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?

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

So far so good with the Brooks really. I’ve only worn them twice but theyre fine so far. Wide enough for my wide plate feet! I’d ordered some ASICS online which were the same model I’d had before but they just didn’t fit right. So I thought it best to get myself down to the local running shop. Hokas were the other contenders.

I’m hoping for cooler conditions on the weekend too. But at least we’re having to train in the heat so at least it won’t be too much of a shock if it is warm. I’ve hardly done any swimming since my standard tri, bit nervous about that especially as it’s likely to be a non wetsuit swim in the race. I’ve never swam in a lake just in my tri suit!

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Got a sprint tri on Saturday, optional wetsuit so I’m ditching it! Too hot for wrangling my ass in and out of it. And I don’t think it makes me any faster anyway!

I did my tri club aquathon this week, very slow swim but pretty good run so I was happy enough. Very supportive club, lots of people at the finish line clapping everyone in. As I was one of the last finishers that was a lot of clapping! I enjoyed it though, it was my first crack at an aquathon. Also my first ever lake swim without my wetsuit. Very nice once I’d got over the fact that I couldn’t just bob about if I wanted to.

[reallyneedmoresleep]

Which one are you doing on Saturday, Igotta?
I think I’m going to ditch the wetsuit for my supersprint on Sunday- the forecast for midday is 27 degrees!!

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

I did allerthorpe. Bit of a right off!! I didn’t really enjoy any of it because it was a totally flat course. All good with a flat course you’d think! Well my legs just didn’t love it, I’m used to slogging up hills and then zooming back down the other side. Not the relentlessness of flat roads. Took my legs a long time to get going, felt like the longest 5k ever!!! I enjoyed the non wetsuit swim even though I was slow slow slow!!! Good luck tomorrow.

[SkiGirl007]

Well done bee it’s too fliping hot for me I’m not a fan of this heat. I did drag my weary body out this morn for a 10k run and after hating the first 3k as usual I found my grove and the free beach shower at the 5k mark to cool off hoping to take the family kayak out tom with breakfast at the beach. We are super lucky in living so close to the sea, even if I do prefer it in the off season when a lot quieter.

[reallyneedmoresleep]

I came 46th out of 118 in my race - very proud of myself for coming 6th in the cycling! I also had a totally flat race with the added horror of laps! The pain of running past the finish and having to do another 2.5km in 30 degree heat!!!!
But, I did it and I am so glad I did it and am really looking forward to Castle Howard in 2 weeks.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Whoop whoop! Great result really!

[SkiGirl007]

Amazing sleep well done! Double whoop in 30c I couldn’t have done that - I’m hating running in this heat.

[SkiGirl007]

Just tracked a friend finishing the Bolton Ironman today I’m in utter awe she’s finished! Could never achieve that level of Tri, 14hrs+ of nonstop exercise... I did do a 8m run on sat morning though

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Haha!! I’ve been keeping half an eye on Ironman Bolton. I was wondering if they’d be finished yet. 14 hours of constant exercise, wow, I did a 35 min run this evening 😂 Got a proper swimming lesson with a top coach this week 😬 I googled him and the fest thing that comes up is a article with him discussing his time with the Brownlee brothers! I hope he knows he’ll dropping down a class with me 😂

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Great session today! My friend and I are almost equally as slow as each other but we had completely different issues.

Coach guy has given me two (hopefully mutually productive) things to work on. Hip height and kicking. I apparently have practically zilch kick power!!! And my hips are very low in the water which is creating loads of drag. Lots of kicking drills for me then! I’m so hoping that this is the beginning of the end of my slooooow swimming.

[reallyneedmoresleep]

Bee, I found that when I remember to engage my core swimming it really lifts my legs up. Dunno if I should be advising anyone though, I'm a slow, slow swimmer!
Starting to feel nervous about Castle Howard. Everyone I've spoken to has muttered about hills. Also, we're shooting up there after school on Friday and camping so I may not have the best night's sleep.
Ironman Bolton.....nah!

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Well Castle Howard will be beautiful so enjoy the view really! All I heard was that it’s undulating and the run is off road. Hills are good! What goes up must come down!

The hip lift drill is a pencil shape push off with head down focusing on hips high, bum just breaking surface of the water. Hold that for a few seconds and then begin to swim normally. BUT don’t take a breath for the first couple of arm strokes. Really useful to feel the difference. And yes, my core took note! The kick drills are just that. Plain and simple 😂 I just have no strength in my kick. He’s suggested I do 20% of my swim sessions as kick drills until I start to see improvement!

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

How was Castle Howard??

[reallyneedmoresleep]

Hello! Castle Howard was beautiful and friendly but flipping hard work. We drove up the day before (5 hours) and camped so I wasn’t as fresh as I might have been. Too hot for a wetsuit. The water level was really low and every stroke was an armful of weeds but I actually managed a half decent swim. Huge uphill run to transition then off on a v hilly bike ride. I was overtaken by lots of men on proper tribikes and my chain came off but it was still a decent time. All went a bit tits-up on the run - sooo hilly and I am just not built to run. Proud of myself for doing it though and would do it again. My 14 yr old enjoyed his race and my 10 yr old knocked 8 minutes off his previous PB so he’s very happy!

[SkiGirl007]

Wow well done sleep sounds like it was a really challenging course. And well done mini sleeps. My DD11 just asked me to enter her in another Tristars event which is in Sept. she did it last year and said not doing that again! Then did a second one locally in May and now wants to give the other one ago. She’s club swimmer but not overly fond of the cycle or bike bits
I’m toying with the idea of doing a sprint which is on when we are away on holiday..it would prob mean leaving the campsite at 5-6am on my own to get there and leave hubbie & kids at the site for a few hours...I’ll keep training and see how I feel in a couple of weeks. I know I can do the swim & bike but will find the 5k run really tough as I’m just not fast! And really hate this heat..

[reallyneedmoresleep]

Go for it Ski! It’ll be a bit cooler early in the morning and who cares if you walk a bit of the run?
I’ve just entered Bewl Water sprint triathlon on August 4th which will be a bit different as there’s only 160 people doing it so it will be quite obvious that I’m behind everyone. A good reason to keep training on my holiday next week!
Hever Castle triathlon is at the end of September and is apparently the biggest children’s triathlon in the world. All 5 of us are doing it - including my unsporty middle son and it will be Mr Sleep’s first triathlon. I’ll be very cross if the bugger beats me

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Wow really you’re all over the triathlon diary! And how fab to have your whole family involved, I hope that happens with my lot one day. Kids are a bit young yet.

Well done on Castle Howard, sounded tough, most other tris will feel easy now

Do the sprint ski!

I’ve been working on my swimming since last weeks coaching session. I’ve been to two club sessions since and had different advice from every coach I’ve seen 😂 I guess that means there’s a lot needs fixing, they just all have different opinions on what needs sorting first!

[SkiGirl007]

Alas I wasn’t able to do the sprint at the end of Aug and I’m glad in the end I didn’t go as they had to cancel the cycle leg due to a very nasty accident early in the event as I knew someone else who went. Been struggling with a flair up of sciatica again...but after a Physio session I’ve been working hard on strength training (squats, lunges & plank etc) which is really helping. Did my first brick session of 9k ride with 2.5k run this morning and felt ok just few twinges so hopefully I’m turning the corner again! It’s a reoccurring nightmare for me every 12mths I have some form of flare up.
Hope your Tri season has gone well.

[reallyneedmoresleep]

Hello Triathletes!
Sorry to hear about your back, Ski, hopefully on the mend now.
I did a sprint tri in August and was delighted to have knocked 25 minutes off my time....before realising that the cycle leg was only 20 km rather than 25km!!!
We've got Hever Castle tri coming up in about 10 days. It feels funny to be moving back to starter tri, but DH would really like the company as it's his first one. He's been training lots and will probably beat me. Grrr!

[SkiGirl007]

Hope you enjoy Hever sleep I finished the go-Tri at the weekend which was my main goal after so little running in last few weeks. My swim and cycle were faster than last year but the run 2mins slower. As I expected but I was pleased just to have taken part. I’m switching focus to winter running again now and trying to use strength training to avoid injury flare ups!

[Moraxella]

sorry to resurrect but looking for advice - thinking of a sprint triathlon at 21 weeks pregnant... anyone else done one when preg? (I have done a few before and am not after breaking any records etc)

[DailyMailSucksWails]

I imagine I would have been fine if it was a level of exertion I was used to doing. What distances is this event, Moraxella? How many weeks are you now? My nausea was too awful to expect to be up for training much, tbh.

[Moraxella]

17/40 currently, and running about 5-7km ok. Its 400m/25km/5km so not too drastic

[DailyMailSucksWails]

Do you have a good lightweight bike?

That still sounds like most of 2 hours (for someone not killing themselves).
5-7 min swim, 1 min transition, 80 min bike, 1 min transition, 30 min run.

Would you feel fine with doing 2 hours of moderate exercise now?