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triathlon mistakes

at pacrfish's suggestion and given my cock up at the weekend I thought it would be good to share triathlon mistakes and we aren't talking when madnurse put on the wrong colour laces for his tri-suit...



--- from the events->Ironbridge thread

And then to the run...what can I say why I thought naye why I was convinced from the start that it was 2 laps I have no idea suffice to say ran 2 laps big final 400m finished crossed line...when my wife catches up with me tells me she thought it was (and was correct in this) three laps...bugger...roll on the DQ ,a spell in the corner with the dunce's hat on and a lesson learnt..


--



So what mistakes have others made? or am I the only true idiot around here?



p.s.



Pacrfish and nurse - I guess you guys are right I can't count

Comments

  • the_moidthe_moid Posts: 23
    have to say that i also thought going into the run that it was two laps. just did what i was told by the marshalls, as i was planning on stopping after 2 myself.



    just a small mistake on sunday - don't place your number belt on your running shoes, as you will then forget to pick it up and have to dump your bike to leg it back to transition to get it, thus negating the effect of the personal best in the run element ......doh [>:] will be putting it in my helmet in future.



    stu

  • pacrfishpacrfish Posts: 266
    I have carefully pinned my numbers onto the back and front of my T-shirt, and pinned the back and front of the shirt together. Getting a T-shirt stuck over your head when you're soaking wet is not much fun - specially when you were already the last person out of the water, and there's lots of people just watching you struggle ......



    Then there's being last - I have had the wonderful cry over the tannoy "And here's our last lady home, come on love, all the way to the line ...." I just wanted to die!



    Oh, and I've not been able to haul myself out of the pool and have had to duck under the lanes to get to the steps....



    And then there's the time I arrived beautifully at T2 - but couldn't decide how to dismount (foot on the floor or leg over) so came to a halt, tried both together and fell off. Fortunately the photographer was laughing so much he missed the shot...



    Think I'll stop before I lose all credibility ....
  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    Given my natural propensity to really injure myself in embarssing fashion I'm sure its only a matter of time. I like a crowd to perform to so personally I'm just waiting for London...



    The only thing I keep doing is burning out on the swim. I warm up etc, then I start the swim and I feel really good so I carry on at the same pace; which is way to fast, then end up burnt out after 100-200m and spend the rest of the swim enjoying the protein drink pools provide... not nice. I really need to learn some pacing.
  • loonytoonloonytoon Posts: 673
    the_moid...the marshalls didn't say anything to me - when I finish I handed a 8year my wrist band who I guess had he been 28 might have said - "don't you need one more?"



    glad to here I am not alone in the amusing bilke dismounts - tried a flying (racing) dismount at stratford end up with the bike horizontal and waste height taking out a barrier

  • pacrfishpacrfish Posts: 266
    Marshalled at a small local sprint tri recently and couldn't believe the ways people get on and off their bikes ... the western style flying mount (leaping on at a run the way the Indians used to leap onto their horses in the Hollywood westerns) led to some spectacular crashes .... the "I'm going to clip my shoes on the bike the way the pros do - but actually I can't balance so I'm going to fall off" was also entertaining.



    Dismount was just before a kerb, and in spite of warnings and me shouting (and with 4 children, I can shout!) a number of people 'found' the kerb rather heavily because they braked too late - or just used the front brake so the bike nearly went over.



    On mount/dismount you really can tell the men from the boys, so to speak. Sometimes I just had my head in my hands in despair! I am definitely going to practice because not only does one waste time, but (as I know!) one can look such a complete wally!!
  • Hey Pat, that's why I was extra-careful with my mount/dismount at East Leake 'cos I knew you'd be watching! Mind you, it was so cold and windy I elected to use my bike jersey instead of tri top and pinned my number to it. When it came to putting it on it overstretched and pinged out most of the pins causing some painful and embarrasing welts! Gotta buy a number belt! [:)]



    Glenn.
  • rebborebbo Posts: 58
    In a recent club sprint race I was haring up to the bike dismount, but being still a newbie, had forgotten completely to remove shoes from pedals or feet from shoes, so I stopped at the line. And then slowly toppled over.



    More amusingly - in my second ever race I forgot that I would be coming in to T1 from the opposite direction, so when I counted 3 lanes in, to where my bike should be, it wasn't. Cue much pointless runnng up & down.
  • loonytoonloonytoon Posts: 673
    There is a theme of bike dismount disasters building up here...seems to be a fairly problematic area...



    After the "flying bike" of last time out this time I came to a complete stop and had my feet out of the clips early ...

  • pacrfishpacrfish Posts: 266
    sunlight_70 - I definitely didn't mean you (or chis) at East Leake!!



    But I was seriously worried for some riders, specially when they wobbled all over the road into the oncoming traffic .... or came in so fast I thought they were just not going to stop ...

  • DOtriHarderDOtriHarder Posts: 307
    Bonus i have exactly this problem, i can swim 30 lengths in training but when i compete i start too hard and end up having chest pains and breathing difficulties after 8-10 lengths, i must learn to slow down or improve my aerobic capacity so that i can sprint 32 lengths[&:]

    David
  • JasonBJasonB Posts: 303
    DOtriHarder,



    Just out of interest, when you do the competition and you say you find it harder.



    1) Have you changed into your tri suit?

    2) Are you swimming the same direction as everybody else?

    3) Do you find it a little ddifferent swimming without your snorkell?

    4) Do you maybe think dragging your bike into the pool to save transition times, may be a little bit much?



    Hope one of the above may help you :)



  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    Looking at number 4 I realise it may not just be the fact that I'm swimming with in a wet suit as to why people look at me weird when I go to the local pool....
  • At my first event I had planned everything down to the last detail. I'd trained hard, I'd read all the advice about the importance of a slick transition and I was ready. A good swim leg was a great start but Murphy was lurking at T1. The first mistake was not actually remembering where my bike was, queue much running backwards and forwards trying to find the damn thing. Second, and way more embarrasing, was my intense focus on not touching my bike before putting on my helmet. Found the bike, put the helmet on, fastened it, sigh of relief and major DQ hurdle overcome; picked up T-shirt, attempted to put on T-shirt over head (and helmet), fail, struggle a little, fail more, issue loud profanity, remove T-shirt, remove helmet, put on T-shirt.....you get the picture.

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