Todd's Tri Turtles 4 (Beginner, Sprint, 5K, 10K) CLOSED (Page 30)

Originally posted by peto_primo



That is Century - slash - Tri
I am planning on doing a 110 - 135 mile bike ride on Saturday and If I can get the right training in, a sprint triathlon on Sunday Morning. I have already signed up for the TourDe Steamboat. waiting on the tri right now.

Originally posted by peto_primo

As you are approaching your races, be confident, know why you are doing this, have an idea of what you want out of it.
Going into my first race, I thought I was pretty ready. looked at the swim as a warmup for the rest of the day as it said in "Triathlon 101". My first sprint was the first step in my goal to race an Ironman by the time I was 40.

If I did not have that long term goal and knew what I was striving towards, I may have quit in the middle of the swim in my first race. The swim for me was harder than I expected. But because I had that long term goal, I kept going, I got out of the water, I made it to the bike and had fun on the bike. I encountered challenges on the run but made it to the finish. I even beat my goal time. And looking back now, that first race is the only time I have ever beaten that goal.

You will read everywhere, for your first race, just have fun, you will never have another first race, don't worry about your time, and while that is true, you are racing against the clock and yourself. You are setting your first bar, will it be easy to bear or will it be challenging to beat, pushing you to better things?

I wrote this to someone recently but thought I would share it here too, -- Doubts creep into everyone, just don't dwell on them, don't water them and let them take root.

And to quote a millionaire I know, Control what you can control, so that which you can't control, but desire, can come true.


[/QUOTE
]Thanks for sharing this. I think it is very appriopriate.

Originally posted by Smiley9188



Nicole, hows the leg? I'm hoping it was a weird thing you woke up and then it went away? What a really neat conversation with your child. they are so pure, their thoughts- his thoughts are in line with mine. I love that he shared that with you! thank you for sharing this with us. i'm not afraid of drowning, i'm not what i'm afraid of, but there is some fear about this.

Doing a Triathlon to me it seems like it's mostly a mental race. there are so many minor things to remember- all the stuff you need for each transition. all the gear, the fuel, the strategy, remembering where your bike is, swimming in open water, with a bunch of other people, where do you start- front of the pack or back- etc. of course, there is also the physical challenge of working your body to limits but still it's mental- do you go out hard, but not too hard. Giving it your all but not cramping up, not falling down, not crashing the bike, not twisting an ankle. it's such a mental challenge to me that the physical part seems easy! HA! that's absurd to write that, but the mental part is exhausting- oh and the self doubt! the advice- it's OVERWHELMING. but then i think about the endurance. the speed. the challenge- it's really awesome too. its exciting. it's invigorating. it's intimidating. its inspiring.

so come on everyone! lets finish our training strong. Lets be powerful. poke your thighs right now. feel their strength? you did that! so lets go get em!

Originally posted by jennifersmith847

Suzie: I'm so sorry to hear about your dad...I hope he improves quickly. My thoughts are with you.

So...I'm feeling kinda' awful this evening. I had a really eye opening swim today. I usually go early (9/10am) but because of craziness at work I had to go after work (I work at a university so I swim at the pool there.) Apparently after 4 it's a totally different scene (not the three old guys I usually see and the crazy lady who swims with the pool noodle between her legs and calls people out for not showering before their swim.) There were about 40 people there (sharing 8 lanes). Swim teams, swim lessons, family night - all the world. I ended up sharing a lane with a lady who did a strange version of the breast stroke (oddly fast). She was having a hard time staying on her side of the lane with her frog kick and kept brushing me. The guy on the other side of me was doing a super splashy backstroke and the crowd noise was overwhelming.

I kept getting so pissed off: didn't they know I was IN TRAINING?! How was I supposed to continue to improve my split times with all this disturbance?!! Then it hit me...I will NOT be swimming this event in my own lane with no feet on me or splashing in my face. This is mild compared to what I will see in 10.5 weeks. I was so slow, every other breath I tried to take was disturbed on either side. I was SO SLOW and sputtery...and ANGRY. I don't think I can do this guys. Swimming is my thing. It was the part of the race that was going to keep me from being dead last (or DQ'ed). I hated every minute of the 30 it took me to do my workout. I normally zone out and the swim just takes care of itself...today I thought about all of it and all of it disappointed me. So...I know if I'm going to continue towards this goal I need more of these "out of my comfort zone" moments...but tonights workout (unlike any other) has me so riddled with self-doubt and disappointment (and Saturday's run was the slowest I've had yet and I still felt "ok" with it.) If I hadn't just bought this crazy expensive bike, I would give up now. I promise to end the pity party tomorrow...but today I'm just so incredibly bummed out.

Originally posted by 2NewKnees

Completed 10 days straight of training yesterday....taking it easy today. We get to watch our 6 month old grand daughter today!!!!

Just finalized my registration for a sprint on 4/25. Guess I'm committed now!!! It's the Pioneer Sprint in Petersburg, Il. It's an afternoon event. I'd been debating doing this one as a "practice"....made the decision to do so. My other event is the Miami Univ Triathlon on 5/9.

As I recall there was a post a couple weeks back about listing our events. Decided to wait til I finalized my decision on 4.25 event. Wow, that's just a couple weeks off!!

Originally posted by Suzie471

Getting a little nervous as my sprint Tri is a week from this Saturday. I was able to get the bike outside this week and rode with my clips for the first time. Surprisingly it went well. I guess riding on the trainer all winter long really helped. I did not fall so I just hope that my first fall will not happen during the tri, lol. I did another ride on Monday and went right into a run when I was done riding. I was surprised at how my legs felt, strange and almost out of control. After the first mile I felt better but I kept thinking "why do I want to do this?" I had a hard time getting my breathing under control but once I did, along with my legs, I felt better. I keep having doubts come into my head and then I will be able to push them away and get excited again that in one more week I will be doing it for real. My emotions are mixed and I keep telling myself that I can and I will do this, I just wish that I could have confidence all the time and not let self doubt get into the way.

Have a great weekend everyone and keep the training up! I am off to the pool now so that I can hopefully work on getting just a little more confident with my swim before next week

Originally posted by Suzie471

Getting a little nervous as my sprint Tri is a week from this Saturday. I was able to get the bike outside this week and rode with my clips for the first time. Surprisingly it went well. I guess riding on the trainer all winter long really helped. I did not fall so I just hope that my first fall will not happen during the tri, lol. I did another ride on Monday and went right into a run when I was done riding. I was surprised at how my legs felt, strange and almost out of control. After the first mile I felt better but I kept thinking "why do I want to do this?" I had a hard time getting my breathing under control but once I did, along with my legs, I felt better. I keep having doubts come into my head and then I will be able to push them away and get excited again that in one more week I will be doing it for real. My emotions are mixed and I keep telling myself that I can and I will do this, I just wish that I could have confidence all the time and not let self doubt get into the way.

Have a great weekend everyone and keep the training up! I am off to the pool now so that I can hopefully work on getting just a little more confident with my swim before next week

Originally posted by nekomidori

My children had their tri today. It was so great to go and see. I was bursting with pride that I almost cried. They got all marked up with their numbers. Their dad helped to check out their bikes and get them set. I set up their transition area. They were bouncing off the wall with energy. They got up at 5am for their race. So excited. My older son was so precious as I tucked him in last night. Am I going to make a mistake? Am I going to touch my bike before I put on my helmet? What if I fall? I told him my answers and settled him in. They got all lined up and started. I thought someone was going to explain things but nobody did. I am glad I explained as much as I could.

I older one(11yr) got in a good strong start then got tired and rolled on his back and did a back stroke the rest of the way. He pasted a bunch of children in the bike. (he was 2nd for the bike in his age group) He used up his legs in the bike and was worn out by the run. He jogged some and walked some and was drooping by the end. He wiped out coming into the transition area because they wanted him to stop short when getting off the bike and he had clipless shoes on. He kept on going even though he was scraped up and even had an ok transisiton time changing shoes. My husband said it was the fastest he ever clipped into his shoes as well. To me it was a great race for him. He placed 7th out of 17. 16th for swim, 2nd for bike, and 9th for run. He had a good time and wants to do it again next year.

My younger son 8yr got into the pool did great the first 25 yd then freaked himself out after changing lanes. He started swimming and decided he couldn't do it. He did keep swimming. He held onto the lane rope took a few breathes and struggled the rest of the way. The last 25 yd they gave him a pool noodle to hold onto. He kept on going even though he wanted to climb out of the pool. He got on his bike and was off. Then came in strong from his bike to run. He did great at first 1/2 mile and I ran beside him for support the 2nd 1/2 mile. He was worn out and had a side cramp that was killing him. He kept going and wanted to sit down. I kept him on his feet and moving. He kept going and was in tears. He came around the corner and could see the finish line. He picked up to a jog and my husband came out to jog beside him and then he ran faster alone to cross the finish line.
He came in 35th out of 47. 46th for the swim, 12th for the bike, and 43rd for the run. He had fun and he said he wants to do it again next year. We are looking to sign him up for swim lessons again this year.

It was great to watch. The weather was nice. They were cold for the bike but it was shady for most of it. My younger one rode slow because of the breeze.

I went and picked up my packet. I am nervous about my swim but I will trust in my training. I will just keep on going. There are only 2 others that signed up for novice female so my group is small. I am curious to see how I do. This is definately a mental race now. I was listening to the others today and a lot of the parents are competing tomorrow. I went with my husband after lunch and tried on a new pair of clipless bike shoes and pedals. We will bring my bike next week to get it all together. I can look forward to a new adventure next week. I also picked up a new sports bra for my race hopefully it won't hold onto water as much as my other one did. Brrr. The weather is forcasted high of 77 low of 57 no rain. It is looking good. My legs are feeling good. I think I will fall back into 6 days again starting Monday with a swim and run. I have to get my distance of freestyle longer. I am going to swim it as much as possible tomorrow but I don't think it will be pretty but I will get it done. I am curious to see how fast I will be after my week off.

Have a great day!!
Nicole
Athelete in training

Originally posted by Gnoory

Sorry for being absent for a while, life and easter got in the way :-)

But fear not, I am doing the training and have finally tried out my new bike for the first time. I have only one thing to say : WOA, THAT WAS FUN! I went out with a neighbour for a 10 mile ride with curvy roads and lots of ups and downs. Time flew away, and after 40 minutes and the ride was finished it was as if it all happened in only five minutes. Not what I had thought at all. I my quiet mind when jogging all these years I have thought to my self : 'How fun can cycling be, sooo boooring sitting on that bike, exercise for people wanting to take a break downhill'. Well, I take it all back. My running will suffer from this...

Originally posted by Gnoory

Sorry for being absent for a while, life and easter got in the way :-)

But fear not, I am doing the training and have finally tried out my new bike for the first time. I have only one thing to say : WOA, THAT WAS FUN! I went out with a neighbour for a 10 mile ride with curvy roads and lots of ups and downs. Time flew away, and after 40 minutes and the ride was finished it was as if it all happened in only five minutes. Not what I had thought at all. I my quiet mind when jogging all these years I have thought to my self : 'How fun can cycling be, sooo boooring sitting on that bike, exercise for people wanting to take a break downhill'. Well, I take it all back. My running will suffer from this...

Originally posted by Smiley9188

SO I'm turning over a new leaf, i'm going to be positive about my workouts.

Originally posted by nekomidori

I love the suport everyone is showing everyone else this forum board is such a great support system. Thanks Todd for being our Mentor.
Nicole

Originally posted by nekomidori

My first Tri(this will probably be long)
Short version
300yd swim 00:09:47 with run to transition area
1T 00:03;04
12.5m bike(supposed to be 11 mile but got changed)1:00:48
T2 00:00:53 (no shoe change)
3.1 m run 00:36:12
total time 01:50:43
I placed 2nd for Novice female(only 3) and got to be on the podium!! So cool. ( I almost stumbled while getting on)
I placed 25th out of 30 women. Very excited not to be last.

Lessons learned
1 Check your route and make sure it is what you think it is. It worked out fine but it was 6% grade hills a few of them.
2 Get your things together before the night before. I left my swim cap, goggles and notes at the YMCA by accident. I borrowed my son's goggles. Not the same, and luckily my swim coach was there and gave me another swim cap.
3 Practice eating your snack while riding your bike. I was ok but it could have been smoother.
4 Practice getting out of the pool with the ladder(for those doing pool swims) I fumbled a little bit.
5 Practice your transition times.
*6 It is not as hard as you think when you do the training.

I got my bag packed last night and realized I was missing my swim cap and goggles. Of course the YMCA was closed when I realized. I calmed myself down and kept going. Borrowing my son's goggles instead. While in bed, I mentally did the whole tri. With positve talk the whole way. This helped because I never did practice my transitions.
Next morning was smooth, Bagel with PB, cup of black tea, cup of milk, glass of water, vitamins.
Bags were packed in the car the night before. I grabbed my water bottles with Skratch and off we went.
I got marked in the parking lot with my race numbers and got my timing chip strapped on. Kinda neat in the dark.
I got my bike all set up. Milled around and met a few of my "neighbors" next to my bike parking. I went in and decided to stretch and warm up for a few laps before everything got going.
I was so nervous just to get in the pool to warm up. This is it!! This is race day. My nerves went crazy after that. I got in and the goggles were all wrong. My breathing was a mess but my stroke was good. I calmed my nerves and swam back. I talked to a few people got out and stretched a bit more. Time to line up, nerve wracking but so exciting. I met some other newbies in line. We watched the pros and made sure we knew the route. I slid into the pool and pushed off. Here we go. I did 25 yd good then half way up the other lane I was getting tired. I did breaststrokes, backstroke and side strokes. I let a few people pass and I passed a few others. I didn't want to push to hard and I also couldn't swim to fast because at a certain spot the man in front was faster than me but not at that moment so I couldn't pass him. I got to the stairs. I saw my swim coach, husband and church friend yelling for me. How exciting. I climbed out and fumbled a bit on the ladder. I screamed with excitiement and cold. I jogged to the transition area, put on my helmet, turned on my garmin, toweled off, sat down and got on my socks and shoes, gloves, glasses and ripped open my honey stinger and a lara bar. I took a sip of water and ran out of the area. I was off, on my bike. It was cold, brisk it felt good after the heated area of the pool. Then I got to work. It took a bit but by 2.5 miles I passed someone. I then realized how many hills were on this route after a main turn. I struggled on some. I kept on going and passed 2 more people up the hill passed another. Balancing eating my honey stinger. I started to make a wrong turn by going straight instead of a left and got back on track. The weather was 60, there was a crosswind it was beautiful out the flowers were blooming and the birds were singing. I was not afraid of the cars that gave us plenty of space. I came in strong to transition area. My husband and children were cheering me on. I ran my bike in. Put it away, took off my helmet and gloves and strapped on my number, I took a sip of water and jogged out. A man was checking on his son asking me questions as I did all this and I was off. I jogged out and was off again. I past all the fast people coming in. The encouragement of me to them and them to me was so excellent. I was doing this. I ran as far as I could then walked up the hill. I got to the turn around spot and it was a down hill. I was jogging. There was a women and 3 teenage girls cheering me on. The woman called out that she was holding traffic all for me encouraging me on. The girls called to me "come on!" And I said "Here I come". I sprinted up and did high 5's as I ran past them with tears in my eyes. I ran back and walked encouraging the ones that still had to make the turn. I made the turn to the final stretch back to the finish line. I had been holding a bit in reserve. I wanted to be able to sprint in. I heard a boy call out "Come on Mama" At first I thought it was mine, it wasn't but it didnt' matter. I had picked up the pace. I heard them call out "85, (my number) another one said 85 I started to sprint. I could see my family and tears started to come down my face. I crossed the line and they ran to hug me. Talk about emotions running high. Must have been all the adreniline or something.

Everyone just keep on going!!
Nicole
Triathlete (I am so proud of this title)