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Could I please have some advice from experienced triathletes?
Fi
Posts: 31
in General Chat
Wobbly legs while trying to run after a bike ride, hmmm, that's an unusual one......That IS triathlon![:D] I'd just say practise basically. You're just lucky you experienced it before the real event cos many don't see it coming then on the day can't believe it. You should frequently do biking followed by run - you can do some short repeats of this too, bike 10mins, run 5mins, bike 10mins, run 5 mins or times of your own choosing.
On the sleep side, I don't think energy supplements are what you need. It may be that your body just needs time to recover. Doing tri training can be demanding and rest and recovery is a good thing. I know it can be annoying feeling so tired or 'losing' time to sleep but it is just necessary. There are also certain times of the day when everyone feels tired, it's quite natural.
In terms of tri clothing, wet suits will give you additional buoyancy but not normally tri suits. If you can,get to a shop and try some on and just see which is most comfortable. I use a two piece my g/f an all in one and both of us are pretty happy.
Hope that helps a bit, sure others will tell you more (hopefully not too different!!![:-]). Good luck with the event!
On the sleep side, I don't think energy supplements are what you need. It may be that your body just needs time to recover. Doing tri training can be demanding and rest and recovery is a good thing. I know it can be annoying feeling so tired or 'losing' time to sleep but it is just necessary. There are also certain times of the day when everyone feels tired, it's quite natural.
In terms of tri clothing, wet suits will give you additional buoyancy but not normally tri suits. If you can,get to a shop and try some on and just see which is most comfortable. I use a two piece my g/f an all in one and both of us are pretty happy.
Hope that helps a bit, sure others will tell you more (hopefully not too different!!![:-]). Good luck with the event!
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I'm wondering if you guys/girls could please offer me some advice. I'm going to do a short distance triathlon in August. It's 16 lengths in the pool, 20K bike ride and a 3 mile run. I'm looking forward to it and have bought a road bike. I've come across three things which I'm trying to find answers to - I've been surfing this website and I can't find the information I need so any comments or pointers in the right direction would be helpful.
1. The first thing is I tried to do a spin class and then a run and 'oh, my goodness' my legs...wobbly, heavy, didn't want to move...I'm wondering how I'm going to do the triathlon. Is there any advice people can give me with regards to bike to run, or ideal training sessoins to get used to it?
2. I've lost heaps of weight since I strated training 8 weeks ago from scratch. I keep falling asleep - a couple of times at work and I've been sleeping between 9 - 11.5 hours sleep a night - yesterday I slept 11.5 hours, 2 hours in the afternoon and 10 hours last night! Is there an ideal energy suppliment that I could use to help me.
3. I was speaking to this guy in the pool who was trying out his all in one tri suit and he said he was surprised as it offered extra bouyancy. I was wondering if I'm better off purchasing an all in one suite rather than a seperate top and bottoms because of less drag and the bouyancy factor.
If any one could shed any light on these points that would be great. I'm really nervous yet about this triathlon...a bit concerned I'm going to come last and hold everyone else up.
Thank you,
Fi [:)]
As transit says the only way to reduce the jelly legs is to do bricks, and lots of them! This is why doing the short bricks are ideal, because it gives you 3-4 transitions in one session. Another aspect to look at is what you do on the bike in the last part of this leg, i.e. i find if i spin faster for the last 1k at say 100rpm instead of the usual 90 my legs feel alot fresher on the run.
However I read somewhere you should do the opposite and spin larger gears slower, i personally think this is wrong because when i've tried it ive ended up with heavy, dead legs!
In regards to the sleep, i think its just a case of you body adapting to all this new strains your putting on it. Did you have a fairly sedentary lifestyle before starting all this training? As transit says you just need to let your body recover.
Im not sure if this will work for you, but i find monitoring my heart rate essential to knowing when my body has recovered as is ready for another session. This is easy for me as my resting heart rate is very low normally at about 40, but following training it stays at approximately 60ish for a good few hours, then it starts to gradually make its way back to 40. How long it takes often depends on how much strain I have put on my body, after a really hard session it can take over 12 hours. Therefore when I get up in the morning I measure it, if it isnt back down to 40 then I dont train till lunchtime.
1.jelly legs, at the end of the bike in the last 1 mile start to lower the gears so your legs spin faster but with less resistance,it may help,and don't try to sprint once you have racked the bike accellerate slowly.
2.I wish I could sleep that much.Look at your diet rather than just supplements.Are you dieting as well as training as the two do not really mix.
3.The extra bouyancy probably comes from the body being supported by the all in one forcing it into a more dynamic position in the water,rather than the material keeping the body afloat.
Hope this helps,best of luck.
The trick for me was my diet, I wasnt consuming enough calories. Heavy training and recovery can easily push your calorific requirement to 4,500 Kcal per day (sometimers even higher!) unless you're getting the right amount of good quality calories (i.e. not from pizza and mars bars) you'll struggle.
A further small point for me was the use of B group vitamins. In the early days, I was eating loads but was still tired and losing weight. I realised (being a very sad scientist boffin type!) that the energy wasnt being released properly because I was low in B vits. Rather than take a supplement, I started having a handful of sunflower and pumpkin seeds with my porridge in the morning. Within 2 weeks the change was remarkable.
good luck with the training![:)]
However....
Don't worry, Fi.... Firstly, you're not going to come last. Secondly, even if you did, you wouldn't be holding anybody up as you will all start in waves, and you'll be in with people of similar ability. Third... who cares! So long as you achieve your goals you will be the winner [:D].
Enjoy your training, enjoy your race, enjoy going for your personal targets and enjoy your applause when you cross the line.... You WILL cross the finish line.
...and welcome! [:D]
!Sleep - Firstly I wish I could sleep for 10 hour just for one week every night WOW!....I think i woud explode with energy... seriously though you say you have lost 'loads' of weight... you lose weight because you are burning more food than you eat, You need food for energy.. I think that all that sleep isn't healthy - you need to eat more, of the right foods.... nuts, protein, fish, veg, prunes personally my only rule is to avoid sat fats (everything else is iether good for you or will be burnt off).
3) DOn't speak to strnge men in pools - Perhaps he had one of the orca swimskin thingys?
2: i'd check i was eating enough good food and maybe take B vits or a good multi vit
3: tri suits don't help you float . all in ones can make transition a bit quicker , but i'd try one before buying i can't wear them they cut me in half or are to baggy .
don't worry about being last, you won't hold anybody up ,and there'll be more people to cheer you over the line ,we are a friendly bunch good luck
Thanks,
Fi [:)]
also PORRIDGE! this is the staple of any triathletes diet, you will find that out in about 5 mins when the others read this! or if you check any other threads, about anything! they all lead back to porridge and shaving in the end!
Excellent source of carbs and if you blend in some dried fruit or ground seeds its a powerhouse.
enjoy!
David.
Aerobic endurance is roughly 3.5-4 (65-70% MHR), Aerobic development 5-6 (75-80% MHR), lactate threshold 7-8 (85-90% MHR), 9-10 (92.5-95-100%) sprint efforts, high intensity short bursts. MHR= max heart rate.
Hope this clears that up.