Triathlon virgin for about one more month...

Status
Not open for further replies.
redhawk

redhawk

Midfield
I've been training for the last few months and am about to participate in my first triathlon on 16 September. I kept it quiet even among my mates because I didn't need the added pressure (was 15 stone, 7 lbs when I started training!). I feel ready for it though as the training has gone well and nothing should really be a surprise. It's also a relatively short sprint triathlon - 500m swim, 15 mile bike ride, 5k run so that will help.

Anyone on here done one? Have any last minute training tips? Any race day tips for a triathlon virgin?
 


sounds good mate, I've never done a triathlon but that sounds like one I'd be interested in trying. I was about to ask where it is and if it's a regular thing, but I saw your location :lol:

Sorry I've got no advice, but I'd be interested to hear how it goes! Best of luck
 
Done a fair few. Last one was the half Ironman. They are very addictive. As for tips, run your own race. Don't get taken in by wanting to beat the person in front of you. The swim for most is the hardest part, so if you're not a natural swimmer then slow down. You can always make it up on the bike and run if you need to. Make sure that you have everything you need in the transition area. A hat and sunglasses are essential on a warm day.

Also, throw in a bike run brick session once a week if you don't already do it. Don't pedal too fast, if you have a bike computer then your cadence should be between 80-90 rpm. You need to save your legs for the run. Are you taking on nutrition during your training? If you have any other questions, just ask.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Where do you get to find out about these things, I'd fancy a mini-triathlon like that, sound like a cracking challenge.

Good luck.
 
My ambition is to do a sprint triathlon at the start of next year. I'm going to watch a mate compete a week on Saturday up at Bamburgh (iirc) will get a better picture of what i need fitness wise.

I start my swimming on Sunday..
 
something I am looking to do next year, cant wait for it to be honest. Running will be my strongest part but can see my swimming been the toughest part (I'm not a bad swimmer, can just imagine there will be some class swimmers there).
 
I want to give one of these a go, although I barely swim. I think I'll pick a date for some time next year and give one a blast.
 
Titus said:
I want to give one of these a go, although I barely swim. I think I'll pick a date for some time next year and give one a blast.
Click to expand...

I'm told they're quite addictive.. oh, and there is no limit to the expense once you're hooked.
 
Evil Jimmy Krankie said:
Done a fair few. Last one was the half Ironman. They are very addictive. As for tips, run your own race. Don't get taken in by wanting to beat the person in front of you. The swim for most is the hardest part, so if you're not a natural swimmer then slow down. You can always make it up on the bike and run if you need to. Make sure that you have everything you need in the transition area. A hat and sunglasses are essential on a warm day.

Also, throw in a bike run brick session once a week if you don't already do it. Don't pedal too fast, if you have a bike computer then your cadence should be between 80-90 rpm. You need to save your legs for the run / ride. Are you taking on nutrition during your training? If you have any other questions, just ask.
Click to expand...

Cheers Krankie - I've heard they're addictive as well. Hoping my first one will be a good experience!

I'm not a terrible swimmer but have heard the same from others...just take it easy and save my energy for the bike/run. Being that the swim is so short, I'm not too worried about it. Maybe it's good I don't know what I'm in for though! ;)

I've been doing the bike / run session once a week as well. Got that tip from another guy I know that did one a couple years back. I don't have a bike computer but have thought about getting one to maintain pace. It's really easy when I run in a 5K or 10K to get ahead of myself when I normally wouldn't if I was just out for a training run...so that might not a be a bad idea.

I've been basically just watching what I've been eating for the last 4 months...so no hardcore diet / nutrition plan. It hasn't affected me up to this point but if I get more serious about it - I can see how I may need to be more careful about the balance of what I'm eating rather than just trying to manage calories.

One question for you...what level of exercise did you do in the 2-3 days leading up to the triathlons you did? Any particular dinner the night before (carb load with a bunch of pasta)?

Cheers mate...really looking forward to it. I'll post my results when I (hopefully) finish!
 
Last edited:
I did my first sprint tri at Hebburn a couple of months ago and loved it (afterwards). I only decided to do it the day before the race as I got the chance of a late entry. I'm not a very good swimmer so I knew that would be the hard part. I was the third person off for the 400m pool swim and after 3 lengths I was ready to pack in :oops: I kept going, all be it at a slower pace and got into a rhythm and completed the 16 lengths in around 10 mins. Then on to the bike, which I am ok at. I was a bit tentative on the first of my two 10k laps but opened up on the second one, clocking a time around 36 mins. During the transition from bike to run my calf cramped up, which I put down to poor (non existent) preparation. The 5k run took me 20 mins, which I was happy with giving me a total time around 1 hr 9 mins (including transitions).
What I learned. I need to be a better swimmer. I now swim at least a mile every Saturday night and plan to concentrate more on swimming over the winter. Bike. Make sure the bike is set up correctly for your height to ensure maximum power and comfort. If you don't know how to do this ask someone who does to give you advise. You don't need carbon frames and electronic gears (yet), just a decent, reliable bike that will do the job. The run. This is my main strength so I didn't really have a problem apart from starting off with a cramped calf. The last 800m go hell for leather and enjoy crossing the finish line. Transition. This is where you can make time up for free! Practice changing into cycle shoes and from cycle shoes to running shoes. Get everything in order, have a sequence (usually helmet on first, as if you forget you can be disqualified if you leave transition without having your helmet securely strapped to your head). Even practice running with your bike as you will need to do this leaving and entering transition.

Anyway, good luck. I'll see you down at Nottingham on July 7th for the Outlaw ;)

Oh one more thing re :- carb loading. Do it in the week leading up to the event. Pasta the day before is a bit to late. You need your glycogen stores fully loaded. If the race is on a Sunday do a couple of very light training sessions the previous week, maybe make the last one on the Friday. Up early and have a light breakfast a couple of hours before you start and sip iso drinks during that time. EMPTY YOUR BLADDER! This is what I do before marathons and it seems to work for me.
 
Last edited:
redhawk said:
Cheers Krankie - I've heard they're addictive as well. Hoping my first one will be a good experience!

I'm not a terrible swimmer but have heard the same from others...just take it easy and save my energy for the bike/run. Being that the swim is so short, I'm not too worried about it. Maybe it's good I don't know what I'm in for though! ;)

I've been doing the bike / run session once a week as well. Got that tip from another guy I know that did one a couple years back. I don't have a bike computer but have thought about getting one to maintain pace. It's really easy when I run in a 5K or 10K to get ahead of myself when I normally wouldn't if I was just out for a training run...so that might not a be a bad idea.

I've been basically just watching what I've been eating for the last 4 months...so no hardcore diet / nutrition plan. It hasn't affected me up to this point but if I get more serious about it - I can see how I may need to be more careful about the balance of what I'm eating rather than just trying to manage calories.

One question for you...what level of exercise did you do in the 2-3 days leading up to the triathlons you did? Any particular dinner the night before (carb load with a bunch of pasta)?

Cheers mate...really looking forward to it. I'll post my results when I (hopefully) finish!
Click to expand...

Exercise beforehand....? When I first started doing them i would tend not to do anything about three days beforehand, but the more you do and the fitter you become then for the distance you're doing I would train up to the day. The longer ones....half and full Ironmans I taper off about a week before and just do enough to keep me ticking over for the final week.

I would definitely reccomend a bike computer. I have a Cateye, which I bought from Wiggle. They make your cycling more efficient which in turn improves your run time. If you're serious about doing more (and after the first one you'll know!!) then invest in a good pair of runners.

I'll agree with Carrville Mackem (spooky, I was brought up there) and start carb loading (pasta or rice pudding for me) about three days prior so your cells are super saturated.

Hope that helps a bit more.
 
Carrville Mackem said:
I did my first sprint tri at Hebburn a couple of months ago and loved it (afterwards). I only decided to do it the day before the race as I got the chance of a late entry. I'm not a very good swimmer so I knew that would be the hard part. I was the third person off for the 400m pool swim and after 3 lengths I was ready to pack in :oops: I kept going, all be it at a slower pace and got into a rhythm and completed the 16 lengths in around 10 mins. Then on to the bike, which I am ok at. I was a bit tentative on the first of my two 10k laps but opened up on the second one, clocking a time around 36 mins. During the transition from bike to run my calf cramped up, which I put down to poor (non existent) preparation. The 5k run took me 20 mins, which I was happy with giving me a total time around 1 hr 9 mins (including transitions).
What I learned. I need to be a better swimmer. I now swim at least a mile every Saturday night and plan to concentrate more on swimming over the winter. Bike. Make sure the bike is set up correctly for your height to ensure maximum power and comfort. If you don't know how to do this ask someone who does to give you advise. You don't need carbon frames and electronic gears (yet), just a decent, reliable bike that will do the job. The run. This is my main strength so I didn't really have a problem apart from starting off with a cramped calf. The last 800m go hell for leather and enjoy crossing the finish line. Transition. This is where you can make time up for free! Practice changing into cycle shoes and from cycle shoes to running shoes. Get everything in order, have a sequence (usually helmet on first, as if you forget you can be disqualified if you leave transition without having your helmet securely strapped to your head). Even practice running with your bike as you will need to do this leaving and entering transition.

Anyway, good luck. I'll see you down at Nottingham on July 7th for the Outlaw ;)

Oh one more thing re :- carb loading. Do it in the week leading up to the event. Pasta the day before is a bit to late. You need your glycogen stores fully loaded. If the race is on a Sunday do a couple of very light training sessions the previous week, maybe make the last one on the Friday. Up early and have a light breakfast a couple of hours before you start and sip iso drinks during that time. EMPTY YOUR BLADDER! This is what I do before marathons and it seems to work for me.
Click to expand...

Great rundown of your exepeience...thanks Carrville. I don't think I'll be crossing the line in quite that time - so just hoping to finish at this point! Can't believe you did 400m in 10 mins and don't consider yourself a strong swimmer. I've got 500m in open water and would love to see it done in under 20mins. Only a couple weeks away - I'm going to go out tonight and do the bike portion and the 5k on the route. One of the nice things of having it so close. So, we'll see how it goes!
 
Just a quick post to say I'd be keen to follow this thread progress as I'm also thinking of getting into triathlon eventually.

I'm doing the GNR this weekend, then looking to really get into cycling (I did the C2C earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it even though it was a killer) and really like the idea of eventually getting some triathlon training in, though it seems like a few people here, I'm not a great swimmer - last time I did some proper training was at school.

Good luck to the OP for your first effort mate!
 
Bishop Zinedine said:
Just a quick post to say I'd be keen to follow this thread progress as I'm also thinking of getting into triathlon eventually.

I'm doing the GNR this weekend, then looking to really get into cycling (I did the C2C earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it even though it was a killer) and really like the idea of eventually getting some triathlon training in, though it seems like a few people here, I'm not a great swimmer - last time I did some proper training was at school.

Good luck to the OP for your first effort mate!
Click to expand...

Cheers mate...tomorrow's the day so I'll give a full report. It's been a bit cool here the last couple days so I'll probably be freezing my ass off during the swim! My goal is to just finish but if I could get it done in under 2 hours, I'll be pretty happy. I'm targeting 20 min 1/2 mile swim, 1 hr 15 mile bike, 30 min 5k run, plus transitions. Its a bit of a hilly course, but we'll see what happens!
 
redhawk said:
Cheers mate...tomorrow's the day so I'll give a full report. It's been a bit cool here the last couple days so I'll probably be freezing my ass off during the swim! My goal is to just finish but if I could get it done in under 2 hours, I'll be pretty happy. I'm targeting 20 min 1/2 mile swim, 1 hr 15 mile bike, 30 min 5k run, plus transitions. Its a bit of a hilly course, but we'll see what happens!
Click to expand...


Good luck !!
 
redhawk said:
Cheers mate...tomorrow's the day so I'll give a full report. It's been a bit cool here the last couple days so I'll probably be freezing my ass off during the swim! My goal is to just finish but if I could get it done in under 2 hours, I'll be pretty happy. I'm targeting 20 min 1/2 mile swim, 1 hr 15 mile bike, 30 min 5k run, plus transitions. Its a bit of a hilly course, but we'll see what happens!
Click to expand...

Enjoy it mate. Good luck.
 
redhawk said:
Cheers mate...tomorrow's the day so I'll give a full report. It's been a bit cool here the last couple days so I'll probably be freezing my ass off during the swim! My goal is to just finish but if I could get it done in under 2 hours, I'll be pretty happy. I'm targeting 20 min 1/2 mile swim, 1 hr 15 mile bike, 30 min 5k run, plus transitions. Its a bit of a hilly course, but we'll see what happens!
Click to expand...

Best of luck mate. Hope you enjoy it and get the bug!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top