Ran a 10k in June (4 Viewers)

[koby925]

On the plus side, you got sick at a good time being a recovery week and all. 132lbs?!?! How tall are you? No wonder you're so stinkin' fast.

5'11". I thought my skinniness was already well known around these parts!

5-11 132??? Dood. EAT SOMETHING. You obviously aren't putting back near the calories you're burning.

That's insane. I weigh 1.6 "juxes" right now. Goal is to lose about 1 pound/week to get me down around 205 for Boston.

So you are like the dollar to pound conversion of Jux.For the record, I am the same height as Jux and probably 170 now...166 at my peak Half Marathon shape

 

[Sand]

For the record, I am the same height as Jux and probably 170 now...166 at my peak Half Marathon shape

:finger: to all you tall skinny people. I'm short and fat. And old and slow.

 

[mr. furley]

ran wearing a balaclava for the first time ever this morning. it somehow felt very wrong.

If my notbook is correct, you should have had approximately the same temps that we did today (high of -8 or so). You have to cover your face in that weather. Not optional.

i tried with what was available to me. unfortunately the wind in my face the last 1.5 or so basically blew the thing open. my cheeks were rosy red at the end. felt..... good?

 

[gruecd]

ran wearing a balaclava for the first time ever this morning. it somehow felt very wrong.

If my notbook is correct, you should have had approximately the same temps that we did today (high of -8 or so). You have to cover your face in that weather. Not optional.

i tried with what was available to me. unfortunately the wind in my face the last 1.5 or so basically blew the thing open. my cheeks were rosy red at the end. felt..... good?

I did 11 miles outside last night with a wind chill of -17°F. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't have wanted to go a whole lot further. I wore wind briefs, tights, and pants over the top, and my was still getting cold towards the end....That being said, I did yoga yesterday morning, and I think it really helped with the afternoon MLR. Hips and legs felt a lot looser than normal after sitting at my desk all day, and I averaged a pretty good effort (7:47) on the run, especially considering the temps and all the clothes I was wearing.

 

[Sand]

ran wearing a balaclava for the first time ever this morning. it somehow felt very wrong.

If my notbook is correct, you should have had approximately the same temps that we did today (high of -8 or so). You have to cover your face in that weather. Not optional.

i tried with what was available to me. unfortunately the wind in my face the last 1.5 or so basically blew the thing open. my cheeks were rosy red at the end. felt..... good?

I did 11 miles outside last night with a wind chill of -17°F. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't have wanted to go a whole lot further. I wore wind briefs, tights, and pants over the top, and my was still getting cold towards the end....That being said, I did yoga yesterday morning, and I think it really helped with the afternoon MLR. Hips and legs felt a lot looser than normal after sitting at my desk all day, and I averaged a pretty good effort (7:47) on the run, especially considering the temps and all the clothes I was wearing.

Pretty impressive pace when you look like this...

 

[Ned]

ran wearing a balaclava for the first time ever this morning. it somehow felt very wrong.

If my notbook is correct, you should have had approximately the same temps that we did today (high of -8 or so). You have to cover your face in that weather. Not optional.

i tried with what was available to me. unfortunately the wind in my face the last 1.5 or so basically blew the thing open. my cheeks were rosy red at the end. felt..... good?

I did 11 miles outside last night with a wind chill of -17°F. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't have wanted to go a whole lot further. I wore wind briefs, tights, and pants over the top, and my was still getting cold towards the end....That being said, I did yoga yesterday morning, and I think it really helped with the afternoon MLR. Hips and legs felt a lot looser than normal after sitting at my desk all day, and I averaged a pretty good effort (7:47) on the run, especially considering the temps and all the clothes I was wearing.

Pretty impressive pace when you look like this...

It's not that cold here, but right now its 16 with windchill of 2. That is really cold for us. I'd rather run in the August heat than this crap.

 

[gruecd]

Pretty impressive pace when you look like this...

Pretty much.

 

[Sand]

ran wearing a balaclava for the first time ever this morning. it somehow felt very wrong.

If my notbook is correct, you should have had approximately the same temps that we did today (high of -8 or so). You have to cover your face in that weather. Not optional.

i tried with what was available to me. unfortunately the wind in my face the last 1.5 or so basically blew the thing open. my cheeks were rosy red at the end. felt..... good?

I did 11 miles outside last night with a wind chill of -17°F. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't have wanted to go a whole lot further. I wore wind briefs, tights, and pants over the top, and my was still getting cold towards the end....That being said, I did yoga yesterday morning, and I think it really helped with the afternoon MLR. Hips and legs felt a lot looser than normal after sitting at my desk all day, and I averaged a pretty good effort (7:47) on the run, especially considering the temps and all the clothes I was wearing.

Pretty impressive pace when you look like this...

It's not that cold here, but right now its 16 with windchill of 2. That is really cold for us. I'd rather run in the August heat than this crap.

Don't feel bad. At lunch today I'll be suffering with a partly cloudy 50 degree day.

 

[davegameplayer]

What is the difference between the Garmin 210 and 410? Is it just the indoor running function?

 

[gruecd]

What is the difference between the Garmin 210 and 410? Is it just the indoor running function?

Compare

 

[beer 302]

What is the difference between the Garmin 210 and 410? Is it just the indoor running function?

Unless you're a tri-guy the 410 is overkill, 210 should be more than enough for just a simple training/HR monitor

 

[gruecd]

What is the difference between the Garmin 210 and 410? Is it just the indoor running function?

Unless you're a tri-guy the 410 is overkill, 210 should be more than enough for just a simple training/HR monitor

According to DC Rainmaker, "I find that for 95% of runners, the FR210 is the perfect running watch. It offers a completely streamlined look and an easy to use interface. It’s also the best overall introduction into GPS enabled fitness devices, without the complexity of some of the other units out there. With the addition of footpod support and instant pace, this product line is now a realistic option for serious runners."That being said, I wear the 610. I particularly like the touchscreen, the automatic (wireless) data transfer to the computer, and the vibration alerts.

 

[Sand]

What is the difference between the Garmin 210 and 410? Is it just the indoor running function?

Unless you're a tri-guy the 410 is overkill, 210 should be more than enough for just a simple training/HR monitor

On the comparison the auto pause is a nice feature, as is the auto synch. The customizable screen is a very nice addition over the 210. If you care naught for those things the 210 is your thing.Neither is really a tri watch, though. For that go straight to the 310.

 

[2Young2BBald]

What is the difference between the Garmin 210 and 410? Is it just the indoor running function?

Unless you're a tri-guy the 410 is overkill, 210 should be more than enough for just a simple training/HR monitor

On the comparison the auto pause is a nice feature, as is the auto synch. The customizable screen is a very nice addition over the 210. If you care naught for those things the 210 is your thing.Neither is really a tri watch, though. For that go straight to the 310.

For a tri based device, skip the 310XT and go right to the 910XT, the swim functionality is light years ahead of the 310 and worth every penny IMO. For a simple, in expensive running gps watch, the 110 has plenty of functionality at a very low price. I bought one for my son and it more than provides everything he needs.I used the 910XT to track my longest continuous ever last night. I was feeling fatigued before the swim after doing a 1/2 hour on the spin bike followed by about 45 minutes of strength and core work on Monday and over an hour of strength and core stuff on Tuesday (trying to keep up with my son). I figured an hour of straight swimming with tired everything would be a great test of how the second half of a 5K swim might feel. Net result was a 3,000 yard swim done in under an hour with relative ease compared to what I thought it would feel like. I could feel my form breaking down a bit and my legs dropping a touch. My SWOLF was only a few decimal points higher than by typical SWOLF for a normal 1,500. I know my swimming Yoda and Obi Wan Sand and Tri-Man are likely cringing as this workout, but this is the stuff broken record me needs to build confidence. Swimming is different, to me, when setting out to do something beyond what I've tried before. The way I view things, if I was attempting something new/difficult running or biking-wise, there is always the safety net of just stopping if something goes wrong. Not so much with swimming. Sand, to your point about intervals (drills), I still get it and had this confirmed at the pool last night. Shared a lane with one of Michigan's top male duathletes swim training with a coach (including iPad video analysis). I could see the laser focus on creating a stream line efficient stroke and building speed. Last night was a bit of a mental breakthrough. I probably alternate swims each week with one interval based, with longer intervals at first around 500 yards and one endurance based swim. I'd like to get where I can swim closed to an hour and a half straight by the end of March.

 

[Spin]

Tried my best to skim through this thread, and didn't find what I'm looking for, so sorry if it's been covered somewhere in the 750+ pages and I missed it.I'm doing my first triathlon in May, and curious what is a good spot to start. I've always been athletic (started 4 years in college at an NAIA school playing scocer) and in pretty good shape. Although it's been 4 years since I've played competitively so I'm in no where near the shape I once was. I've never trained for an event like this and have no clue where to begin. My bike sucks, which I think will be my biggest downfall. But before I drop the money on a competitive bike, I'd like to make sure this is something I want to do. What's the best way to train for the biking/swimming portion?For getting into shape for soccer I'd just go running, usually 4 miles in the morning at ~7 min pace. And then training at night. I assume I'll have to ramp this up but not sure where to start.I ran this morning, 4 miles @ 9 min pace. Felt great, could have gone faster but didn't want to push it too hard since it's been about ~4 years since I've ran for training.Any help on where to begin would be great.

 

[Ned]

What is the difference between the Garmin 210 and 410? Is it just the indoor running function?

Unless you're a tri-guy the 410 is overkill, 210 should be more than enough for just a simple training/HR monitor

According to DC Rainmaker, "I find that for 95% of runners, the FR210 is the perfect running watch. It offers a completely streamlined look and an easy to use interface. It’s also the best overall introduction into GPS enabled fitness devices, without the complexity of some of the other units out there. With the addition of footpod support and instant pace, this product line is now a realistic option for serious runners."That being said, I wear the 610. I particularly like the touchscreen, the automatic (wireless) data transfer to the computer, and the vibration alerts.

You sick *******.Have you found any bugs with the 610? I have enjoyed the motoactv, but the thing is buggy as hell. I'm getting fed up with it. 75% of the time it 'forgets' my HRM, its 'died' on the drive up to a race, automatically switched modes in the middle of a run, etc, etc.

The auto wireless data transfer is so money and is a big reason why I've stuck with the motoactv so far. Worth the price bump vs the lower end models, IMO.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Tried my best to skim through this thread, and didn't find what I'm looking for, so sorry if it's been covered somewhere in the 750+ pages and I missed it.I'm doing my first triathlon in May, and curious what is a good spot to start. I've always been athletic (started 4 years in college at an NAIA school playing scocer) and in pretty good shape. Although it's been 4 years since I've played competitively so I'm in no where near the shape I once was. I've never trained for an event like this and have no clue where to begin. My bike sucks, which I think will be my biggest downfall. But before I drop the money on a competitive bike, I'd like to make sure this is something I want to do. What's the best way to train for the biking/swimming portion?For getting into shape for soccer I'd just go running, usually 4 miles in the morning at ~7 min pace. And then training at night. I assume I'll have to ramp this up but not sure where to start.I ran this morning, 4 miles @ 9 min pace. Felt great, could have gone faster but didn't want to push it too hard since it's been about ~4 years since I've ran for training.Any help on where to begin would be great.

Keep the questions coming here, I am sick of reading all this running BS and would love some more tri related conversation There are some swimming and biking pros you can benefit from. Beginner Triathlete is a fantastic place to start and their free stuff is plenty. Go to the programs section for training plans. Be sure to check in on the state specific forum in the forum section as well. Here in Michigan, the forum is very active and has given me the opportunity to train with some amazing triathletes (and amazing people in general). Get in the pool soon and resource YouTube Videos, Effortless Swimming on Facebook and most importantly, other swimmers while at the pool. I struggled with swimming until I swallowed my pride and asked a guy sharing my lane for help one day. The few tips he shared skyrocketed my learning curve. Start out on your crappy bike and just ride. I fixed up a 1979 Schwinn Continental as my first bike for training. Once I knew triathlon was for me, I went for the bike upgrade. Something to think about, once you get a month or so into training, outfits like Lifetime Fitness do indoor tris over the winter. Something like this might help you acclimate to the sport. If you have access to open water swimming, do it as much as possible. The pool doesn't come close to simulating open water. I enjoy my subscription to Triathlete Magazine and there always seems to be something I pick up in each issue. I also really enjoyed the mini eBook Endurance Nerd. Just a few quick thoughts.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Hey fellas, just catching up on the past 2 weeks after spending last week in Atlanta at my company's sales kickoff - a week of jet lag, last call every night, hotel/airport food - and no running. Came back to a weekend of wine tasting in Sonoma, 14 wineries over 2 days. I did sneak in a 3 miler on Sunday morning just to make sure I remembered how to run still. Back at it this week with 10 on Monday, 6.5 yesterday, and heading out in a bit for 4 miles or so. I'm fighting off a cold, and I've noticed my HR is higher than it seems it should be for the perceived effort, but I suppose that's to be expected.

Curious if there's a trail race code about sprinting it out for 116th place in a 30k race?Not sure why I thought running a 30k race the day after a 50k race was a good idea. The event ended up being long at 19 miles rather than 18.6. Finished in 3:49.49, good for a 12:05 pace. Ran this on 4.5 hours sleep coming off a 3 hour night of sleep. Actually negetive split the event. Well beyond any expectations on trashed legs and a huge confidence builder for Umstead.Course was amazing. 90% single track around the mountain Lake Fontana. Rain and the previous days race had turned the trails to mud and slop.

Cherry picked my favorite parts of this post. Well done, and I can't imagine knocking out a 30K after running 31 miles the day before.

Weight loss ahoy.1/9 - 1791/17 - 174.4I'll take 4.5 lbs/week. Goal of 163-5.

Nice job, trying to drop 10lbs myself. So far I started at 189, weighed in today 191 Well on my way

While I put a couple of pounds back on last week, I looked back and realized I'm 15 pounds lighter than when 2012 started! That still leaves me around 195 lbs right now, with a goal of <185 for the 50 miler. I've renewed my focus on healthy eating this week = to processed carbs again.

I'm officially moving back to the Bay Area in July, and though I'm excited about basically everything about that (see ya, SoCal!), I will miss living on top of a huge freakin' hill. My 5.5 mile route had a total of 850 feet climbing in only 2 miles.

Depending on where in the Bay Area you are moving, there are plenty of hills up here!

For the record, I am the same height as Jux and probably 170 now...166 at my peak Half Marathon shape

:finger: to all you tall skinny people. I'm short and fat. And old and slow.

Me too!

 

[Spin]

Tried my best to skim through this thread, and didn't find what I'm looking for, so sorry if it's been covered somewhere in the 750+ pages and I missed it.I'm doing my first triathlon in May, and curious what is a good spot to start. I've always been athletic (started 4 years in college at an NAIA school playing scocer) and in pretty good shape. Although it's been 4 years since I've played competitively so I'm in no where near the shape I once was. I've never trained for an event like this and have no clue where to begin. My bike sucks, which I think will be my biggest downfall. But before I drop the money on a competitive bike, I'd like to make sure this is something I want to do. What's the best way to train for the biking/swimming portion?For getting into shape for soccer I'd just go running, usually 4 miles in the morning at ~7 min pace. And then training at night. I assume I'll have to ramp this up but not sure where to start.I ran this morning, 4 miles @ 9 min pace. Felt great, could have gone faster but didn't want to push it too hard since it's been about ~4 years since I've ran for training.Any help on where to begin would be great.

Keep the questions coming here, I am sick of reading all this running BS and would love some more tri related conversation There are some swimming and biking pros you can benefit from. Beginner Triathlete is a fantastic place to start and their free stuff is plenty. Go to the programs section for training plans. Be sure to check in on the state specific forum in the forum section as well. Here in Michigan, the forum is very active and has given me the opportunity to train with some amazing triathletes (and amazing people in general). Get in the pool soon and resource YouTube Videos, Effortless Swimming on Facebook and most importantly, other swimmers while at the pool. I struggled with swimming until I swallowed my pride and asked a guy sharing my lane for help one day. The few tips he shared skyrocketed my learning curve. Start out on your crappy bike and just ride. I fixed up a 1979 Schwinn Continental as my first bike for training. Once I knew triathlon was for me, I went for the bike upgrade. Something to think about, once you get a month or so into training, outfits like Lifetime Fitness do indoor tris over the winter. Something like this might help you acclimate to the sport. If you have access to open water swimming, do it as much as possible. The pool doesn't come close to simulating open water. I enjoy my subscription to Triathlete Magazine and there always seems to be something I pick up in each issue. I also really enjoyed the mini eBook Endurance Nerd. Just a few quick thoughts.

How important is HR monitoring while training? Is it worth picking up a HR watch? I saw a few posts up about a Garmin 410 I believe. I was reading an article on that site you listed, Beginner Triathlete, that mentioned finding your "aerobic zone" and doing your normal workouts below that in order to improve repetition without risking injury.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Tried my best to skim through this thread, and didn't find what I'm looking for, so sorry if it's been covered somewhere in the 750+ pages and I missed it.I'm doing my first triathlon in May, and curious what is a good spot to start. I've always been athletic (started 4 years in college at an NAIA school playing scocer) and in pretty good shape. Although it's been 4 years since I've played competitively so I'm in no where near the shape I once was. I've never trained for an event like this and have no clue where to begin. My bike sucks, which I think will be my biggest downfall. But before I drop the money on a competitive bike, I'd like to make sure this is something I want to do. What's the best way to train for the biking/swimming portion?For getting into shape for soccer I'd just go running, usually 4 miles in the morning at ~7 min pace. And then training at night. I assume I'll have to ramp this up but not sure where to start.I ran this morning, 4 miles @ 9 min pace. Felt great, could have gone faster but didn't want to push it too hard since it's been about ~4 years since I've ran for training.Any help on where to begin would be great.

Keep the questions coming here, I am sick of reading all this running BS and would love some more tri related conversation There are some swimming and biking pros you can benefit from. Beginner Triathlete is a fantastic place to start and their free stuff is plenty. Go to the programs section for training plans. Be sure to check in on the state specific forum in the forum section as well. Here in Michigan, the forum is very active and has given me the opportunity to train with some amazing triathletes (and amazing people in general). Get in the pool soon and resource YouTube Videos, Effortless Swimming on Facebook and most importantly, other swimmers while at the pool. I struggled with swimming until I swallowed my pride and asked a guy sharing my lane for help one day. The few tips he shared skyrocketed my learning curve. Start out on your crappy bike and just ride. I fixed up a 1979 Schwinn Continental as my first bike for training. Once I knew triathlon was for me, I went for the bike upgrade. Something to think about, once you get a month or so into training, outfits like Lifetime Fitness do indoor tris over the winter. Something like this might help you acclimate to the sport. If you have access to open water swimming, do it as much as possible. The pool doesn't come close to simulating open water. I enjoy my subscription to Triathlete Magazine and there always seems to be something I pick up in each issue. I also really enjoyed the mini eBook Endurance Nerd. Just a few quick thoughts.

How important is HR monitoring while training? Is it worth picking up a HR watch? I saw a few posts up about a Garmin 410 I believe. I was reading an article on that site you listed, Beginner Triathlete, that mentioned finding your "aerobic zone" and doing your normal workouts below that in order to improve repetition without risking injury.

Very. While I can't articulate HR nuances like others here, I don't do a run or bike workout without wearing a HR monitor and review runs and rides with Garmin Connect. For longer events it help let me know when to throttle back, stay where I am at or hit the gas. If you work backwards a bit or search HR or heat rate in this thread, you'll get a ton of great info.

 

[gruecd]

You sick *******.

Have you found any bugs with the 610?

No bugs. Battery life isn't great, so I'll probably have to use the tank (i.e., my FR 205) for my 50-miler, but otherwise I love it. Especially the vibration.

 

[tri-man 47]

Tried my best to skim through this thread, and didn't find what I'm looking for, so sorry if it's been covered somewhere in the 750+ pages and I missed it.I'm doing my first triathlon in May, and curious what is a good spot to start. I've always been athletic (started 4 years in college at an NAIA school playing scocer) and in pretty good shape. Although it's been 4 years since I've played competitively so I'm in no where near the shape I once was. I've never trained for an event like this and have no clue where to begin. My bike sucks, which I think will be my biggest downfall. But before I drop the money on a competitive bike, I'd like to make sure this is something I want to do. What's the best way to train for the biking/swimming portion?For getting into shape for soccer I'd just go running, usually 4 miles in the morning at ~7 min pace. And then training at night. I assume I'll have to ramp this up but not sure where to start.I ran this morning, 4 miles @ 9 min pace. Felt great, could have gone faster but didn't want to push it too hard since it's been about ~4 years since I've ran for training.Any help on where to begin would be great.

Keep the questions coming here, I am sick of reading all this running BS and would love some more tri related conversation There are some swimming and biking pros you can benefit from. Beginner Triathlete is a fantastic place to start and their free stuff is plenty. Go to the programs section for training plans. Be sure to check in on the state specific forum in the forum section as well. Here in Michigan, the forum is very active and has given me the opportunity to train with some amazing triathletes (and amazing people in general). Get in the pool soon and resource YouTube Videos, Effortless Swimming on Facebook and most importantly, other swimmers while at the pool. I struggled with swimming until I swallowed my pride and asked a guy sharing my lane for help one day. The few tips he shared skyrocketed my learning curve. Start out on your crappy bike and just ride. I fixed up a 1979 Schwinn Continental as my first bike for training. Once I knew triathlon was for me, I went for the bike upgrade. Something to think about, once you get a month or so into training, outfits like Lifetime Fitness do indoor tris over the winter. Something like this might help you acclimate to the sport. If you have access to open water swimming, do it as much as possible. The pool doesn't come close to simulating open water. I enjoy my subscription to Triathlete Magazine and there always seems to be something I pick up in each issue. I also really enjoyed the mini eBook Endurance Nerd. Just a few quick thoughts.

How important is HR monitoring while training? Is it worth picking up a HR watch? I saw a few posts up about a Garmin 410 I believe. I was reading an article on that site you listed, Beginner Triathlete, that mentioned finding your "aerobic zone" and doing your normal workouts below that in order to improve repetition without risking injury.

Very. While I can't articulate HR nuances like others here, I don't do a run or bike workout without wearing a HR monitor and review runs and rides with Garmin Connect. For longer events it help let me know when to throttle back, stay where I am at or hit the gas. If you work backwards a bit or search HR or heat rate in this thread, you'll get a ton of great info.

Agreed on the importance - the key to endurance events is keeping the HR under control. It's your best gauge of your effort ...your mind can play tricks on you (good and bad), but the HR is what it is. The more you train with a HR monitor, you'll be able to match HR zones with your perceived effort. It sounds like your background is running more than the other disciplines. The tri swim is quite an eye opener - open water swimming, and the start can really be a mosh pit. So don't sell short your swim training. If you do your first event on an old bike, that's fine. Once you're on a tri course, you really can't tell where you stand against everyone else (due to staggered swim starts), so it's just you doing your thing, and doing it on the equipment you can afford. It's like a three-ring circus as everyone is rotating through the stages of the event. They're fun to do, and fun to watch!

 

[tri-man 47]

BTW, is Ragnar Chicago dead? I think we only had 4 or 5 respond.

Yeah, apparently so.

I'm blaming Tri-man.

Always a good option....

 

[davegameplayer]

Tried my best to skim through this thread, and didn't find what I'm looking for, so sorry if it's been covered somewhere in the 750+ pages and I missed it.I'm doing my first triathlon in May, and curious what is a good spot to start. I've always been athletic (started 4 years in college at an NAIA school playing scocer) and in pretty good shape. Although it's been 4 years since I've played competitively so I'm in no where near the shape I once was. I've never trained for an event like this and have no clue where to begin. My bike sucks, which I think will be my biggest downfall. But before I drop the money on a competitive bike, I'd like to make sure this is something I want to do. What's the best way to train for the biking/swimming portion?For getting into shape for soccer I'd just go running, usually 4 miles in the morning at ~7 min pace. And then training at night. I assume I'll have to ramp this up but not sure where to start.I ran this morning, 4 miles @ 9 min pace. Felt great, could have gone faster but didn't want to push it too hard since it's been about ~4 years since I've ran for training.Any help on where to begin would be great.

Keep the questions coming here, I am sick of reading all this running BS and would love some more tri related conversation There are some swimming and biking pros you can benefit from. Beginner Triathlete is a fantastic place to start and their free stuff is plenty. Go to the programs section for training plans. Be sure to check in on the state specific forum in the forum section as well. Here in Michigan, the forum is very active and has given me the opportunity to train with some amazing triathletes (and amazing people in general). Get in the pool soon and resource YouTube Videos, Effortless Swimming on Facebook and most importantly, other swimmers while at the pool. I struggled with swimming until I swallowed my pride and asked a guy sharing my lane for help one day. The few tips he shared skyrocketed my learning curve. Start out on your crappy bike and just ride. I fixed up a 1979 Schwinn Continental as my first bike for training. Once I knew triathlon was for me, I went for the bike upgrade. Something to think about, once you get a month or so into training, outfits like Lifetime Fitness do indoor tris over the winter. Something like this might help you acclimate to the sport. If you have access to open water swimming, do it as much as possible. The pool doesn't come close to simulating open water. I enjoy my subscription to Triathlete Magazine and there always seems to be something I pick up in each issue. I also really enjoyed the mini eBook Endurance Nerd. Just a few quick thoughts.

How important is HR monitoring while training? Is it worth picking up a HR watch? I saw a few posts up about a Garmin 410 I believe. I was reading an article on that site you listed, Beginner Triathlete, that mentioned finding your "aerobic zone" and doing your normal workouts below that in order to improve repetition without risking injury.

Very. While I can't articulate HR nuances like others here, I don't do a run or bike workout without wearing a HR monitor and review runs and rides with Garmin Connect. For longer events it help let me know when to throttle back, stay where I am at or hit the gas. If you work backwards a bit or search HR or heat rate in this thread, you'll get a ton of great info.

Agreed on the importance - the key to endurance events is keeping the HR under control. It's your best gauge of your effort ...your mind can play tricks on you (good and bad), but the HR is what it is. The more you train with a HR monitor, you'll be able to match HR zones with your perceived effort. It sounds like your background is running more than the other disciplines. The tri swim is quite an eye opener - open water swimming, and the start can really be a mosh pit. So don't sell short your swim training. If you do your first event on an old bike, that's fine. Once you're on a tri course, you really can't tell where you stand against everyone else (due to staggered swim starts), so it's just you doing your thing, and doing it on the equipment you can afford. It's like a three-ring circus as everyone is rotating through the stages of the event. They're fun to do, and fun to watch!

This is exactly why I was asking about the garmins yesterday. I have read through the first few chapters of the advanced marathoning book and found that HR is the most important aspect. Still doing research but thanks for the words on the different models.Yesterday ran 3.1 Had my first mile of under 8 minutes... since probably high school, and finished the run in 26.17 My back started to tighten up due to the hyper-extensions in the back workout earlier this week but breathing felt good and wasn't to tired during the run!

 

[Miscellaneous]

I'm officially moving back to the Bay Area in July, and though I'm excited about basically everything about that (see ya, SoCal!), I will miss living on top of a huge freakin' hill. My 5.5 mile route had a total of 850 feet climbing in only 2 miles.

Depending on where in the Bay Area you are moving, there are plenty of hills up here!

Oh, I know it... I spent 6 years up in the Bay Area, before spending 2 in LA. We'll be moving back to the Redwood City vicinity (somewhere along the peninsula), but I'm just having fun actually LIVING on my hill.

 

[beer 302]

This is exactly why I was asking about the garmins yesterday. I have read through the first few chapters of the advanced marathoning book and found that HR is the most important aspect. Still doing research but thanks for the words on the different models.

Yesterday ran 3.1 Had my first mile of under 8 minutes... since probably high school, and finished the run in 26.17 My back started to tighten up due to the hyper-extensions in the back workout earlier this week but breathing felt good and wasn't to tired during the run!

Oh AWESOME! Another one of you fast ####ers! I'm going to start an old, slow & overweight thread so i don't feel so inadequate

I'd trip everyone of you mother####ers at the start line then Tanya Harding anyone who got back up

 

[davegameplayer]

This is exactly why I was asking about the garmins yesterday. I have read through the first few chapters of the advanced marathoning book and found that HR is the most important aspect. Still doing research but thanks for the words on the different models.

Yesterday ran 3.1 Had my first mile of under 8 minutes... since probably high school, and finished the run in 26.17 My back started to tighten up due to the hyper-extensions in the back workout earlier this week but breathing felt good and wasn't to tired during the run!

Oh AWESOME! Another one of you fast ####ers! I'm going to start an old, slow & overweight thread so i don't feel so inadequate

I'd trip everyone of you mother####ers at the start line then Tanya Harding anyone who got back up

Be careful throwing that word around "Fast" will see how fast or slow I am once I get into a stricter training regime.

 

[Da Guru]

####### IT Band is flaring up again. Felt it coming on last week. Last two runs before yesterday I made it about one mile before I had to stop. Yesterday I tried againmmmade it 2 miles but the second mile I was in agony. Stopped and limped home..every step was a killer. Everytime I am feeling good and getting into really good shape something goes haywire. Still lifting almost every..hopefully I will able to do the stationary bike without pain.

 

[beer 302]

####### IT Band is flaring up again. Felt it coming on last week. Last two runs before yesterday I made it about one mile before I had to stop. Yesterday I tried againmmmade it 2 miles but the second mile I was in agony. Stopped and limped home..every step was a killer. Everytime I am feeling good and getting into really good shape something goes haywire. Still lifting almost every..hopefully I will able to do the stationary bike without pain.

Feel for you man, that's the one thing I dread. Something that won't let me run. So far I've been lucky and just run through any nagging pain I've had. Take care of it and get healthy.

 

[Hang 10]

Starting to get a little bit of speed back. I swear, training for 50k will make you slow...Did a bit of tempo work today in the 20 degree weather... :shiver:2 miles at about 8:15 pace3 miles at a ST6:356:466:451.5 miles at 8:30 pace

 

[Ned]

####### IT Band is flaring up again. Felt it coming on last week. Last two runs before yesterday I made it about one mile before I had to stop. Yesterday I tried againmmmade it 2 miles but the second mile I was in agony. Stopped and limped home..every step was a killer. Everytime I am feeling good and getting into really good shape something goes haywire. Still lifting almost every..hopefully I will able to do the stationary bike without pain.

Do you have one of these?

 

[Hang 10]

####### IT Band is flaring up again. Felt it coming on last week. Last two runs before yesterday I made it about one mile before I had to stop. Yesterday I tried againmmmade it 2 miles but the second mile I was in agony. Stopped and limped home..every step was a killer. Everytime I am feeling good and getting into really good shape something goes haywire. Still lifting almost every..hopefully I will able to do the stationary bike without pain.

Do you have one of these?

Roll that futher mucker out.

 

[Da Guru]

####### IT Band is flaring up again. Felt it coming on last week. Last two runs before yesterday I made it about one mile before I had to stop. Yesterday I tried againmmmade it 2 miles but the second mile I was in agony. Stopped and limped home..every step was a killer. Everytime I am feeling good and getting into really good shape something goes haywire. Still lifting almost every..hopefully I will able to do the stationary bike without pain.

Do you have one of these?

Yes..I have one. Used ice tonight then the roller..went from my hip to knee in roughly two minutes and was dam near crying.

 

[tri-man 47]

####### IT Band is flaring up again. Felt it coming on last week. Last two runs before yesterday I made it about one mile before I had to stop. Yesterday I tried againmmmade it 2 miles but the second mile I was in agony. Stopped and limped home..every step was a killer.

Everytime I am feeling good and getting into really good shape something goes haywire. Still lifting almost every..hopefully I will able to do the stationary bike without pain.

Lifting ...but any focused stretching routines? Maybe that would help going forward. Hope it heals up quickly.

 

[gruecd]

Lifting ...but any focused stretching routines? Maybe that would help going forward.

Yoga....

 

[Spin]

Agreed on the importance - the key to endurance events is keeping the HR under control. It's your best gauge of your effort ...your mind can play tricks on you (good and bad), but the HR is what it is. The more you train with a HR monitor, you'll be able to match HR zones with your perceived effort. It sounds like your background is running more than the other disciplines. The tri swim is quite an eye opener - open water swimming, and the start can really be a mosh pit. So don't sell short your swim training. If you do your first event on an old bike, that's fine. Once you're on a tri course, you really can't tell where you stand against everyone else (due to staggered swim starts), so it's just you doing your thing, and doing it on the equipment you can afford. It's like a three-ring circus as everyone is rotating through the stages of the event. They're fun to do, and fun to watch!

So looked up the distances for the Race I'm doing in May. Turns out it's a Sprint. Which I think is a perfect way to start. 200yard swim, 10mile bike, 2 mile run. After convincing my better half to get a membership to the Y (needed a place with a pool and childcare) I decided to go ahead and do one just to see where I stand now.Swim - 7:15Bike - 39:16Run - 20:00Swim - Good god, that was awful. I grew up on the lake, swimming all summer, was always faster then my friends etc. But when I hopped in the pool today to see how I would do, I was exhausted halfway through it. My shoulders were almost dead and I even had to rest after my 3rd lap to give my shoulder a break. I know my form is horrid. I tried to do the breathing every few strokes and ended up swallowing water half the time. I finished the last lap the way I used to always swim, just muscling through it with no real form and my head above the water most of the time, then I'd get a good breath, look straight down and muscle through some more. I've got to get better at the swim, I looked up the results from last year and most people in my age group were 3-5min range. -Side note - Goggles are a must. I stopped a couple of times because my eyes were on fire. I would assume that pool was more chlorine then water, at least it felt like it.Bike - Went about as well as I expected. My HR after the second mile was around 125. By Mile 5 I was around 140, and I stayed there for the rest of the bike. Between 140-150. This was done on a stationary bike with "rolling hills" workout selected. Apparently our course is a hilly one. It took me a second to get the course setup and so I lost some time on the front end. For the most part my mile pace was 3:30-3:46 and my RPMs were mainly around 90-110. I tried to make sure I kept it above 90, not sure why though, just seemed like a good numberRun - When walking over to the treadmill my right calf felt a little tight, so I just set it at 10 mile pace and went through the 2 miles. My HR when I was running was about 150, and at the end of the 2nd mile it was around 160. I felt like I could have done the run faster but my calf never really loosened out so I just stayed where I was at.Overall I felt good knowing I'd at least complete the event as is, and this is without working out much at all for the last 4 years. Not sure if I'll be competitive, the guy who won it last year posted these times: place / name / age / swim (200y) / t1 / bike (10mi) / t2 / run(2mi) / total1 *** 29 3:10 1:54 2 23:33 0:47 3 13:44 43:05 I felt like I'd go faster on a course with my bike then I did my stationary bike, so I'm not entirely sure how applicable my times are. Decided to get my diet right as well. So went and got the Zone Book, as that's the one most people on the beginnertriathelete site that was linked earlier were recommending. 6'1 - 192 - 14% body fat atm. Got this measured at the Y in order to be able to figure out the protein/carbs/fat I need etc. I assume come May I'll be back down to my playing weight, back when I played soccer in college, which was around 175. Is there another diet you guys recommend? Although maybe I should start the Monday after the Superbowl. We're having a home brewing super bowl party where everyone is bringing 2 gallons of their homemade stuff. Turning it into a mini home brew competition as well. Giving up beer will be the hardest part, although it looks like I can still have a beer or two with dinner at the substitute of a carb block each.I know this turned a bit long winded then I thought. One last question - What shorts do you wear when running/swimming/biking? Is there one short fits all? Or do you change shorts inbetween each event? Speedo -> Bike shorts - > Run Shorts?

 

[Sand]

Swim - Good god, that was awful. I grew up on the lake, swimming all summer, was always faster then my friends etc. But when I hopped in the pool today to see how I would do, I was exhausted halfway through it. My shoulders were almost dead and I even had to rest after my 3rd lap to give my shoulder a break. I know my form is horrid. I tried to do the breathing every few strokes and ended up swallowing water half the time. I finished the last lap the way I used to always swim, just muscling through it with no real form and my head above the water most of the time, then I'd get a good breath, look straight down and muscle through some more. I've got to get better at the swim, I looked up the results from last year and most people in my age group were 3-5min range. -Side note - Goggles are a must. I stopped a couple of times because my eyes were on fire. I would assume that pool was more chlorine then water, at least it felt like it.

Breathe every cycle, not every few strokes. The reason you were almost dead was oxygen deprivation. And, yes, goggles are a must. Go to the store and stick a few to your face. The ones that stick on are the ones that won't leak.You were so slow in the water because of your head sticking out (to begin with). Instead of being a torpedo in the water you presented the profile of a battleship. Get goggles so you can keep your head down. Breathe to the side. Keep your feet near the surface and stay taut and straight. You want to make as small a hole in the water as possible (which is why those blasted little skinny 13 year old girls fly by me all the time).

Bike - Went about as well as I expected. My HR after the second mile was around 125. By Mile 5 I was around 140, and I stayed there for the rest of the bike. Between 140-150. This was done on a stationary bike with "rolling hills" workout selected. Apparently our course is a hilly one. It took me a second to get the course setup and so I lost some time on the front end. For the most part my mile pace was 3:30-3:46 and my RPMs were mainly around 90-110. I tried to make sure I kept it above 90, not sure why though, just seemed like a good number

You can't compare these two. You will likely be faster and your HR will likely be much higher.

Overall I felt good knowing I'd at least complete the event as is, and this is without working out much at all for the last 4 years. Not sure if I'll be competitive, the guy who won it last year posted these times: place / name / age / swim (200y) / t1 / bike (10mi) / t2 / run(2mi) / total1 *** 29 3:10 1:54 2 23:33 0:47 3 13:44 43:05

You never know who is going to show up to these things. In terms of winning this thing, this guy was a slow swimmer, decent cyclist, and slow runner. Next year you may well see a guy put up sub 40. You just never know.

One last question - What shorts do you wear when running/swimming/biking? Is there one short fits all? Or do you change shorts inbetween each event? Speedo -> Bike shorts - > Run Shorts?

You don't change clothes. Nudity isn't allowed (except in IMs). You don't want to anyway - too short. Either a two piece with tri shorts or a unitard designed for tri. Tri suits and shorts have a smaller pad so you can run in them. I wear a single piece suit like this.

 

[AcerFC]

Just wanted to say that running in 13 degree weather makes me cold. Especially on my ankles that have no protection since I wear five fingers without socks.Thats all

 

[gruecd]

Got back outside for another good 11-miler (second this week) yesterday afternoon. Temp was around 10°F when I started and not much wind, so it felt pretty decent. Worked my way down from 8:21 the first mile to 8-flat for miles 6-7, then picked it up, going 7:52, 7:36, 7:21, and 7:17 the last four.I'm busy tomorrow, so I moved my long run to Sunday afternoon. Supposed to do 15 with 8 MP (~7:15), and I'll likely be tired and hungover, so it should be a good test. I've been finishing my MLRs down around that pace anyway, so I like where I'm sitting with 11+ weeks to go before the race. By moving my long run to Sunday, I'll be running 15, 12, and 11 on consecutive days, which figures to be good training for my 50-miler in May and a good test for my Achilles.

 

[gruecd]

Just wanted to say that running in 13 degree weather makes me cold. Especially on my ankles that have no protection since I wear five fingers without socks.Thats all

So buy some real shoes. And some socks.

 

[Annyong]

hey fellas, im a beginner and i posted in here for about a month a long time ago. Basically the new baby zapped my time and energy and i stopped running. Not that i ever ran a lot before, but i always liked it and want to run a marathon one day. well, i got back into it this year. i have always been a person that worries more about times than distance, and consistency has always been a problem, so i made an effort this year to just build mileage and not give a damn about speed. i am running more frequently and longer than ever before. I have my 2nd child coming in March so i gave myself a pretty easy goal of running 500 miles this year. So far, its paying off. already up to about 36 miles this year and im ahead of where i need to be to reach 500. Feeling really good about how im progressing. Yesterday i ran 6 miles which is my new high i believe. anyways, hopefully i keep this up and can become a regular here. looks like theres a lot i can learn from you guys.

 

[Ned]

so i made an effort this year to just build mileage and not give a damn about speed.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Swim - Good god, that was awful. I grew up on the lake, swimming all summer, was always faster then my friends etc. But when I hopped in the pool today to see how I would do, I was exhausted halfway through it. My shoulders were almost dead and I even had to rest after my 3rd lap to give my shoulder a break. I know my form is horrid. I tried to do the breathing every few strokes and ended up swallowing water half the time. I finished the last lap the way I used to always swim, just muscling through it with no real form and my head above the water most of the time, then I'd get a good breath, look straight down and muscle through some more. I've got to get better at the swim, I looked up the results from last year and most people in my age group were 3-5min range. -Side note - Goggles are a must. I stopped a couple of times because my eyes were on fire. I would assume that pool was more chlorine then water, at least it felt like it.

Breathe every cycle, not every few strokes. The reason you were almost dead was oxygen deprivation. And, yes, goggles are a must. Go to the store and stick a few to your face. The ones that stick on are the ones that won't leak.You were so slow in the water because of your head sticking out (to begin with). Instead of being a torpedo in the water you presented the profile of a battleship. Get goggles so you can keep your head down. Breathe to the side. Keep your feet near the surface and stay taut and straight. You want to make as small a hole in the water as possible (which is why those blasted little skinny 13 year old girls fly by me all the time).

Bike - Went about as well as I expected. My HR after the second mile was around 125. By Mile 5 I was around 140, and I stayed there for the rest of the bike. Between 140-150. This was done on a stationary bike with "rolling hills" workout selected. Apparently our course is a hilly one. It took me a second to get the course setup and so I lost some time on the front end. For the most part my mile pace was 3:30-3:46 and my RPMs were mainly around 90-110. I tried to make sure I kept it above 90, not sure why though, just seemed like a good number

You can't compare these two. You will likely be faster and your HR will likely be much higher.

Overall I felt good knowing I'd at least complete the event as is, and this is without working out much at all for the last 4 years. Not sure if I'll be competitive, the guy who won it last year posted these times: place / name / age / swim (200y) / t1 / bike (10mi) / t2 / run(2mi) / total1 *** 29 3:10 1:54 2 23:33 0:47 3 13:44 43:05

You never know who is going to show up to these things. In terms of winning this thing, this guy was a slow swimmer, decent cyclist, and slow runner. Next year you may well see a guy put up sub 40. You just never know.

One last question - What shorts do you wear when running/swimming/biking? Is there one short fits all? Or do you change shorts inbetween each event? Speedo -> Bike shorts - > Run Shorts?

You don't change clothes. Nudity isn't allowed (except in IMs). You don't want to anyway - too short. Either a two piece with tri shorts or a unitard designed for tri. Tri suits and shorts have a smaller pad so you can run in them. I wear a single piece suit like this.

A couple of things to add; don't just get goggles, get triathlon swim specific goggles. They'll give you a wider range of vision along with tinting for open water swimming. I have a pair of Zoggs I race in that are my favorite of the 4 pair I've had so far. I train in tri-shorts (like a padded swim brief) and race in a one piece like Sand. The one piece provides back support based on the way its stitched and helps on longer bike legs. They have back pouches you can tuck gels into as well. The shorter the swim, the more insane the swim start. As you get closer to race day, you may want to come up with a simulation of what this might be like. When I was starting out, I let my son push, pull and dive bomb me in the pool while I was swimming lengths. It helped me gain confidence to swim through getting kicked, side slammed, etc. For a 200 yard swim, I would plan on laying back at the start for a two or three count to let the mosh pit ensue and then find where the hole is forming to swim into. I'll still do this for Oly swims. The few seconds lost to no going right at the horn are more than made up when I can find a clean line (that hopefully leads me to someone to draft off of).

 

[Sand]

Swim - Good god, that was awful. I grew up on the lake, swimming all summer, was always faster then my friends etc. But when I hopped in the pool today to see how I would do, I was exhausted halfway through it. My shoulders were almost dead and I even had to rest after my 3rd lap to give my shoulder a break. I know my form is horrid. I tried to do the breathing every few strokes and ended up swallowing water half the time. I finished the last lap the way I used to always swim, just muscling through it with no real form and my head above the water most of the time, then I'd get a good breath, look straight down and muscle through some more. I've got to get better at the swim, I looked up the results from last year and most people in my age group were 3-5min range. -Side note - Goggles are a must. I stopped a couple of times because my eyes were on fire. I would assume that pool was more chlorine then water, at least it felt like it.

Breathe every cycle, not every few strokes. The reason you were almost dead was oxygen deprivation. And, yes, goggles are a must. Go to the store and stick a few to your face. The ones that stick on are the ones that won't leak.You were so slow in the water because of your head sticking out (to begin with). Instead of being a torpedo in the water you presented the profile of a battleship. Get goggles so you can keep your head down. Breathe to the side. Keep your feet near the surface and stay taut and straight. You want to make as small a hole in the water as possible (which is why those blasted little skinny 13 year old girls fly by me all the time).

Bike - Went about as well as I expected. My HR after the second mile was around 125. By Mile 5 I was around 140, and I stayed there for the rest of the bike. Between 140-150. This was done on a stationary bike with "rolling hills" workout selected. Apparently our course is a hilly one. It took me a second to get the course setup and so I lost some time on the front end. For the most part my mile pace was 3:30-3:46 and my RPMs were mainly around 90-110. I tried to make sure I kept it above 90, not sure why though, just seemed like a good number

You can't compare these two. You will likely be faster and your HR will likely be much higher.

Overall I felt good knowing I'd at least complete the event as is, and this is without working out much at all for the last 4 years. Not sure if I'll be competitive, the guy who won it last year posted these times: place / name / age / swim (200y) / t1 / bike (10mi) / t2 / run(2mi) / total1 *** 29 3:10 1:54 2 23:33 0:47 3 13:44 43:05

You never know who is going to show up to these things. In terms of winning this thing, this guy was a slow swimmer, decent cyclist, and slow runner. Next year you may well see a guy put up sub 40. You just never know.

One last question - What shorts do you wear when running/swimming/biking? Is there one short fits all? Or do you change shorts inbetween each event? Speedo -> Bike shorts - > Run Shorts?

You don't change clothes. Nudity isn't allowed (except in IMs). You don't want to anyway - too short. Either a two piece with tri shorts or a unitard designed for tri. Tri suits and shorts have a smaller pad so you can run in them. I wear a single piece suit like this.

A couple of things to add; don't just get goggles, get triathlon swim specific goggles. They'll give you a wider range of vision along with tinting for open water swimming. I have a pair of Zoggs I race in that are my favorite of the 4 pair I've had so far. I train in tri-shorts (like a padded swim brief) and race in a one piece like Sand. The one piece provides back support based on the way its stitched and helps on longer bike legs. They have back pouches you can tuck gels into as well. The shorter the swim, the more insane the swim start. As you get closer to race day, you may want to come up with a simulation of what this might be like. When I was starting out, I let my son push, pull and dive bomb me in the pool while I was swimming lengths. It helped me gain confidence to swim through getting kicked, side slammed, etc. For a 200 yard swim, I would plan on laying back at the start for a two or three count to let the mosh pit ensue and then find where the hole is forming to swim into. I'll still do this for Oly swims. The few seconds lost to no going right at the horn are more than made up when I can find a clean line (that hopefully leads me to someone to draft off of).

With such a short swim I'd imagine it is either a time trial start or a pool swim, which is by definition a TT start. As far as goggles I wear regular speedos. Most important thing is to make sure they don't leak. And don't have a snorkel attached.

 

[Spin]

Swim - Good god, that was awful. I grew up on the lake, swimming all summer, was always faster then my friends etc. But when I hopped in the pool today to see how I would do, I was exhausted halfway through it. My shoulders were almost dead and I even had to rest after my 3rd lap to give my shoulder a break. I know my form is horrid. I tried to do the breathing every few strokes and ended up swallowing water half the time. I finished the last lap the way I used to always swim, just muscling through it with no real form and my head above the water most of the time, then I'd get a good breath, look straight down and muscle through some more. I've got to get better at the swim, I looked up the results from last year and most people in my age group were 3-5min range. -Side note - Goggles are a must. I stopped a couple of times because my eyes were on fire. I would assume that pool was more chlorine then water, at least it felt like it.

Breathe every cycle, not every few strokes. The reason you were almost dead was oxygen deprivation. And, yes, goggles are a must. Go to the store and stick a few to your face. The ones that stick on are the ones that won't leak.You were so slow in the water because of your head sticking out (to begin with). Instead of being a torpedo in the water you presented the profile of a battleship. Get goggles so you can keep your head down. Breathe to the side. Keep your feet near the surface and stay taut and straight. You want to make as small a hole in the water as possible (which is why those blasted little skinny 13 year old girls fly by me all the time).

Bike - Went about as well as I expected. My HR after the second mile was around 125. By Mile 5 I was around 140, and I stayed there for the rest of the bike. Between 140-150. This was done on a stationary bike with "rolling hills" workout selected. Apparently our course is a hilly one. It took me a second to get the course setup and so I lost some time on the front end. For the most part my mile pace was 3:30-3:46 and my RPMs were mainly around 90-110. I tried to make sure I kept it above 90, not sure why though, just seemed like a good number

You can't compare these two. You will likely be faster and your HR will likely be much higher.

Overall I felt good knowing I'd at least complete the event as is, and this is without working out much at all for the last 4 years. Not sure if I'll be competitive, the guy who won it last year posted these times: place / name / age / swim (200y) / t1 / bike (10mi) / t2 / run(2mi) / total1 *** 29 3:10 1:54 2 23:33 0:47 3 13:44 43:05

You never know who is going to show up to these things. In terms of winning this thing, this guy was a slow swimmer, decent cyclist, and slow runner. Next year you may well see a guy put up sub 40. You just never know.

One last question - What shorts do you wear when running/swimming/biking? Is there one short fits all? Or do you change shorts inbetween each event? Speedo -> Bike shorts - > Run Shorts?

You don't change clothes. Nudity isn't allowed (except in IMs). You don't want to anyway - too short. Either a two piece with tri shorts or a unitard designed for tri. Tri suits and shorts have a smaller pad so you can run in them. I wear a single piece suit like this.

A couple of things to add; don't just get goggles, get triathlon swim specific goggles. They'll give you a wider range of vision along with tinting for open water swimming. I have a pair of Zoggs I race in that are my favorite of the 4 pair I've had so far. I train in tri-shorts (like a padded swim brief) and race in a one piece like Sand. The one piece provides back support based on the way its stitched and helps on longer bike legs. They have back pouches you can tuck gels into as well. The shorter the swim, the more insane the swim start. As you get closer to race day, you may want to come up with a simulation of what this might be like. When I was starting out, I let my son push, pull and dive bomb me in the pool while I was swimming lengths. It helped me gain confidence to swim through getting kicked, side slammed, etc. For a 200 yard swim, I would plan on laying back at the start for a two or three count to let the mosh pit ensue and then find where the hole is forming to swim into. I'll still do this for Oly swims. The few seconds lost to no going right at the horn are more than made up when I can find a clean line (that hopefully leads me to someone to draft off of).

With such a short swim I'd imagine it is either a time trial start or a pool swim, which is by definition a TT start. As far as goggles I wear regular speedos. Most important thing is to make sure they don't leak. And don't have a snorkel attached.

I just checked, it is a pool swim. Going to head to ****'s to check out some goggles,tri shorts after I get off work today.

 

[2Young2BBald]

I just checked, it is a pool swim. Going to head to ****'s to check out some goggles,tri shorts after I get off work today.

Pool swim is perfect for a first tri. They are typically done in time trial fashion where swimmers go one at a time based on projected finish. Swimmers cross into the next lane in a serpentine pattern. You'll want to practice this from tie to time as you improve. The way I change lanes, if I am going left into the next lane, is pull myself to the wall with my right arm and push off the wall and under the lane marker into the next lane (opposite for the other side). ****'s may not have what you need. You might want to find a local tri shop (and inform your wife in advance that you have not become addicted to coke. Rather, you are blowing half your paycheck on tri gear). As an aside, if you have not signed up for ****'s reward points program, its awesome.

 

[tri-man 47]

I just checked, it is a pool swim. Going to head to ****'s to check out some goggles,tri shorts after I get off work today.

...not sure you'll find much tri-gear at ****'s. You might have better luck getting gear on-line.When I started tri's many, many years ago, I figured "bah, I know how to swim!" I spent summers at our lake cottage, and swam all the time. However, swimming out to the raft and romping around in the water is NOT the same as swimming a long, clean line. My first pool swim was about like yours. I managed 4 laps, and with no lane dividers, I was back and forth over three different lanes. Don't worry about steady distance in your swim training. Swim a length (not even a lap) ...stop and think about your form and technique ...swim another length, pause, and reflect again. It's all about good technique, as Sand described. Get the form in decent shape, and the distance will follow.

 

[sho nuff]

Some of you in those cold temps must suck.But Id take it a little colder right now if it was dry.Really did not want to hit the TM today, so decided cold and rainy would not be too bad. F-that. 34* and rain simply sucks donkey balls.Got a good 6 miles in which went ok...but just cold to the bone right now with that damp weather.Looks like a good soup for lunch is in order.And some cross training tonight at an Inflatable place for my daughter's 5th birthday.

 

[Spin]

I just checked, it is a pool swim. Going to head to ****'s to check out some goggles,tri shorts after I get off work today.

...not sure you'll find much tri-gear at ****'s. You might have better luck getting gear on-line.When I started tri's many, many years ago, I figured "bah, I know how to swim!" I spent summers at our lake cottage, and swam all the time. However, swimming out to the raft and romping around in the water is NOT the same as swimming a long, clean line. My first pool swim was about like yours. I managed 4 laps, and with no lane dividers, I was back and forth over three different lanes. Don't worry about steady distance in your swim training. Swim a length (not even a lap) ...stop and think about your form and technique ...swim another length, pause, and reflect again. It's all about good technique, as Sand described. Get the form in decent shape, and the distance will follow.

I guess it's worth a shot. ****'s is on the way home. If not I'll look on-line. I don't even know if we have a tri shop here. I'm sure there is one in Nashville somewhere, but google just shows clubs. Would local bike shops have what I need? What was your breakthrough in swimming? Just lots of videos? Did you find an instructor?

 

[Spin]

Some of you in those cold temps must suck.But Id take it a little colder right now if it was dry.Really did not want to hit the TM today, so decided cold and rainy would not be too bad. F-that. 34* and rain simply sucks donkey balls.Got a good 6 miles in which went ok...but just cold to the bone right now with that damp weather.Looks like a good soup for lunch is in order.And some cross training tonight at an Inflatable place for my daughter's 5th birthday.

Just realized you were in Hermitage also. I had the exact same thought his morning when I looked out the window. I opted to just wait til tonight and go to the Y. It'a cold, wet and miserable.