The Triathlon thread - Ironman, 70.3, Olympic, Sprint
Discussion
Fourmotion said:
Ayahuasca said:
Not much good if it take you a minute to get into or out of it.
The time getting into it is irrelevant, that's not race time. Taking it off, if practised, doesn't take a minute. I tend to save more than a minute over 1500m, I'm certainly quicker swimming with it, but I appreciate everyone has different experiences. Maybe that points to me being a weaker swimmer.
It is compulsory at most triathlons with open water swims to wear a wetsuit, becoming optional then forbidden in increasing temperature grades. In the UK, it's pretty much required all year, so it's certainly worth training in a wetsuit if that's your sport.
the bigger variable is the bike. a top end bike would save you a lot more time than an entry level bike and for many people the top end isn't affordable. if you want to level the playing field that would be the place to start..
2seas said:
Fourmotion said:
Ayahuasca said:
Not much good if it take you a minute to get into or out of it.
The time getting into it is irrelevant, that's not race time. Taking it off, if practised, doesn't take a minute. I tend to save more than a minute over 1500m, I'm certainly quicker swimming with it, but I appreciate everyone has different experiences. Maybe that points to me being a weaker swimmer.
It is compulsory at most triathlons with open water swims to wear a wetsuit, becoming optional then forbidden in increasing temperature grades. In the UK, it's pretty much required all year, so it's certainly worth training in a wetsuit if that's your sport.
the bigger variable is the bike. a top end bike would save you a lot more time than an entry level bike and for many people the top end isn't affordable. if you want to level the playing field that would be the place to start..
But it probably is for most!
Well, what a couple of weeks I've just had!
I've been preparing for my first Ironman race (only ever competed in sprint and Olympic races). Training has been bitter sweet - my 6 months to April went something like:
October: Brill month, mainly base work
November: Brill month, set bike FTP 20% better than September
December: So, so. Work busy. Christmas, etc.
January: As bad as it gets. Bad colds, no training at all.
February: Only marginally better than Jan, managed 10 days training
March: Back to normal - started muscular endurance phase. Plenty of rides 70 - 90k & runs 15 - 25k.
Which brought me to April where I thought I could get out and get in my quota of 150k+ rides and long runs - I wanted to do at least 3 century rides, at least 3 30k runs and at least one metric Ironman. What in fact happened is that our business premises move (that was supposed to happen in February) had to go ahead and it absolutely pissed it down with rain EVERY weekend, which basically meant I got absolutely feck all done (of any real quality).
The weekend before I was due to fly out to Lanzarote was the Bank Holiday weekend and I thought this is my last chance. I MUST get at least 2 back to back 4hr+ rides and a 30k+ run done, if for no other reason than to calm me psychologically.
Climbed onto the bike on Saturday and off I went. Had to stop 1hr later with a broken chain in the middle of nowhere and phone for help! Got it fixed and on Sunday morning tried again. Got 60k's from home and discovered that my rucksak (which should have had most of my food/drinks in) was nearly empty - I'd left most of it at home. I ended up completing a 160k ride, with 2900m of climbing, on 2 gels, 1 cereal bar and 750ml of carb drink. Fell in through the door stupidly (dangerously, really) hypo. Managed to get a good 35k run in 24 hours later though!
So that was that. Taper started.
And now I've just flown back in from Ironman Lanzarote.
I raced easy, wasted no energy in swim punch-ups, rode the bike VERY conservatively and still needed the most INSANE amount of desire not to start walking during the marathon. I ran (albeit very slowly!) every inch of it.
Not for anything is this race billed as the worlds toughest IM and now I can genuinely see why. With no exaggeration whatsoever, it was the most amazing, atmospheric, humbling, brutal event I've ever competed in. It's redefined my interpretation of the word "respect".
And despite my huge fears pre-race as to whether I'd actually done enough training, I finished in just over 13hrs - far, far slower than I'd hoped, but do y'know what? It didn't (and still doesn't) bother me in the slightest.
I loved every single second and felt genuinely privileged to be a part of it. It's an utterly epic event, the Lanzarote population treat you like royalty when they discover you're a finisher and I actually had people asking to shake my hand when they found that out!
To top that all off I can now officially call myself an Ironman.
Unfortunately I may now be addicted to long course!
I've been preparing for my first Ironman race (only ever competed in sprint and Olympic races). Training has been bitter sweet - my 6 months to April went something like:
October: Brill month, mainly base work
November: Brill month, set bike FTP 20% better than September
December: So, so. Work busy. Christmas, etc.
January: As bad as it gets. Bad colds, no training at all.
February: Only marginally better than Jan, managed 10 days training
March: Back to normal - started muscular endurance phase. Plenty of rides 70 - 90k & runs 15 - 25k.
Which brought me to April where I thought I could get out and get in my quota of 150k+ rides and long runs - I wanted to do at least 3 century rides, at least 3 30k runs and at least one metric Ironman. What in fact happened is that our business premises move (that was supposed to happen in February) had to go ahead and it absolutely pissed it down with rain EVERY weekend, which basically meant I got absolutely feck all done (of any real quality).
The weekend before I was due to fly out to Lanzarote was the Bank Holiday weekend and I thought this is my last chance. I MUST get at least 2 back to back 4hr+ rides and a 30k+ run done, if for no other reason than to calm me psychologically.
Climbed onto the bike on Saturday and off I went. Had to stop 1hr later with a broken chain in the middle of nowhere and phone for help! Got it fixed and on Sunday morning tried again. Got 60k's from home and discovered that my rucksak (which should have had most of my food/drinks in) was nearly empty - I'd left most of it at home. I ended up completing a 160k ride, with 2900m of climbing, on 2 gels, 1 cereal bar and 750ml of carb drink. Fell in through the door stupidly (dangerously, really) hypo. Managed to get a good 35k run in 24 hours later though!
So that was that. Taper started.
And now I've just flown back in from Ironman Lanzarote.
I raced easy, wasted no energy in swim punch-ups, rode the bike VERY conservatively and still needed the most INSANE amount of desire not to start walking during the marathon. I ran (albeit very slowly!) every inch of it.
Not for anything is this race billed as the worlds toughest IM and now I can genuinely see why. With no exaggeration whatsoever, it was the most amazing, atmospheric, humbling, brutal event I've ever competed in. It's redefined my interpretation of the word "respect".
And despite my huge fears pre-race as to whether I'd actually done enough training, I finished in just over 13hrs - far, far slower than I'd hoped, but do y'know what? It didn't (and still doesn't) bother me in the slightest.
I loved every single second and felt genuinely privileged to be a part of it. It's an utterly epic event, the Lanzarote population treat you like royalty when they discover you're a finisher and I actually had people asking to shake my hand when they found that out!
To top that all off I can now officially call myself an Ironman.
Unfortunately I may now be addicted to long course!Massive congratulations and respect for "going long"! Sounds like you gave it your all and have now got the medal (maybe even the corporate IM tattoo as well!) to go with it!
My training is up and down at the moment. Have a couple of sprints in July but I can't seem to get myself sorted with a decent plan, one of the things I miss from being in a club I guess.
If anyone knows of any online, free, but decent plans I would appreciate it. I am currently trying to follow a sprint plan from one of the magazines but training twice a day is proving tricky.
My training is up and down at the moment. Have a couple of sprints in July but I can't seem to get myself sorted with a decent plan, one of the things I miss from being in a club I guess.
If anyone knows of any online, free, but decent plans I would appreciate it. I am currently trying to follow a sprint plan from one of the magazines but training twice a day is proving tricky.
Well I did my first Triathlon yesterday. The Olympic Distance Race (1500m swim, 42.4km bike and 10km run) at Dorney Lake, Windsor.
My race was at the peak temp in the afternoon, recorded at 30c. The water temp for the swim was 19c. In other words: WAAAAAAAARM!
My overall time was 3hr20min, which I was reasonably happy with.
My race was at the peak temp in the afternoon, recorded at 30c. The water temp for the swim was 19c. In other words: WAAAAAAAARM!
My overall time was 3hr20min, which I was reasonably happy with.
dangerousB said:
Not for anything is this race billed as the worlds toughest IM and now I can genuinely see why. With no exaggeration whatsoever, it was the most amazing, atmospheric, humbling, brutal event I've ever competed in. It's redefined my interpretation of the word "respect".
I loved every single second and felt genuinely privileged to be a part of it. It's an utterly epic event, the Lanzarote population treat you like royalty when they discover you're a finisher and I actually had people asking to shake my hand when they found that out!
Many congratulations! I've not done an Ironman or even a triathlon before, but the swimming camp I go on ends up at Club La Santa in the same week as the Ironman every year (didn't go this year), so after a morning session we pop down to watch some of the bike and run.I loved every single second and felt genuinely privileged to be a part of it. It's an utterly epic event, the Lanzarote population treat you like royalty when they discover you're a finisher and I actually had people asking to shake my hand when they found that out!
How did you find the climb up the Mirador? I'm not a cyclist, but tried it last year and it nearly killed me! How was the wind out on the bike?
The day after we can always tell who's done the Ironman as they are the ones burnt to a crisp and using the disabled access ramps everywhere around the complex instead of stairs!
Highway Star said:
How did you find the climb up the Mirador? I'm not a cyclist, but tried it last year and it nearly killed me! How was the wind out on the bike?
The climb up to from Famara to Mirador del Haria is just relentless - a continuous climb for what? 24 kilometres? And then just when you think it's all OK, the climb up to Mirador del Rio starts (16 kilometres ish?) with gradients going to something like 15 - 18%. No question, they're tough. You just gotta sit in and grind it out. Thing is though, you're mentally prepared for those two - I spent 6 months fretting about them and trained accordingly!!What you're not really prepared for so much, is the lonnnggggg inclines along the dead straight roads that stretch to the horizon and you always seem to have a 20mph headwind - they're mentally draining and demoralising. There's a particularly nasty one at the 140k mark - you've still got the Mirador climbs in your legs and then all of a sudden this road just stretches away as far as you can see. All uphill. And the wind's STILL in your face. No let up and no chance to rest. You have to fight for every km/h for what seems an eternity. There's several of them around the course, but I remember that one as I thought "Oh, that's really unnecessary right now!!" when I saw it. At the time I just thought making us go up it was downright cruel and spiteful - perhaps I was a bit hypo!
Yup, if you were to devise a bike course to psychologically mess with you in the greatest way, well Lanzarote would be a great contender - I've yet to ride another like it.
dangerousB said:
2seas said:
Well I did my first Triathlon yesterday.
Good effort fella! Got any more lined up?Other than warm, how did you find the swim? They can get a bit feisty in those Dorney events!!!
Yeah i'm taking part in the Thames Turbo Sprint at Hampton Court this weekend.
The swim went really well. I kept to a moderate pace and I also wasted about a minute going in the wrong direction at the swim exit but despite all that I got a time of 28mins for the 1500m. I think if I had pushed it harder I could have taken at least a couple of mins off.
I kind of cheated on the swim. The course is a square which you do two laps off. The entire square is marked out by buoys every 10m or so. I navigated my way to the inside and a couple of meters under the water was a rope all the buoys were attached to. I therefore kept this slightly to the right of me and followed it all the way around! I only sighted very occasionally once I got to the corners to make sure I took the 90deg turns.
The fighting was a bit brutal but i'm used to playing contact sports and i've always felt confident in the water so no issues for me. My rule was basically to keep it clean but if anyone tried to bully me off my line they would get some hard shoulder
2seas said:
The fighting was a bit brutal
I understand that some competitors deliberately rake fellow swimmers with specially cut toenails, and others slaver their feet and ankles with vaseline to discourage clingers-on.Seems a bit unnecessary tbh, given that the swim is the least important event.
Iceman82 said:
IM tattoo
That one's probably coming once my sunburn's gone!! Felt like I properly earned it! Iceman82 said:
If anyone knows of any online, free, but decent plans I would appreciate it.
If you can PM me and let me know how many hours a week you've got to play with, I'll put a decent programme together for you fella . . . dangerousB said:
If you can PM me and let me know how many hours a week you've got to play with, I'll put a decent programme together for you fella . . .
Awesome effort! My ultimate target is to build upto an Ironman! Will start with a 70.3 next year i think. I also love the idea of getting the tattoo! When i'm training with my Tri club, if i see someone with an Ironman bag, or swimming cap or something, it gives me instant respect and admiration for them! A proper achievement!Was it as gruelling as we imagine it would be?
nick s said:
Was it as gruelling as we imagine it would be?
Oh my God, yes! I can't over emphasise just HOW tough it was. If ever you get an entry in for one DO NOT under ANY circumstance underestimate what you've got yourself involved in. As a very good (sub 10) athlete told me a couple of days before the race "If you've reasonable amount of training under your belt, you can blag most triathlons, even 70.3's. You won't blag this one."And that isn't overly melodramatic - under prepare for an IM like Lanzarote and you'll fall apart like a cheap watch - mentally, physically, or both - the wheels will come flying off. Very quickly and in spectacular fashion.
Not wishing to blow smoke up my backside, but forget finishing - just getting yourself on the startline in a competitive condition is an achievement. Genuinely.
It's a brutal, unforgiving event even if you're prepared for it, but at the same time hugely rewarding and dare I say it, very emotional. I can't even begin to tell you how it felt to cross that finish line, especially as I never took it for granted that I would. Not for a second - that luxury of thought is knocked out of you VERY quickly!
Amazing, unforgettable experience. I'll be back for more
dangerousB said:
nick s said:
Was it as gruelling as we imagine it would be?
Oh my God, yes! I can't over emphasise just HOW tough it was. If ever you get an entry in for one DO NOT under ANY circumstance underestimate what you've got yourself involved in. As a very good (sub 10) athlete told me a couple of days before the race "If you've reasonable amount of training under your belt, you can blag most triathlons, even 70.3's. You won't blag this one."And that isn't overly melodramatic - under prepare for an IM like Lanzarote and you'll fall apart like a cheap watch - mentally, physically, or both - the wheels will come flying off. Very quickly and in spectacular fashion.
Not wishing to blow smoke up my backside, but forget finishing - just getting yourself on the startline in a competitive condition is an achievement. Genuinely.
It's a brutal, unforgiving event even if you're prepared for it, but at the same time hugely rewarding and dare I say it, very emotional. I can't even begin to tell you how it felt to cross that finish line, especially as I never took it for granted that I would. Not for a second - that luxury of thought is knocked out of you VERY quickly!
Amazing, unforgettable experience. I'll be back for more
dangerousB said:
Oh my God, yes! I can't over emphasise just HOW tough it was. If ever you get an entry in for one DO NOT under ANY circumstance underestimate what you've got yourself involved in. As a very good (sub 10) athlete told me a couple of days before the race "If you've reasonable amount of training under your belt, you can blag most triathlons, even 70.3's. You won't blag this one."
And that isn't overly melodramatic - under prepare for an IM like Lanzarote and you'll fall apart like a cheap watch - mentally, physically, or both - the wheels will come flying off. Very quickly and in spectacular fashion.
Not wishing to blow smoke up my backside, but forget finishing - just getting yourself on the startline in a competitive condition is an achievement. Genuinely.
It's a brutal, unforgiving event even if you're prepared for it, but at the same time hugely rewarding and dare I say it, very emotional. I can't even begin to tell you how it felt to cross that finish line, especially as I never took it for granted that I would. Not for a second - that luxury of thought is knocked out of you VERY quickly!
Amazing, unforgettable experience. I'll be back for more
Well done that man! And that isn't overly melodramatic - under prepare for an IM like Lanzarote and you'll fall apart like a cheap watch - mentally, physically, or both - the wheels will come flying off. Very quickly and in spectacular fashion.
Not wishing to blow smoke up my backside, but forget finishing - just getting yourself on the startline in a competitive condition is an achievement. Genuinely.
It's a brutal, unforgiving event even if you're prepared for it, but at the same time hugely rewarding and dare I say it, very emotional. I can't even begin to tell you how it felt to cross that finish line, especially as I never took it for granted that I would. Not for a second - that luxury of thought is knocked out of you VERY quickly!
Amazing, unforgettable experience. I'll be back for more
Well, not quite up to the achievements of others posting on this topic but I completed my first tri today - The Stirling Novice Triathlon. Top fun!
Swim (including run round building) 9:40 for 400m - first time swimming in a full tri-suit and using a heart monitor… did not go well, despite almost having a panic attack and then giving the other swimmers a length head start I ended up getting out of my lane first… plenty of room for improvement next time around.
T1 01:54 - will remember to take cleat covers off shoes before next race and adjust helmet straps!
Cycle 32:19 for 14km
T2: 00:51
Run 12:19 for 2.5km - decided walking up the hill of death was probably the best idea…
Ended up in 57:04 and came 13th out of 105 in my category.
Next tri is the sprint distance at London in September… so I'd better get used to open water swimming pretty quick!
Swim (including run round building) 9:40 for 400m - first time swimming in a full tri-suit and using a heart monitor… did not go well, despite almost having a panic attack and then giving the other swimmers a length head start I ended up getting out of my lane first… plenty of room for improvement next time around.
T1 01:54 - will remember to take cleat covers off shoes before next race and adjust helmet straps!
Cycle 32:19 for 14km
T2: 00:51
Run 12:19 for 2.5km - decided walking up the hill of death was probably the best idea…
Ended up in 57:04 and came 13th out of 105 in my category.
Next tri is the sprint distance at London in September… so I'd better get used to open water swimming pretty quick!
drgav2005 said:
Well, not quite up to the achievements of others posting on this topic but I completed my first tri today - The Stirling Novice Triathlon. Top fun!
Swim (including run round building) 9:40 for 400m - first time swimming in a full tri-suit and using a heart monitor… did not go well, despite almost having a panic attack and then giving the other swimmers a length head start I ended up getting out of my lane first… plenty of room for improvement next time around.
T1 01:54 - will remember to take cleat covers off shoes before next race and adjust helmet straps!
Cycle 32:19 for 14km
T2: 00:51
Run 12:19 for 2.5km - decided walking up the hill of death was probably the best idea…
Ended up in 57:04 and came 13th out of 105 in my category.
Next tri is the sprint distance at London in September… so I'd better get used to open water swimming pretty quick!
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.Swim (including run round building) 9:40 for 400m - first time swimming in a full tri-suit and using a heart monitor… did not go well, despite almost having a panic attack and then giving the other swimmers a length head start I ended up getting out of my lane first… plenty of room for improvement next time around.
T1 01:54 - will remember to take cleat covers off shoes before next race and adjust helmet straps!
Cycle 32:19 for 14km
T2: 00:51
Run 12:19 for 2.5km - decided walking up the hill of death was probably the best idea…
Ended up in 57:04 and came 13th out of 105 in my category.
Next tri is the sprint distance at London in September… so I'd better get used to open water swimming pretty quick!
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?
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