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 ordered one on Monday after more flapping . It'll be here today, and then can go to the lido in it. Have made dh watch videos of how to put them on.

god, I'm faffing about this!

Have you had a go yet? I don't think you're faffing….it isn't an easy decision to make.

I can't get it on by myself, but I can get it off . Will check with the lido and if they are ok, will go there on Saturday. Swam 1.2km at lunchtime which felt pretty good

Off is the important bit! if you put a big scoop of water down the neck as you get out it makes it heaps easier to get off too

Well, my latest news is that I'm having a trial swim session with a local tri club tomorrow eve to see if I want to join them. Nervous does not even come close to describing how I feel.

I went for a general swim last night when they had another training session going on to have a sneaky peek at them and they all look soon good :-(

But they have assured me that they take all abilities and will make me a better triathlete (I can hardly be worse).

Will let you know how I get on.

I second the advice on getting water in to your wetsuit at the end of the swim. I try, when I remember, to just pull the neck out a bit to let some slosh in. More often though I'm too busy trying to get out of the water without falling on my arse or stubbing my toe, both of which I've done at Dorney so watch out for that.

Ooh, exciting Buzzing. The local tri club people look terrifyingly good in the pool though a much nice sight underwater than the oldies

In non tri news, am bizarrely delighted to have my first non UK event entered, and will be doing a 5k in San Francisco. Have wanted to run by the golden gate for ages, and got corporate entry to an event held during a conference in a few weeks. Bad news is that start time is 6.30am

How was the trial session with the club, Buzzing? Hope it went well. I am sometimes tempted by the club thing - the main downside is that I struggle to make the majority of their training sessions. A friend and I were nearly home from our 50k bike ride as we saw the local tri club just setting off this morning, and I prefer to go early so as to interfere less with everyone else in the house's day. Weekdays my husband is seldom home early enough.

CMOTD did you get a chance to try the wetsuit? How was it?
Your 5k in San Francisco sounds fab - what an amazing location for a run. 6.30 should have you watching the sun rise over the Golden Gate as you run maybe (depending on exact location) which should be fabulous!

I'm going to go on Monday when the lido will be quieter and we have more time generally - I have the next two weeks off so will try and squeeze ds into his shorty wetsuit from last year as when I mooted going there he gave me a lecture on just how warm it hadn't been last year. He's right, it was chuffing freezing!

Our local bike clubs all start their runs at 9 or later which is a pita - by 9.30 this morning DH had done 50 miles and was home. I had a lovely ride on Friday night where everything just seemed to go well, and I had my fastest av speed. Which is still depressingly slow compared to dh.

We are running in Golden Gate park, so should see sunrise

How is the half marathon training going Pootle?

Quiet Lido sounds better, CMOTD. Much as i love nice weather on the weekend, I'm always grateful for a cloudy cold bit if I'm swimming - I swim at an outdoor 50m pool and it's waaaay quieter in crappy weather

Sounds like your cycling is going really well, even if you are slow compared to DH. But he's a bloke - and whilst I'm generally all anything-men-can-do-women-can-do-at-least-as-well we just don't have the legs blokes have when it comes to cycling. And your DH cycles a lot.

This week has not been the best week of half marathon training. My birthday, catching up with an old friend….too much drinking, not enough getting up to train. I had Mon-Thurs with no training at all which is the longest I've sat on my bum for since early February. Maybe a bit of post-tri-season come-down or something. But at least I feel ready-to-go now I guess. A good interval session today, bike ride then a leisurely run whilst the kids biked today. Long run tomorrow - I'm going to go along the river into London then get the train home and take the kids to junior parkrun (where I'll need to run again to chivvy them along!)

My bike ride today was my first 'proper' London bike ride - i.e. not going round and round and round in circles on v quiet roads or training in the park. I am a total and utter wuss in traffic. I'm really glad I was following a friend….I'm sure I'd have bottled it at various roundabouts / right turns otherwise, but I'm really glad I did it and I really do love cycling properly instead of spending too much time on a Wattbike in the gym. I did bung my seat down a bit so I could sit and touch the floor without having to get out of the saddle though {wimp}. I love London in nearly every way….but I would love to be able to just go out on my bike...

Just re-read my post….good interval session YESTERDAY. I'm not nuts enough to do intervals and bike ride and another run in one day….

It was good... One friend gave me the advice to not go too hard in the warm up, tbh I don't think I got out of the warm up stage for the whole hour!

They had set up drills of 100m of this then 200m of that (including horrible sounding things like 100m using only one arm, or as I like to call it, 100m of drowning), but I ignored this and just went up and down trying not to get in anyone's way.

I did get some good tips on stroke and breathing, and definitely felt better at the end than at the start. Plus everyone was friendly and encouraging so I will go back.

One breathing / swimming question that I would never want to ask someone irl for fear of embarrassment... I get really salivery when I'm swimming but can't do anything about it because of the whole head under water thing. Does anyone else get this? I have now got a cold so it may gave been due to the start of that, but I think it's always a problem. I end up doing a disgusting spit / dribble wiping it away with my hand and hoping nobody notices. Told you I couldn't ask anyone face to face!

Am thinking of a tri in September with a 400m pool swim as a target to keep me motivated, just got to not let the bike and running slide while I get my swimming up to speed. It's a juggling act this triathlon business isn't it?!

Pootle, well done on doing a "proper" bike ride. It's something I still struggle with when I've got my clip on shoes on, and end up doing loops with all left turns!

Am booked in to do a 60km cycletta in October so will have to learn at some point!

That sounds really good Buzzing. I had to contemplate the spit issue while swimming, and realised that I don't really close my mouth all the time as I huff out of it, so the spit comes out then. The snot trail I do have to wipe when I stand up at the end of a set

DS and I had a lovely swim at the lido all on our own as no one else was there. V glad I was wearing a wetsuit! Its a natural salt pool, so in combo with the wetsuit things were very buoyant

Lovely ride on dhs bike yesterday with only one bit where I forgot I needed to get out of the saddle to get foot contact.

CMOTD - sounds like things are going really well with the wetsuit. Good luck for Saturday! I hope it's a non-windy day for you

Buzzing - the tri club sounds really promising! No advice on the spit issue as it doesn't happen to me…I wonder as CMOTD suggested whether breathing out of your mouth more consciously helps?

Just need to decide whether I am or am not going to enter Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire for next year. Entries open (and I suspect will fill) on Tuesday and i'll be away with crap internet access so will need to sort out to get a friend to enter on my behalf before I leave….

Well, I did it. Alas I had a panic attack in the water (combination of things I think), and had to be calmed down by a kayaker and ended up doing breaststroke while he wittered at me. Great (but windy) cycle, run was fine. Am about the swim, but bloody proud of myself that I pulled myself together to do it and didn't cop out after lap 1 either.

Oh, and mortifyingly, the zip on my tri suit came apart, so I had to be safety pinned into it. So now I need to shop for a new one

CMOTD Really well done - good on you for still getting through it after the panic thing. I know from my own experience it isn't easy to do. Open water racing is so different. I had a major panic the first race I did in open water (hyperventilating, breast stroke, truly crappy swim time) and I had practiced in a lake in a wetsuit 3 times beforehand. The combination of the lack of visibility, and the lack of pool ends, and the adrenalin of a starter gun takes some getting to grips with (and I still don't think I'm properly there even after that initial disastrous aquathlon and 3 more open water Tri's)

I haven't checked in here for a while, and will come back when I have a free moment and read everybody's posts, but I just had to pop in and have a major wobble about the fact that I have entered an Olympic distance tri for two weeks time!!!

Eek.

I have had a reasonable season with three sprint distances and the last one being a challenge distance - so between sprint and Olympic. I found it ok but was pretty tired afterwards.

I have kept my training up since and have lost just over half a stone in weight, and am feeling better for it, so decided I am up for the challenge.

I do fear that living to regret it will be a positive outcome, however!

Can any of you more experienced people reassure me that I'm not completely stupid? I was pleased that I managed to finish the challenge distance in 2hrs 17- so pretty much kept up my sprint distance pace. Hopefully that will mean a olly distance in 3 hrs?

Eek again.

Thanks Pootle, having come home and googled about it, it seems as common as nice kayaker told me it was! One of the things that really put me off was that there were no other 'having a bit of a midlife crisis/wouldn't it be fun to do a tri' para competitors. No, indeed they all race for GB, all knew each other really well, etc. So no nice chat beforehand, just them catching up.
Strangely, I was also put off by starting from deep water - somehow I'd not thought about that bit.

Anyway, onwards. I will book some open water coaching, and enter a pool based tri for late September.

Thistle, I'm sure you will be fine. Not being fast, my mantra is 'don't drown, crash, or fall over', and I'm sure you will achieve that.

CMOTD - glad to hear it hasn't put you off open water. A bit of coaching/practice should help a lot. Race practice really helps too - if you can fit in the odd aquathlon if there are any near you they can be really good as they are usually relatively cheap race entry, less faff with not taking the bike, and often held evenings after work (at least near me) which is easier to fit in.

Thistledew - with a few Sprints and a Challenge distance under your belt i'm sure you'll be fine. This was my first season - I started exercising in November after years of sitting on the sofa, and did a sprint in May, an Oly in June, a sprint in July and an Oly at the beginning of August.

I was worried about the first Oly to the point where I seriously considered pulling out, after a disastrous first-open-water aquathlon 10 days beforehand, and feeling I wouldn't cope with the distance. But actually i loved it and the distance didn't feel insurmountable at all on the day.

One thing I've found makes a big difference (although it may be placebo!) is having a protein/carb recovery drink after…..really seems to help with how much muscles ache following a longer distance race or training session highfive.co.uk/product/energy/energy-source-41

Thistledew - is it this weekend? If so very best of luck, and hope you enjoy it

Thanks pootle. And thanks for your advice re carb loading as well.

Yes, my event is this Sunday. I have had crap preparation for the last two weeks- I signed up for the tri on the Saturday, and on the Sunday I strained a hamstring! It was a bit tight and then I did a hard bike ride with lots of climbing and it came back really sore. I have had some intensive physio and it is about 95% sorted, so it should do me for the event. I have done plenty of swimming and been on the bike in a low gear but still far from ideal prep. I have been a bit run down too, and haven't felt on best form. Oh well, I just have to trust my base fitness and give it my all on the day.

As well as not drowning, crashing or falling over, I add not suffocating (asthma), not throwing up through exertion and not passing out from exhaustion!

I don't know if this will be my last of the season or if I will try and find a sprint distance to finish with. I am feeling a bit meh about training at the moment and could probably do with a break.

Has anyone else got any more events planned?

Best of luck!

I've just got a half marathon at the end of the month. Decided I would focus on running (my weakest discipline nowadays) for a bit, and also easier to keep up through the holidays etc.

I've entered Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire for next June, and have applied for a London Marathon place both through ballot and charity. That should give me plenty to be going on with….

I've got a HM at the end of October, was going to enter a sprint pool tri at the end of this month, but have got an appointment finally for a small operation on my hand that week and don't know how I'll feel which is a bit of a beggar.
I've got some cycle events to do with ds while dh does the long route which is always fun.

We had an ace cycling moment at the weekend - we were going up a short sharp hill that is an issue for ds and he stopped. I said 'lets walk to the grit bins and start again' - so we did, only to find that one had had lettering put on to mark it as 'determination' to the others 'grit' . The rest of the hills that morning were accompanied by 'don't let the bins down' which is hilarious if you are 8.

Good luck Thistledew!

How was it on Sunday, Thistledew?