Triathlons

[TimmyBoston]

In my attempt to get myself back into shape, I have been cycling. I am now attempting to train for a local sprint triathlon. I ran in college so I have the background, but sadly I am woefully out of shape. But I'm working hard to try to get back into shape. I don't know if I'll be able to do it this year, but I want to make darn sure I can next year.

I'm looking for any general advice and to encourage any discussion about triathlons in general.

 

[NBS 4life]

Im a personal trainer that deals with people like yourself daily. If you want some more detailed advice dont hesitate to PM me.

Do the following - Interval training, fartlek training, Steady state fasted cardio (fat oxidation improvment) work on your transition times get used to swimming in a food processor haha.

Whats your weakest event?

 

[TimmyBoston]

I have the most problem with the swimming and the running. The biking I can do now. When I ran in college, but I was a sprinter on the track team so I always need to work on my distance running.

 

[Brodirt]

I do some duathlons along with my bike racing...I'm not a fast enough swimmer to be competitive so I don't do tris. The sprint dus are considered harder than tris because so many people are such better runners than they are swimmers thus making the first run very hard and fast.

Anyway, at sprint distance of any type of race its pretty much an all out effort from the gun. For instance my race last weekend was 2mi run, 15mi bike, 2mi run and I did 14:11, 42:21, 14:48. For me that is almost all out.

So to train to be able to do that means that you have to figure out what your run and bike thresholds are (HR that is) and progressively train your body to be able to sustain long intervals at threshold. I can't comment on swim though.

You do this by doing intervals at that pace and over a period of weeks and months progressively extend the time of your interval. Add some shorter intervals above threshold for the purpose of increasing that threshold as well. Then you go back and test your thresholds again to see where you are and adjust your interval intensities accordingly. In this manner you are both extending your time at threshold and increasing your threshold.

I will suggest that the bike is the easiest place to gain speed, and to gain free speed. If you can spend money you can buy speed. An aero-helmet is $150 of free speed, many say as much as 1:30 over a sprint. Aero-bars are even more speed and then aero-wheels and finally a tri-specific aero bike frame. If you go the aero-bar route spend whatever is necessary to have your bike professionally fit, it will be safer for your body and make you faster as well.

Good luck.

 

[Lowstandrd]

Tim, just remember you're supposed to have fun. Be laid back about your first tri experience.

Work up your running and swimming gradually. I always recommend going for time. Swim laps for 5 minutes. If that feels easy, or when it does, then try 7 or 8 minutes, etc. I think you when feel comfortable swimming for 25 to 30 minutes straight you should have no problem with the swim for a sprint.

Same kind of thing for the run.

Will this be your first open water swim? Some people find it very unnerving to have their first open water swim being in a race environment. If you have the chance, practice before your race. Also, start from the back during your wave of the swim during the race. Leave battling to the knuckleheads up front and you'll have more fun your first time.

Lastly, practice your transitions before you race. Always a good idea to try it a few times, but again it just for fun the first time. Don't worry about it too much.

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I've done a fair number of tri's ranging from sprint to half-iron and I am a USAT registered official .

 

[TimmyBoston]

I will suggest that the bike is the easiest place to gain speed, and to gain free speed. If you can spend money you can buy speed. An aero-helmet is $150 of free speed, many say as much as 1:30 over a sprint. Aero-bars are even more speed and then aero-wheels and finally a tri-specific aero bike frame. If you go the aero-bar route spend whatever is necessary to have your bike professionally fit, it will be safer for your body and make you faster as well.

Good luck.

I really, really wish I could get a new bike. But financially that is just not in the cards right now. So I will be competing on a 1992 Schwinn Frontier Mountain bike. It is nowhere near fast, but like I said my goal is only to finish, at this point, time is not even on my radar.


That's really interesting info about the helmet. I had no idea a helmet could make such a big difference in time.

 

[Brodirt]

I really, really wish I could get a new bike. But financially that is just not in the cards right now. So I will be competing on a 1992 Schwinn Frontier Mountain bike. It is nowhere near fast, but like I said my goal is only to finish, at this point, time is not even on my radar.


That's really interesting info about the helmet. I had no idea a helmet could make such a big difference in time.

Another tip...podcasts! There are lots of tri related podcasts. Tri Talk, by David Warden is SPECTACULAR, a veritable festival of data. Its soooo easy to lose yourself in the data, but you will learn a ton! As for the many others, they are very much personality dependent. Who you like is what you will like, but Tri Talk is a must IMHO.

That said....borrow a bike if you can! Any road bike will be better than a mountain bike! Pushing 2" wheels vs. 1" wheels....think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will send you a bike for heaven sakes!!!!!!!

 

[TimmyBoston]

Another tip...podcasts! There are lots of tri related podcasts. Tri Talk, by David Warden is SPECTACULAR, a veritable festival of data. Its soooo easy to lose yourself in the data, but you will learn a ton! As for the many others, they are very much personality dependent. Who you like is what you will like, but Tri Talk is a must IMHO.

That said....borrow a bike if you can! Any road bike will be better than a mountain bike! Pushing 2" wheels vs. 1" wheels....think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will send you a bike for heaven sakes!!!!!!!

I might just take you up on that!!!

Sadly my only friend who has a road bike lives in Denver. And he wouldn't part with his Jamis for all the money in the world. Even for a day.

I'd love to have a road bike, but I'm hopeful I can still finish with my mountain bike.

 

[Swat]

I did a sprint triathlon on a mt. bike because I didn't want to spring for a new bike either, it's only 11 mi. or so. If you're competing just for fun don't sweat a new expensive bike for your first triathlon. A book I highly recommend that I used: Eric Harr's Triathlon Training

His book will help you decide about your gear and be methodical about your training/heart rate/diet etc.

Sprint Tri's aren't bad at all. You'll finish no problem. Have fun.

 

[TimmyBoston]

A question for the cyclists out there, can you guys recommend a decent review view mirror to attach to my bike or my helmet? I am doing more road riding and I do my best to be aware of cars, but I want to be as safe as I can.

 

[Wendy]

I might just take you up on that!!!

Sadly my only friend who has a road bike lives in Denver. And he wouldn't part with his Jamis for all the money in the world. Even for a day.

I'd love to have a road bike, but I'm hopeful I can still finish with my mountain bike.

I would take him up on it. I do not know much about this stuff but I know you want to be on a road bike if at all possible. I was just casually riding my daily route on a mountain bike for a couple years and switched to a fitness bike and the difference in speed is unreal not to mention you do not have the resistance like you will on a mountain bike. My $500 Trek fitness bike will put my brothers $2000 Cannondale mountain bike to shame.

 

[gone down south]

You can rent a bike from most bike stores, it'll make a huge difference.
You can also look for a local triathlon message board in your city, there'll be someone there who can hook you up with a loaner or rental if you make friends.

 

[RazorDingo]

A question for the cyclists out there, can you guys recommend a decent review view mirror to attach to my bike or my helmet? I am doing more road riding and I do my best to be aware of cars, but I want to be as safe as I can.

I'll be honest and say that I'm not a big fan of mirrors for cyclists. I put in about 6000 road miles a year, in all kinds of weather and traffic conditions, and I've never felt "Gee, I wish I had a mirror.."

I learned my road cycling from John Forrester's Effective Cycling - hands down the best book ever written about cycling. Forrester argues that mirrors aren't the answer for a number of reasons:

1) At best, a mirror only provides a small portion of the field of view. To really see what's going on behind you, you need to turn your head and look.

2) By turning your head - you communicate to the drivers of vehicles coming up behind you: "Hey, there is a human being here - Don't get too f***in' close!"

3) The vast majority of cyclists over-estimate the danger posed by passing cars. By a very wide margin, cycle accidents occur when the bike hits something that was in front of them.

Obviously, the best warning of vehicles coming up behind is your hearing. You very soon develop the ability to tell when a vehicle is approaching from behind, and learn to judge the speed with which it is travelling (and even the sort of vehicle it is..) This is one reason I never use an MP3 player or radio on my bike.

 

[gollum83]

I'll be honest and say that I'm not a big fan of mirrors for cyclists. I put in about 6000 road miles a year, in all kinds of weather and traffic conditions, and I've never felt "Gee, I wish I had a mirror.."

I learned my road cycling from John Forrester's Effective Cycling - hands down the best book ever written about cycling. Forrester argues that mirrors aren't the answer for a number of reasons:

1) At best, a mirror only provides a small portion of the field of view. To really see what's going on behind you, you need to turn your head and look.

2) By turning your head - you communicate to the drivers of vehicles coming up behind you: "Hey, there is a human being here - Don't get too f***in' close!"

3) The vast majority of cyclists over-estimate the danger posed by passing cars. By a very wide margin, cycle accidents occur when the bike hits something that was in front of them.

Obviously, the best warning of vehicles coming up behind is your hearing. You very soon develop the ability to tell when a vehicle is approaching from behind, and learn to judge the speed with which it is travelling (and even the sort of vehicle it is..) This is one reason I never use an MP3 player or radio on my bike.

Well you can't blame them. I mean car vs. bike? When it does happen, car wins almost every time!

 

[Wendy]

I ride with my brother every morning and he has a mirror and I refuse to use one because you become to trusting in the mirror. It is just like a car you may have someone or something in your blind spot.

 

[Brodirt]

I ride about 10k miles a year, 7k or so on the actual road, and have been doing so for 20+ years and have never used a mirror...I hate them in fact.

The most important thing for cyclist safety is to know the roads you are riding on. This allows you to understand the condition of the surface of the road, the areas of incroaching traffic, the patterns of traffic, the behavior of traffic and the times of heaviest traffic.

The second most important thing is time of day when you ride. If I recall my statistics right the vast majority of car/cyclist accidents occurs at dusk and later.

Third is to behave like a car. If you take your part of the road when you need to you can be sure that traffic can see you, and that is the most important thing.

Fourth, along with the third, is to be seen. I find that making eye contact with intersecting cars is the most important thing. Don't be afraid to whistle or yell if you believe that you are unseen. Profanity works the best here too...it may make you appear rude, but a salty word draws more attention than a gentlemanly "excuse me." Better rude and wrong than dead!

Fifth, RIDE PREDICTABLY. This goes with the third also because if you behave like a car your behavior is predictable.

Anyway, I do all of that to counteract the one, worst, thing I do...I ride with an Ipod when I am by myself. Yep, its really bad, but I do it anyway. I don't listen to music, just podcasts and only with the bud in my non-traffic side ear, so I'm not concerned that it is as bad as it sounds...as long as I am still doing all of the rest of the above, that is.

 

[TimmyBoston]

I'm down to about ten days until the triathlon.

I'm fine with the swimming. Which shocks me as I don't think I've been in a pool (with the exception of the last month) in the last 10 years. I can comfortably swim the 500m in under 12 minutes, this isn't great, but I'm very satisfied with it, considering I have never done any real swimming in my life.

I have a road bike now as well and so I'm quite confident on the bike. Not spectacular by any means (Brodirt could pedal backwards and still beat me ) but I can do the distance at a decent speed without any difficulty.

I'm finishing the run fine too, it's quite slow, but I can do it. I'm only trying to finish, so God-willing I will be able to do that.

My main question now is gear.
What does one wear during a triathlon? I had a friend recommend some tri shorts and a tri top? Are these worthwhile? I know this is a stupid question, but do you wear the same thing during the entire event? If these are worthwhile any recommendations on an entry to mid level product to purchase? There isn't a triathlon shop in my area.

Also during the event does one swim barefoot? Are googles allowed? Can you wear a watch during the event? Are bike computers allowed?

Thanks guys so much for all the good wishes and advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[Brodirt]

First...do a few brick workouts..."brick" mean bike to run. You don't know how you're legs will react until you do so. One mantra of sports that you should listen to is nothing new on race (game) day, and if you haven't been doing bricks, well, then its all new to you.

As for gear. Goggles and bike computer are a definite yes. Since its a pool its likely no wetsuit, but thats just another thing to get in your way.

You should wear the same thing for the whole race. Tri-shorts and a top would work great, but are not necessary. You can do it with bike shorts if you need to. The difference is that tri-shorts have a much smaller chamois which absorbs less water and keeps out of the way on the run. If you don't have these things you can just go with what you have and don't worry too much, your bike shorts/bib will likely be dry enough by the time you get off the bike.

You will swim bare foot. The issue for many people becomes when to put on socks...before the bike or before the run. Lots of folks ride sock less, but the choice is up to you. I would skip the bike gloves...just something to slow you down with putting them on and off in your transitions.

Set up your transition area like this...get a very big colorful towel and lay it on the ground on the left side of your bike. The purpose for this is so that you can see it and know where to run for your bike and to dry your feet just by stepping on it. Your bike will be hanging on a rack...some people hang by the seat, but I recommend by the handle bars. If you hang by the bars put your running shoes closest to the front of the bike and your cycling shoes behind them. Don't try clipping your shoes in the pedals like the pros do on your first triathlon, it will just cause you problems. Put your socks in front of whichever pair of shoes with which you will first be wearing your socks. Put your helmet upside down on top of your handle bars with your sunglasses and an energy bar/gel inside the helmet.

When you hit transition you think this....sock, sock, shoe, shoe, glasses, helmet, food, go! You must have your helmet on and secured before you exit transition.

You should be running out of transition with the bike on your right side. You can put your nutrition into your jersey pocket or hold it in your hand if you are comfortable doing so while mounting the bike.

Start eating as soon as you get going on the bike. Even though your only doing a sprint tri it sounds like you will need some energy on the run and the mental aspect of having fueled helps even if you don't actually use the energy up. When you get out on the bike drink as much as you can without causing gastric upset....this will be an amount less than you can during a training ride because you will be going harder and will be under more stress during a race. Never the less you must drink because the worst thing that can happen, and that does happen to many people, as that you cramp on the run.

As you end the run...maybe in the last 1/2 mile, try and stretch out and shake out your legs. First stretch your calves by dropping your heel low on one side (then the other) and pushing through your heel to stretch the calf. Then take your foot out of the pedal and shake out your leg, and the other side. This will also help prevent cramping and get your legs ready for the transition to the run.

In T2, you mount the bike, and dont worry about where you put your bike gear. Just get it off and get your running shoes on and get out of there. Take your water bottle with you, or better yet, have another water bottle sitting next to your running shoes to take with you. There will be water out on the course but who know where and who wants to have to deal with drinking from little plastic cups when you can have a whole bottle. If you need to you can make a dilute gatorade solution for the water bottle and then use the water station water to dump on your head...if its gonna be real hot and/or you tend to over heat then it might be more valuable to just put water in the bottle so that you can dump it on yourself to cool off whenever you might need to. I find the water dump helps a lot.

At the end of your run make sure to kick it up a notch. You can do it. It is far better to push hard through the line and save 3-4 seconds than to have the timer tick over a certain minute marker that you are targeting...when you are sprinting for the finish, its the end, you don't need to have anything in reserve so slow down after you stop the clock. Hopefully if you have done it right you will totally exhausted, unable to speak, ready to puke and very happy all at the same time.

 

[TimmyBoston]

You keep mentioning food and nutrition, what do you recommend?

 

[Brodirt]

You keep mentioning food and nutrition, what do you recommend?

That is very personal. For long events I like Hammer Nutrition Heed, for shorter events Accellerade. Both of those are liquid nutrition. For solid nutrition I find Cliff Products the best...bars (which are really like cake) for long events and shot blocks (in marguarita flavor) for short or very hot events, they have extra salt.

But this is really a try and find out what works for you type of thing.