A couple of my neighbors run a site for triathlon training. One of them is on the Timex team so he definitely knows his triathlon shit. The other is an endurance mountain bike guy.

http://www.myswimbikerun.com/

They also do the graphics work for Endurance magazine.

7/8/2010 10:29:16 AM

Finished my sprint tri in just over 14 minutes faster than I did last year in the same tri

7/10/2010 9:19:24 AM

oh i'm sorry, 24 minutes faster than last year

7/10/2010 7:05:00 PM

wow, congratulations!

7/11/2010 8:24:59 AM

^^nice!

7/11/2010 1:18:49 PM

thanks!!

i'm already looking for my next one to sign up for maybe in september i'm thinking

7/11/2010 8:33:02 PM

GG

7/11/2010 8:58:13 PM

there are two tri's that i want to do the rest of the season... debating on whether or not i have the money to do them and whether or not doing two triathlons two weeks apart is a smart idea

7/14/2010 8:59:08 AM

the money thing may be an issue, but assuming they are sprints, it is no big deal to do them every week if you want and can afford them.

7/15/2010 8:17:38 AM

Anybody else doing Mission Man this Saturday? Anybody done it before? It'll be my first time
in open water. Should be fun.

7/20/2010 7:02:00 AM

^I'm in. My first time doing it, but I will be with a group who has done it before. If you see me (there is a photo a few pages back), feel free to say hey. I'll be on an older yellow cervelo p3. If you are in the 25-29 AG, plz be slow. Otherwise, good luck!

7/20/2010 10:53:19 AM

We definitely won't be in the same group. I'll be in with the Clydesdales. I will keep an eye out for you. I'm not exactly clear how they are going to handle the start. I guess it will be in waves, but how do they assign you to a wave?

7/20/2010 11:32:21 AM

usually waves are assigned by AG. So depending on how many in each group they might have waves of men <30, women <30, Men 30-40, women 30-40. etc.

7/20/2010 12:52:00 PM

Gotcha. It looks like a pretty small group based on people currently registered, so the waves shouldn't be too big. We'll see how it goes, good luck to you.

7/20/2010 1:46:57 PM

last tri i was in was only 170 people and they only had two waves... definitely needed a third

7/20/2010 1:50:13 PM

I have never been scared in water before, but I freaked out a little during the start today. I eventually settled down and got comfortable, but it was pretty rough at first. The run was brutal, I was glad the trail course was mostly shady, but those hills were tough. Overall, a good day (3rd place Clydesdales 1:36), but definitely a few rough spots.

7/24/2010 8:08:16 PM

^ nice job on the award. it was hot as balls out there.

Looks like I got 6th in my age group with a 1:33:XX. Didn't feel so hot for most of the run. Pretty decent for minimal training since early June

7/24/2010 9:35:22 PM

what are your splits and distances for the different parts?

7/24/2010 9:51:44 PM

I, too, shall post in this thread as I am training for my first sprint in September. Swimming is going to be the hardest for me to prepare for between now and then, though my running could use some work as well.

7/24/2010 9:52:44 PM

750 m Swim 00:18:05
T1 00:01:24
15 mi Bike 00:47:19
T2. 00:01:17
5k Run. 00:28:56
Total.   01:36:59  

It was very hot/humid. I think I hydrated enough, but I just didn't have any energy on the run. I ate a gel at the start of the bike, but I think I should have had one more at the end to fuel for the run. I have a super-sprint next weekend, so I'll try that and see if it helps. What sort of nutrition plans are you all using?

7/25/2010 8:53:35 AM

^^^

20:XX for a 750m swim -- definitely my slowest/worst event generally. i have poor technique
44:XX for a 15 mile bike -- felt ok about this, but not my fastest
26:XX for a 5k -- course was probably a tad long (most of the trail runs I have done are), but i didn't feel great about this at all. I have run <21 min 5k before, but just wasn't feeling it yesterday.

^
For sprints, I use very little. Maybe one gel towards the end of the bike on occasion.

[Edited on July 25, 2010 at 9:04 AM. Reason : d]

7/25/2010 8:58:22 AM

Red, your transition times are nice. Good job!

My nutrition plan isn't anything special, just eating healthy in general as a vegetarian (enough iron, enough calcium, enough veggies/fruits, etc.) I try to eat something before an hour of working out (lately cottage cheese + fruit + nuts) and make sure to eat something after so I don't binge eat late at night. I probably consume between 2500-3000 calories/day, and since I've been maintaining this weight for 2 years now, I'm not interested in losing more.

I'm not really knowledgeable with protein supplement/energy bar/GU thingies, although I train on the bike and run with Luna Bars because they're cheap and easy to carry (maybe try CLif Bars for boys?). Gatorade sucks, so I use a low-calorie electrolyte mix for hydration if it's hot like it's been. If I feel I'm about to bonk, I try eating dried fruit.

In races, I duct tape my Luna Bars to the bike with foil a little open and munch on them when I can.

7/25/2010 12:14:23 PM

nice splits guys

my swim is the strongest - last time was just over 17 minutes for the swim, 49 minutes for the bike (jeeze i need to work on that - the monsoon we rode through didn't help that at all) and 36 minutes for the run.

i've now gotten a 5k down under 30 minutes - so hopefully i can shave a few more minutes off the bike and the run next time.

lucky that i don't have to work on my swim though

7/26/2010 7:22:04 AM

So I've been thinking about getting into a Triathlon for quite some time, but I guess my biggest drawback is getting into biking. I run quite a bit and usually do atleast a couple races a year, but I think a sprint Triathlon would be fun.

I just don't know how to get started with biking, do I need to get a road bike? Or is there another type of bike that would be suitable? I would like to get a bike that would serve both the purpose of training and leisure... Any help?

[Edited on July 26, 2010 at 10:36 AM. Reason : .]

7/26/2010 10:36:27 AM

Road bike. Go to a bike store and get measured and then you can go on ebay or something and get a bike, or buy from a shop. Will probably be better to get from a local shop especially if you don't know how to do the repairs on your own.

7/26/2010 10:58:16 AM

^Yep. What he said

7/26/2010 11:19:13 AM

I am headed to South Korea for the ITU Continental Cup mid-August.

Wish me luck.

First post in a bajillion years.

7/30/2010 5:19:32 AM

Awesome - good luck! Do you have a goal or expectation of how you'll do?

7/30/2010 7:46:35 AM

Just signed up for the White Lake Olympic on 9/11. The date of it sort of creeps me out, but I'm stoked on doing another tri for this season. Anyone else in?

7/30/2010 2:30:41 PM

I think I'm signed up for that one but my training has been pitiful and not sure if I'm actually going to do it.

7/30/2010 2:40:57 PM

Quote :

"Awesome - good luck! Do you have a goal or expectation of how you'll do?"

I've been swimming a lot lately. Almost 35km this week. I've been holding my 300s around 3:12. I'd be happy with a sub 20 swim split. As for the run, maybe a 33 10k. So far this season, my best run split has been only 32.

The field is pretty strong, I'm not expected to podium. I'll probably just be MOP, get my gift basket and go home to my family.

7/30/2010 2:50:37 PM

^^^ A bunch of my training buddies are doing that one. The setup people put on good events there.

^ holy fast batman. Nice split times. I could only dream of running that kind of 10k time, much less after swimming and biking.

7/30/2010 2:58:35 PM

I was curious if most of the people in this thread are self-coached.

I would certainly love to help out fellow triathletes with some tips. If you've got questions, feel free to ask.

I've been mainly working with elite development squads--working with juniors. But, the fundamentals are the same.

8/2/2010 7:04:11 AM

Yeah, I am self-coached. I got a training plan from Matt Fitzgerald's book for my half-ironman and basically just worked through it on my own. At some point, I would like to get some swim coaching, but overall I mostly just do them for fun and as a reason to stay in reasonably good shape.

8/2/2010 9:33:59 AM

Lius, what's your take on the role strength training can play for the average triathlete? I have a hard time putting on weight but would like to add some muscle mass to my upper body to help with my swim, but any gains there are extra pounds I'll be lugging around with me on the bike and the run, so I don't have a good sense as to how that all balances out. Are there specific exercises and lifts you do to target particular parts of your tri performance (the pull phase of the swim stroke for example in my case), and how far do you take strength training before the exertion and the time required for it starts to detract from your race?


I'm self-coached for cycling and running, but my wife was a competitive swimmer and is helping me with that. I'm also thinking about a few personal trainer sessions in the weight room and maybe a private swim lesson from the coach at my gym, because he's a world champion open water swimmer and holds a few world masters records; my wife rocks for free lessons, but I bet he could probably add a thing or two.

[Edited on August 3, 2010 at 10:33 PM. Reason : ]

8/3/2010 10:33:03 PM

Excellent question.

Strength training can find a role in your training plan. Triathletes tend to swim a lot of freestyle which tends to overdevelop certain muscle groups, especially your shoulders.

I recommend doing simple shoulder movements that work opposing muscle groups. It's also important to remember that strength training provides the mechanical loading that increases bone mineral density. Swimming does not provide sufficient loading to illicit this response.

That's the extent that I recommend strength training. If you find that generating force is a limiter, you're probably better off running hill repeats, climbing overgear in your saddle or swimming with paddles than strength training.

I recommend doing strength training at least once a week. Depending where you are in your training cycle. If you are base training, you can afford to do more lifting. As you get closer to your taper for races, drop the strength training sessions.

You're a very lucky man to have your wife as a swimming resource. Technique is obviously the most important aspect of swimming. Water is denser than air. It's not so much about strength (fourteen year old girls that qualify for the Olympic Trials) or aerobic capacity, it's all about fighting drag.

8/3/2010 11:32:29 PM

I follow a beginner's Olympic training plan from Gail Bernhardt's "Triathlon Training Basics". I think if I ever had the time to be competitive in the sport, I'd get a coach or join a tri group, but right now I'm content doing 2-3 a year (I've got White Lake and Pinehurst on my schedule for the fall) and just making each event count.

If I'm not in training mode and it's cooler, I kick swimming out of my schedule for more running, weights and yoga.

8/4/2010 12:12:00 PM

About to head out for an open water swim, Lake Norman tri next weekend. These tri tops are not very forgiving

8/14/2010 6:20:53 AM

Dude, neither are the tri shorts. I just got some Pearl Izumis last week, and damn, I had trouble fitting
into their large in women's, and I wear an 8 in normal clothes. Don't they know triathletes get huge thighs
from cycling? I want to know what the hell you're supposed to wear if you're actually a woman with some hips.

8/14/2010 7:58:35 PM

In my experience, Pearl Izumi runs a bit small. For triathlon gear, always gotta check the actual sizing chart, because yeah, a lot of brands are straight up ridiculous.

8/14/2010 8:46:34 PM

^ I find it peculiar in general that both the sport and its athletic wear bases its categorizations for women on such a small size (like a 2 maybe?). I also can't figure out why the Athena and Clydesdale categories have such low cutoffs (150 lb. for women and 200(?) for men) unless this classification is based on elite racer weights.

8/14/2010 9:42:20 PM

Just signed up for my (most likely) last tri of the season

8/16/2010 8:32:57 PM

^^I dunno about the athenas, but 200 lbs isnt all that low for clydesdales. I know several guys, who if they werent training for triathlons, they would be well over 200 because of their height and build. The training actually makes it difficult for a couple of them to stay over 200, though. If you are training consistently on the men's side, you have to have a pretty large frame to race clydesdale.

8/17/2010 5:53:30 AM

200 isn't low at all, when you compare that they're racing against guys who are maybe 150lbs. soaking wet.

8/17/2010 8:03:25 AM

^ how'd yours go??

8/22/2010 11:22:08 PM

officially:

59 32 M 28 NM KIRK WARD CHARLOTTE NC 89 00:17:52 00:02:44 64 00:53:38 00:01:59 61 00:26:09   01:42:20 

8/23/2010 2:29:30 PM

^good swim man. Anyone have any recommendations on a late season sprint tri... maybe in late September or October? I have the itch to do one more race, but I don't really want to have to train hard to do an olympic or anything.

8/23/2010 5:17:55 PM

active.com is a great site that I use to find different triathlons

8/24/2010 7:14:40 AM

Quote :

"I recommend doing simple shoulder movements that work opposing muscle groups. It's also important to remember that strength training provides the mechanical loading that increases bone mineral density. Swimming does not provide sufficient loading to illicit this response."

seriously! I've posted before about being a long distance swimmer. Despite all my swimming, I could not do ONE push up when I started training for the Navy!

8/24/2010 7:53:32 AM

^^^The Lake Royale Tri isn't too long (sprint distance) and is only about 30-40mins from Raleigh. Its on Oct. 2nd.

8/24/2010 3:09:23 PM