The Triathlon thread - Ironman, 70.3, Olympic, Sprint
Discussion
my colleague and golf buddy did the east yorkshire half ironman yesterday - only his second ever tri and he clocked 4:54. he is a top runner though. (btw his wife finished 14th in the GNR yesterday, 4 th brit femal over the line).
I thought Jonny was a bit unlucky yesterday but Gomez is a top athlete too. the coverage at times on the beeb was piss poor imho. long shots of the third placed runner and hardly anything of the front two at times...
I thought Jonny was a bit unlucky yesterday but Gomez is a top athlete too. the coverage at times on the beeb was piss poor imho. long shots of the third placed runner and hardly anything of the front two at times...
f
k me. 12h30 on that amount of training? You have *serious* potential if you can get your head down.
6 hours of swimming is nuts. Ans is 660 miles of biking. ("Nuts" = nuttily small amounts compared to the conventionally accepted view of what's required).
Christ. I feel like I want back some of my training time from the last 9 months...
k me. 12h30 on that amount of training? You have *serious* potential if you can get your head down. 6 hours of swimming is nuts. Ans is 660 miles of biking. ("Nuts" = nuttily small amounts compared to the conventionally accepted view of what's required).
Christ. I feel like I want back some of my training time from the last 9 months...
Greg66 said:
fk me. 12h30 on that amount of training? You have *serious* potential if you can get your head down.
6 hours of swimming is nuts. Ans is 660 miles of biking. ("Nuts" = nuttily small amounts compared to the conventionally accepted view of what's required).
Christ. I feel like I want back some of my training time from the last 9 months...
I maybe didn't emphasise the context enough - I have cycled for as long as I can remember, and fairly consistently. I only took up road biking about 4 years ago, but I've been off road all the time. Every session I did was at ten tenths. I knew I'd have plenty of recovery, so I really gunned every session. k me. 12h30 on that amount of training? You have *serious* potential if you can get your head down. 6 hours of swimming is nuts. Ans is 660 miles of biking. ("Nuts" = nuttily small amounts compared to the conventionally accepted view of what's required).
Christ. I feel like I want back some of my training time from the last 9 months...
The same applies to swimming. I've got a pretty solid technique and form built up over years and years of swimming, so I always swam within myself. I'm not fast, but I can go on and on.
It was my only option with training. I'm now looking for my next challenge. Shifting about 20kgs would be a good start. But I just LOVE FOOD.
Fourmotion said:
Ironman Wales report
I set out to write a big race report, but I think these brief paragraphs convey my feelings for both the Wales race and Ironman as a concept.
As with every race, you wish you could have trained longer and harder, and never feel as 'fit' as you had planned to. But I've grown to accept that, so started the (what turned out to be) 6.5 hour drive to Tenby feeling I was as fit as I could be.
The planned 4 hour drive would have allowed time to register and get familiar with Tenby, but some poor chap (I'd never speak ill of those in an accident even though it held me up, it could have been me after all) had his car crushed between two lorries, so we sat on the M4 too long to get to registration. Our 20 month old boy sat screaming in the back did me no good, but my wife tried her best to get him watching In the Night Garden on the ipad.
Friday night, little sleep, our son has caught a cold and is teething (I thought he had all his sodding teeth by now, apparently not). My wife gets up a 4 with him, but I can't really sleep as every waking thought is of my impending journey into Ironman or nothing (I don't really believe it is nothing, just starting the race is something I am proud of).
Saturday, register, sticker up, and rack. Spend the rest of the day on the beach, chasing excitable child along the beach, and trying to mentally prepare my race. Go slow, go slow, go slow...
Race day and I'm rudely awoken at 2am by child, and don't fall back asleep again. No bother really, I'm used to a lack of sleep, and I had slept for a whole 6 hours 1 night about 3 months ago which I hope will carry me through.
So, get to T1 to load my drinks onto the bike, then down to T0.5 to bag my trainers for the 1km run to T1. It's a weird set up, but one that allows you to get your head straight after the swim before mounting a 2 wheeled device you need to have balance for.
Onto the beach, quick dip for a pee, then join the masses on the beach. Everyone looks pensive. The music is loud, the atmosphere electric with nervousness, excitement, chest beating, and the smell of urine. They play the Welsh national anthem. I shed a tear. I have no idea why, I'm from England, but just the emotion running through me and everyone else is too much. And then bang, fist fight time.
I'm a strong swimmer if not quick, so I start nearer the front 1/3rd and simply stick to my stroke without care for anyone else for the first 200m. I bang some heads, get banged myself, but find myself behind a man mountain, and he's swimming my pace. Perfect. I settle into a rhythm, only once having to elbow someone who tried to muscle in on my tug boat. We finish the first lap, and said tug boat doesn't run on the beach, and short of giving him a kick and being rumbled as his shadow I quickly dash round and dive into the water once more, and set off on my own. Uh-oh, I'm now the spear head for an increasing triangle of ankle biters. I don't look back again, and manage to join another group ahead. I am 572nd (out of 1677) out of the water, which I was chuffed with.
I finish 37 seconds quicker than planned, but I let myself off. It's going to be a long day if I'm not talking to myself.
So, T0.5, wetsuit off, shoes on, 1KM run dispatched in a crowd fuelled euphoric few minutes, and a casual change and out onto the bike. I opted not to put on my (PH) jersey, but stuck my arm warmers on knowing I could stuff them in a pocket if I got too hot. And that was the best decision I made. It lashed it down. For the first lap I got colder and colder, and stopped eating and drinking as it was making me feel sick with all the shaking. I don't think I've ever been that cold. Anyone who has had a look at my photos will know I'm well insulated, so this experience into the unknown had me a little worried. However, the proverbial sun shined down upon me at my lowest ebb, and as I warmed I began to eat and drink and felt well again. The second lap was much better.
I should talk about the hills, but to be honest they weren't that bad. I 'only' train on the Surrey Hills, and (for those who watch the Tour of Britain on Saturday) the toughest hill really isn't all that (Barhatch). The Welsh hills were short and sharp (18% steepest sign I saw), but the crowd just keep you pushing. 'Heartbreak Hill' in Saunders Foot was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in my life. You just see a wall of people in front. They part with each rider, screaming at the top of their lungs. It's like nothing else I've ever experienced, and makes you feel like you're the absolute nuts. I can't quite describe it beyond the bk related synonym of my stunted vocabulary (where’s derestrictor when you need him). I finish the bike in 318th, I've overtaken 254 people on the bike.
Into T2, and I'm feeling quite tired, but again the crowd in Tenby are the best I've ever heard. I start the run with trepidation, it's always been my weakest discipline and I've not done any brick sessions. The first mile is easy, then I hit the first hill. That looks long I think, and I slow my run to a walk. A power walk, but a walk none-the-less. I had planned to walk, and feel no shame in it, and it pays dividends towards the end of the race. The 4 lap out and back looks tedious on paper, but you go through the crowd dense roads of Tenby 4 times and I relish it on each occasion. Again, I can't describe how appreciative I was of the crowd. I tried to thank everyone who called my name, but it was quite impossible. If you were in Tenby and are reading this, I thank you.
My run pace stayed steady, and helped by my earlier walking I actually sped up towards the end, and my 20th mile was my quickest. It was downhill, but still quicker than the same section on laps 1 & 2. Rounding the streets Tenby on the last lap was unbelievable. The crowd can see you've got all your lap bands, and are calling you an Ironman already. I take it all in running up the red carpet, arms in the air, high fiving the man on the mic, and cross the line ecstatic. I didn't even feel tired the crowd had lifted me so much. The shameful finisher’s photo has me stopping my watch rather than celebrating, but that just goes along with me being an absolute stat geek.
So, all in all, the best and proudest sporting achievement of my life. I finished in 12:32, about 90 minutes quicker than planned, and enjoyed virtually every second of it. 372nd out of 1677 starters. Not bad for a fatty.
To give a bit of perspective, and to go back to DangerousB's comment about my limited training, here are my training this year (Jan 1st to Aug 31st):
Cycling 37 hours, 669 miles - longest ride 93 miles
Running 60 hours, 427 miles - longest run 26.2 miles (Brighton)
Swimming 6 hours 17 mins 20k longest swim 3k
Coupled together with exercise bike sessions, some hill walking (including yomping carrying my son on my back to nursery, and a 19 hour 45 mile 'run' over the 10 highest peaks in the Lake District, I averaged a barely believable 4 hrs and 4 minutes training a week. I doubled checked the maths, and always been diligent in logging my workouts, and it’s accurate. My 10peaks run was nearly 5 weeks’ worth of exercise. I think having a lot of rest days helped.
Clearly, my base fitness was pretty good, I completed a half distance race last year and the Brighton marathon in April (where I picked up an injury). I've built up a good CV system over the years, and my VO2 max tests have shown I've got a very respectable (potential) engine.
I've never finished in the top half of a triathlon before (bar a small 'first-timer' race), so to finish in the top 22.1% on my first attempt is beyond anything I could have dreamed of.
To surmise, IM Wales is remarkable. Tenby is amazing. Ritz biscuits are the best run fuel. I'm built for endurance not speed. What next? Perhaps not judging what is considered a brief race report. And less blowing my own trumpet. But fk it, I’m happier than a pig in st right now.
Excellent result and great blog I set out to write a big race report, but I think these brief paragraphs convey my feelings for both the Wales race and Ironman as a concept.
As with every race, you wish you could have trained longer and harder, and never feel as 'fit' as you had planned to. But I've grown to accept that, so started the (what turned out to be) 6.5 hour drive to Tenby feeling I was as fit as I could be.
The planned 4 hour drive would have allowed time to register and get familiar with Tenby, but some poor chap (I'd never speak ill of those in an accident even though it held me up, it could have been me after all) had his car crushed between two lorries, so we sat on the M4 too long to get to registration. Our 20 month old boy sat screaming in the back did me no good, but my wife tried her best to get him watching In the Night Garden on the ipad.
Friday night, little sleep, our son has caught a cold and is teething (I thought he had all his sodding teeth by now, apparently not). My wife gets up a 4 with him, but I can't really sleep as every waking thought is of my impending journey into Ironman or nothing (I don't really believe it is nothing, just starting the race is something I am proud of).
Saturday, register, sticker up, and rack. Spend the rest of the day on the beach, chasing excitable child along the beach, and trying to mentally prepare my race. Go slow, go slow, go slow...
Race day and I'm rudely awoken at 2am by child, and don't fall back asleep again. No bother really, I'm used to a lack of sleep, and I had slept for a whole 6 hours 1 night about 3 months ago which I hope will carry me through.
So, get to T1 to load my drinks onto the bike, then down to T0.5 to bag my trainers for the 1km run to T1. It's a weird set up, but one that allows you to get your head straight after the swim before mounting a 2 wheeled device you need to have balance for.
Onto the beach, quick dip for a pee, then join the masses on the beach. Everyone looks pensive. The music is loud, the atmosphere electric with nervousness, excitement, chest beating, and the smell of urine. They play the Welsh national anthem. I shed a tear. I have no idea why, I'm from England, but just the emotion running through me and everyone else is too much. And then bang, fist fight time.
I'm a strong swimmer if not quick, so I start nearer the front 1/3rd and simply stick to my stroke without care for anyone else for the first 200m. I bang some heads, get banged myself, but find myself behind a man mountain, and he's swimming my pace. Perfect. I settle into a rhythm, only once having to elbow someone who tried to muscle in on my tug boat. We finish the first lap, and said tug boat doesn't run on the beach, and short of giving him a kick and being rumbled as his shadow I quickly dash round and dive into the water once more, and set off on my own. Uh-oh, I'm now the spear head for an increasing triangle of ankle biters. I don't look back again, and manage to join another group ahead. I am 572nd (out of 1677) out of the water, which I was chuffed with.
I finish 37 seconds quicker than planned, but I let myself off. It's going to be a long day if I'm not talking to myself.
So, T0.5, wetsuit off, shoes on, 1KM run dispatched in a crowd fuelled euphoric few minutes, and a casual change and out onto the bike. I opted not to put on my (PH) jersey, but stuck my arm warmers on knowing I could stuff them in a pocket if I got too hot. And that was the best decision I made. It lashed it down. For the first lap I got colder and colder, and stopped eating and drinking as it was making me feel sick with all the shaking. I don't think I've ever been that cold. Anyone who has had a look at my photos will know I'm well insulated, so this experience into the unknown had me a little worried. However, the proverbial sun shined down upon me at my lowest ebb, and as I warmed I began to eat and drink and felt well again. The second lap was much better.
I should talk about the hills, but to be honest they weren't that bad. I 'only' train on the Surrey Hills, and (for those who watch the Tour of Britain on Saturday) the toughest hill really isn't all that (Barhatch). The Welsh hills were short and sharp (18% steepest sign I saw), but the crowd just keep you pushing. 'Heartbreak Hill' in Saunders Foot was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in my life. You just see a wall of people in front. They part with each rider, screaming at the top of their lungs. It's like nothing else I've ever experienced, and makes you feel like you're the absolute nuts. I can't quite describe it beyond the b
k related synonym of my stunted vocabulary (where’s derestrictor when you need him). I finish the bike in 318th, I've overtaken 254 people on the bike. Into T2, and I'm feeling quite tired, but again the crowd in Tenby are the best I've ever heard. I start the run with trepidation, it's always been my weakest discipline and I've not done any brick sessions. The first mile is easy, then I hit the first hill. That looks long I think, and I slow my run to a walk. A power walk, but a walk none-the-less. I had planned to walk, and feel no shame in it, and it pays dividends towards the end of the race. The 4 lap out and back looks tedious on paper, but you go through the crowd dense roads of Tenby 4 times and I relish it on each occasion. Again, I can't describe how appreciative I was of the crowd. I tried to thank everyone who called my name, but it was quite impossible. If you were in Tenby and are reading this, I thank you.
My run pace stayed steady, and helped by my earlier walking I actually sped up towards the end, and my 20th mile was my quickest. It was downhill, but still quicker than the same section on laps 1 & 2. Rounding the streets Tenby on the last lap was unbelievable. The crowd can see you've got all your lap bands, and are calling you an Ironman already. I take it all in running up the red carpet, arms in the air, high fiving the man on the mic, and cross the line ecstatic. I didn't even feel tired the crowd had lifted me so much. The shameful finisher’s photo has me stopping my watch rather than celebrating, but that just goes along with me being an absolute stat geek.
So, all in all, the best and proudest sporting achievement of my life. I finished in 12:32, about 90 minutes quicker than planned, and enjoyed virtually every second of it. 372nd out of 1677 starters. Not bad for a fatty.
To give a bit of perspective, and to go back to DangerousB's comment about my limited training, here are my training this year (Jan 1st to Aug 31st):
Cycling 37 hours, 669 miles - longest ride 93 miles
Running 60 hours, 427 miles - longest run 26.2 miles (Brighton)
Swimming 6 hours 17 mins 20k longest swim 3k
Coupled together with exercise bike sessions, some hill walking (including yomping carrying my son on my back to nursery, and a 19 hour 45 mile 'run' over the 10 highest peaks in the Lake District, I averaged a barely believable 4 hrs and 4 minutes training a week. I doubled checked the maths, and always been diligent in logging my workouts, and it’s accurate. My 10peaks run was nearly 5 weeks’ worth of exercise. I think having a lot of rest days helped.
Clearly, my base fitness was pretty good, I completed a half distance race last year and the Brighton marathon in April (where I picked up an injury). I've built up a good CV system over the years, and my VO2 max tests have shown I've got a very respectable (potential) engine.
I've never finished in the top half of a triathlon before (bar a small 'first-timer' race), so to finish in the top 22.1% on my first attempt is beyond anything I could have dreamed of.
To surmise, IM Wales is remarkable. Tenby is amazing. Ritz biscuits are the best run fuel. I'm built for endurance not speed. What next? Perhaps not judging what is considered a brief race report. And less blowing my own trumpet. But f
k it, I’m happier than a pig in st right now. just checked the web site split times
a good friend of mine at work ( age group 45-49 ) came 422 , what was interesting was he is a very weak swimmer only uses the breast stroke ( by own admission fastest breast stroker on the day ) he came out of the water 1:32: 29 in Swim – 1,213th fastest transition was 0:14:20 then the bike ride ( his best discipline ) (overtook 630 cyclists Bike – 337th fastest completed in 6:31:31 transition to running 0:4:22 then ran the marathon in 4:18:48 total time of 12:41:30
I'm training with him at work the difference is he's a racing snake at 45 years and 70kg .....i'm 48 at 98kg like the look of the Iron man ,but here in Russia no where to train bar the running machine ive done a London to Paris 500km over 4 days , confident i could complete the bike ride , and run a few half marathons my best time was 1hr 38 ( but that was a long time ago !! realistically now it would take around 2hrs 15 ...the swim worries me , i would have to lose a lot of weight ( ideally get down below 85kg ) and a lot of swimming practice
so Iron man wales in 2014 ?
Just go for it. I grant you training on a treadmill isn't going to be that enjoyable, but a lot of people don't train to too long a distance. Of the 3 other Ironmen at work, only 1 of them trained beyond 13 miles in training.
I'm 88kgs, 5' 9". 21% body fat. The weight doesn't just fall off, you have to eat appropriately. I eat too much. Evidence below:
I'm 88kgs, 5' 9". 21% body fat. The weight doesn't just fall off, you have to eat appropriately. I eat too much. Evidence below:
Fourmotion said:
. . . less blowing my own trumpet
With that result off the back of that (lack of!) preparation, you've got every right to blow your own trumpet!What you've got to remember is that Wales is a tough, tough course and that 12:32 is worth pretty much a 12:00 at 90% of other IM's . . . now just imagine what you could achieve if you prepared properly and lost 10kg of that lard
TOP effort fella!!
DBSV8 said:
so Iron man wales in 2014 ?
Do it. Just treat it seriously and work on your weaknesses.Much as I hate the word used in this context, it really is a "journey" and race day is probably as life affirming as it gets
Fourmotion said:
Just go for it. I grant you training on a treadmill isn't going to be that enjoyable, but a lot of people don't train to too long a distance. Of the 3 other Ironmen at work, only 1 of them trained beyond 13 miles in training.
I'm 88kgs, 5' 9". 21% body fat. The weight doesn't just fall off, you have to eat appropriately. I eat too much. Evidence below:
thanks , I'm 88kgs, 5' 9". 21% body fat. The weight doesn't just fall off, you have to eat appropriately. I eat too much. Evidence below:
ive commited now no turning back entered Wales iron man 2014
cheers
Went to watch my first triathlon Fleetwood sprint.(supporting running club member doing her first)
I would like to do one but always thought swimming was my weakest part, but after watching I am now consider a bit of training and I can do one.
Currently in training for Disney dopey challenge in Jan (4 races in 4 days)
so going to sign up as soon as 2014 come open.
I am doing the Oulton park duathlon in October.
I would like to do one but always thought swimming was my weakest part, but after watching I am now consider a bit of training and I can do one.
Currently in training for Disney dopey challenge in Jan (4 races in 4 days)
so going to sign up as soon as 2014 come open.
I am doing the Oulton park duathlon in October.
Just came back from my first tri - a sprint up in Southwell, near Nottingham.
Well organised, good atmosphere, about 650 entrants.
Entered for a 10 min swim, could have gone a bit faster, but didn't want to waste the effort too early. Ended up swimming 6 lengths behind what felt like realllly slow people, but still came in a smidge under 10.
Had a slow transition because I wanted to dry my feet
(but much quicker than my wife who left her trainers in the car!) Then my rear number came off and I had to wait for a marshall to pin it back on. Caned the cycling, but it was much hillier than expected so my average speed was down compared to training. Headwind on the way out, but really nice on the way back with a wind behind and clear skies.
Very quick transition especially as my wife was there to point at my place on the rack.
Straight into a long trudge up a hill for about half a mile, not too slow, started loosening up on the way down and pretty pleased with my pace towards the end.
I've hadn't ever swum or cycled seriously when I decided to do it back in April and I set myself a target of 1hr30 ; very very chuffed to get a time of 1hr13 Much rehydration beer to be drunk tonight, anyone considering having a go for the first time, go for it. Wife and I both felt pleased with having completed what we thought was an achievable challenge, and the whole thing felt friendly and inclusive. Got to say that you iron men are nutters though; couldn;t have done it all another 7 times!
Well organised, good atmosphere, about 650 entrants.
Entered for a 10 min swim, could have gone a bit faster, but didn't want to waste the effort too early. Ended up swimming 6 lengths behind what felt like realllly slow people, but still came in a smidge under 10.
Had a slow transition because I wanted to dry my feet
(but much quicker than my wife who left her trainers in the car!) Then my rear number came off and I had to wait for a marshall to pin it back on. Caned the cycling, but it was much hillier than expected so my average speed was down compared to training. Headwind on the way out, but really nice on the way back with a wind behind and clear skies.Very quick transition especially as my wife was there to point at my place on the rack.
Straight into a long trudge up a hill for about half a mile, not too slow, started loosening up on the way down and pretty pleased with my pace towards the end.
I've hadn't ever swum or cycled seriously when I decided to do it back in April and I set myself a target of 1hr30 ; very very chuffed to get a time of 1hr13
Much rehydration beer to be drunk tonight, anyone considering having a go for the first time, go for it. Wife and I both felt pleased with having completed what we thought was an achievable challenge, and the whole thing felt friendly and inclusive. Got to say that you iron men are nutters though; couldn;t have done it all another 7 times!Did my first Oly distance at the inaugural Wiggle Portsmouth Triathlon yesterday. Finished in an slightly annoying 3:01:07 given I wanted to get sub-3. However the swim in the Solent was tough, with a strong current working against me on the way back. Had it been in a lake I'd have been about ten minutes quicker at least. Every time I sighted the buoys on the return leg it seemed like they never got any closer! The guy who finished second overall (by seven tenths of a second!) competed in the 70.3 WC in Vegas two weeks ago and went off in my wave. His swim was slower than the 1900m he did in Vegas.
The rest of the course was pan-flat with a bike leg through the historical dockyard and run along the seafront. The weather was perfect with no wind thankfully. It was the first time I've actually run a 10k so that was a bit of a trip into the unknown. Given I treated this event as setting a base, and with no specific training I'm pretty happy
Swim: 44:45.4
T1: 3:18.9
Bike: 1:17:46.9
T2: 1:06.2
Run: 54:09.9
The event was brilliantly run and apparently has a license and support to grow much more in the next few years. I highly recommend it.
Looking forward to a winter of improving my running and starting some more structured training. Main event next year being the Outlaw Half.
The rest of the course was pan-flat with a bike leg through the historical dockyard and run along the seafront. The weather was perfect with no wind thankfully. It was the first time I've actually run a 10k so that was a bit of a trip into the unknown. Given I treated this event as setting a base, and with no specific training I'm pretty happy
Swim: 44:45.4
T1: 3:18.9
Bike: 1:17:46.9
T2: 1:06.2
Run: 54:09.9
The event was brilliantly run and apparently has a license and support to grow much more in the next few years. I highly recommend it.
Looking forward to a winter of improving my running and starting some more structured training. Main event next year being the Outlaw Half.
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