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?

[TriGirl007]

Good luck diamonte I was dreading the bike bit as had only ridden the racing bike once! My DH had re-modelled one of his for me to use as we are similar height. I had a practice circuit on it before the event and ended up loving the bike ride! My best bit as I just kept going past people, my running fitness really paid off as I was nearly last out the pool but had fast T1 and recovered well on the bike but found the run much harder than I thought it would be. I did a Go-Tri and I'm glad I did as I would have really struggled on the run if it had been a 5k sprint Tri distance!

[diamonte68]

Mine is similar to a Go-Tri - it is the Pink Wave for Breast Cancer. The bike is actually longer than most super sprints (18 km) but the swim is shorter (200m) which is annoying as swimming is my strength! The run is 2.5 k so I am thinking that should be ok, but 2.5 k after an 18K bike ride will probably feel like a marathon.

One way or the other I will finish it - I promised myself that no matter what happens I am finishing it, even if the volunteers are packing up and going home behind me.. I will finish!

[TriGirl007]

Your be fine diamonte I was given some advice by a lady whose experienced at Tri's said treat the swim as a warm up and gradually wind up in the cycle ready for the run - I kept thinking that. The run I did was 2.5k and I think I went off too fast as I had to make myself slow down and breathe properly and re-grouped myself which helped to get through the "jelly legs" bit.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Well done trigir!!! Win the next one 😜

Hello diamonte you'll be fab! It seems that none of us manage to train as much we'd like so I'm sure you'll be fine. Although I have to say that I felt exactly the same before my first tri. Terror, excitement and general anxiety about getting all the right kit in the right place at the right time! And not forgetting anything! So that'd be my main tip now, make a list of everything you need. I put everything in the order I'll need them too. Good luck! You'll love it!

Just had the official results through, I was a few minutes slower than last year but I'm blaming the swim for that! Plus I cycled to the race (only a couple of miles but in the rain!) so I'm blaming that too .

[TriGirl007]

Thanks bee not sure I will do another at the moment but you never know! It was interesting not knowing where you were in the "race" bit so it really was a race against myself which I suppose I quite liked as I'd done it for me not for anyone else and the placing was a massive bonus.

[TriGirl007]

Well done on yours bee you should be really proud of your race

[Lifeisabeach]

Hi diamonte, I'm sure you will do great in your tri. Just finishing is a massive achievement in itself. As bee said, I don't think any of us manage to do as much training as we plan to, life gets in the way.

Has anyone got any plans for next year? I want to do the sprint tri in my town in May that I did this year, and hope to improve my time. I'd also like to do an Olympic distance, but would need to do some major training to get through the run!

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

life I'm thinking of doing the Leeds one again but doing the Sprint distance this time instead of the Go Tri. I want to conquer that lake!!! That's in June so I need something to aim at in the meantime. There's a half marathon in Feb I've been pondering but then there's still 4 months between that and the triathlon. There is a local pool swim sprint triathlon in April so that would slot in nicely.

Big news for me today - just bought my very first road bike!!!!!! Cannondale synapse. It's so lovely and shiny and new! In the sale too. My dear sister can have her bike back now.

[diamonte68]

I am so glad I found this thread, everyone is so motivational and supportive, thank you all. I am now more excited than nervous about my event. I have got everything I will need and have packed it all ready for the weekend (except for my cycle helmet which I need over the next few days).

I always need a challenge to keep me motivated to exercise so have signed up for a fell / obstacle course run in November! If the triathlon goes well and I feel able to do another one I am thinking of doing one that's more local to me next year, but will hold off signing up until I get my first one out of the way . Who would've thought that at the tender age of 49 I would start enjoying running/competing.. it's mad but I suppose it's better late than never.

[TriGirl007]

Good luck diamonte there felt like a lot of "thinking" before doing the Tri lots flipping kit to coordinate which I found hard! But I was also trying to get my DDs stuff together too. Hope you enjoy your event. I was pleasantly surprised by seeing lots of 30-50yrs women at the event I did which was good (I'm mid 40s ) hope its fun and inspiring

[reallyneedmoresleep]

Wah! Wah! I'm doing it tomorrow! I am soooooo nervous. Wish me luck everyone

[TriGirl007]

Good luck your be fine remember to smile it releases more happy hormones

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

You'll be grand really! Friendliest events I've ever done have been triathlons so if you need help with anything just ask. I hope you enjoy it, look forward to hearing how it goes.

[diamonte68]

How did you get on reallyneedmoresleep? I hope it went well and your now enjoying a well earned drink 😁 Mine is tomorrow and I feel strangely calm! Will be nervous in the morning I’m sure but feeling good for now.

[ragged]

Hey @Dianmonte68, did you compete today... in an event with muddy carpark in the woods?

How did it go? I did very well in my SS-Tri today. (yip!)

[reallyneedmoresleep]

I did it!!!! I am very very proud of myself. My swim was awful but I smashed the bike and my run was ok. I was 6th out of 27 in my category . I'm going to do it again. Thanks all for the support on this thread

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Well done ragged and really!! Success all round!!

[TriGirl007]

Well done ragged and reallyneedmoresleep now
I did similar messed up the swim abit but aced the bike ride, & just kept going on the run. Well done.

[diamonte68]

I did it!!! Had the best time ever. Will definitely do it again. @ragged My event was the Warwickshire Triathlon in Stratford-upon-Avon.

My time was not great but I finished it 😁💪

Well done all of us ⭐️🎉

[TriGirl007]

Whoop whoop diamonte well done

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Well done diamonte!!!!! So glad you enjoyed it. I bet that was a pretty triathlon around Stratford!

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

I need some thought triathletes (swit swoo!!).

I'm looking at next years plan and thought I'd definitely sign up for the sprint distance in Leeds which is the same day/venue as the World Series races. Great atmosphere, elites milling about, more of a challenge. Anyway, I mention this to DH (who has never done a triathlon but has done a marathon so knows about training for a big event). He says 'why don't you do the proper one?', meaning I should sign up for the standard distance. At this point I correct him by saying that a sprint distance IS a proper one! But now I'm thinking about it, am I mad?!?!?!

Distances for the sprint are 750m/18km/7.5km. The standard distance is 1500m/36km/10km the swim is in the lake at Roundhay park.

I am nowhere near that level now but it's not till June. Also, I turn 40 next year so it feels like something epic to mark out the year or a midlife crisis

Would I be a fool to take this on?????

[mylittlefidget]

Igotta, you've got months to train, I would just do it if I were you. The distances are doable and looking at the sprint run distance of 7.5k, another 2.5 really be too much more to take on. It'll be great! :-)

[diamonte68]

I would go for it Igotta, as mylittlefidget said you have months to train. I am going to do one more super sprint then am considering going up to the sprint in September next year.

[reallyneedmoresleep]

I've signed up for two more starter sprints ("sprint" - ha ha ha) next year but may upgrade to sprint distances depending on how my training goes.
Can anyone recommend any beginner triathlons in the southeast?