Slidell4Life's Group - CLOSED for Training (Page 19)

There is such a thing as a REVERSE tri?! That's insanely cool!!!!

This race will be ran at 10 at night and so they will start with the run and then bike and finally a serpintine swim in our outdoor pool. I did it last Thursday as part of a shake out for the organizers since this is a first for them. Eleven participated-mostly runnners so I was dead last at the end of the run section, but I blew away many in the biking portion and made up for lost ground. My swim was ok. Don't have times for that run, but it was a great brick in my training and I saw I really need to focus on the run to get it up to speed.

My first tri was a reverse. It was at 6pm, and it was hot, 106F, at the start. Finishing the pool was amazing. I still do that same race every year. I love the reverse format.

Alright, I am less than a month away from my Tri. I will do the reverse tri this week. Then also get up to the area for some altitude work and hopefully an OWS. My question is do I taper off work-outs before the race and when do I do that? Or do I keep going strong as I can until race day? I am talking about my July sprint tri

For a sprint tri you can taper for a few days. If the race is on Sunday I would keep training as usual through Thursday. Friday do a short brick (reverse if your race is reverse.)  Then Saturday swim a bit, just to keep loose.

Have a great race!

My first OWS-it sucked water temp 60 altitude 7250-I had trouble breathing

Whoa!!!! 60 degrees would put this Texan in the hospital!!!  I bet that it sucked.  I was in a lake last week doing an OWS and the temp was 88 degrees -- that sucked too!  First time I ever overheated in the water!

Ok I am exactly seven days away from my first real TRI and I am scared shitless of the swimming part. It has been a cold spring so getting any OWS in has been almost impossible. I am making slow progress but I am panicing in anything I can't touch bottom on. I can swim in the deep end of the pool and easily do the distance without touching, stopping or pushing off so I know I can do this. I feel it takes more effort ot swim in the wet suit. I am ready to bag the whole thing over the swim-HELP!

I think it only feels more difficult swimming in the wetsuit b/c you are using your muscles and moving slightly differently with it on than with it off. However - GOOD NEWS: a wetsuit is incredibly buoyant so even if you freak out a little bit, just get on your back and the wetsuit will keep you high up in the water. Relax, have fun. The wetsuit will keep you up, all you've got to do is move forward! :D
 

Don't bag it. You can conquer this. I'm sure you've overcome much more difficult obstacles. Sing a song in your head to the rhythm of your strokes. It will be over before you know it. Then it's time to suffer on the bike and run!

Thanks for the votes of confidence-I am working a bit on positive visualizations and will just do it. I think swimming with the group and the race adrenillin will give me an added push. My publisher had me write up a sstory on my Tri ttraining and so since I put it out for the whole community to see I have to go through with this anyway-don't want to look bad you know.
Thanks again for the advice

Hey Terry,

Great positive attitude!  Positive visualization is the way to go - If you can think it, you can do it!

Just to echo what the other guys are saying - USE THE WETSUIT!  The buoyancy keeps your legs afloat so you can focus all you energy on your stroke and pull.  Start at the back of your wave and just take a few deep breathes and you'll do awesome.  Don't worry about goal times or splits or any of that - just keep a big smile on your face and you'll have a blast.

Hey I'd love to see the article you wrote about your training - could you post the link? 

Also, Terry I have been back at training hard now for 3 weeks so I will be active again on this board if you want?  I know Chad is busting butt right now for IMAZ so please post any questions or concerns because we are around! 

Edited by Artist 2010-07-10 11:18 AM




Attachments
----------------
index.htm (42KB - 42 downloads)

its race day=thanks for your support-time for me to put my money where my mouth is

Good luck!  You are going to do great - give us an update when you get a chance!


 

I did it. I finished in under 2 hours 1 55.03 I think. race info not up yet. I was second in my age group and after the first minutes of the swim, I knew I would finish. It was hard, but I had fun. The race organizers were wonderful and the water temps were actually tolerable. I will post more when I have acurate informantion.

Congrats Mrs. Triathlete!  So have you signed up for the next one already?  

This is awesome news!

I didn't enjoy the swim, but it wasn't as bad as I feared. I am toying with the idea of Kokapeli in St George in Sept. I think the swim is without wet suit and the altitude is soooo much lower.

so I am officially signed up for sprint tri number 2-Kokopelli in St george UT in September

you are addicted. yay!

OK new question. Just posted water temp at my next tri is 83 this week. Might drop some but not much in the next three weeks. I just mentally got through my first swim in a wet suit. I am not sure I have the mental strength to do this without one. Is it worth not getting awards to swim it in my wet suit?

How long is the swim Terry?  83 degrees is pretty warm to be wearing a wetsuit in.  If it is a shorter swim then you could wear the wetsuit and just not be eligible for AG awards, but if it is a longer swim the suit might make you really hot.  

Try to get out and practice the distance w/o the suit!

 

it is a sprint distance (1/2 mile). The reservoir is over five hours away. Here water temps are much cooler and not many OW places to swim. I can do it in the pool, but this OWS is very new to me. I have had a couple of scary moments in the water doing white water rafting after flipping both a small paddle boat and a ducky and I was wearing a PFD at the time. I will have to mull this over.  I'm leaning to the wet suit so I can just get this part done.

I honestly don't think swimming in 83F water in a wetsuit is safe. You could overheat pretty easily with that wetsuit on. I would try to make it work without a suit. At this point, the only thing stopping you is mental. Physically, you can totally to do this. I've got faith in you.