The Triathlon thread - Ironman, 70.3, Olympic, Sprint
Discussion
Randy Winkman said:
dangerousB said:
One thing I've always wondered though, in those pool based tri's, how the f
k do you know when to get out??!!! I always lose count of how many lengths I've done after about 50m!!
Usually a marshall leans over the edge and tells you when you have 2 lengths to go.k do you know when to get out??!!! I always lose count of how many lengths I've done after about 50m!!I'm not sure anyone doing tumble turns would hear anyone telling them anything.
For any OpenWater swimmers, there's a great technique to speed up your turns called the 'corkscrew openwater turn'. I had my first openwater swim recently and I felt like a right mong trying to do a 90deg turn around the buoy. I tried this new method recently and it really is much quicker and surprisingly easy to get used to:
http://www.feelforthewater.com/2012/06/corkscrew-o...
http://www.feelforthewater.com/2012/06/corkscrew-o...
dangerousB said:
Well done chap . . . don't feel like it's any less of an achievement than any longer distance though, because it most certainly isn't! There's no such thing as an easy triathlon - they're all tough and chalking up your first finish is a great testament to your spirit. I have great respect for everyone who get involved in this sport - many think about it, few have the guts, commitment or tenacity to see it through to competing.
And that's one of the things that I take terrific pride in when I'm at a race - I look around in transition and think to myself that everyone else around me, fast, slow or middle of the pack, for want of a better analysis, gives a st. They're all made of the "right stuff" (in my opinion).
So take one of these matey
earned 
One thing I've always wondered though, in those pool based tri's, how the fk do you know when to get out??!!! I always lose count of how many lengths I've done after about 50m!!
Have you got any open water swimming planned over the summer, btw?
Many thanks for the kind words! And that's one of the things that I take terrific pride in when I'm at a race - I look around in transition and think to myself that everyone else around me, fast, slow or middle of the pack, for want of a better analysis, gives a s
t. They're all made of the "right stuff" (in my opinion).So take one of these matey
earned One thing I've always wondered though, in those pool based tri's, how the f
k do you know when to get out??!!! I always lose count of how many lengths I've done after about 50m!!Have you got any open water swimming planned over the summer, btw?
Must admit I'm still buzzing and can't wait to do the next one. There seemed to be great camaraderie at the event and people were genuinely cheering each other on which was great to see.
We got cuffed on the head with a polystyrene float to let us know we only had 2 lengths to go - anything heavier and I wouldn't have made it out of the pool
Hoping to get out into the open water, possibly at Loch Lomond, in the next few weeks… I'll need to get comfortable with this prior to the London Triathlon in September
drgav2005 said:
Many thanks for the kind words!
Must admit I'm still buzzing and can't wait to do the next one. There seemed to be great camaraderie at the event and people were genuinely cheering each other on which was great to see.
We got cuffed on the head with a polystyrene float to let us know we only had 2 lengths to go - anything heavier and I wouldn't have made it out of the pool
Hoping to get out into the open water, possibly at Loch Lomond, in the next few weeks… I'll need to get comfortable with this prior to the London Triathlon in September
No worries - they're totally deserved Must admit I'm still buzzing and can't wait to do the next one. There seemed to be great camaraderie at the event and people were genuinely cheering each other on which was great to see.
We got cuffed on the head with a polystyrene float to let us know we only had 2 lengths to go - anything heavier and I wouldn't have made it out of the pool
Hoping to get out into the open water, possibly at Loch Lomond, in the next few weeks… I'll need to get comfortable with this prior to the London Triathlon in September
Yeah, the London tri will be quite a "busy" swim (in water that you can't see any more than a foot or two through!), so any open water practice you can get in before then will definitely pay you back!
Oh, and as well as ticking off my first Ironman race, I can now officially tick off another first . . .
To cut a long story short, I felt very ropey a couple of days after flying back (lethargic, no appetite, nauseous, light headed, shallow breathing, increased resp rate, deep breaths made me cough) - to be honest, pretty much how I felt after the race!
After sleeping for 16 hours one day (after 13 hours the previous night), my girlfriend made me go to the hospital . . . had a chest x-ray and the consultant (who, to be fair, I'd probably underplayed my symptoms to and he did seem stupidly busy with other people), basically said you're OK, but seems like you may have an infection - take these for 7 days (antibiotics).
Couple of days later, my doc (whose name I know, but never had cause to meet) phoned me in a disturbingly anxious way, with a whole bunch of questions about my symptoms/how was my breathing/was I taking the antibiotics, etc, and said he wasn't surprised I'd been feeling like crap as he'd just had the hospital in touch to say I'd got pneumonia!!!
No wonder I managed to lose half a stone from my pre-race weight . . . and that's coming from someone who doesn't really have half a stone to lose!!!
I did the Blenheim sprint yesterday. My first trip and it's fair to say I did little training. However, I finished and the sense of achievement already has me looking up events later in the year.
My first transition took 8 minutes, the Brownlees did it in two.
First target is to have enough in the locker to run all of the 5k.
My first transition took 8 minutes, the Brownlees did it in two.
First target is to have enough in the locker to run all of the 5k.
dangerousB said:
No worries - they're totally deserved
Yeah, the London tri will be quite a "busy" swim (in water that you can't see any more than a foot or two through!), so any open water practice you can get in before then will definitely pay you back!
Oh, and as well as ticking off my first Ironman race, I can now officially tick off another first . . .
To cut a long story short, I felt very ropey a couple of days after flying back (lethargic, no appetite, nauseous, light headed, shallow breathing, increased resp rate, deep breaths made me cough) - to be honest, pretty much how I felt after the race!
After sleeping for 16 hours one day (after 13 hours the previous night), my girlfriend made me go to the hospital . . . had a chest x-ray and the consultant (who, to be fair, I'd probably underplayed my symptoms to and he did seem stupidly busy with other people), basically said you're OK, but seems like you may have an infection - take these for 7 days (antibiotics).
Couple of days later, my doc (whose name I know, but never had cause to meet) phoned me in a disturbingly anxious way, with a whole bunch of questions about my symptoms/how was my breathing/was I taking the antibiotics, etc, and said he wasn't surprised I'd been feeling like crap as he'd just had the hospital in touch to say I'd got pneumonia!!!
No wonder I managed to lose half a stone from my pre-race weight . . . and that's coming from someone who doesn't really have half a stone to lose!!!
Yeah, the London tri will be quite a "busy" swim (in water that you can't see any more than a foot or two through!), so any open water practice you can get in before then will definitely pay you back!
Oh, and as well as ticking off my first Ironman race, I can now officially tick off another first . . .
To cut a long story short, I felt very ropey a couple of days after flying back (lethargic, no appetite, nauseous, light headed, shallow breathing, increased resp rate, deep breaths made me cough) - to be honest, pretty much how I felt after the race!
After sleeping for 16 hours one day (after 13 hours the previous night), my girlfriend made me go to the hospital . . . had a chest x-ray and the consultant (who, to be fair, I'd probably underplayed my symptoms to and he did seem stupidly busy with other people), basically said you're OK, but seems like you may have an infection - take these for 7 days (antibiotics).
Couple of days later, my doc (whose name I know, but never had cause to meet) phoned me in a disturbingly anxious way, with a whole bunch of questions about my symptoms/how was my breathing/was I taking the antibiotics, etc, and said he wasn't surprised I'd been feeling like crap as he'd just had the hospital in touch to say I'd got pneumonia!!!
No wonder I managed to lose half a stone from my pre-race weight . . . and that's coming from someone who doesn't really have half a stone to lose!!!
Crikey chief!!! Had you been like that in the run up to the race or did this happen after the event? Well done to you girlfriend making you go into hospital, all too often us blokes tend to downplay symptoms and don't get checked out properly. Take it easy and wishing you a full and speedy recovery! Plenty of pies and Guinness required to get you back up to racing weight!!! MuffDaddy said:
I did the Blenheim sprint yesterday. My first trip and it's fair to say I did little training. However, I finished and the sense of achievement already has me looking up events later in the year.
My first transition took 8 minutes, the Brownlees did it in two.
First target is to have enough in the locker to run all of the 5k.
My first transition took 8 minutes, the Brownlees did it in two.
First target is to have enough in the locker to run all of the 5k.
well done!A friend of mine did his first Elite race at Blenheim and finished 19th. Looking through the elite results it appears triathlon is a common route for people who used to concentrate solely on running - lots of the names are familiar from my competitive athletics days.
gingerpaul said:
Anyone doing Windsor this weekend? We got told yesterday that it's now a duathlon as the Thames is too dangerous to swim in. The event is now a 1k run, 30/42k cycle and 5/10k run. I can see the transition between the first run and the cycle being interesting... 
I'm not doing it this year, but have done several times . . . tbh, I'm surprised that it's the first time that this has happened, because the current can be pretty strong (after you round the r/h bend) even in normal conditions, let alone with a binload of extra water pushing down.I think they've done the right thing though - they've got to think of the whole field in terms of the current and I should imagine the run-off from the farmland would make that pretty disgusting (if not medically unsafe) to swim in.
What I am surprised at though, is just a 1k run to replace the swim? Seems barely enough to warm up - in the events I've competed where they've cancelled the swim, it's normally been about 4 - 5k (for the Oly distance).
drgav2005 said:
Crikey chief!!! Had you been like that in the run up to the race or did this happen after the event? Well done to you girlfriend making you go into hospital, all too often us blokes tend to downplay symptoms and don't get checked out properly. Take it easy and wishing you a full and speedy recovery! Plenty of pies and Guinness required to get you back up to racing weight!!! All a bit odd - perhaps I did carry something into the race, but I certainly didn't feel properly ill until 6 days after it. Glad my girlfriend did make me go and get checked though, that's for sure!!
Anyway, all fixed now mate! Back on it this week
it'll be interesting to see how it feels after a month off!!!Well, I did my first sprint and I was happy with my performance. The only way to descirbe the effort is it burns. Your lungs and legs are really tested!
God awful race mind. Lots of junctions without marshals on the bike and run, red light stops (a 1 minute time deduction given for each one you got stuck at, when it only cost you about 10 seconds a go), people running in different directions and against the flow because of the lack of signage. The race was long, which isn't a problem as everyone does the same distance, but some people took different routes because of the lack of signage. The swim was also a straight line, so you had to run along a stony path bare foot back to T1. I was directed to the wrong place in T2, so I had trouble finding my shoes.
I finished 12th in my wave of 100, but the final results haven't been published yet. It could all change with the deductions for traffic lights, and there was a second wave of about 100 people, so more likely 24th out of 200 odd.
I think I met my goal of a sub 6 minute 400m swim though. Think I'll stick with 70.3 for now though, less chance of feeling like I want to throw up!
God awful race mind. Lots of junctions without marshals on the bike and run, red light stops (a 1 minute time deduction given for each one you got stuck at, when it only cost you about 10 seconds a go), people running in different directions and against the flow because of the lack of signage. The race was long, which isn't a problem as everyone does the same distance, but some people took different routes because of the lack of signage. The swim was also a straight line, so you had to run along a stony path bare foot back to T1. I was directed to the wrong place in T2, so I had trouble finding my shoes.
I finished 12th in my wave of 100, but the final results haven't been published yet. It could all change with the deductions for traffic lights, and there was a second wave of about 100 people, so more likely 24th out of 200 odd.
I think I met my goal of a sub 6 minute 400m swim though. Think I'll stick with 70.3 for now though, less chance of feeling like I want to throw up!
Did anyone watch the Kitzbuhel ITU race yesterday? The Brownlee's absolutely dominated!! took 1st and 2nd by miles. It was Alistair's first race back and he absolutely destroyed everyone. The guy's a machine! He clocked a 29:51 10k run split!!!
surely, barring any catastrophe, we have gold and silver sewn up there at the Olympics?
surely, barring any catastrophe, we have gold and silver sewn up there at the Olympics?
nick s said:
Did anyone watch the Kitzbuhel ITU race yesterday? The Brownlee's absolutely dominated!! took 1st and 2nd by miles. It was Alistair's first race back and he absolutely destroyed everyone. The guy's a machine! He clocked a 29:51 10k run split!!!
surely, barring any catastrophe, we have gold and silver sewn up there at the Olympics?
The Olympics have a tendency to knock the favourites down. surely, barring any catastrophe, we have gold and silver sewn up there at the Olympics?
Gomez was dominating in a similar fashion 4yrs ago and look what happened to him.
The brownlees are marked men and the rest of the pack will smother them from start to finish leaving a little gap for someone to escape
As much as I'd love to see an Alistair and johnny 1-2, my money's on one of the Russians
graeme4130 said:
The Olympics have a tendency to knock the favourites down.
Gomez was dominating in a similar fashion 4yrs ago and look what happened to him.
The brownlees are marked men and the rest of the pack will smother them from start to finish leaving a little gap for someone to escape
As much as I'd love to see an Alistair and johnny 1-2, my money's on one of the Russians
I see your point. I do think perhaps Jonny could get swallowed up by all that and not even get a podium. But i reckon Alistair is too determined and will come up with the goods no matter what. HE's a machine!Gomez was dominating in a similar fashion 4yrs ago and look what happened to him.
The brownlees are marked men and the rest of the pack will smother them from start to finish leaving a little gap for someone to escape
As much as I'd love to see an Alistair and johnny 1-2, my money's on one of the Russians
mat205125 in another thread said:
Afternoon all,
Firstly, the search function is busted, so I've started a new thread about a topic that probably already has a bazillion running ... Apologies!
Secondly, to clarify the thread heading, I'm going to be doing a sprint distance event in September, comprising 400m swim, 20km cycle, and 5km run. I'm sure for many this is a laughable training distance, but for me this is a bit of a challenge, and hopefully my entry into a new an interesting sport.
My main questions are regarding clothing for the event. I've got wardrobes full of suitable clothing for each phase in isolation, however don't think the idea of a Triathlon is to have a change of cloths for each transition, and therefore I'd like some advice on the types of clothing people use ... in particular with regards to shorts. Is there something I can use that I can swim in, and just get straight onto my bike, and then continue to run in? I don't want to spend hundreds either!!!
I've done 100+ mile bike rides, 2 miles swims, and a little running (by far my weakest activity), however never anything on the same day, and definitely not straight from one to the next.
For my current level of fitness, and the length of the event, I don't think I need mountains of training, however I'm interested to hear from people's own experiences regarding what I should do in preparation ... I'm planning to have a few bike rides, dumping the bike at home, yelling "hello / goodbye" to the family, and going straight out the door again.
Basically, I guess, I'm looking for a few pointers regarding kit, some advice on what's worth doing in preparation, what happens on the day (do I just leave my bike and clothing lying on the ground, and head for the pool?), and what I can do to prepare me for the event to make it as enjoyable as possible, and possibly avoid snears and laughter from fellow competitors - like I said, I'm not there to win, however I'd also rather not be crossing the line after everyone else has gone home too
Please be gentle !!!
If you've got that level of fitness/experiance, you shouldn't struggle too much at a sprint distance - beware though, as it is a sprint distance so you can race it anaerobic and if you do it'll be an hour and a bit of pain!Firstly, the search function is busted, so I've started a new thread about a topic that probably already has a bazillion running ... Apologies!
Secondly, to clarify the thread heading, I'm going to be doing a sprint distance event in September, comprising 400m swim, 20km cycle, and 5km run. I'm sure for many this is a laughable training distance, but for me this is a bit of a challenge, and hopefully my entry into a new an interesting sport.
My main questions are regarding clothing for the event. I've got wardrobes full of suitable clothing for each phase in isolation, however don't think the idea of a Triathlon is to have a change of cloths for each transition, and therefore I'd like some advice on the types of clothing people use ... in particular with regards to shorts. Is there something I can use that I can swim in, and just get straight onto my bike, and then continue to run in? I don't want to spend hundreds either!!!
I've done 100+ mile bike rides, 2 miles swims, and a little running (by far my weakest activity), however never anything on the same day, and definitely not straight from one to the next.
For my current level of fitness, and the length of the event, I don't think I need mountains of training, however I'm interested to hear from people's own experiences regarding what I should do in preparation ... I'm planning to have a few bike rides, dumping the bike at home, yelling "hello / goodbye" to the family, and going straight out the door again.
Basically, I guess, I'm looking for a few pointers regarding kit, some advice on what's worth doing in preparation, what happens on the day (do I just leave my bike and clothing lying on the ground, and head for the pool?), and what I can do to prepare me for the event to make it as enjoyable as possible, and possibly avoid snears and laughter from fellow competitors - like I said, I'm not there to win, however I'd also rather not be crossing the line after everyone else has gone home too
Please be gentle !!!
All I'll say in terms of preparation is try a few "bricks" (dual discipline training sessions) pre-race, specifically bike/run, just to get used to the sensation of trying to run on wobbly legs. It is an odd feeling and all the worse if you've had a proper go on the bike!!
If it's an open water swim, try and experience a few open water sessions beforehand as well - it's nowhere near the same as following a lovely clear line at the bottom of the pool and tumbling at the "T", especially with a few hundred others trying to share the same space as you! If you have open water experience though, you'll know what I mean.
Clothing wise, you can't really go wrong with getting yourself a one piece tri-suit - wear it under your wetsuit (not a surf one, btw!), get into T1, off with the wetsuit, jump on the bike and in T2 you'll just have to swap your bike shoes for runners and of you go. Far, far easier than messing around with multiple pieces of discipline specific clothing and probably cheaper in the long run too.
A cheap tri suit'll set you back about 50 quid or so (like everything though you can pay over 4 times that if you so wish!!) and basically that'll be all you need clothing wise really . . . checklist would be:-
SWIM Wetsuit, tri-suit, goggles (put 'em on under your wave cap, not on top)
BIKE Bike shoes, sunnies/ bike shades, bike (obviously!)
RUN Runners
No kecks under your tri-suit, btw!
dangerousB said:
I'm interested to hear from people's own experiences regarding what I should do in preparation ... I'm planning to have a few bike rides, dumping the bike at home, yelling "hello / goodbye" to the family, and going straight out the door again.
Basically, I guess, I'm looking for a few pointers regarding kit, some advice on what's worth doing in preparation, what happens on the day (do I just leave my bike and clothing lying on the ground, and head for the pool?), and what I can do to prepare me for the event to make it as enjoyable as possible, and possibly avoid snears and laughter from fellow competitors - like I said, I'm not there to win, however I'd also rather not be crossing the line after everyone else has gone home too
Please be gentle !!!
Preparation: sounds like you have a good base fitness level. the worst part is always moving from one activity to another; and the worst of those two is bike to run. So yes, your plan sounds good. The shorter you can make the bike dump, the better. Before I did my first one I used to swim at threshold the target distance, then run through the changing rooms chucking on some kit and go straight into a spin class, then cut out the warm down at the end of the class and get on the treadmill. Real thing still seemed harder!Basically, I guess, I'm looking for a few pointers regarding kit, some advice on what's worth doing in preparation, what happens on the day (do I just leave my bike and clothing lying on the ground, and head for the pool?), and what I can do to prepare me for the event to make it as enjoyable as possible, and possibly avoid snears and laughter from fellow competitors - like I said, I'm not there to win, however I'd also rather not be crossing the line after everyone else has gone home too
Please be gentle !!!
Race day: you will get a briefing doc in advance from the race organiser, which should cover most stuff. Usually there will be an outdoor racking area where you'll park your bike and your running kit. Sneers are usually reserved for the lardy geezer who turns up on a P5 or a Venge with a disc on the back but looks like he'd be happier in the paramedics tent.
Unless you've practised it to a fine art, do NOT leave your bike shoes clipped into our pedals and try to put them on whilst on the move. There is some entertaining youtube footage that shows how badly this can go wrong.
Some sprints have the swim leg in a pool, in which case you won't be needing a wetsuit. The race details should tell you whether the swim is open water or not before you enter.
Make sure you put your helmet on before unracking your bike, and remove it after racking your bike. Other way round is often an instant DQ.
Don't try to beat everyone else in your strongest discipline. It's a multidiscipline event, so spread your effort accordingly. And resign yourself to the fact that there will be girls there who will be faster swimmers, bikers and runners than you. And some may be faster across all three disciplines...
Greg66 said:
Sneers are usually reserved for the lardy geezer who turns up on a P5 or a Venge with a disc on the back but looks like he'd be happier in the paramedics tent.
Thanks Greg and Dangerous for your input. This is exactly the kinds of tips that I've been looking for, and all helps me prepare and feel a little less aprehensive.
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