Summer 2014 Triathletes.....in here!

[pootlebug]

I've seen a few comments about people planning triathlons for this summer, and I can't find a general triathlon thread (if there is one, can someone point me in the direction of it, pretty please!).

Thought it might be good to have a thread for general chat/tips/encouragement etc. I'm sure there are some seasoned triathletes as well as others new to it.

I did some sprint distances nearly 10 years ago, pre-kids. I was always limited by my crappy swimming though, so never anything with more than a 400m swim. But then I did an amazing swimming course in October, not planning any more babies, and youngest has started (mostly) sleeping.....so wanted a fitness goal for this year. I've signed up for a 750/20/5 sprint in May, an Olympic distance in June, and the London Triathlon olympic distance in August. Currently have no problem swimming a couple of km, but need a lot more work on the bike and run!

Come on in and introduce yourself, tell us your plans, etc.....

I'll catch up with it tomorrow.

Am impressed with you fitting in a Aquathlon Pootle.

Rode 40 miles with dh on Saturday, and am paying for it on my bad arm which is not happy at all. And dh is now outpacing me on the bike, though hes putting in over 100 miles a week, and is on a road bike. Doesn't stop me sulking!

Aquathlon is short - 750m swim, 6km run. Just about doing a bit of training in the right location iyswim.

40 miles is further than I've gone in one go in years, CMOTD! I love London very much, and I love the bit of London I live in for running (near big park, heath etc). But I bloody hate living here for cycling. Just way too busy on the roads, and you have to go a long way out for it to be much better. I just don't enjoy cycling at all in traffic :(

I agree with you Pootle re the London bit. I find that the bit that makes getting cycling practice in hard. My confidence just isn't there to cope with the traffic and the park is fab but a complete haven for die hard cycling groups whizzing by like they are in the tour de france! Hyde Park Tri was so well organised and it was so much fun to do the same route as the elites. I'm better at the swim like you so for me when I look at my times I can see that the biggest improvement I need to make is most definitely on my bike but that's the bit I do the least so not surprising. I just find riding in london so bloomin scary!

We weren't supposed to be going that far tbh - 4.5 miles to drop ds at a party (on his bike), then a pootle round while he was there, collect ds and bike, ride home. Then dh took a wrong turn, and we ended up going over the hills rather than round , and of course we had a hard stop on when we needed to be back.

We are very lucky to live in a beautiful area - living in a small town was important in our relocation

Pootle and pleaseput - are either of you in North London ? Please- is the park you mention Regents ??
My tri club does sessions round Regents Park and you do get used to the traffic to get there, it's partly about having a route that works. I am overcoming my reticence and getting into cycle training too. It's certainly better this time of year.
If you are in north London pm me - I'm in a great tri club if you're interested.
The cycle is the main part of the triathlon so yes, it needs training focus !!

I'm in SE London. Near Greenwich Park which is lovely for running but crap for cycling. The only cycle routes really are:

• Up and down and up and down and up and down one hill. People do this for hill training but for obvious reasons it gets a bit boring.
• A circular 1km route, only 2/3 of which is actually designated for bikes (1/3 is road, 1/3 bike route where you have to give way to pedestrians, 1/3 theoretically no bikes). I go as soon as it opens before 6am and go round and round. It is boring as heck and I have to be super-early before the dog walkers arrive, and once there are other people there go really slowly and give way if there's anyone around at all on the no-bike bit.

I'm also near the heath at Blackheath, but again, good for running and no good for off-road cycling as the paths cross roads too regularly. I'd love a park I could ride in properly even if filled with lycra-clad-super-fast people.

Seriously contemplating setting off at 4.30am when it's first light, heading out of London as far as I can and getting the train back. That way I should do all the busier bits before it gets busy iyswim. But I'll be on my own as I doubt any friends are nutty enough to get up that early for a bike ride.

How is everyone doing? Just wondering when/where everyone is racing so we can cheer others on etc and see if we're due to be at the same races. I'm doing:

• Bridge Triathlon Dartford 22/6
• Shock Absorber Women only Eton Dorney 13/7
• London Triathlon 2/3 Aug

and an Aquathlon on Tues night in Dartford for a bit of practice in the right lake.

Ds and I are doing Henley on the 21st/22nd. If it goes well, theres another kids one in August which is 'open water' - ie the edge of a lake, and he'd like to do that.

Did a really good brick this week which I was pleased with, though transition was slowed by collecting the dog!

I'm in SW London. IVe done two tris and a long distance open water swim race and a run race so that's it for me now . Planning to start training for a half marathon and century ride through the summer ready for sept/October. Am tempted to fit in one more tri - Hever looks great but I think I'm up to my race entry limits! It get expensive!!! And all of this years were 'firsts' for me. I've learnt loads from doing them. Mostly that I think I need to invest in a ladies saddle!!!!

Good news on the good brick session CMOTD. I actually quite enjoy a brick session now (probably because I'm so grateful to be off the bike and onto the run....) whereas it used to feel really tough.

Pleaseputyourshoeson - you've been busy already! I've only managed one sprint tri so far. I'm doing Ealing half marathon at the end of Sept....it gets really good reviews if you're looking for an autumn half. Will be my first half though, so no experience....

Hi, I've just found this thread, been a Mumsnet member for ages, but rarely use it. I have been training for a triathlon since the beginning of the year, but I've been injured from running the past 2 months - I don't know when that'll heal, but I'm patient and getting treatment. I am a new cyclist putting in 40-50 miles a week and an ex competitive swimmer doing 5-6km a week. I'm training 4-6 times a week. I was running 10km before I got injured, but had only been running since the beginning of the year. Before that, I was a couch potato.

I haven't entered any events due to my injury, but I'm getting up to speed on the cycling and swimming, pool and open water, the latter of which I tried for the first time in mid May. I've been twice since, but love it.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi.

I'd love to join a triathlon club, but as a single mum of little ones, it's not possible yet. One day. I'm playing the long game here. 2015 will be my year or perhaps the year after. Meanwhile, I'm training and loving getting into cycling and swimming.

Hi Emma

Where are you? There is the odd Aqua Bike race (like a tri without a run) that might still work for you if you can swim and bike with your injury - an injured friend is doing one the weekend after next near me.

I can't really join a tri club either. Not a single Mum, but my husband is out of the house ~13 hours a day, and my youngest has no regular childcare, so I can't fit in to any local tri club schedule. I do most of my training before 7.20am, or else with childcare swaps with other nearby parents. I did feel slightly lonely at my first tri, where there were a lot of club entrants. But at least there is a world of people and info online to get help with what/how to train etc.

I've heard Ealing Half is really good. I plumped for the Richmond Running Festival half. Planning to start training from a plan at the end of the month. I just hope I can remain injury free. Too much running has spelt doom for me in the past.

Hi Emma! I'm a new cyclist too but not putting in near enough time on the bike. I'm still scared of it I think. The cleats scare me and the high saddle - knowing I can't put my feet down unless I remember to stand up off the saddle first really unnerves me but I know if I lower it it's not good for my knees and I know that I'll only get better or more confident in cleats by doing it more. I worry on hills about not making it up them and being stuck in my cleats! Or emergency stopping in traffic and forgetting to un clip, rise out the saddle etc. if you are nailing the bike and swim you'll be great at triathlon. The bike is supposedly where u make the best times. Sounds like your bones/muscles weren't ready for the repetitive high impact of running? Too much too soon? I didn't run in my 30's so it's taken me a really long time to get my legs to handle running. Stamina wise I can do it but physically my bones and tendons get hacked off so I really have to focus on building core glute/hip/calve strength and making sure I don't overtrain. I am also a single mum - fitting training in is quite the challenge I agree! I'd like to join a tri club but there is no way I'd be able to get the child free time todo it. I just try to remind myself I'm doing it for fun, I can't try to compete against club tri folk, just against myself. I'm 40 sum fink ! So I'm focussing on trying to be healthy, losing/maintains weight and for the challenge itself and because when I've finished a session on the bike/pool/or a run I feel so much better for the rest of the day. It's such a good stress reliever and 'me' time. Plus the thing that's great about tri is that if you do injure yourself running you can maintain your fitness by working on the swim/bike. I like the sound of aqua bike! I also like the sound of the swim/run/swim races I've seen going on.

Pleaseput- my saddle is going to be raised soon, on advice on a friend who is a bike fitter. You will understand my fear ! I live in London so lots of stop start in traffic. ATM I can just touch the road while perched , at a junction. I guess you just get used to it?

I totally understand your fear! Good luck! I can't touch the ground whilst perched at all. I have to get off that bloody saddle to touch the ground and it positively terrifies me! :-) I'm now hunting down a ladies saddle as I am coming to realise that the boys saddle is just not good for a lady!
I wish there were 'mediocre' cyclists clubs. Ie not for Dynamo stylee lycra clad whizzer by-ers but more for peops like me that are always a bit nervous but wanting to get better!

Saddles - look at selle Italia.

Thanks I will do. Comfy an no making it all go numb is what I'm after!

Round my way there is a 'non racing' club which is ladies only, but one of the local clubs has a,b, and c Sunday rides which is approx 17, 15 and 13mph with c having a 'speed of slowest' policy.

Had a lovely 11 mile ride with ds and dh this morning, and we're now doing a cake stop so ds feels a proper cyclist as theres always a club ride stopping there too.

When I first got my cleats I was v nervous about them, but dh put them on as loose as possible so that they came unclipped very easily which made a big difference.

I know my saddle needs to go up a bit too. And also have been thinking about a ladies saddle - will look at selle Italia.

Please - I need one of those mediocre cyclists clubs too!

Just ordered a selle diva gel ladies saddle. Thanks for the recommendation Claybury. Now to look for some padded shorts/tights and hopefully my comfort will improve! CMOT your racing club sounds great! Did my last race yesterday, have nothing for another 3months or so! But planning to start 1/2 marathon training plan and getting my cycling up as I am riding 90 miles in October.

If I had the time, the ladies club sounds fabulous - basically cake club with cycling wrapped round it!

For the next few weekends we have sprint tri for me and ds, then the next 18 mile charity ride for us all, then a 16 mile hillier one for me and ds and 25 miles for dh.

I have HMs booked for September and November, and was contemplating a paratri in August at Dorney

4 days to go till my tri - tell me what I will have forgotten to sort out!

4 days for me too CMOTD!

Do you have a kit list? There's one here www.crystalpalace-tri.co.uk/race/2014-race/docs/2014-kit-list.pdf
You'd think it shouldn't be that hard to remember everything but I feel much better with a checklist. Worth checking it now as well as the night before in case there's anything you don't have and think you need etc.

Have you practiced transition (though don't do what I did last time and try and practice fancy-pants leave-your-shoes-on-the-bike transitions the day before your race and fall off, leaving horrid grazes and a sore neck for your race....)

Week pootlebug you are die hard to try that! I've watched the elites do that and thought no way, have enough problems trying to cram my feet into the cycling shoes as it is. My top tipCMOTis elastic laces. And clip your race belt and helmet to the bike so u don't forget either. I also shove a couple of unwrapped glucose tablets in my trainers so I grab them straight after the sim and before the run. Psychologically I believe they will give me the energy to get round even though I know I prob don't need them! I also slather mysel in body glide to prevent chafing around my neck in wetsuit and in vain hope it slides the wetsuit off quicker! Enjoy you two. I'm meant to have finished for the summer but am already toying with Gatorade mid week at Eton in July...
My new saddle is waiting for me at work!