Madcow's Group- FULL! (Page 9)

No, I think they just started a new group of mentors/mentees.

We can stay together for as long you guys want

How is your hydration before your run?

I usually cramp on the run after a swim where I wear my wetsuit, I don't know why, but in my last race I was more hydrated than most other races and I didn't cramp at all.

Kip,

I have had lots of trouble with leg cramping over the years. You are probably already doing all of these things, but, make sure you really stretch,it is so important to take the time and stretch, there is a video on BT all about stretching. Stay well hydrated and take vitamins. Good-luck.

You are going to do great! Just remember to enjoy the experience. Don't set any time goals, just go out and have fun. You only have one first race. You have the rest of your life to stress over finish times and such.

Have you practiced your transition setup yet and made a list of things you will need? I am sure Kathy will steer you in the right direction, but just in case...

My back and hip flexor muscles are still bothering me, but I was able to get a run in last night.  I stayed in on the treadmill for less impact.  I also ran at an incline which helped my back out and burned more calories (whoohoo)! I walked the first .5mi then ran for 2.5 mi and walked the last .5mi.  I felt O.K. afterward, but am a little sore in my hip still today.  I will be leaving for Florida soon to run on the beach, can't wait for some warm weather, and a pool to practice in.

Good-luck Kevin, you Kathy and the kids are going to have a blast. If you need me to recommend any restaurants let me know. Have a safe drive down.

No, only racers in the transition area. They usually open it at a certain time, then close it for the swim. There is a swim entrance, a bike in/ out and a run in/out. Usually the bike in/ out are on the opposite side of the transition area than the run in/ out.

If you have a choice in where to set up, I always pick the end of the rack (nearest the middle walkway) and pick the rack closest to the bike out. It is so much easier to run all the way through the transition area barefoot with your wetsuit than it is to run, pushing your bike with your bike shoes on.

Once you get to the transition area and find a spot, there are two ways to rack your bike. First, the rack looks like a metal saw horse. It has two legs on each side and a bar the runs the length. You can turn your bike backwards (so the handlebars are facing out), push your bike under the bar and hang it from the nose of your seat. So, your back wheel is suspended and your front wheel is on the ground. Or if you have aero bars, you can push your bike in forwards, lift the front wheel off the ground and hook your brake levers onto the bar (so the bar is between the brake levers and your handlebars. You can rack on either side of the bar, but you need to alternate (one bike on one side, another bike on the other. Because you need a space for your stuff, you don't want two bikes on the same side of the rack next to each other.

In the picture below, you will see both bikes are hooked by the nose of the seat and are on opposite sides of the rack. There should be way more people on your rack, so you will need to be closer together then the picture shows.

 Once you have your bike set up, you need to make a space for yourself. A towel is the perfect way to mark your spot. Try not to take any more space than you need, but don't cheat yourself either. A small bathroom towel is a perfect sized spot.

I would suggest getting there early and getting setup because there is nothing worse than you getting there an hour and half early, finding a spot, getting all set up and then somebody shows up at the last minute, moves your stuff and jams his stuff into your space. That is the easiest way to make enemies in this sport. Touching other peoples stuff is off limits and getting there late is just as bad.

Once you have your towel setup, lay your stuff out in the order in which you are going to need them. Since you will be wearing your wetsuit and googles, there is no need to lay those out, but I would put my bike shoes and race belt out first (closest) and put my helmet upside down and unbuckled on the handlebars. You have to have your helmet buckled at all times, so put that on first (and not backwards ). I also put my sunglasses in my helmet so I won't forget it.

The next thing on the towel is my running shoes and visor. I may keep a small bottle of water there to clear my mouth of lake/ocean water and to clean my feet before I put them in my bike shoes. 

That's it, I think. Here is a picture I found. It is not how I would set it up, but it shows about the size area you will have.

Also, here is video from Mike Ricci. I wouldn't suggest keeping your shoes cliiped into the bike unless you practice, practice, practice this a million times at home. Getting your feet into bike shoes while clipped in or out while keeping them clipped looks cool, but so does the crash at the edge of the transition area if you get it wrong. That is why there are so many spectators at the bike in/out area. They are just waiting for the crashes. Plus it doesn't save that much time.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1488

This is exciting!

Usually. In an Ironman there are male and female changing tents as well as a bike area.

Some triathlons are point to point. Which means it starts in one place and ends in another. In those races, it's not uncommon for there to be 2 different transition areas.

Hi ALL,

I am in FL for this week and may not be able to check in or post often because the internet does not work where we are staying on the beach, and the coffee shop costs a fortune to use their computers ( which is what I am doing now).  I am working on uping my weekly milage. Running on the beach is wonderful, but a little tougher than I imagined when the sand is thick.  Ran 4mi yesterday and did a 10K this morning.  I also was able to get a swim in last night and plan on swimming every evening while I am here. 

I wasn't able to read all the posts, but good luck to anyone racing this weekend and good job to all who are working hard towards their goals.

I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for another week of training. KevinG Are you starting your taper? You want to be rested for this weekend

Good luck and have fun!