KathyG's group- Full (Page 5)

lJulie....welcome to the group!

Sounds like you have a great start with going to the gym 5 days a week. I'd suggest looking into a couple things...first look around here on BT and see if you can find a training plan that works for you...one of the beginner ones that the time to train can fit in with your life. You can move things around so if Monday it has you running but you can fit it in better Tuesday go with that. Just try not to do two days of something back to back especially running. Take it easy with starting to run as it is the easiet to injury yourself running. If the time to run in the plan seems to much, alternate running with walking....like run 3 minutes, walk 1 and keep repeating. When I started running I tried to run to fast which made me feel like I couldn't keep going and very much like I was horrible at it. By slowing down you will actually build endurance and get faster toYou  have a great advantage of being comfortable swimming as that is the most technical and hardest/scarest for many new triathletes.

You can use any bike...I used a cross bike my first tri and you can use any type of bike. I wasn't sure I could ride a road bike or if I'd like it so I didn't want to spend money on a bike I may not use. Now I love riding more than anything.

You may want to look into what tri you want to do for your first. If you pick an early season one often they have pool swims and stagger starts so it is a easy way to get used to the whole racing a tri. 

Lauren,

Welcome to the group! You have a great background that will help you as you train for a triathlon plus you have warm weather that is a huge advantage this time of year. I'd suggest looking into the training plans here on BT and see if one works for you. Do you have access to a pool since your gym doesn't have one? For most folks cycling is all about time doing it as most of us know how to do it. Running has more techniqe involved but we have all done it as well. Swimming is the most technical of all three sports and learning the proper skills is helpful. But in a tri you can swim anyway you want...I know folks that have done the doggie paddle...not competitve but they did it.

You can also start looking at what tri you want to do first. A smaller sprint with shorter distances is what I'd recommend. Getting the hang of transitions and how a tri works can be easier at a smaller event. You can post on your state's board and ask for suggestions for first tris. Also you can read old race reports from folks who did the tri last year to see how it was from a racing point of view.

Welcome.... 

For you new folks, I'd encourage you to use your training log to record your workouts. If you need help with that let us know and we can guide you.

In your training log you can do amazing things...track nutrition, workouts, send inspires to friends, keep track of equipement and when it needs replacing and see all that you have done. Sometimes I look back at what I did a year ago and see how I've improved or what I was doing back then...it is fun. 

Jaclyn...sure join our group...more folks means more lively conversation and support. Welcome and I'll write more after work.

Here is an interesting article about strength training that my coach wrote. 

You want to see where I started....click on my races under my pictures and look at my oldest tri report back in Sept. 2004. I was scared to even do that first race, afraid I'd finish last (almost did) but thrilled beyond words to finish my first tri.

We all start at different places but the amazing thing about BT is everyone is supportive for who you are and what you accomplish be it running your first mile ever as an adult or breaking 10:00 minute/miles or running a 5K under 25 minutes.

I have met in person so many great folks I met thru BT which makes each tri more fun as I have friends there who support and cheer for me.

The cool thing about becoming an athlete older in life is you can accomplish things you never dreamed you could. Honestly stuff I do now I could never dreamed/guessed/thought I could do 2 years ago. It is great fun to learn and grow and get faster to.

Dream big as often we limit ourselves for lack of belief in our possibilities! You will do amazing things this year...should be fun!

Hey Kathy, can you post a link or something to where we might find out HOW to do those exercises your coach listed?  I'm a DUMBELL when it comes to the free weight area in the gym and I'm not sure if I've ever even heard of a Turkish Get-Up or whatever it was (Turkish coffee, I get.) and I'm not sure if he's using 'standard' gym terminology so I'm not about to trouble the poor kid at the desk of the gym every morning (though I'm sure he'd probably know, and probably love to get a good laugh at me! he's a funny guy like that...)

For those of you requesting an equipment list, I started with:

• good running sneakers, fit at a running store (essential)
• my hybrid bike, tuned up at the bike shop, with road tires (aka, "slicks", gloves so my hands didn't go numb, and a gel seat pad so I didn't have to spend $$$ on bike shorts
• my boring old swimsuit
• eleventy gazillion different goggles, until I found a pair that didn't leak (turns out I needed a kids size!)
• water, detour and power bars (the naturals are good)
• a race belt, yankz, a sun visor, and sunscreen
• lots and lots of patience with myself

And I didn't buy a tri suit.  I started off with a sports bra under my bathing suit, and pulled on a pair of shorts when I hit T1. 

Some say cheap, I like the word frugal

You are wise to consider this. How long will your open water swim (ows) be in the tri? Ideally you practice doing ows 1-2 times a week for a few weeks before the tri for the distance. Most sprints are 500-1000 yds. Honestly it was the hardest thing for me to get my mind around and feel comfortable doing. Practice is key and makes a huge difference. Your swim background is a HUGE advantage and will make you feel comfortable faster. There are pool swim tris often around here early season which makes for a great first tri.

Yep with training you could do a tri in April. What are the distances?

I like your idea of doing a 5K first maybe one in a month or so?  

What kind of bike do you have? My kids don't use bike shorts and they are okay. See how it goes and then decide what to do. I love bike shorts but I ride lots....sometimes 3-4 hours and have a hard seat. Your bum in time gets used to it.

What you need...bike, helmet, swim suit, googles, running shoes, clothes to run in (great cheap place for wicking clothes is Target)...all the other stuff is extra.

Champion timing is a band you wear on your ankle that has a timing chip on it...so they can record your time in each section of the tri.

Jaclyn, 

Congrats on your wedding!

Nice job on the marathon...hope tri training gets rid of your injury issues as it excellant cross training.

Indoor tri via time is a great fun way to start training and get a hand of triathlons.

Transitions and all the equipement make tris unique and challenging. So much easier going to a road race with clothes and shoes on just add number and timing chip

Women events are fun...glad you have a plan and have selected a tri already..will be great! Having selected an event is great motivation to keep training but I doubt as a marathoner that is an issue for you.

I'll see if I can get descriptions or find a link for strength...the one you mention is weird and I saw my coach do it..and a friend who uses my coach too told me she getsbuff guys in her gym to try and do it and most can't...she loves it.

For those of you deciding how to do your training, look at the training plan offered here on BT and see if one works well for you. There are other websites that have plans to...do a google search. Really having a plan is best..many new triathletes tend to focus on what they are good at and ignore what is hard for them. Best advice I can give work on your weakness the most. If you can train swim/bike/run 3x a week each great, if not do each 2x a week and if you are say struggle running if you can do that a 3rd time a week even if it is just 10-15 minutes. I can help to..BT has a program that Ron can do to alter a training plan for you specifically....very cool.

My coach Will wrote an article lthat was in a NE multisport magazine with a simple 12 week training plan, I can email to any of you that would like one...good for those just starting in off the couch with very modest backgrounds. Don't post your email address here but send me a private message just to protect you.

If any of you are thinking of getting a coach I love mine...Will....his website is tri-hard.com...you can send him an email at [email protected], tell him you are in my mentor group...he is s very supportive, encouraging and knows so much as an excercise phisiolgist (sp?).....I started with him as a beginner really and much of my success is do to his guiding me. You don't need a coach unless you want to have one. For me I saw it as a smart time management thing...use my time as wisely as possibles plus he helps me enjoy training and racing more.

My coach kindly sent me adobe files with the strength article in full (the on-line version was edited) and another file with pictures of how to do each of them. I have that plus the 12 week sprint training plan also in adobe file. It will be easier to just send you all three of them.

If you'd like them I can only email them to you, so send me a private message (click PM button below one of my posts) include your email address and I'll get it out to you by this weekend. Life is a bit hairy with kid stuff and dealing with some medical stuff I have going on so I'm running around alot so it may take a day or two to get it to you.