FIrst tri--olympic by accident

I'm no expert but I'm pretty darn sure you'll finish just fine - really with that background and aerobic fitness I can't imagine you having any problem.


Edited by PlaywithZoe 2009-08-08 8:41 AM

It seems as if you have a pretty good base level of fitness.  Use the next three weeks to get in some good consistent training, focusing on putting in some bike miles, and you should finish okay.

Cake walk for you.  Pace your swim, relax and enjoy the bike ride, then kill the field in the run.  That seems to be your strength and the weakness of many.

Best of luck.

I'm bridging up to my 1st Oly next weekend, but I'm your inverse sport-wise (avid cyclist, weak runner).  As strong as you are running & swimming, and knowing about hydration/fueling/pacing from marathons, I bet you'll be fine.  Just get in some saddle time on the bike (even just 5-10m rides 3-4x/wk) over the next 4 weeks to harden up the sit bones & feel more comfortable riding (pedaling, shifting, braking, bike handling at speed).  Concentrate on staying relaxed & spinning (not mashing) the pedals at around 85-90 rpm.  Do a few simple short bricks (15-20min bike-run sessions) to get the legs used to that bike-to-run transition.  Get the legs loose on the last 1/2mi or so of the ride- Spin easy gears a little quicker, and stretch the calves a little during pedal stroke.  Might start your run a little easier to settle in to your stride. During the event- don't forget to hydrate/fuel early on the bike to recharge a bit from the swim. 
As a new cyclist you might learn to change a flat tire & do basic function checks on your bike.  Some bike shops have intro maint classes, or a friend could help you out.  Most Oly events have some bike support on the course, although it might take 'em a few minutes to get to you.  Never hurts to be as self-sufficient as you can.

Be confident that you're prob in better overall shape than most doing their 1st Oly (myself included). 

Go for it & have fun!!!

Wow. Thanks for the great advice and support! Best of luck on yours.

Thanks!

Thanks. Will begin my quest for strength and power....

Hey wachdru,
Same boat as you....strong running background, some biking, and could swim without dying (but not much beyond that). Started actually doing tri training in may, and have put away one sprint and have an oly coming up in two weeks, which initially freaked me out b/c i worried about not having enough preparation/experience. You ABSOLUTELY can do it....you've already got the engine for it. When i did my sprint, i didn't exactly burn up the course on the swim and bike, but the overall volume didn't feel too horrible. If you're this comfortable with doing marathons, you'll be fine with an oly. I've kind of hit this weird zen state where i'm not stressing about it: i'm 100% i'll finish it, even if it takes longer than i'd like. The rest of the year will be to build up mileage and technique in the swim/bike, and next year's race season i'll be dropping the hammer down!

Go get'em!!!! You're gonna rock it!