Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Exercise

Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Oh help, I've signed up for a sprint triathlon

49 replies

JJ · 17/01/2010 20:52

I'm doing the Blenheim Sprint triathlon (750m swim / 20k bike / 5k run) in June and am slightly freaking out about the swimming bit. I can swim it breaststroke pretty easily but want to do it front crawl the whole way and need a plan to get there! I'm doing a half marathon at the end of March, so that's taking up the majority of my training time until then.

What should I do? Any suggestions? Anyone else doing one? If so, what are you doing?

OP posts:

Original poster

JJ · 29/01/2010 10:54

That's ok. Rumour has it that once you start, you get the stamina up pretty quickly. I'm not far enough into it to know that, though.

So which one are you signing up for? C'mon....

OP posts:

popsycal · 29/01/2010 19:58

apparently, a MNer was seen enquiring about adult swimming lessons when taking her ds1 to his swimming lesson this evening

it wasn't me
honest
no, honestly
it wasn't

(don't tell DH)

Wallace · 29/01/2010 20:08

I will be doing a local Novice one in June and a few more Sprint ones I hope. We live in North Scotland so no big tri events here

gomez · 29/01/2010 20:12

Wallace what you need is a Quad

www.artemisgreatkindrochit.co.uk/

Wallace · 29/01/2010 20:16

gomez - are you trying to kill me!?

Looks great but maybe a long term goal as my kayaking is not up to scratch. I'd have to work on the melon slicing too

gomez · 29/01/2010 20:24

Aye the melon slicing was well tricky!

Kayaking is a rather grand term for the level of skill required: they are sit on doubles which I am fairly sure couldn't be tipped if that was the aim. My partner got terrible cramp and was bouncing about in the back whilst I paddled away. Being a short-ass I had no such problems.

My issues came elsewhere....

It is a great day and easier than you think - as long as you don't want to actually win the thing; oh and don't mind the ritual humiliation involved in wetsuits!

Wallace · 29/01/2010 20:31

Ah I hadn't realised you do it in teams/partners. That makes it a bit more attractive.

I was going to do the Cairngorm Adventure Triathlon last year but the entries were full. As it is a local event our running club did canoe training so if I did that I might manage the kayaking.

As for that swim...

gomez · 29/01/2010 21:09

No teams are for Big Jessies. You need to do the full bhuna, badly in my case but hey .

You do need to do it in pairs but most, well last year at least, did all 4 legs. There were a few corporate relay teams but very much the minority.

I swam breast-stroke to my external shame but I wasn't the only one! Nor was I last.

gomez · 29/01/2010 21:10

Will do better this year!

(Perhaps......)

Original poster

JJ · 30/01/2010 09:55

Wow gomez - that's so impressive and sounds like a lot of fun in the painful but deeply rewarding sense.

What's your training schedule like? How do you train and for how long? Do you have a plan? You must keep a pretty high level of fitness generally. How long does it take? Is your name from the band? (Thought I'd drop that one in as I'm asking questions..)

Ok, so Wallace is in and popsy's in, too. Wallace - are you swimming now?

OP posts:

gomez · 30/01/2010 12:32

Lots of fun.

I am not by any means an athlete. Still carry extra weight; short and squat would be a good description .

Training; last year I ran 5k or 10k 2 or 3 times per week. Swam twice (1500 or 2000ms) combination of breaststroke and crawl. Cycled once or twice each week; one short (maybe 20miles) and one long (around 50/60 miles). Plus a couple of hills one weekend per month.
This was for the 2.5/3 months leading into the event. Prior to that had just tried to keep ticking over and ensure I was starting from a reasonable level.

This year I am I think ditching the running and doing more walking training. I also need to do more hill work as I was too slow on the downhill so need to get much quicker.

Original poster

JJ · 31/01/2010 11:45

That qualifies you as an athlete, methinks! How long did the bike rides take?

OP posts:

gomez · 31/01/2010 23:53

Ah how long is a piece of string

I normally cycle at an average 15mph, which is bottom speed for joining in with a cycle club. I am good on long climbs as am a power cyclist (hence large thighs) but not so good on short, fast hills, my cadence is shite. Speed is a problem for me in all disciplines; I don't do fast .

gomez · 31/01/2010 23:55

Oh, oh name is from a family cat, from the Adams Family. But was a big Gomez fan and in fact DD1 was conceived at V99 where we had gone to see them live.

(They may be too much information however)

Original poster

JJ · 05/02/2010 21:35

As long as you didn't name her Gomez. Maybe that's why you named the cat that name? I wanted a daughter named Marigold but my husband wouldn't have it, so we named the dog that.

I only do slow, too. I'll bet my slow is slower than yours....

I'm very impressed by the amount you do!

OP posts:

gomez · 06/02/2010 21:38

No the cat pre-dated the daughter which would have been well weirdy....

The amounts that are impressing you were only maintained for about 3 months in the lead up to the Quad.

This week for example I have done 1 x 10K, 2 x swim (one about 1k the other only 750m) and walked up a very small hill, fairly slowly not quite as impressive, huh!

Original poster

JJ · 07/02/2010 20:43

I suppose it's a little less impressive but I'm still well impressed!

OP posts:

gomez · 08/02/2010 13:29

legspinner · 01/03/2010 08:29

Hi jj how is your training going?

I did my tri yesterday, it was great fun but the run was really hard at the end. I realised afterwards that I hadn't done enough running training...the bike / run transition was very tough and I had pushed myself hard on the bike leg (jelly legs...) Hopefully as your swim is in fresh water you won't have the surf and big waves that we had for the sea swim which was postponed for an hour due to the tsunami warning that was in force for NZ yesterday morning!

Didn't wear a wetsuit in the end (summer here) but had a sports bra, swimsuit and bike shorts for the swim, and threw on a T-shirt and shoes for the bike and run. However would have been good to have a top made of that light quick-drying material used for bike and running training tops...cotton T-shirts get very heavy (won't make that mistake again).
Hope everything's going well...good luck!

legspinner · 01/03/2010 08:30

oops just re-read your OP and you mention training for a half-marathon so I suspect your running will be pretty good! good luck for that too.

LolaLadybird · 02/03/2010 18:07

Just found this thread and have been reading with interest. I did 2 triahtlons last summer (first time) but in a team (yes, I'm a self-confessed jessie!). I've now signed up for a solo triathlon at Portland, Dorset in May - 300m swim/20k bike/5k run.

I did some competitive swimming as a teenager so stroke technique has stayed with me and swimming is my best bit. I'm just worried about the cycle followed by the run (last time I did the swim, a friend did the cycle and then we both ran). I'm really worried about not having the stamina for all 3 ....

Good to get the clothing tips on here. I've been getting some tri advice from DH and his friends but strangely no tips on sports bras!

I'm planning on buying a tri suit but it's really not a good look. I tried on one last year and somehow it was even less flattering than a swimsuit - how can that be when it shows less flesh?!

legspinner · 02/03/2010 21:15

Good on you lola and good luck! I am the same as you....swimming is my strongest event,and I don't like running much! It's difficult when the run is the last if it's not your strongest event. (I did some run / swim events before Xmas which were great...got the run out of the way first and then felt much happier about the swim afterwards!)
I'm sure you will be able to do it though. I would practise the bike / run transitions if you can.

Is your swim going to be in the sea? Again that was quite tricky, as I do a lot of pool swimming but was not really prepared for rough seas and surf. It was fine but I could have done with more sea practice.

Quite a few of the ladies wore tri suits the other day but they looked really good in them, it wouldn't be something I'd be brave enough to do though, I'm much happier in a swimsuit!!

Good luck and let us know how you get on. You can do it!

LolaLadybird · 02/03/2010 22:28

Legspinner - well done on your tri! How did you feel afterwards - pretty proud of yourself I hope.

My swim is a pool swim so no worries about open water and trying to remove a wetsuit in transition! I'm interested to know how much/what sort of training you did beforehand as the distance is similar to mine and I just don't know how to gauge how much I should be doing beforehand. All of the people I know who do triathlons are very fit people used to doing greater distances as routine so they've not really helped. I felt quite confident when I signed up that it was 3 months away but that's already dwindled to 2.5 and I can see it arriving v quickly!

Good to know there are other options to the tri-suit as I seriously looked like a hippo when I tried one on last year (I'm a size 16 so won't be able to carry off the pre-pubescent look!!). My fear is chaffing ...!

The consolation on the appearance front is by the time I was underway last year, I didn't really care how I looked, it's just the waiting around at the start. My fear the first time was running out to transition in just my swimsuit but when it came to it, I was too high on adrenalin to worry!

JJ - really don't worry about the breastroke. I did a mixture last year as although my stroke technique is good my CV fitness wasn't great and I just got a bit puffed with the crawl. My preoccupation was with being able to get out at the end (pool swim) - I've always had shite upper body strength and was worried about pulling myself out without the use of steps!

legspinner · 03/03/2010 08:49

Thanks Lola, it was great to complete it, it was also lovely that my DH and DCs were there supporting me. I now want to do another tri and will train for next year's one! I eventually did a mix of crawl and breaststroke in the sea which worked OK.
Good to hear your swim is in the pool..at least it's a known quantity!

Training....I did 2 runs or walks, 2 swims and 2 bike rides a week. There was a training schedule with the tri website, here's the link if it's any use (go to the "Training and Hints" tab and scroll down to bottom of page).
Swims: one of 1.5 or 2k, then the second when my DCs had swimming lessons so not ideal, but tried to do at least 1k total. Bike: tried to ride twice a week to work (10 km round trip, but all hills). If not the work commute, then a 10-12 km ride sometime during the week. Run / walk: One 5 km run, and another 45min walk or 1 hr hillwalk. I should have done 2 runs a week (but I prefer walking!!) Have only been running since October (my previous running was 10 years ago!)

Can you get a running buddy to spur you on? I went with a friend of mine several times before Xmas but then she's left for the US so I need another one!!

Good luck...and I'm sure you can do it

Flip

1 2