General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Calling all Bay Area assistance! Rss Feed  
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2009-06-21 7:03 PM

New user
41
25
Bay Area, CA
Subject: Calling all Bay Area assistance!
So after saying time and time again I was going to complete a sprint tri I finally signed up for the Pacific Grove Sprint Tri in September. Now of course I am completely scared out of my gourd "What did I get myself into?!!!"

Little bit about me and my training so far. So yes I do have some extra me that I am working on shedding, which is speed bump number one. I have a swimming background and can definitely swim the .25 distance but have never swam open water before (speed bump number 2). I'm not a runner, not quite yet a jogger but I am building up my endurance for jogging at leasst (big speed bump). Transistions scare the crap out of me. All I want to do is finish, I don't care about time at this point but maybe in the future I would.

So my questions that I bring here today is...are there any super kind people in the Bay Area that would guide me in the right directions or maybe teach me in some of the ways of the tri? Any and all suggestions welcome. I know I have bitten off quite a lot but I feel I just need to do it. 


2009-06-22 4:12 PM
in reply to: #2232369

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Modesto, California
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!
Get involved in a tri club, you will meet all sorts of people with the same goals! Goden Gate is popular.
2009-06-22 5:07 PM
in reply to: #2232369

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Veteran
139
10025
Concord, CA
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!

You can always go to Forward Motion Sports in Danville, lots of nice people there and they used to have a club too with group OWS and runs I don't know if they still do that. (http://www.forwardmotion.com/tristore.html

If you are willing to travel and spend some money I recommend Total Body Fitness (http://www.totalbodyfitness.com/)

Good luck!

 

2009-06-22 7:42 PM
in reply to: #2232369

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Champion
7546
5000200050025
Santa Cruz, California
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!

where do you live? you are sooo going to be ok...I was a smoker and at 200 lbs when I started triathlons...I have now quit smoking...lost over 40 lbs and have actually medalled or podiumed in some of my tris....I was not a swimmer and still dont think I am!! as for shedding pounds...that will happen as you continue to workout....for the run portion...many alite athletes are now doing the run/walk for all thier running races...whether tris/marathons/10ks. for this you will begin running say 3 minutes and walk 1...then you run another 3...walk one...this is 3:1...then as you build your strength you will then move up to 4:1 then 5:1...you may even want to do the 1:1 to begin with...whatever it takes to get you going....I find that even as a runner, I do better with a run/walk race then running straight thru! you end up passing more runners at the end as you have conserved some of the energy for the end....this was a theory passed on to me at a triathlon meeting by a olympic runner....good luck...

as for biking...ride, ride and ride some more...the more you get used to your bike and your gears the better and easier the riding will be....get some nice padded shorts for those long rides! otherwise you will be paying the price the next day or so....

GOOD LUCK! contact me if you want to go ride/run/and help me to swim!

2009-06-22 11:39 PM
in reply to: #2232369

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Expert
697
500100252525
Northern CA
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!
Yes, tri clubs are great. I belong to Silicon Valley Tri Club and doing their group workouts, especially their "new to the sport" program has helped me tremendously.
2009-06-23 12:15 AM
in reply to: #2232369

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Member
35
25
Central Valley - California
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!
I'm part of Forward Motion and yes - we do have open water group swims.  Every Friday Night at shadow cliffs.  

Great bunch of people!

As for the extra Lbs... don't let it bother you. I did my first tri (an Oly) at 240lbs.  Yes - if you can drop the weight GREAT, but it should never keep you from competing!

I'm also a VERY slow runner and started training (as was mentioned above) by running for 60 sec and then walking for 90.  Now I can run for 45 minutes straight.  Just work up slowly and be patient with yourself!  

Edited by SAMBoddy69 2009-06-23 12:18 AM


2009-06-23 12:22 PM
in reply to: #2232369

New user
41
25
Bay Area, CA
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!
For my running I am lucky enough to have a track near me so I can keep track of distance as I build myself up. I walk a lap then jog a lap. I hope to add parts of a lap after a while so I can keep building it up. Luckily the run part of this Tri is only 2 miles, but like most of the programs on here aim for I am hoping to over train the distance just to be sure.

I am in the South Bay, San Jose area. So luckily there are a lot of options for outdoor training it seems around here. I've always been intrigued but scared away from tri clubs. I guess I don't want to embarrass myself too much, and I always hear everyone in them are crazy awesome athletes so I think I'd be the only one doing the bunny slope exercises. And my work schedule is some kind of awful. One week I work midnights the next I work swings. So night workouts are very difficult and morning workouts are almost impossible.


Edited by Pepperee 2009-06-23 12:24 PM
2009-06-24 5:15 PM
in reply to: #2232369

New user
41
25
Bay Area, CA
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!
Ok. Joined the Silicon Valley Tri Club. Despite my worries I just need to hunker down and do it, so I did. Thanks everyone for the wonderful advice on the clubs, so much information available on the wonderful world wide web!
2009-06-25 12:39 AM
in reply to: #2237272

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Master
2621
2000500100
Almaden Valley, San Jose, California
Subject: RE: Calling all Bay Area assistance!

I am in the South Bay, San Jose area.

Where?!?  I'm in Almaden, and always looking for training partners.
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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Calling all Bay Area assistance! Rss Feed