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Help Two weeks to first triathlon

OSR3OSR3 Posts: 17
Hi all



i've just found out that i am in my first triathlon on the 30th July



300m (pool swim), 22K bike, 4K run.



this was unplanned as i entered and then found out it was fully book and on the waiting list.



therefor i have less than two week to train and be ready for my first triathlon.



So please help this newbie.



all advice welcome.

Comments

  • loonytoonloonytoon Posts: 673

    DON' T PANIC [;)]- A[size="2"]re those letters big and friendly enough for you?





    firstly can you swim 300m? - if you can that is disipline one sorted...

    do you think you can bike 22km? if you can that is disipline 2 sorted

    can you run 4km? - again sorted if you can run or walk this far..



    so really can't really get that much fitter in 2 weeks so the best bet is to do something but not 2 much i.e. don't panic your self into hurting yourself trying to get to a level of fitness that can't be gain..so maybe just swim bike run on different days this week and then do the same next week..



    maybe try a gentle brick session i.e. bike for 10km then run for 2km so you get an idea of what its like running after biking.



    They key is to just relax and enjoy it there is no point in worrying about what you could have done and once this one is out of the way you'll be so addicated you'll be training all the time just in case one turns up [;)]



    [/size]
  • JasonBJasonB Posts: 303
    Are you in the Culford tri by any chance. That is the one I am doing? Same distances except bike is 21Km, and run is 4.2Km
  • OSR3OSR3 Posts: 17
    yes that the one.





  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    From my experience the best thing to do is to remember to pace yourself on the swim, the temptation is to go like a nutter and then at the end of the swim finish with an amazing time, only to find you cant even climb out of the pool your so tired...



    Makes the rest of the event far harder than it ought to be.
  • I can think of a few things to try:-



    Focus on building your confidence. If the swim is the worry (as it was for me) get down to the pool a few times and just swim some lengths. Don't worry about times or splits just get comfortable. I'm not exactly a veteran (I've completed two sprint tri's!) but it was comforting to see all abilities having a go in the two events I've done. I was expecting to be flailing away while Ian Thorpe and his mates zoomed past but it just wasn't the case. There will be a few people out to beat you but there will be nobody wanting to see you fail.



    As a previous poster suggests try a brick session just to give you a view of what a bike followed immediately by the run will be like.



    Pacing yourself on the swim is also an important consideration. Both of my events I went off like the clappers and slowed dramatically after about 200m.



    The best advice has to be to just enjoy it. In the end that's why we all do it in the first place.



    Let us all know how you get on.





  • JasonBJasonB Posts: 303
    Looking at your past messages, it looks like you are quite keen on Duathlon. If you have been training for Duathlon the it should be a doddle.



    Even if you were two-three four minutes slow in the pool, then it sounds like yo will easily catch up on the bike/run.



    So don't panic in the pool, just think of gettin through it, and then race te final two legs.
  • OSR3OSR3 Posts: 17
    thanks for the support.



    i really have no time to train for the event now.



    so will enjoy the event and learn from it.



    have you any suggestion about T1.



    thinking of swimming in only my swimming trunks and putting the skinsuit, socks and shoes on prior to leaveing T1 or should i swim in the skinsuit.



  • rebborebbo Posts: 58
    deffo swim in the suit - else you'll be trying to put it on when you're wet, which will take aaaaaaaaaaaages! Biggest help is being clear about what you're doing - go through it in your head & practise it for real, if possible. Makes a big difference to not be dithering about in transistion.



    Tom
  • RewRew Posts: 62
    You will finish. Tell yourself this when things are getting hard. Even if your last over the line there will be people there to cheer you home. No other triathlete will want to see you fail.

    A couple of years ago I did a local sprint and the last one home got the biggest cheer of the day.

    The lady in question had entered and completed the bike leg on her shopping bike complete with basket!!
  • OSR3OSR3 Posts: 17
    Since finding out about this triathlon i have reduce the amount of training i do so that i can be fresh for the race on Sunday.



    Since Sunday i have done no training and my legs are now as felling strange.



    fell warm, and are tighting up. is this normal.



    Should i do some light training. or stay fresh for sunday?



    Steve [:D]
  • DOtriHarderDOtriHarder Posts: 307
    Steve

    Tapering is about allowing the muscles to recover and restock with glycogen (energy store). You don't need to stop training for days, simply back off so that you are keeping the muscles loose but not using up the energy store each time you excercise.



    Tapering depends on fitness levels, and recovery speed, age and event length. The longer the event the longer the taper needs to be. For a marathon you would usually taper by cutting the run time in half and half again and again in the last three weeks before the race.

    For a sprint tri if you are doing several and they can be regarded asd part of your ongoing training you can train right up to the fri, and have saturday as a rest day. If you take longer to recover, or are old! then you can reduce the intensity in the last week.

    For an Oly its a good idea to make sure you don't go in running on empty and for a HIM or IM you definately need to taper.

    Good luck

    David
  • OSR3OSR3 Posts: 17
    Thanks for the support



    finished my first Triathlon in 1hr 08



    swim went very well 5:38

    T1 was a little slow need to buy a race belt instead on pin number on to skinsuit.

    Bike went well 44min

    T2 went well

    Run however went badly i had pain around the left shoulder for most of the race, pain cased me to have a slow run. but went once i was 3/4 arond the course.



    i think i am hooked. roll on the next one.[:)]



    steve







  • madnursemadnurse Posts: 782
    well done mate !!!!!!!!



    1 hr 08 esp for your first sprint is more than respectable ... after that I would hope you are hooked & we see you out there going faster & longer (maybe even higher ????)



    welcome to darkside



    phil
  • OSR3OSR3 Posts: 17
    should have been able to do the event in under 1Hr but had problems in T1 lost over 3 mins getting in to bike kit



    lost over 3 mins in the run problem with shoulder.



    came 108 out of 173



    in the 80's swim 70's bike 150's Run.



    my running is my problem. need to improve.



    roll on next year i plan to do all the sprints in local area.
  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    Congrats on your race!



    Likewise my run is the weakest part currently, so I've gone and joined a local running club (which I can cycle to so I can get some brick training in!) [8D]
  • loonytoonloonytoon Posts: 673
    Nice one OSR3...



    I had similar tale in my first try my swim and bike had me in the sub 500s but by the time my crap run was added I was back in the plus 500s



    ...



    Nurse - Higher?? more helvellyn recruitment ?

  • JasonBJasonB Posts: 303
    Hi mate,



    I was so gutted after that race. I thought I was flying. I came 133rd :(



    My swim time was OK 5:37, then a slow bike of 45 mins, then a 19 min run roughly. Which took me to 1:12. I was aiming for under 1:10, pushing towards 1:05.



    So bloody gutted. But it has had two good effects. I definately now know I need a new bike. My frame is too large. I am 6ft with a 60cm frame. I feel I am lunging to far forward, and it take a lot of effort to get moving on the thing.



    secondly, I am really going to push myself on the runs, it has never been any good since I got arthritus in both my big toes, which means I can't run too fast.



    I suppose as I write this I can actually see I have already learn't from the first triathlon. So that's good. But I still feel gutted.



    I prefer feeling gutted over what I misachieve, rather than before when I was Captai of the rugby club and getting down about others letting me down. At least now I know what needs to be done.



    Christ what a wrist cutting post lol.



    Hey OCR you should get yourself down to Ipswich Tri club.



    What is the next tri for you? I have got the Bedford mini try, because I have never swam in the the river or lake, and this was supposed to be a good little introduction.

  • OSR3OSR3 Posts: 17
    Hi JasonB



    this was my first and only Tri for the year.



    i have two duathlon planned



    Newmarket on the 27th August

    Ipswich on the 23rd September.



    next year will tri for all the pool swims tri's



    this is my first race season so learning as i go.



    roll on next year.

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