Hello there

Hello!

I'm brand new to this malarky and thought I'd say hi to this lonely post!

I've been doing reasonable amounts of mountain biking and swimming in the past and got roped into a charity duathlon a few months ago when I discovered that contrary to a long held belief, my running isn't so bad. (Don't get me wrong - it isn't good either!)

Anyway - now I'm signed up for a cross-country sprint triathlon in March 2009 in Fort William - gulp!

Don't tell my lovely wife, but are there any other events later in the year that I could aim for? (maybe I should wait and see how dead I am after March!)

K

Hey there, I am based in Aberdeen and have signed up for the Wee Tri in Fortwilliam in March as well.

 I've done a bit of MTB this year.  My swimming is currently very bad and i am just getting into running as well.  Really looking forward to the triathlon. 

Where are you guys based?

Regards,

Ali 

Hi,

Other people in the frozen north! My brother stays in Aberdeen. We're in Spean Bridge (slightly warmer, but much wetter than the Granite City!) Presumably there's a nice place somewhere in the middle that's neither to cold or too wet?!

I used to do lotsa swimming as a kid and the local bike club have a great winter league to force me out on the bike, but running: you can forget it! It's just not pleasant - the things we do for endorphins!

Are you super ali?!

Keef

haha yeah there may be a place where the sun shines and it is warm too!  Don't hold your breath though. 

I just cant get this breathing thing down when doing the front crawl, I'd look a bit silly trying to do breaststroke for the 400m, lol.  i can do like 40m then i have to take a minute to catch my breath then do another 40m.  long way to go before i can do the 400 in a 1er.  maybe it will just click one day!

Yeah i am Super Ali, haha.  no chance of living up to the name though! Some of my mates are doing it too.  Should be good banter.

Super Ali

Ali,

Don't stress about the swimming - you've got loads of time!

I used to specialise in breaststroke when I was swimming for the club as a kid and hated crawl - same problem as yourself - not enough puff! I still remember the training session when crawl suddenly clicked - suddenly my arms seemed to find a sweet curve ("S" shape) to pull that didn't involve anywhere near as much effort. I'd been coached for about 4 years to no avail prior to that, but I think it's just one of those things that is so individual it needs to be discovered through trial and error - i.e. mileage!

What distance is the swim anyway? I thought it was only about the 400m mark - u'll build up to that in no time! (And in the grand scheme - it'll only take about 10 minutes, compared to an hour of the other disciplines!)

On a different topic, I found myself in a gym today - running machines mean you don't need to freeze your b*ll*cks off outside - much nicer! I also didn't feel like I'd inhaled a pile of ice - until the normal warm and wet weather returns, you'll find me in the gym at lunch time! (It's also quite funny watching the lardy "body builders" posing in the mirror - we know who the real athletes are!!

 K

Sorry folks,

 I had really given up on this thread because i was getting no replies. I am located in Port Glasgow, miles away from Eberdeen!. I havent signed up for anything in 2009, just training along nicely before the serious stuff starts in 2009.

On the lookout for a decent program and advice just now on my training, once i get that i'll really start to put the work in. 

Hi Poolcue,

That's cool - between 3 people we've covered pretty much the whole country - one at each end!

I've just finished the first month of this: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=38  - because I'm truley crap at running! - so far (except for the running bits) it's been a dawdle and I keep thinking I've started with too low a program - then I have a run day and want to die!!

In terms of events I'm signed up for the Fort William Mini-tri (and if I survive I was wondering about this:http://www.glasgowtriathlonclub.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=100&Itemid=135 (a bit close to home for you?)

There's also the half-Big Ben Tri in Fort William in September if I can get fit enough (not likely!)

K

hi guys,

another thats signed up for the wee tri

My only tri to date was the grantown novice which was great fun so I think i might be hooked !

Only entry so for is FW but have another couple of events that  i have my eye on.

Hows training going ??  I've done sod all for weeks ..... just printed some training plans so it starts next week lol....

Adbru

Hi folks,

I appear to have caught the current version of whatever plague is doing the rounds at the moment, so training (which had been going great guns) has now gone down the pan! Hopefully a full recovery will see things moving again next year(!)

Poolcue: May is kinda booked solid for me already and I've just enroled in a post-grad diploma (so the whole year could be screwed!) - keep us up to date with your progress though!

K

Hi Keefmac,

I see you have listed a run route which goes from nevis bank around the cow hill, where does it start ??

I can see it zigzaging up to join the path but not sure where it starts......

On the wee tri do you go up the zigzag or cycle up the glen road to join the path ?

Anyone doing any training cycles on glen path soon ?? might take a nip down to 'recce' the track so i dont get lost

Cheers

Sorry Adbru - haven't checked in here for ages!

The Cow hill circuit is one I normally do on my MTB. I work at the Belford, so as a half hour blast I go up Lundavra Road (all the way!) - immediately after the cattle grid there's a track on the left, follow that until you run out of up! On the flat the track forks - go right and immediately after the fence I go left, following a downhill bermy single track. Cut left in front of the byre and drop down behind the swimming pool. (Be careful on the downhill, you do get the occassional dog walker coming up and the zig-zag behind the pool is serious SLOW DOWN!!)

I don't think any of this is included in the Wee Tri. Gimme a PM if you wanna come over - we could do the bike/run recce together (I haven't been yet either!)

K

hi iqby,

the wee tri is sold out but they are now doing a wee tri 2 on the sunday if you still fancy it.

 see you in march ??

Hi all

I am very new to this triathlon thing and was wondering if anybody could tell me which triathlons are on in 2009 in Scotland, or maybe link a website that can?

Thanks

Christina

Hola!

Welcome aboard!

Tri here, here, here or here! 

The last 2 links might not work properly, but should take you to the main site, which then has events or info on it!

Keef

Only 2 weeks to go ....

Is everyone ready for the Wee Tri ??

I was doing some surfing the other night and came across info on the Loch Swim in FW, remember it being quite big when i was a kid but then it kinda died.

I now have this crazy notion to enter this year !
But its usually in june and NO WETSUITS !!  It will be Baltic !! 
I used to think it was about a mile across but measured it on google earth and its only about 1k.

Adbru

I was a safety boat for it last year and I think I'm gonna have a go... not sure where to find out about it though - I'll ask at the pool, next time I'm in.

(and you're right - Baltic!)

The 2 week ease back in training starts after tomorrow! (ahhhhh, the easy life.......)

Keef,

Can you post the info on the swim if you find out more ??
When I was surfing I found it on the yacht club site ! sounded like they organise it...

 No 2 week taper for me, will soon move from my Oly plan onto the HIM plan !!

I've just had an email from one of the organisey types at the Yacht Club. There is currently no plan for a Loch Swim this year.

(However, we'll be racing against one of the Loch Swim committee on Saturday, so we can find out then - if we can keep up!)

 See you then!!

K

Hi,

What number are you for saturday ??

I am number 57 on the weblist, not sure if they will stick to the same numbers ??
My pic is in my profile, it was a celebration photo from last weekend when my little girl got her black belt

I got an invite to go for a run on sunday, a guy i know is doing some "hill training" this weekend. 1 rep on friday/3 reps sat/2 reps sunday......... the reps are the Ben !!

Said I might join him for his last rep on sunday, he might be so tired by then that I would have a chance to stay with him !!

 Have a good one

The last event I was at, the number allocation became a bit of a scrum(!) but I'm 23 on the web - we'll see!...

(Hope you're packing your ice axe and crampons for Sat and Sun - major sno here over the past 2 days.

Also they've changed the bike course - it's now got a lot of road in it - don't be fooled tho because the technical bits are possibly harder - going to be interesting: Road, hill climb, technical single track, more road, hill climb, then very fast zig zags to the bottom (you do not want to overshoot on the zig-zag downhill section!)

Getting excited now! (Sad init?!)

Hi Buddy,

How did you do ??

I had a bit of a mare on the bike, forgot how hard it is to cycle a mtb on the road !!
This kinda screwed my legs for the run, normaly do 5k in around 27mins but i think my run split will be about 36mins !! lol.

That final climb on the bike was !!

see you again next year ?? 

Adbru