Any Triathletes Here?

[spunjin]

I would like to start a thread for any and all triathletes here on AC. Post your goals and training tips for others to see. Hopefully we can start a little "subgroup" here with photos and a other fun facts.
To start off, I have done 4 sprint triathlons here in So. Cal. and I plan on finishing an Ironman within the next 12 months. I am training up to olympic distance triathlons for the next 3 months.
My next scheduled triathlon is the Redlands Bulldog Reverse Tri at University of Redlands, California.
Please, join or post if you are interested in becoming a triathlete or just want to get out and have some fun and exercise. Hope to hear from you.

[Sploke]

I've been trying to get time and training in to do a triathlon for a number of years now...unfortunately it just hasn't happened. I would still love to compete in a few sprint tris around here, but its tough to get the time to train enough.

[spunjin]

Training for sprint tris depends on how well you want to finish. If one wants to place overall or in your age group then one should do lots of intense cardio in each portion of the race. If one just wants to finish in a good time, then one just needs to do something each day for at least 30 to 40 minutes.
If equipment is an issue, some tris have rentals for the participants or one can just use a mountain bike. I have seen atheletes riding mountain bikes in sprint tris and do well. Granted it is harder since mountain bikes are generally heavier then road bikes but it can be done.
It is all about pacing too. One can take as little or as much time as needed in each transition. I remember the first one I did at UCLA. I took 5 minutes in the transition from run to bike. And my 400m swim was like 15 mins. I had about a week swim training and little bike training before hand. It was a brutal race but was addicting thereafter.

[coach_z]

doing a triathalon is a lifetime goal of mine, my actual goal is starting and finishing it...no time or place.... hopefully in a few years. good luck to all those training!

[dorkfish]

Maybe this year. I run track+cross as well as doing a lot of road biking (had intentions of racing but couldn't due to injury and a lack of local races). I have done a fair bit of swimming - but I haven't been in the water since January, but I think I might be starting back up again soon. The only problem is I really suck at swimming, even when I am working at it.

There's one that actually goes right by my house on the bike on the 9th. I'll probably do either the du or tri, but doing the du seems like it's missing something (the swim?) so probably the tri.

[spunjin]

Swimming takes about 2 weeks of training 3 - 4 days each week. Once you get comfortable breathing close to the water you can find your breathing rhythm and you feel like you can swim for hours.
Enter the tri and pace yourself to finish the race. Once you are finished with it you will want to do another one.

[red_wall]

Dang, my props to you guys, wrestling a 6 minute match is killer to me. Playing a football game where I move a few steps forward is hard as well... I couldn't imagine running for that long (well, I could, but I don't have too much motivation to do it). Maybe when I get a bit older and go towards aerobics instead of anaerobics.

[spunjin]

Some of the best triathletes are in the age range of 20 - 24 years. If anaerobic work out is what you are into and if you want to get lean as well, then you should consider biking and swimming. Running will be too hard on your fast twitch muscles and they will start to shrink as your body burns calories. But one can run and not lose mass as long as he or she takes in a lot of protein and carbs.
Give it a shot. Start running and keep your heart rate at about 130 and gradually build up to a faster pace and longer distance. Everyone starts from the couch at some point.

[gmh]

I was just a runner. 5K to Marathon. Had to retire from the sport but won some National championships as a Master's competitor back in the day.
I did a local tri one time just for laughs. I was in 1st place after the run, 20th after the bike and 35th after the swim! It was humbling.

[spunjin]

Wow! The run always amazes me at how fast people can run the 5K. 16mins is crazy fast. That is faster than I can sprint but for 3.1 miles. How does one build to that ability. I heard you just run 1/4 as fast as you can and wait until your heart rate returns to normal and then keep doing it until you can handle the oxygen deprivation. Is that part of it?

[gmh]

Yeah, It is called interval training. For 5K one workout might be something like 12X400meters at a little slower than mile race pace, with a slow 400meter job between intervals.
Another typical speed workout is something like 6X800 meters at 5K race pace with a 400 meter recovery job between each repeat.
Of course when you are doing tri's you have to focus more on aerobic conditioning. Too many interval workouts will wipe you out.

[spunjin]

Thanks for the info. I need to work on those sprints. My swimming is the best leg of the race at the moment and my bike is getting there. My running is the part I am most worried about. My next tri is in October (sooner if I find one that is cheaper than $100). It will be a reverse tri so the run is first and there is a short cool off swim of 150yds at the end.

[gmh]

I like that, doing the run first. Your legs feel like bricks when you bike and then have to run. How many miles are you currently running? Just getting the miles up is the main thing.

[spunjin]

5 miles per run. I am trying to build to up so I can run a 10K in a good time. Olympic distance tris are my next step on my way to Ironman.

[captaincaveman9]

hehehehe triathlons are SOOOOOO last year, now Adventure Racing is a whole new level ;)

[Sploke]

The training methods are not my concern, its just finding the time to do it. I ran D1 track and cross country in college. I was up to cycling about 150-200 miles per week last summer. Swimming is my weakest event...I swam in high school so I have retained the form, but that is definitely one thing where you lose strength very quickly if you don't do it often. I basically rely on the cardio I build up from running and cycling to get through workouts in the pool.

[spunjin]

I agree with the swimming. If you don't keep up with it you do lose your endurance. I also know about the time issues. I am a grad student and I am taking 12 units over 6 weeks right now. I am in classes or studying for 12 hours each day Monday - Thursday. I acturally have most of my time to do my work outs on the weekends. Those are my long distance days. Just running for 20 mins. does help though.

[gmh]

I understand you can get away with running every other day when you have time issues. You can alternate a long run, an easy run and some sort of speed workout. The pool and the bike are what require lots of time. I found out that being a good runner does not transtate to being a good biker. You have to log lots of hours on the bike as well as in the pool.

[Sploke]

Yeah, right now I'm just working on getting back in running shape, since that is the easiest of the three to train for IMO....you can get a good run in in 30-40 min, and all you need is a pair of shoes. There are a few free weekly rec runs around here as well, so thats some good motivation to get some speedwork in.

[spunjin]

I understand you can get away with running every other day when you have time issues. You can alternate a long run, an easy run and some sort of speed workout. The pool and the bike are what require lots of time. I found out that being a good runner does not transtate to being a good biker. You have to log lots of hours on the bike as well as in the pool.

That is correct. Swimming will only help you be a moderately good runner and biker. I was not comfortable on my tri bike in the aeroposition until recently when I went on a ride with my wife and rode 6 miles in about 1h 15min. So putting time in each individual sport is key to doing well in triathlon.
Typically when I'm in the pool I swim 2500 yds (50 laps in a 25yd pool) in about 46 mins. When I have the extra time I swim 4000yds.
When I run I go about 5 miles. I have been focusing on distance rather than speed. My rationale is that if I can go 5 miles at a moderate pace then I can do 3.1 miles a bit faster.
Biking I usually do about 20 miles and I try to do it as fast as possible. Usually takes between 1hr 20mins to 1hr 5-ish mins. depending on the path. In a couple of weeks hopefully I can start doing longer distances on the bike.
I am going to work on those 12x400s on the track though. Those sound interesting.

[gmh]

Are you in a master's swim program? My wife, a former competative triathete, swears by having a coach and a structured workout once a week. It makes the workout less tedius and you can easily fall into bad form and not know it. I used to think I was a pretty good swimmer untill my wife watched me. I asked her "how did I do?" Her response: " well, you moved a lot of water" Translation: "You suck" lol.

[spunjin]

Actually, I am a swim instructor. A little different from a coach, I know, but I do understand hydrodynamics and efficiency. I also know that I could use some help with my kicking. I mix it up with a 3 beat kick to a 1 beat every few hundred yards. I practice breathing on alternate sides to train for ocean swims. I also swim with my hands in a fist to practice using my whole arm to pull (engages the lats) through the water.
All that being said, I am sure having a coach with a planned program would be 10x better than what I am doing but having a coach cost $ and that is something that everyone needs more of.

[gmh]

Well it sounds like you know what you are doing. Swimming is the hardest element of triathlons for most folks, so you have a leg up. Spending lots of time on the bike should get you where you want to be.