The Triathlon thread

[ironz]

AmyBeth...Sk8ingMom had good suggestions on the swim. Just time yourself in the pool, and get an estimate. I tend to swim a little slower in open water, due to not swimming as straight, etc. Plus, you never know if the course is measured as precisely as a pool (buoys drift a little, etc).

One tip I will share for Open water swimming (OWS) is to relax! Trust your training! It can be disorienting, at times, because you don't have that line on the bottom like a pool, and sometimes it feels like you aren't going anywhere. So tell yourself that "when I do swim strokes, I do move forward" and it will remind you that you aren't really swimming in place.

Gatorphipps...my first tri of the season is on the 29th, as well, but not a pool swim. I do enjoy those from time to time, though!

 

[gatorphipps]

AmyBeth...Sk8ingMom had good suggestions on the swim. Just time yourself in the pool, and get an estimate. I tend to swim a little slower in open water, due to not swimming as straight, etc. Plus, you never know if the course is measured as precisely as a pool (buoys drift a little, etc).

One tip I will share for Open water swimming (OWS) is to relax! Trust your training! It can be disorienting, at times, because you don't have that line on the bottom like a pool, and sometimes it feels like you aren't going anywhere. So tell yourself that "when I do swim strokes, I do move forward" and it will remind you that you aren't really swimming in place.

Gatorphipps...my first tri of the season is on the 29th, as well, but not a pool swim. I do enjoy those from time to time, though!

Thanks for the advice for the OWS! I always feel like I am swimming in place in OW.
Good luck on the Tri....mine is "only" a sprint....what is yours?

Hi Amy!

 

[ironz]

Thanks for the advice for the OWS! I always feel like I am swimming in place in OW.
Good luck on the Tri....mine is "only" a sprint....what is yours?

Hi Amy!

Also a sprint: 600m swim/12 mile bike/3.1 mile run.
Now I just need to get my hip flexor better...I couldn't even run a 400m lap at the track last night. ugh. Was hoping to start the season off with a bang, not a bust! Oh, well....there will be other days to shine.

I am doing an Urban Dare adventure/type race this weekend. That will be great fun! www.urbandare.com

 

[thndrmatt]

Just thought I'd plug urbandare, did the one in LA last year and had a blast! We were in like the top 20% of teams too... great workout! Would have done the Orlando one but the military got in the way that weekend, Atlanta is a possibility in a few weeks...

 

[ironz]

Glad to hear it, Matt! I'm looking forward to it!
Read some RRs from people who did the race last year, and it sounds much like Urban Challenge, which I have done 3 times.
Now to study those bus schedules...

 

[sk8ingmom]

OK, I just found out how I am going to get all of my bike training in...

I'm going on a total boondoggle work trip 2 weeks before my race. The mission? GPS mapping and reviewing 250+ miles of rail-trail in a week.

 

[thndrmatt]

Wow sk8ingmom, that actually sounds like an awesome job! Getting paid to ride around carrying a GPS, sounds like me when I go geocaching! I bet there are some caches all along all of those trails...

What line of work is that? May have to look into it if I ever get out of the military...

 

[sk8ingmom]

Wow sk8ingmom, that actually sounds like an awesome job! Getting paid to ride around carrying a GPS, sounds like me when I go geocaching! I bet there are some caches all along all of those trails...

What line of work is that? May have to look into it if I ever get out of the military...

I've always worked in non-profits (exec and fundraiser). Most of my life is spent writing proposals a schmoozing with donors. BUT we are GPS mapping all the rail-trails in America, so staff members get to go out on road trips.

www.traillink.com

DH is Coast Guard - retires in 5 years, 1 month and 29 days. Not that I'm counting.

 

[AmyBeth68]

Hi guys...

Thanks for all the advice on the swimming. Unfortunately I only had access to a small pool for one weekend LOL. Now I have to get a wetsuit I guess so I can swim my freezing lake to train! I'll only have access to open water as of right now. I have tried to get a job at a fitness facility which has a pool..but the stars haven't aligned yet! I have a feeling that my entire first tri will be SUPER slow....primarily b/c my swim will probably be SUPER slow LOL! I couldn't even gauge my time in the pool I was using b/c they didn't have lanes...it was shorter than Olympic size and my kids were in there with me which made it quite interesting!!! I think I estimated that I swam 500M in 20 minutes with lots of flip turns since the length of the pool was so short. Was hard to get any type of rhythm going since I kept having to turn around.

Sooo...I guess that's why I was trying to figure it out and get an estimate of what the average swimmer can do a 1/2 mile swim in. Looking at the results from the race last year it's hard to figure out b/c I don't know the people personally. But I'd think that 30 minutes would be worst case scenario for that distance for me. Guess I had better run and bike really really really FAST!

Teri: Tons of PD for that hip!!!!

Matt: The Urban Dare sounds SOOO cool...we talked about doing it but haven't been able to work it into our schedule just yet.

Sk8ingmom: HOW COOL about the rail trails! Exhausting...but cool. Are you on the team challenge here? Your time will LOVE you for all those miles if you are! LOL!

 

[gatorphipps]

Hi guys...

Thanks for all the advice on the swimming. Unfortunately I only had access to a small pool for one weekend LOL. Now I have to get a wetsuit I guess so I can swim my freezing lake to train! I'll only have access to open water as of right now. I have tried to get a job at a fitness facility which has a pool..but the stars haven't aligned yet! I have a feeling that my entire first tri will be SUPER slow....primarily b/c my swim will probably be SUPER slow LOL! I couldn't even gauge my time in the pool I was using b/c they didn't have lanes...it was shorter than Olympic size and my kids were in there with me which made it quite interesting!!! I think I estimated that I swam 500M in 20 minutes with lots of flip turns since the length of the pool was so short. Was hard to get any type of rhythm going since I kept having to turn around.

Sooo...I guess that's why I was trying to figure it out and get an estimate of what the average swimmer can do a 1/2 mile swim in. Looking at the results from the race last year it's hard to figure out b/c I don't know the people personally. But I'd think that 30 minutes would be worst case scenario for that distance for me. Guess I had better run and bike really really really FAST!

I am soooooo slow on the swim....I am not kid'n. I was one of the slowest swimmers at this tri I am doing...the last time I did it.....but if it makes you feel better, there were several people who finished the swim in 1/2 the time I did...and I finished b/4 them time wise.
B/c it is a pool swim they start in 5 second waves...1 person every 5 second. Anyway, they did a fast swim but I was able to outrun them. And I guess out bike them too. YOU WILL ROCK!

I did the bike and run for the tri this mornng. I did it slower than I am hoping but I LOVE the bike course...I was biking with a good friend and we got lost...

 

[sk8ingmom]

Sk8ingmom: HOW COOL about the rail trails! Exhausting...but cool. Are you on the team challenge here? Your time will LOVE you for all those miles if you are! LOL!

I'm not on a team. I don't put in tons of miles on a regular basis. I'm more of an aerobics class exerciser except for when I'm training for a race. You're right though - if I was on a team, everyone else could take the week off.

I am soooooo slow on the swim....I am not kid'n. I was one of the slowest swimmers at this tri I am doing...the last time I did it.....but if it makes you feel better, there were several people who finished the swim in 1/2 the time I did...and I finished b/4 them time wise.
B/c it is a pool swim they start in 5 second waves...1 person every 5 second. Anyway, they did a fast swim but I was able to outrun them. And I guess out bike them too. YOU WILL ROCK!

I did the bike and run for the tri this mornng. I did it slower than I am hoping but I LOVE the bike course...I was biking with a good friend and we got lost...

I'm one of those people you pass! I come out of the water well into the top half, slide a few spots back on the bike & then get smoked on the run. I hate running.

My first long bike ride of the yeaer was supposed to be yesterday. Instead I sat home with the flu . Ick.

 

[gatorphipps]

Where is everyone?......I am in total taper madness...don't make me go run!

 

[ironz]

Hey, I'm here!! Just a mini-taper for me this week.

Am happy that I was able to run at all today, after battling some hip flexor issues for the last 3 weeks. Really helped my confidence going into the race this weekend.
I am one of the people who holds her own on the swim, bikes well, then everyone goes past me on the run. I hate that! Still working on it, after 9 years in the sport!

But I am AWESOME at transitions!!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Betsy..GREAT news about the hip flexor injury feeling better . I wish for you an awesome race!!!!

Christa: Thanks for helping me feel better about the swim. I'm so nervous about that portion that I haven't signed up for the August tri yet. Now my friend wants me to do one in JUNE too...and it's a slightly LONGER swim. And it's open water....in NJ in JUNE...meaning I'll need a wetsuit. DOUBLE eek!

We'll see...I'm slightly stressing over this if you can't tell. I'm feeling pretty good about the bike and run...but really....the swim is such a big deal to me.

Life is all about new adventures and pushing ourselves past the comfort zone. In that vain I really need to sign up before it's too late .

 

[ironz]

AmyBeth...If you want, I could send you my race report from Escape from Alcatraz last year....the race that took me the most out of my comfort zone (besides my first Ironman) and because of that, I got the best rewards from it!

It's long, so I may need your real email to send it. Or I could see if it will fit in a PM box.

 

[AmyBeth68]

Betsy...Thanks! You can send it to my email. I'll pm you with the address!

BTW...I *LOVED* your race report on the Urban Dare. It sounds SOOO cool. Scott really wants to give this a try...the next question is when and where LOL! We are also HUGE obsessive fans of AR...we've even contemplated (half serious) applying. Thanks for sharing that report on the race thread.

 

[ironz]

Amy...it's on its way to you via email. I hope it is a little bit inspiring. Heck, I about teared up just re-reading it!

You and Scott would have a blast doing Urban Dare! He had posted that he had interest in it, that is why I finally posted the long report.

3 days til the start of Tri Season!! Gatorphipps---how ya feelin'?

 

[gatorphipps]

Amy...it's on its way to you via email. I hope it is a little bit inspiring. Heck, I about teared up just re-reading it!

You and Scott would have a blast doing Urban Dare! He had posted that he had interest in it, that is why I finally posted the long report.

3 days til the start of Tri Season!! Gatorphipps---how ya feelin'?

Planning to read the report after work tonight...gives me something to look foward to. Betsy, you did the Escape from Alcatraz....How exciting!

Amy...really you will do great! I was looking over the 2006 results from the tri I am getting ready to do. I was one of the slowest swimmers....but there was a girl who took 22 min to swim 500 yrds (now that is SLOW) but she totally smoked the bike (12 miles in 30 min)and run(25 min 5K)....so you really will do great. I just know it!
Betsy - I have to say I am anxious about the tri....I am really excited but just wanting to do well....how are you...how is your cold?

 

[ironz]

Christa...Alcatraz was a total awesome race. Out of my comfort zone and loved every minute of it! I could send you my long report from it, if you want. PM me your email if you want it.

I think my "cold" may be allergies...mostly post-nasal drip, which irritates my throat and just makes me feel icky. The good news is that my hip is getting better, so I should be able to run the 5K part of the tri on Saturday without too much difficulty, other than my inherent lack of speed!

That's the cool thing about tri...you can sometimes make up for your weaknesses with the other parts.

 

[gatorphipps]

Christa...Alcatraz was a total awesome race. Out of my comfort zone and loved every minute of it! I could send you my long report from it, if you want. PM me your email if you want it.

I think my "cold" may be allergies...mostly post-nasal drip, which irritates my throat and just makes me feel icky. The good news is that my hip is getting better, so I should be able to run the 5K part of the tri on Saturday without too much difficulty, other than my inherent lack of speed!

That's the cool thing about tri...you can sometimes make up for your weaknesses with the other parts.

I will pm you my email. I really want to do that SOMEDAY!
How you doing? Feeling well? I think my stuff is allergies too. Good luck tomorrow!