions, decisions...
ETA - best of luck to all those racing this weekend. Smash it.
I have been looking at 70.3 races in Europe in July; Norway looks a good choice, as Berlin is (or was last year) changed very late on to be a multi lap bike and run course around a local airfield. Meh.
There's a Mallorca full distance IM that's new for 2014, but I'm not sure when...
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 26th September 09:57
Nutter99 said:
Will be doing my first Tri at Hever this weekend. Will be doing the Olympic distance, feel under trained (isn't everyone)
Bricking it a bit...
Top tips?
Parking is a bit of a hike to the transition area. You don't want to be going back and forwards to your car if you can avoid it.Bricking it a bit...
Top tips?
The transition area is big, bikes will be jammed up close together. If you get there early and set yourself up you will probably have to squeeze up constantly as more people arrive.
Before the swim there is a briefing for your wave, there will probably be a couple there dressed as Henry the Eighth and an Anne Boleyn in comic fancy dress. Going into the water is very slippery on the steps into the lake. The lake will be cold, as it is shallow you can stand up for much of the course. If you stand up at the start your feet go about a foot into silty mud, which is actually good for keeping your feet warm. The lake is muddy and full of reeds etc, you will be swimming into stuff constantly and you might catch up with slow swimmers from the wave in front. If you are doing breaststroke, the next wave will catch up with you.
Markers are on the right hand side, it's an out and back course. The markers are huge and easy to see.The bike course is hilly with lots of short climbs, most all the turns are left it's a bit of a poor road leaving the transition up to the main road with pot holes and speed bumps. People crash here. The course is quite scenic and there is an uphill drag to the castle before descending down the potholed road to the transition area again.
The run course is flat and a mix of concrete path and forest track around the lake and castle. Again it's quite scenic but due to the narrow sections around the lake, you probably wont get a PB here.
dangerousB said:
Oooh, really? 
. . . shuffles off to ironman.com
. . . shuffles off to ironman.com
May not be official yet, but there are details here: http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=93...
September.
Just got back from my first ever tri. Roade. Enjoyed far more than I was expecting.
The swim was a bit of a bun fight and in the briefing they said tap someones ankle if you want to pass them but some breast-strokers obviously didn't hear that. Bike was good a little windy, some poor chap on a very expensive carbon number wiped out in front of me. He seemed fine, just road rash and dented pride, I slowed to help but he sent me on. There is a fast decent then a tight turn on adverse camber of a bridge. They warn you about it but the first lap I took it a bit fast and locked my rear wheel breaking. Squeaky bum time.
The run was nice and flat, which was good because my legs were quite heavy by that point. Took it easy until I was comfortable and knew I was getting to the end.
Really good event. Very well organised with signs and marshalls at all points. Lots of support, including people on deck chairs in their front garden cheering.
1:17:38 overall
The swim was a bit of a bun fight and in the briefing they said tap someones ankle if you want to pass them but some breast-strokers obviously didn't hear that. Bike was good a little windy, some poor chap on a very expensive carbon number wiped out in front of me. He seemed fine, just road rash and dented pride, I slowed to help but he sent me on. There is a fast decent then a tight turn on adverse camber of a bridge. They warn you about it but the first lap I took it a bit fast and locked my rear wheel breaking. Squeaky bum time.
The run was nice and flat, which was good because my legs were quite heavy by that point. Took it easy until I was comfortable and knew I was getting to the end.
Really good event. Very well organised with signs and marshalls at all points. Lots of support, including people on deck chairs in their front garden cheering.
1:17:38 overall
Completed my first Tri at Hever today. Olympic distance. Organisation really good, although bikes racked up really close together (needlessly it turns out as plenty of space at the end of the rack....
Good briefing before the swim but all eyes were scanning the lake. Water cold but not unmanageable. Made a few mistakes in the swim - didn't push hard enough & didn't sight often enough. Bit ziggy zaggy all told. Couple of mega kicks to the chops helped keep me awake. Out of the water in 35.55.
T1 a reasonable hike but eventually found my bike (ran past it) and got myself sorted. Pondered a top but settled on just arm warmers - probably a mistake as pulling them up over wet arms was a faff. Easy to lose time in T1 5:05
Bike next - I'm a new to cycling so the hilly route was a bit intimidating. Actually really enjoyed the ride. Off the bike in 1:28 and discovered why I should have done some bricks. Legs all over the place, needed the bike to prop me up.
Staggered back to my spot in transition & pulled on the cross country shoes (I love elastic laces) & whipped off the arm warmers. T2 in 2:32
Running clearly a problem. I'd normally expect to do around 50 mins for a 10K. Legs took around 2K to wake up, about the same time as my bladder. Had to stop for a tactical wee (thank god I didn't wear an all-in-one tri suit) before trying to pick up the pace.... except I couldn't. I was stuck in slow gear If I pushed it my right hamstring threatened to cramp up on me. Ended up taking 1:01 to get round. Hmmm.
So in total 3:11:19 You know what? I'll take that. I know where I can improve (did very little swimming training (<10 sessions) and dropped my running mileage back to focus on cycling.
So, first olympic done, on to the next
Good briefing before the swim but all eyes were scanning the lake. Water cold but not unmanageable. Made a few mistakes in the swim - didn't push hard enough & didn't sight often enough. Bit ziggy zaggy all told. Couple of mega kicks to the chops helped keep me awake. Out of the water in 35.55.
T1 a reasonable hike but eventually found my bike (ran past it) and got myself sorted. Pondered a top but settled on just arm warmers - probably a mistake as pulling them up over wet arms was a faff. Easy to lose time in T1 5:05
Bike next - I'm a new to cycling so the hilly route was a bit intimidating. Actually really enjoyed the ride. Off the bike in 1:28 and discovered why I should have done some bricks. Legs all over the place, needed the bike to prop me up.
Staggered back to my spot in transition & pulled on the cross country shoes (I love elastic laces) & whipped off the arm warmers. T2 in 2:32
Running clearly a problem. I'd normally expect to do around 50 mins for a 10K. Legs took around 2K to wake up, about the same time as my bladder. Had to stop for a tactical wee (thank god I didn't wear an all-in-one tri suit) before trying to pick up the pace.... except I couldn't. I was stuck in slow gear If I pushed it my right hamstring threatened to cramp up on me. Ended up taking 1:01 to get round. Hmmm.
So in total 3:11:19 You know what? I'll take that. I know where I can improve (did very little swimming training (<10 sessions) and dropped my running mileage back to focus on cycling.
So, first olympic done, on to the next
Edited by Nutter99 on Sunday 29th September 19:05
Looks like it was a busy weekend! Well done to those who've tri'ed .
My little effort was a re-run at Warwick Sprint, and this time with very little prep: some riding, a bit of jogging, but no real training, and not a single swim, at all... (and an 8 mile Spartan race last weekend, which took a lot out of me)
Still managed to shave 4 mins of my previous time. The swim was 8 mins, 15miles on the bike in 50 mins (inc. T1), just under 27 for the 5k run (inc. T2). Legs were a LOT better after the ride than my first attempt, but I got my pacing all wrong on the ride and the run, and I think I left a lot of time on the table in both. Total of 1hr 25m 30s, I think I could've got under 1hr 20 if I'd pushed harder. Ah well, here's to next year.
.My little effort was a re-run at Warwick Sprint, and this time with very little prep: some riding, a bit of jogging, but no real training, and not a single swim, at all... (and an 8 mile Spartan race last weekend, which took a lot out of me)
Still managed to shave 4 mins of my previous time. The swim was 8 mins, 15miles on the bike in 50 mins (inc. T1), just under 27 for the 5k run (inc. T2). Legs were a LOT better after the ride than my first attempt, but I got my pacing all wrong on the ride and the run, and I think I left a lot of time on the table in both. Total of 1hr 25m 30s, I think I could've got under 1hr 20 if I'd pushed harder. Ah well, here's to next year.
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff