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6 Weeks until First Sprint , Help!
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 2007-06-19 9:24 PM |
Master  1610    Kirkland, WA |  Subject: 6 Weeks until First Sprint , Help!Hey everybody, I am a newbie to triathlons and i'm looking for a little advice. I am young (almost 21) but i didn't play sports in high school or anything. i've never been into running or swimming much but i've mtn biked on and off for the last 5 years or so. Here is where i'm at right now, any suggestions would be great! Swim: my weakest link - i've only got in the pool a few times since i started training (its outdoor, not heated and full of kids on nice days) and i haven't come accustomed to swimming long distances. i can probably do about 150-200 yards without stopping, but then i need a breather. also, the swim's ive been doing have usually been after a ride or run. would the most benificial thing to do be to stack up yards swimming - if i can only swim a couple hundred yards at a time, do those as sets and do a bunch of them? Bike: This is my strongest point - i just bought an old road bike (Circa. 1985) that came with clipless pedals and aerobars. its a decent bike, depite the age and it rides pretty fast. i've been doing 20 mile rides and my last one was 1:05 (mostly flat, but a couple 5-7 min hills). Run: i've been doing 2 mile runs about 3 times a week. i seem to get shin splints quite a bit and i don't know if its because of my posture or not enough stretching or training or what. I just got some new shoes (Saucony's) and have tried several others and also got shin splints. i have high arches, and that could be a factor. my pace is about 8:30 a mile. Are there any suggestions to improving running posture? As far as stature goes, i'm about 5'6, 155 lbs, medium build. i'm probably 5 or 7 lbs overweight but that is going down a little bit. Any suggestions would be greatly benificial as i want to get as much advice to succeed as possible! |
| 2007-06-19 10:04 PM in reply to: #851588 |
Champion 7821  Brooklyn, NY | Subject: RE: 6 Weeks until First Sprint , Help! Not an expert, but here goes: Swimming: I think you should focus on doing sets of 150-200yds, maybe with a minute or two of rest in between, and gradually reduce the duration of the rest periods until you're able to do longer continuous swims. Maybe try 4 sets of 150 yards, with a 30 second rest after the first set, one minute rest after the second 150, and 1:30 after the third. Swimming has much more to do with technique than the other disciplines, so before you start getting too involved, it's probably worth trying to get some pointers from someone who knows what they're talking about to at least be sure that you're not reinforcing bad technique. Biking: Doesn't sound like you've got much of a problem. Nearly 20mph over a 20 mile course that included several 5-7 minute hills is pretty good. Running: If you haven't already, I'd try to have your gait looked at by someone at a good running or tri store, or at the very least, make sure you're in the right kind of shoes. New shoes won't help much if they're not the right fit or wrong for your particular type of stride. After I had knee surgery, my shins used to hurt when I started running, too. My PT used to have me walk around on my heels for a while during my warmups--supposedly this strengthens the muscles on the front of the lower leg. |
| 2007-06-19 10:57 PM in reply to: #851588 |
| New user 3 Austin, Texas | Subject: RE: 6 Weeks until First Sprint , Help! My first race is two weeks away. I had similar swim concerns. I suggest finding and reading the swimming articles on this site. I think "Immersion Swimming", is a good one. The drills helped me relax and use technique to glide in the water and breathe easily. Key word being relax and learn to turn and breathe on both sides. What type of surface are you running on? Stay off the pavement and train on trails, grass or a good treadmill. You additionally need to really stretch and strengthen the muscles in you lower leg. Taking ibuprofen will help as well. |
| 2007-06-19 11:32 PM in reply to: #851588 |
Member 32 Montgomery, AL | Subject: RE: 6 Weeks until First Sprint , Help! I normally get shin splints when I start running a bunch after a long break or I suddenly ramp up my distance. I normally just slow down a bit, take 3 or so days off and get back into it at a normal pace. After that they go away and don't come back unless I take a long break. Its almost like the intense soreness you get after your 1st day of lifting weights after weeks off. As for swimming, I just started a year ago and couldn't even go a lap of the pool without stopping. Now I can do 800 meters relatively easily - not great, but improving. I did look at the immersion swimming techniques that have you focus on decreasing your resistance in the water. What helped me the most was finding the swimming pace and relaxation level that was equivalent to walking. In other words, that swimming pace in which you can almost go forever. Once you found that and aren't straining for breadth after short distances you can work on improving your speed and form. I just reminded myself to relax, go slowly and glide through the water. I think most beginners are too tense and put in too much wasted effort - and therefore are out of breath rather quickly. Almost like starting to learn to run long distances by sprinting. Not sure if that is helpful but that is what helped me get over the out of breadth issue I was having. |
| 2007-06-20 4:58 PM in reply to: #851588 |
| New user 111 | Subject: RE: 6 Weeks until First Sprint , Help! I just did my first tri about 3 weeks ago (so I'm no expert) and I was nervous about the swim too. My advice is don't be nervous it's a waste of energy...seriously. Depending if your swim is in a pool or open water that can make a big difference. If it's in a pool, like mine was it's really easy. There were people stopping at the end of the pool to take a break. Some were swimming back stroke, breast stroke and doggy paddle. If it's open water just try and stay away from the crowd, find a nice little space and go at your on pace. You're going to be fine. Good luck!!!! |
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