Kido's Summertime Shenanigan Group - CLOSED (Page 4)

Hi all

Sorry I haven't been active. Tbh I forgot about the group

I have been really busy (work and unpaid taxi driver for my children) and haven't hardly managed to train.

I had entered a Sprint Triathlon on Sunday and although I knew I was seriously undertrained, I felt that I had enough basic fitness to survive the distance.

An additional excitement/challenge was that the swim was my first open water swim. What an eye-opener. I didn't cope very well with the other swimmers. I started well but didn't cope with people swimming so close to me and backed off, ending up swimming breaststroke for most of the swim.

The bike course was quite hilly and I didn't push myself too hard because of the lack of training.

The run was easy but again I was cautious in my approach.

All in all I was happy to complete the race. It sets a bar for the same event next year.

My next event is at the Springfield Triathlon on June 19. This was my first ever triathlon last year so I am determined to beat the time I set: 1:41. I fell off my bike 3 times (first time using clips) despite practise.

nice work man, id be very happy with that time!

had a quick ride today. its a major hassle living in the center of a major city! traffic traffic traffic!!! nearly wiped out by 3 cars, and dropped my bottle trying to put it back in my holder twice, the second time a car run over it! ruined ha.  on the plus side getting good with the clipless peddles

thanks all

Put a new battery in my HRM Strap, so I could get back to HR training...

Started showing 35 bpm..  After first jog interval got it up to 58...  Then it jumped to 108 at next jog session...  down to 90 during walk..  135 jog ...  110 walk..  142 jog...  120 walk..  142 jog to finish...

So I am unsure if any of it was true...  probably need to buy a new one.

sometimes you need to reset them.  The newer ones need it.  A tiny button by the batter.  Also check if the strap was moistened...  that could have been the problem initially, but usually sweat fixes it after a bit.

Congrats on the finish!  Well done!

1.41, and you didn't train much?! wow!! congrats! I'd be so happy with that!

Just thought I'd check in... Have been away for the last 10 days (a week on a very intense course for work, not much time to even sleep! then 3 days camping...) so it's been hard to get tri specific training in. But I've been hiking lots, been to the gym where i was staying a couple of times, and had a few runs along the river.

Now my first EVER tri is coming up in only 5 days!! So excited!! I know I'm not quite as prepared as I could be due to the last couple of weeks, but I'm super excited and as long as I finish it I think i'll be happy :-) Haven't done nearly enough swimming, but I've trained lots in open water before and am quite comfortable in the water... so fingers crossed!

Good luck for everyone's training and any impending tri's!

Kat

Good Luck everyone on Races and Training this weekend!

Here's my weekend snapshot:

15 mile bike today, 1-3.6 mile cat3 climb today

800 swim Fri

Off Sat

 6-6.5min run-1min walk intervals (should be about 4 miles) Sun

Bike 29 miles, 1-8+ mile cat2 climb Monday

Plus a 2 day golf tournament Sunday and Monday

I've got 2 weeks from this Saturday until my next race, so time to put my head down and grind out the next week of training before a taper. Then I have planned races (all sprints) after this one for 5 weeks (7/16), then 3 weeks (8/6), 5 weeks (9/11 tough one), and the last one 4 weeks (5/9). 

Will definitely be looking for some training advice on the shorter duration between races.

Take care.

good plan there

i really like the golf tournament part, very hard work golf lol

When you play like I do, the miles add up looking for your ball!

I might have been less clear than ideal.

1.41 is the time I got last year in my first ever triathlon - the Springfield Triathlon, Corsham, Wiltshire 400m pool swim, 22k bike and 5k run - and the time I am determined to beat this year in 3 weeks time.

Last weekend I completed the Bradford on Avon Triathlon - 750m river swim, 19k bike (hilly), 5k run - in 1.43 after very very little training in the last 8 months. My aim for this was to complete the triathlon. I found the swim very difficult, due to difficulties swimming in a crowd and the current on the upstream return. I felt like I was going backwards in the bike which is a consistent theme in the 3 triathlons that I have done so far in the last 11 months. To improve my time I clearly need to work on my cycling. I managed to run all the way on the last leg and was only overtaken by 1 person. Overall I was happy with the race given that I was appallingly under-trained. I finished in quite a good state and felt good the following day. I have set myself a time to beat next year.

I need to get training now for my next triathlon. I will be very unhappy if I don't manage to beat last year's time.

Adam

Good luck at the weekend Kat. If you are anything like me you will never be as prepared as you could be but I would say that finishing is a good target for your first triathlon.

Adam

OK questions:  For a beginner, what type of equipment do you think is most important to invest in?  How about clothes?  How important are things like bike shoes or pedals with clips?  Should I be looking at a road bike even though because of where I live, I have to train on all gravel roads?   For this first race, which is s short sprint, my goal is to finish, so what stuff I use for the race is not that meaningful to me yet.  However, in the future, it may be wise to consider buying certain things. . .?

Thanks,

Suzi

My number 1 thing is after the good running shoes, is a race belt.  It is nice in transition to just pick up your belt with the number on it and not have it pinned on another shirt, since I put on my shirt after the bike and I do not like my number on it then.  As a BOP beginner who is in it to exercise and finish, I added power straps to my bike instead of clipin pedals and shoes.  This means I only change shoes once and then am good to go.

http://bicycling.about.com/od/equipmentreviews/fr/power_grips.htm

If you are racing in the heat, having a good hat for the run is also very nice.  I put a small bag of ice in it, that keeps it cool and provides a little cool water to pour on myself before I start the run.

Good luck in your race.

Thank you.  I read the article on the straps--sounds like a good idea.  will have to check on a "race belt " next time in town.  I am really careful about good running shoes already--don't want another plantar fascitis flareup.  Yep, heat may be a factor for me, since my race is in August.  So far, training has been in rain and mostly cold conditions.  I will definitely bring a hat on race day.

For day to day training AND you want to get more serious...

Assuming you have a decent road bike and helmet - even entry level bike...  getting clipless pedals is a MUST.  First and foremost, PERIOD.  They take a little getting used to, but they help with you pedaling efficiency imeasurably.  I won't ever ride without unless it's on a beach cruiser with my flip flops!

As for your first race, if you have a working bike and helmet and decent running shoes.  You are set.  For a nominal investment (5 bucks) a race belt is really nice to have.  A good try suit or try outfit is nice because it's specifically made to swim in and leave it on to bike and run.  I'm not sure what you plan to swim and bike in, but realize, there will not be any place to change, so what you swim in, you have to bike/run in.

Really, this doesn't have to be an equipement intense sport.  Some poeple like it, some don't.

My list of MUSTS for training:

Bike, helmet, clipless pedals, bike shoes, cycling bibs and a jersey, good running shoes, jammers and a good pair of goggles, sunglasses and running hat.  I really like my Garmin 305, so I might add that to the list, but it's not a MUST.

My lists of MUSTS for racing.  See above^^^^^^  + race belt and tri shorts/tri top.  Seriously, training and racing can easily be done, and SHOULD be done with basically the same equipment.

Sorry I have been MIA this week.  I sat next to a sick lady on my flight last saturday.  3 hours of sharing the same air...  Blah.  I predicted I would get sick, but then sort of forgot about it, untill my tuesday swim was a LOT harder than I would have expected, and on Weds, woke to a full blown spring cold...  Got to love those desease tubes we call airplanes....

ANYWAY, rested for the last few days and finally felt better to go for a walk today...  I figure this is as good as a time as any to talk about a common question - training while sick...

The common rule of thumb is "if you are sick above the neck, it's ok to train.  If you are sick below the neck, rest"...  Which means, if you have a head cold like congestion, some temp, even sore throat, AND you feel up to it.  It's ok to train.  I would still err on the side of rest...  If you you are sick below the neck.  Cough, nausea, diareah, etc...  Then it's best NOT TO TRAIN AT ALL and REST.

The concern about training while sick, is keeping your body from getting better and staying sick longer, which would have a much more detrimental impact to you overall fitness than the positives of a few workouts you get in WHILE sick...

Hope that is usefull info, if god forbid, anyone gets sick!

JUST COMPLETED MY FIRST EVER TRIATHLON!!! WOOOOOO!!

So happy. Was super slow (1hr 49 mins) but i loved every minute of it. Will upload times etc to a race log later.

Kat

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=254224

there you go! Overall: slow but steady! I know what i need to work on now. Swimming in the correct direction for a start! :-)

Way to go triathlete!  Congrats and well done!

Congratulations!!! I hope I am as enthusiastic as you when I complete mine

Great Job....  First of hopefully many more good times.

Oh, wow!  I don't even know what some of this stuff is.  Should be an interesting trip to the bike shop!  Thanks for the info

Thanks everyone :-)

That's a good list of *must haves* up there. I think Clipless pedals might be my next purchase, and i've just ordered a Garmin... decided i really need to work on my running, so going to start from scratch and do it properly through heart rate monitoring. Never done this properly before, but i really think it will help. I wasn't too sure how helpful a race belt would be, but was soo glad i had it yesterday!

one question though, what are jammers?

Another question for you too... how long do you recover/rest for after racing? I was planning to not train for 3 days, although i'm biking to work and back already (Bike to Work week). Do you wait until you 'feel' good to again, or do you wait for a specific amount of time to train again?

I'm quite sore today so know i'd be silly to train again too soon, but didn't know how long to wait?!

Thanks! And have a great week of training everyone!! Kat :-)