Advice needed from triathletes please.

[jocesar]

I am unfit. I have a 4 month old baby and am breast feeding. I have been doing Pilates for 10 weeks and walking but nothing else. I have about 5kg of weight to lose. Before I was pregnant I could run 5k slowly and during the pregnancy I was swimming 40 lengths twice a week. I'm a very inexperienced and nervous cyclist and would be using a mountain bike for my first go.

I have wanted to try a triathlon for years but never did it. There is one local to me in 10 weeks time, 400m swim, 16 mile bike and 4 mile run.

Assuming I manage to find the time to train 5 days a week, do you think I can get fit enough to complete this event (am not trying to win it!)? I know I should aim for a super sprint but this event is convenient as is local.

Assuming your running goes fine and you're back up to your previous standard pretty quickly - my DW had quite a lot of problems with running after having DD - then I don't think you should have a problem completing it - as long as they don't have an outrageous time limit (90 minutes or something) but that's very unlikely.

In any case, it's worth attempting it - as even if it turns out you didn't have the time or injury gets in the way, you're still in a much better place than if you didn't try.

Are you going to do it? I've entered my first one in June, not feeling very fit at all! Mine is 750m swim 20km bike 5km run, and my big worry is the swim. I'll be your training buddy if you like.

Please don't use an MTB. It's just that equipment makes a huge difference in cycling & it will literally be a long heavy slog compared to everyone else, rather demoralising. See if you can borrow a high quality lightweight hybrid instead.

I only ever did one triathlon (about 1/2 the distances you describe) and that was with a week's notice for training. I'm sure you'll be fine... but look up how to do transition fast & do get a good light bike.

Mine is a mountain type bike with road tyres on it. I may never do another tri and my only aim is to finish so I don't want to buy a new one. Hope I won't be tooooo slow.