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]

Hello really! I'm no expert on anything cycling but yes just get out in your bike! I'm also looking for a bike at the moment. I am borrowing one which I need to give back at some point soon (to family member). Anyone got any recommendations? I've seen ones by trek, specialized, liv, cannodale, Fuji and Scott. Around the £500-£700 mark. Can't make up my mind which to get! I'm really short so I'm hoping sizing will decide for me as some models may not be small enough. What's everyone else got? The bike I'm borrowing at the mo is a Trek.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

ragged it had never occurred to me that there maybe a fast way to turn without learning to tumble turn. I'll have a look at YouTube later, thanks.

[SkiBike007]

Ooh you are all inspiring me I started checking out local Tris at the wend and found an "into Tri" one localish time in Sept which is pool based as no way could I do the seaswim at moment.

bee I've got specialised vita bike couple years ago, I'm just about 5ft3 and they do small frames. It's a commuter bike with thinner tyres, you can fit racing bars but I have flat ones as I prefer it. It's been a good buy.

[mylittlefidget]

Igotto- I've recently bought a new bike. I looked at all the big names and their specs (was eyeing up a Canyon bike for £900) but in the end went for a Laura trotter rd2 bike (halfords) . It was as light as the canyon bike and u couldn't justify the extra money. I got it for £450 and it's been great. Have a Google to see whether they still do them. They do an xs version which was too small for me. Good luck

[mylittlefidget]

Laura Trott!!!

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

We've got a specialized shop near us so I'm gonna check out the Dolce (cheapest one!). Could only find that Laura Trott bike in a medium. Same problem with the Boardman bike at Halfords, smallest size isn't small enough . Triathlon is such a bloomin kit fest isn't it! You don't need fancy kit (there were loads of people doing the last one I did on bog standard bikes, even some with baskets on the front ) but if you want to there is sooooooooooo much kit to empty you pockets for. Bikes being the number one expense. Sorry, feel like I'm hijacking the thread a bit!

[ragged]

I feel strongly about how valuable it is to have good bike kit. Plus know how to handle your bike & be able to ride hard then brake hard as late as possible. Last tri I did I got huff @ rider who held me up with nervous handling& braking.

[mylittlefidget]

Yeah, you could spend lots of money on everything triathlon related... I was convinced I needed to do heart rate run training and spent £££££ on a forerunner 935. Turns out my zones correlate pretty well with perceived effort. Oooops :-). Good luck with finding a bike that suits you.

[Lifeisabeach]

Hello! I did my first novice distance tri last October and then did a sprint distance one in May. I'm now doing an open water swimming course with a view to doing a local open water sprint distance tri in mid-August...although haven't entered yet! I'm also doing another sprint one in September. It all gets a bit addictive!

I try and swim, run and bike 2x each a week, but it's hard to fit in around work and kids. How much training and what distances are you all doing?

I've got a Giant Defy bike and it's fab - if anyone is looking for a recommendation.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Hello Tri bods! How's training going? I did my second swim session with the local tri club last night, man it was hard!!!!! The first session gave me loads of confidence but I felt out of my depth, literally and figuratively, last night. I'll just have to keep going and hope I improve. The next lane up from mine did 80 lengths . It may be some time if ever before I move up a lane!

Still haven't got a bike, hanging onto my borrowed one for a bit longer! My sister isn't in a hurry to have it back yet.

life I try to do each discipline twice a week but in reality it rarely happens. It's more like swim x 2, bike x 1, Run x 1 but varies from week to week. My DH is away with work at the moment so that massively impacts how much I can train because of the kids. So when he is around I have to pack in as much as possible.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Oh and life I'm aiming for possibly two sprint triathlons in sept. One is 750m/24km/6.5km with lake swim, the other is 500m/14km/5km with pool swim. I've already signed up for the shorter one, still deciding if I'm brave/fit enough for the other one!

[SkiBike007]

I've done it and signed up for a Tri beginners one, with my DD in the kids category! We have 8wks to "train" DD will smash the swimming but we will have to get her running and a bit more confident on the bike. I need to work on linking swim to cycle as my legs get wobbly after swimming, but the distances are short i just need to put it together, I'm gonna start cycling to/from the swim pool sessions. I needed another challenge as I have my first 10k race for life on Sunday.

[Lifeisabeach]

That's brilliant SkiBike - what are the distances for your tri?

I got into it because my 9yo DS did a kids' tri and loved it. He's since joined a tri club and has done lots more events this year.

[ragged]

My tri is this weekend (someone wish me luck!).
I've had another email with more rules to remember. OMG.
I am in tapering down phase. I dread climbing the walls tomorrow with too much energy but not allowed to use it. Irk.
My rules about when to enter a Tri are how long it will take me. I think my acceptable ceiling is about 90 minutes. I just am not interested in longer. I could probably handle Igottas shorter Tri coz that's like 80 minutes on my good day, but the one with 750m swim would take me 2 hrs. I couldn't face that.

[SkiBike007]

Swim 297m, 7.5k bike and 2.5k run. Nice and short to try it all out 😀It's a 33m odd length pool I think so that will be different but flat cycle & run. I woke up this morning dreaming about taking a shower in my sports bra& swimming costume jumping out running down hallway pulling on cycle shorts / trainers with elastic laces, and out to the shed to go on the bike trainer maybe my brain is overthinking this already!! Any good tips for a complete newbie?

[SkiBike007]

Good luck ragged hope the weather is kind to you as it's shocking here today & tom looks rough, luckly my 10k race is on Sunday! Looks drier and less windy then.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Good luck ragged!!! Although I'm sure you're all done and dusted by now! I'd dropped off the end of the thread so sorry I missed the updates.

Oh and good luck skibike too! Would love to hear how you both get on.

[SkiBike007]

Thanks bee the 10k went really well I enjoyed it & sprinted to the finish

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Yay well done skibike always a good feeling sprinting to the line.

[SkiBike007]

Thanks bee

My thoughts are now turning to the Tri can I ask do you run in cycle shorts? Or do Tri suits have smaller cycle pads as I don't think I could run in my cycle shorts without it rubbing and feeling like a massive Sani pad I've just ordered some Tri shorts to try the fit and see how big/small the cycle padding is.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

skibike I have a cheapy tri suit which has a pad not vastly smaller than my cycling shorts. It's ok and tbh I haven't noticed it when I've been on the run in a triathlon jelly legs sensation has overridden any other thought process!

[SkiBike007]

The Tri shorts I ordered have just arrived...I had to order XXL!! They just about fit but are quite short. I'm assuming do you swim in them? They have a cycle pad which is slimmer than my normal cycle shorts.
I had planned to cycle to work tom (it's 9m each way) as part of training but feel utterly washed out tonight fighting off the cold I think my DH has had this week 😕

[mylittlefidget]

Yes, you swim in them. I was really worried about this but they dry surprisingly quickly.

[diamonte68]

Hope you don't mind if I join in. I have signed up for my first tri on 24th September! I turn 50 (gulp) early next year and I have always said I want to do a triathlon before I am 50... although I am now wondering why I ever thought that was a good idea!

I am doing a Pink Wave one for cancer research and it is a super sprint and just for fun but I am still terrified. It is 200m swim / 18 km bike and 2.5k run.

I am fine with the swim, I am a good confident swimmer and used to compete at swimming when I was a teenager so other than increasing my cardio fitness I should be ok with 200 m.

The cycle leg is what I am dreading, I am really not confident at riding on roads with traffic etc. I live in a quiet village so am going to start cycling around the local roads to get the hang of riding on the road.

I have been running a few times a week for a few months now and am pretty rubbish at it but can manage 2.5k (but only just!) but that is on "fresh" legs and not after having swum and biked! I hope to get to a point where I am cycling to the gym (about 6 miles from me) and then swim for half hour then do a spin session and then cycle home but getting to that level of fitness seems a long way off.

All training tips and race day tips gratefully received :)

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Hello diamonte, very impressed that you're doing your first tri at almost 50! It'll be fine! And I think being good at swimming already is such an advantage. Being at any one of the three from the start is a bonus! You've still got loads of time to train, I'm sure you'll be fine.

As for race day tips, where do I start?!?!? What do you want to know?