Just signed up for sprint triathlon- anyone else?

[Somanyillustrations]

In a post night shift fit of silliness, I have just signed up for a fun sprint triathlon in 12 weeks...
I'm 33, 5'6 and 10st. Am currently fairly unfit but working on it, and am on week 3 of c25k. Swimming is my strong point, but will be aiming to finish it rather than get a decent time.
Am I going to die?!
Is anyone else doing one this year?

Forgot to update this thread again! I’m still plodding along, my next event is a small duathlon in a couple of weeks and then a half marathon on 13th May, so I’ve been focusing on running recently. Still finding my knees get really sore after about 7 miles, not sure whether to get a knee support thing to wear. I’m keeping everything crossed for cold/wet weather for my half because I do not run well when it’s even slightly hot!

Bee, I know what you mean about the backstroke turn round the buoys, I remember learning that last year. I did an open water swim in the sea pool in Bude a couple of weeks ago, and it was freezing! So cold I didn’t think I’d be able to put my face in, but I did eventually manage it.

I still haven’t entered the Olympic distance tri I was thinking of doing this year. I’m scared to I think, mainly because of the run. I want to enjoy doing it, not dread the run and then hate every minute.

I’ve got some fancy new bib shorts to replace the cheap bike shorts I had before. Went out for a ride tonight and wow, what a difference! So much more comfy.

I will try and check back more often!

Ooh which bib shorts did you get? I’m not sure whether I would get on with them as my boobs are really big I can’t see how the straps going round them! My DH wears bib shorts so I like the idea of less waist elastic dogging in

Digging

What do you do when you need a wee in bib shorts?

I got the DHB classic ones from Wiggle, so mid-range I suppose, not mega expensive ones. A big improvement on my cheapy shorts though. They didn’t ride up at all on my legs and the padding was so much more comfortable.

Did a 1600m swim tonight. I had a couple of weeks off swimming over Easter, apart from the sea pool swim, and it’s felt so hard getting back into it again.

I need to do my last long run before the half marathon this weekend. Will have to be Sunday morning as my kids have an aquathlon in the afternoon. Hoping for 11 or 12 miles but worried about my knee.

really - take arms out of jersey and then pull the bib parts down I guess. Must admit I’d not thought about that!

Following

Going for my first open water swim practise if the year this morning! It’s 6 degrees out there what am I doing?!?? First swim in my brand new wetsuit too!!

Well errr safe to say it was cold!!!!! But once I was out swimming it was actually fine. And I managed to do my sighting ok, wasn’t fazed by getting my face in the water and wasn’t remotely tempted to stop and do breaststroke (which is what happened almost immediately last year). So it’s progress and I’m feeling much more confident about my Olympic distance tri (6 weeks to go!!!!!). I did no where near the distance, about 850-900m with stops here and there. But it a start! Im off to find some neoprene gloves, hat and socks now......

Igotta, well done on the swimming! I went lake swimming on Thursday evening and really struggled to get my face in and swim crawl. I’m sure I can do my triathlons with a nice, leisurely breaststroke...

Well done on the swim, bee, glad you survived the cold! I used my surfing gloves and boots - not sure they’re ideal though - maybe a bit thick and bulky. I don’t know whether there are swimming-specific ones?

Parkrun for me today with an extra 0.6 miles added on for the #finishformatt thing. Didn’t push too hard as I’m hoping to do a long run tomorrow morning. Feel very nervous about it for some reason!

Wow well done on the cold swim bee sounds brill and far braver than me. And sleep on the lake swim brrr we are by the sea it feels far too cold still even for a paddle
I did a 5.5k run followed by 1k pool swim and then spent the afternoon on the sofa watching netflix being a lazy Mum as zero energy I reckon there was reduced oxygen in air as we all felt zonked this afternoon after an active morning.

Hope the long run goes ok beach

There were lots of people using gloves and boots life they looked swim specific to me as I was checking them out enviously Hope your long run goes well. Why are you nervous??

really I did my 400m open water swim go tri last year pretty much all breaststroke. It was harder on the legs so I’m determined to nail front crawl this year! I didn’t get much open water practise last year, maybe only two sessions I think. Hence the early start this time. I’m hoping to get at least 5-6 lake swims in before my tri this time. I wasn’t the only one doing breaststroke by the way. And we were all swimming in a pretty straight line compared to the front crawlers so it’s not all bad!!!!!

bee I was worried my knee wouldn’t hold out as it’s been hurting towards the end of all recent long runs. I did it though - 12 miles, following most of the half marathon route I’ll be doing in 2 weeks (it’s in my home town). Hopefully this means I’ll make it round ok -just need it not to be hot!!

Oh ok, well done! 12 miles, no mean feat. Are you in Leeds???

No, not in Leeds bee. Is there a half marathon there the same weekend?

Would ideally have gone for a bike ride tonight, but it’s so cold and windy!

Did a tough hill ride today then swam tonight 66L in the pool nearly all F.C., so pleased with the efforts today need to get to sleep now.

ski you should sign up for a standard distance tri with that training!

Arrh thanks bee my head knows I could prob do it but I get bad performance anxiety so I’m not sure. I’m going to do the Go-Tri at end of May then there is a couple of local sprint options in July & Sept if it goes ok. I have just put my name in the London Marathon ballot which would be seriously way out of my comfort zone in terms of crowds/people overload! but DH has also put his name in so knowing my luck he will get a place or we both will & then will have a nightmare sorting out childcare! Both his sisters havevrun it in the last couple of years so they have been goading him to do it

Ah ski marathon place would be amazing! I’ve always said I’d never do a marathon but having started to train (albeit not running!) at longer and longer distances makes me think I could be tempted one day. A once in a lifetime thing I suspect!

Well I have my second open water swim in the morning, same lake as last week but it’s at least one whole degree warmer! Whoppee!! Did my longest ever bike ride earlier in the week, 34km. Going to up it a bit more next week so I’m at the Olympic distance. Beginning to feel like the big triathlon is doable, which is just as well with 5 weeks to go 😬🏊🏻‍♀️🚴🏻‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

Been busy squeezing bits in here and there. Cycled to work, swim coaching session thurs, ran 10k sat then swam and abit of Paddle boarding today in beaut ☀️ Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely weather.

I’m jealous of the open water swim bee I need to get the courage up to try swimming in the sea but I really don’t like the salty taste.

Is it just sea swimming by you ski? No lakes? The lakes round here are all measuring between 19-22 degrees! Lovely temperatures. But I imagine the sea is pretty cold still. If you can get to a lake, do it, it’s so lovely being able to swim outdoors.

I did a 40k bike ride yesterday. Which is further than my tri distance so I’m happy with that. Going to do the same route again next week but tag on a run at the end. Will squeeze in a short but hard hill climb session between now and then. Club swim tonight, always swim harder than I’d ever do on my own!

And at some point I need to run, up to 8km at mo. 10km needed for the tri but I’m still going easy on my knees. Softly softlyish for now! Might do a slightly longer run tomorrow. Hope everyone else’s training is going well?? Any races to report on?

bee and ski it sounds as though you're both doing really well with your training! I need to get back in the lake soon. We're lucky to have one 5 minutes up the road that tri club members can use, but I haven't braved it yet this year.

I've got a duathlon tonight. It's just a short one and the bike is on a purpose-built track rather than on roads, so should be fun. My OH and two older kids are doing it too (kids distances much shorter). Then it's the half marathon at the weekend, eek! Weather currently looks warmish and sunny, but not hot like last weekend, thank goodness!

I''ve also signed up for a 10 week swim improvers course that the tri club are running, which starts on Friday. My swimming has improved a lot since I first started triathlon training, but it's stalled a bit now and I think some coaching will really help.

I fell off my bike today!!! I was doing so well on my cleats and I just toppled over at a junction because I remembered to unclip too late. I’m not very hurt apart from a slightly bruised arse and ego. Poor me.
There’s got to be a point to all this though! Has anyone entered the Shock Absorber women-only triathlon in July? Thinking about it...