Meulen's 'Let's tri this Thing!' beginner mentor group-CLOSED (Page 19)

Meulen - 2011-02-11 11:39 AM they aren't weighted. Remember, water itself creates resistance. Putting paddles on is going to make your catch feel like you are lifting weights!

libramom - 2011-02-11 10:46 AM



oooooh! maybe i'll change it up and get the paddles and switch back and forth. someone was telling me that they actually hinder you for triathlon training because (well, I can't remember exactly why). i'll try them...anything to help these triceps!!!!

gadgetlaw - 2011-02-11 2:32 PM Pssst, Erin ... not to sound too weird, but I think your arms look hot.  Really!  Enjoy them!

mcommend - 2011-02-12 9:17 AM Thanks, I will take a look at it.  Hopefully, I can find a local place that sells suits so I can try them on.  I would like to get a feel to see if I prefer a full suit with sleeves or a sleeveless.

JCambras - 2011-02-13 2:17 PM

1.  Completed my first ever road race today...a 10k on a trail course that was covered with snow and ice.  The website said "nice packed snow easy to run on."  It was not nice packed snow, there was ice all over the place, and I don't know how I made it out alive.  The fact that some people where going to run four loops for a marathon today astounds me.  Runners are crazy.

2.  I went into a bike shop today to get my first pair of bike shoes, a helmet, and some cleats.  The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi.  I am brand new to the world of bikes and I need to get some road bike shoes."
Girl: "Well what brand do you want."
Me: "I don't know, what do you suggest?"
Girl:  "Well do you need Delta cleats?"
Me: "No idea"
Girl:  "Do you want Specialized?"
Me: "No standard is fine."
Girl: "No the brand."
Me: "What brand?"
Girl: "Specialized." 
Me: "No just regular."
Girl: "No the brand is called Specialized"

Etc etc etc...

But I did end up coming out of there with Specialized Elite road shoes, which she said was basic entry level shoe that would be good enough to hold up outside, a cheapish urban helmet (I'll get a better one in the summer), and cleats she swore would work in my class.  Woo-hoo!  A buddy is giving me a Cannondale his son doesn't need until June to ride until I can get a real bike, and then it's decision time...do I buy new or used?

Evening swim class...bring it! 

mcommend - 2011-02-12 8:17 AM

Thanks, I will take a look at it.  Hopefully, I can find a local place that sells suits so I can try them on.  I would like to get a feel to see if I prefer a full suit with sleeves or a sleeveless.

mcommend - 2011-02-10 7:13 PMAnyone have any good suggestions for decent affordable wetsuit?  Has anyone tried the $100 Xterra?  I will be looking for one once we hit spring.  Then I have to find a good place to practice open water swimming.

mcommend - 2011-02-13 9:36 PM I started looking up the water temp for the river, and I am torn.  I may not need the suit for temperature reasons, but I would like that buoyancy advantage.  Half of the swim will be done upriver.  Well, I do have some time to think about this one...

libramom - 2011-02-14 8:57 AM

The Pgh Tri club has open water swim practices in the rivers. I bet Chicago does too, right? That way you don't have to ruin your wetsuit by exposing it to chlorine.

Meulen - 2011-02-14 10:16 AM There's a spot you can always swim at Ohio street beach. It's marked off with bouy's at 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile down the shore line. It's kind of nice, but we need to worry about water quality. The Lakefront there suffers from pollution pretty bad. They close it sometimes for high ecoli levels.

Summergirl2 - 2011-02-14 12:12 AM I can't comment on where to find an affordable wetsuit. I am in a position where I need to get an affordable one too. I'll be doing the Chicago Tri this year and Lake Michigan can be cold. The only thing I can say is once you get one practice in a pool first before swimming in open water with it. Last year, days before my first Chicago Tri, I borrowed a wetsuit from a friend and felt stupid putting it on swimming in the gym pool. Thank god I did it. I freaked out with it on and couldn't swim without hyperventilating. The furthest I was able to go was 50 meters. I was happy it didn't happen in open water. I had plenty of experience swimming but never with a wetsuit. I got lucky Lake Michigan was wamer than normal last year.. Give yourself plenty of time to practice with it before the first event when you will need it. Good luck finding one.

libramom - 2011-02-14 9:41 AM



I hear you! Our rivers are disgusting and black. Michael once found a dead body in the river as he was teaching on the voyager (a boat for students to take fields trips on and learn about science). I'm not kidding you. How would you like to swim up against a dead body in black water?

mcommend - 2011-02-14 9:17 PM Thanks for the advice.  Right now I feel like this is the biggest obstacle in my training - getting open water/wetsuit practice.  It's so much more convenient to swim in the pool, but I know that I have to practice this alot.  It will be so much different with the wetsuit, choppy water, no visibility, etc....

libramom - 2011-02-15 7:55 AM



dead bodies...

Meulen - 2011-02-15 12:15 PM Well............... I'm officially signed up for a morning of pain July 17th! As long as I stay healthy, and Anne doesn't murder me over this seasons tri related expenses , I'll be participating in the 2011 Racine Ironman 70.3!