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Just wanted to say hello really. Been reading the forum for a little while and have my first tri in a weeks time, pool based sprint in Erewash. I feel pretty godd about it really, been training for a few months and picked up some very usefull tips on the forum; thanks guys.

I don't come from an endurance sport background; I'm an ice hockey player, not a very good one, but I have played for about 20 years. Subsequently, anything that was more than 40 seconds flat out with a couple of minutes to rest before doing it again was a bit of a struggle, but I have really enjoyed the training thus far and seen some suprising improvements; mostly in the swimming. i don't think I have previously strung together more than 2 lengths (20m pool!) front crawl in my life, the one time I visited am olympic pool I ended up hanging on the lane rope at about 30m but i'm up to the 400m in (i think) under 10min now. I'm thinking of taking the Swim-4-Tri 8 week course in September and would welcome any reports from people who've done this.

Looking forward to next weekend, and should get a base time to work from; i'll let you know!

Kev.

Comments

  • FlavadaveFlavadave Posts: 749
    Hey KevB

    Welcome to the forum, good to have you on board.

    On the swim4tri, I've been using their services for nearly two years and can't recommend them enough. Initially did the weekend course (filmed in an endless pool) and it was a revelation. Followed that up with the 8 week technique course, and have been doing the swim fitness classes now for over a year.

    Money well spent!

    Good luck with the upcoming event. You'll love it!
  • MGMG Posts: 470
    I can vouch for SWIM4TRI, used them a few years back and they were excellent.

    I would always recommend spending money on coaching before bling kit, do the course, you wont regret it.................









    However.........you do realise that you are stepping into a sport where you will spend ALL your money and ALL your time.
  • KevBKevB Posts: 5
    Ha ha, not yet; trying to resist the urge to 'bling up', managed to almost avoid it whilst playing hockey. Skates at £500 a pop and sticks at £100 plus each could burn a tidy hole in your pocket. I haven't been convinced that you get what you pay for yet, and something twice the price is twice as good?

    I'll keep training, get a few events under my belt and then see if I need to sell my soul to the god Carbon!!!
  • KevB wrote:
    I haven't been convinced that something twice the price is twice as good?
    !
    Thats cos it never is.....

    ...spending £5000 on a bike will no doubt save you a few seconds maybe even a couple of minutes, and most folk WILL spend this, when they could lose a few KG and save a shedload of time for free, but hey thats triathlon for you.

    just remember.....

    "There are times when your body is saying, 'I don't want to do this,' and your mind says, 'Shut up, body, and do what I tell you!'" - Jens Voigt
  • Hello,

    The Erewash is such a good event- I did it last year and it was a perfect tri for a newbie! Well organised, very friendly and the run around the park hardly feels like work at all.

    Good luck, and let us know how you get on!
  • KevBKevB Posts: 5
    ARobinett wrote:
    Hello,

    The Erewash is such a good event- I did it last year and it was a perfect tri for a newbie! Well organised, very friendly and the run around the park hardly feels like work at all.
    Exactly what I was hoping for in my first event, Absolute-Triathlon ran a couple of coaching days running up to it which were useful as well.

    I've also entered the Oxford Sprint on the bank holiday Monday, which will be a tad harder on the bike and run I think. Goal on both is to enjoy the day, finish and not do anything stoopid! Beyond that I might get one more in before the end of the year, then a friend has challenged me to do 'hell-runner' with her. Want to work on the swimming over winter and be ready for some longer sprints or OD in 2011. Ultimate goal is the IM; obviously, but likely to be 2012 at the earliest. Don't want to rush into it and be discouraged by a DNF.
  • KevBKevB Posts: 5
    I had an excellent weekend. Firstly i'd like to say what a well oganised and friendly event this was. The course markers, marshalls and police were superb making the course, especially the bike, very safe and offering encouragement all the way round. I chatted to quite a few people, and everyone was having a great day and very friendly.

    My race; I use that term loosly, as being my first one I just wanted to be sure I finished.
    Groups started at 3min intervals in the pool, which meant no more than 3 people in a lane at any one time so very comfortable. I completed in 9:19, which i'm really chuffed with having aimed for 10:00 not allowing for the run to transition.
    Had a 1:10 T1, and onto a quite breezy 9.5mile bike course, spent most of it on the aero-bars including one sharp corner that I forgot about but got round safely. 30:01 in all and all the mount/dismount practice I had been putting in at the local park worked a treat
    0:53 T2, then out onto the 5k run! This is where I realised i'd made a mistake; a bit breakfast! Not sausage and egg, but fruit, cereal and a couple of pastries that were still sat there and making me feel like puking, hence a really slow 26 something :roll:
    In all 1:07:53; a new PB really chuffed as I was hoping for a 1:15. On to the Oxford sprint in a couple of weeks, and a bit more of a sensible breakfast on the morning
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