New Guy
Rich7dc
Posts: 1
in General Chat
Well i'm new to the website. I need some advice and i'm hoping i can get some good feedback. Anything you can tell me would be much appriciated. I want to Finish a half and Iron man competion next year. I work out at the gym on a regularly but understand this a whole different kind of trainning. So i'm wondering if you could give me good ideas where to start? Any kind of website or blogs would help out a lot. Thank you so much and have a good day!
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Comments
My best advice is........join a tri club.
Fairly boring advice I'm afraid, but from my own experience the best training choice I made with this sport. I took the plunge after 3 seaons on my jack jones, and now coming into my 4th season I wish I'd done it sooner.
What you should (hopefully) get is Like minded people with no doubt a collective wealth of experience and good advice, plus BTA coaching skills, and there's always the social at the pub after training!
And if your doing Ironmand and 70.3 you need a training partner, at least for your 1st Ironman, otherwise training is a very lonley place (trust me on this one!).
Check the BTA website for list of all British clubs.
Good luck
A couple questions on treefrog's post:
76 lengths, that in a 25-metre pool, yeah?
Why a 100-km cycle for a beginner?
100km is 60 miles this is a "standard" cyclists' distance in the same way as 10kM is for a runner. If you cannot do 100kM non-stop at a decent pace (18+kMh) then you may have to re-think your targets and ability. Once you have put in a few 100kM's on the same course you can work out your training programme and your race targets. Probably best to get into a cycle group - go to a local bike shop and find out who/where/when your local groups go out, contact them, decide which one is best for you and go for it. One hint : go under coverand scope out what kit they are wearing. They will be circumspect of a new member and you will have to earn their acceptance so kit of the same ilk as theirs will help (don't appear in training shoes, or day-glo coat if they don't, and NO tribars). Anyway a few months with a good group will teach you after that buy a tri-bike or put the tri bar on and go out and do it solo. Then start doing bricks. I dare say if you surf this site you'll get a flavour of the various abilities, aims & ambitions and the appropriate training programmes that go along with each. Before you ask there is no definative training programme - you are best to consult a reputable coach/local guru/other athlete and trial and error to find out what is best for you. Remember we are all individuals with different experinces, strengths and weaknesses. What works for me may not work for you
Try a sprint (or several)first, possible olympic end of season if you feel the urge and look at half IM next year or even the year after.
It's a slow build up which counts. Run mileage for example should not be increased by more than 10% / week unless you fancy getting injured?
Stay aerobic and concentrate on duration not intensity to start for run and bike. Buy "total immersion" book to learn to swim efficiently and reduce the need to hammer the mileage in the pool.
Mileage targets can be scary. I was swimming 2 or 3 hours/week, cycling 40 to 80 miles/week and running 10 - 25 miles/week through last summer and completed trentham half IM in 5h27mins. I had never done 56miles on the bike in one hit before if that's any consolation.
remember its supposed to be fun!
I think there are Triathletes and there are Triathletes some have to get a great time to feel it was all worth it others (and I'm definately one of these) just aim to get through it and have some fun.
Personally I see it as an individual sport - the only person I race is myself. I'm not fast but always always finish with a smile on my face and a great sense of achievement.
The best advice I can give is decide which camp you fall into and set your goals to suit - if your time worries you then you need to focus your training on this as well as your stamina.
No doubt I'll get shot for saying it but there is no shame in finishing last or near last - someone has to and just think how many people don't even bother to get off their arse at the weekend! At least those of us who compete with this attitude are doing something and we give you fast guys even more people to pass on the way round - that's great for your ego's too - you should be glad we are out there making you feel so good!
OK rant over!! I'll get back off my soap box now[:o]
My best experience ever in sport was coming to the last 500 m of IMUK last year. As I was entering the castle way way behind the racers, with all the emotion of the day welling up inside me, I sensed another person running on my shoulder. I glanced around and exchanged a tired smile with the guy. Then one of the marshals roars out, 'that's it, that's it...stay on his shoulder and take him on the straight'. I couldn't believe it, I was about to keel over and yet i had somehow got involved in a sprint - anyway the guy did 'take me on the straight' with a big smile on his face, the two of us laughing in fact, and then waited to congratulate me with an arm around the shoulder at the end. Magic!
People that get involved in triathlon are often the ultra organised, goal orientetated type, and the information around reflects this. It's often pretty good information but if, like me, you can't nail your life down to do specific sessions every day and have workouts planned 10 weeks ahead there is a different option. Do what you feel like when you feel like it. If you genuinely enjoy swimming, cycling and running then it won't be a problem. I live ten miles away from where I study, commuting by running and cycling keeps me pretty fit and the odd long run, or long bike ride tops things up. A couple of swim sessions per week and I've got myself in reasonable shape for anything up to HIM.
You don't have to plug yourself into a 10 month plan. You'll probably go faster if you do (and follow it diligently), but for some of us, it's not worth the misery of routine.
The BIG thing I wish I'd done a couple of years ago when I started this malarkey is got some proper swimming lessons. I thought that my shoulders were permanently knackered until a coach sorted out my technique. They feel 10 years younger as a result.
Advice given to newbies on these threads should be based on what that individual aspires to, not 'you must hit these times'
The same goes for joining clubs and getting coaching - I've been racing for 25 years now and have never been in a club - prefer the freedom to do my own thing and frankly, after all these years, I'm arrogant enough to think I can muddle through on my own!
Besides, theres not many clubs that meet at 0500 to train!
here endeth the lesson [;)]
...and no talk of shaving or waxing [:D]
On part of the triclub thing, I don't know how it's in UK, but in Belgium you really should join a club. Otherwise you can't enter any pool at the hour you suggest. When you're a member you get extra opening hours, and it's free. Count the money you pay for swimming in a pool over a year, add the free tri race suit that you get and you already earned the member fee back!
Now I do believe that you can cope it on your own. Actually I do too, membership does not force you to go to the club trainings, you go if you want to.
Oh and by the way, I'm sorry for writing this much without talking about shaving[:D]
Perhaps Belgium is the place to go then!
What time's the ferry??
[:D]
-race tri-suit of Bio-Racer
-club runs 2x a week
-club rides once a week in 3 different team levels
-Coached swims 3x a week
-free entrance to the pool (including everyday at 6 am) with 2 swimming lanes at least.
-info evenings (theory on swimming, transition, ...)
-One obligation though: you have to compete in the annual olympic triathlon our club organises yearly on August 15th (which is actually an easy obligation, since you don't have to pay the entrance fee of 45€).
So you can see; moving to Belgium is actually your only option[8D]!!!
That roar you can hear in the distance is my car engine - get the kettle on, coffee - no sugar, splash of milk!!
[:D][:D][:D]
question: do you shave or wax the ducks before??[:)][:D]