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Indoor tri

Evening all

Just back from local gym at a high school and suggested an indoor tri-row, bike, run.

Most gym users have little/no tri knowledge and I thought it might be a good way into the sport for some or at least another way for them to train.

Don't want to clog machines up so thinking 2k row, 10 k bike and 2.5 k run. Open over the course of August, people willing to have a crack put £2 in, best overall takes 55% of the pot, 15% each for the best section.

Anyone run/been in anything similar, what are the pitfalls etc.

Already not sure whether to set resitance on rower/bike...

Comments

  • hussler.hussler. Posts: 390
    I did anindoor tri or this format in April this year...

    My mate organised it and it was only a small field of 12 athletes, when I say athletes I mean participants....

    We did 2k row, 20k bike, 6k run.

    Used 4 rowing machines in the gym and placed them next to the fire exit which was open onto T1.
    We set off in waves at 12 mins after the wave in front started.... expecting no-one would take 12mins to row 2k of course! Ended up we had approx 3 mins between the last guy of the previous wave finishing to the next wave starting...

    You would then get off the rower, run out the Fire exit and into transition did the usual thing get your bike and head out to do 20k, come into transition again and change for the run, and run 6k then finish.

    This meant that the rowing machines were taken up for the minimal amount of time and once everyone was off the rowers then the gym can have them back.

    Problems occur doing it all in the gym on gym equipment, what is stopping people cheating???

    IE set the treadmill at 23kph and stand on the side for a bit.....

    Also a bigger problem you may have is with the gym bikes themselves as they will all read different.... I remember when I used to use them before I got into Tri and on one I could average 65kph and another only 30kph both using the same level intensity etc....


    Worth bearing in mind......
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    We did something similar in April.. a 1 km row, followed (with max of 30 secs to change over) by a 1 mile run on the treadmill.

    People had the whole month to do it - i.e. it wasn't all done together, while the gym manager officiated to make sure there was no cheating. Fixed level on the rowing machine, 0% incline on the treadmill.

    I had a practice session at the beginning of the month, but then broke, so lost interest - I'll have to find out how it went, but I've not seen the gym manager since then!
  • doogledoogle Posts: 58
    I have organised a couple of events of this nature.
    First one was a 1000m row/ 3 mile bike / 1 mile run. this was done continuously 2 competitors at a time with each followed by their own timekeeper. The next athlete started when the first got on to the treadmill. so only needed 4 timekeepers as there was two sets of kit lined up. got through around 30 people in the event.

    Second one started with a 500m swim, then allowed the competitors to change before doing the bike and run continuously (wet people and electrical gym kit not a good mix).

    Found the Row/bike/run format worked better for the competitors and spectators.

    good fun and makes the gym a bit more interesting
  • Marlow Rowing Club run a rowers revenge triathlon (http://www.marlowrowingclub.org.uk/inde ... &Itemid=91) 4k row, 25k cycle, 7.5k run. I did it years ago with my school boat club before I had ever heard of triathlon. I got a puncture so didn't finish but I've been thinking about entering again, it sounds like great fun!

    As with hussler's gym bikes, ergs (rowing machines) vary alot in resistance. If you use the new white "concept 2" rowing machines you can go into the menu - more options - display drag factor. If you then row a few strokes it will display the rate of deceleration of the fan and give you an accurate measure of resistance that is comparable between all machines. Adjust the resistance in the normal way until the drag factor is between 130 and 135 and that will give you roughly the resistance of water and is the resistance that rowers use (the big heavyweights go for slightly higher resistance). This normally equates to about resistance 6 on a clean well maintained machine but as I say this varies quite alot depending on the condition of the machine. It sounds comlicated but once you find the option in the menu it is simple!

    My gym is always running events like this eg where people try and run a marathon over the course of a month or some such... they can then write their times up on a board. They are normally run just for fun or very small prizes and so rely on honesty but the incentive to cheat is pretty slim, but they look like good fun!
  • we did one last year at my gym, did 2 mile run, 2k row then 4 mins to change then 200m swim. We couldnt use the bikes in the gym because the distance didnt start at 0! seemed like a decent idea to start with, did the swim last because of said water/electricity pitfalls - but doing the swim last wasnt the best choice - i nearly drowned about 3 times! was knackered by then. Row/Bike/Run seems to be the best option if you can, and was a great way to intro people into the sport - everyone who entered has done at least one for real since
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