Author Topic: Triathlons  (Read 32702 times)

Offline Istanbul Therapy Group

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #80 on: August 20, 2014, 11:49:24 am »
Great shot that mate!

Since the tri has finished I've been swimming 6 times and Im so much better then i was 2 weeks ago. I'm actually fuming with my swim time now!

Anyone got anymore lined up? Might try and sneak one more in and I'm doing the Oulton Park duathlon as well.
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Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #81 on: August 26, 2014, 04:22:43 pm »
Looks like you're having a rest there Adamski!!   :D

Well I'm still buzzing from the National Tri Relays!! What a brilliant day it was & the weather was great too!!
To say that you had quite a bit of time in between your stint, you didn't get much time at all to spectate!! if you know what I mean??   ???
My club had 3 teams entered for the sunday with 2 of them pretty close to each other! We didn't finish anywhere as far as the results were concerned, with one team finishing 45th & my team finishing 53rd after incurring a 2min penalty!!   :no
On the day though we finish about 40sec's behind them so it was a brilliant race between us!!  ;D
I would thoroughly recommend this event to anyone wanting to do a triathlon it is brilliant & I cannot wait until the next one!!!   :wave 

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #82 on: August 26, 2014, 04:27:19 pm »
Great shot that mate!

Since the tri has finished I've been swimming 6 times and Im so much better then i was 2 weeks ago. I'm actually fuming with my swim time now!

Anyone got anymore lined up? Might try and sneak one more in and I'm doing the Oulton Park duathlon as well.
I've got two more pool 'sprints' lined up, Southwell & East Leake, & maybe the Carsington Duathlon!!
ITG, have you done a Duathlon before matey? The final run is much harder than the run in a Tri (in my opinion) as I did three off road one last year & I couldn't believe how hard the run was!!   :o

Offline monkeyharris

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #83 on: September 8, 2014, 07:48:23 am »
Hi chaps

So looking for some riding advice
We've got four teams from the office entered into an Eton Dorney tri on sept 28
I'm doing the bike leg for our team...I think 2 of us are gonna be pretty close..matched swimmers in the 27 min area and my runner is a 50 minutes as opposed to the others 40 minute runner..so a lot gonna be down to me to get a gap on their rider

Have found a place to get 40 k uninterrupted (give or take pedestrians wandering into the road and cars pulling out) training runs..my first run out was 1.19.. My second 1.17.. My third 1.17 again(2 seconds faster)
I don't think I've got time to introduce tri bars to the bike now...in case I can't get into a comfortable enough position so staying on my usual road bike for this ride anyhow
Finding I can hold an average of 32kmh for around the first half then slowly losing speed over the second half..keeping cadence in the high 90's

Any hints as to what I can be doing in next few weeks to get my time down

Also considering whether to use brand new tyres.. My summer Michelin pro 4's which went on in April showing a few nicks so a bit worried to use them on the day in case something gets through
Put on a new summer tyre or lessen risk of puncture by using Conti 4 seasons? I take it Eton is a well kept surface

Any hints gladly received  :wave
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Offline Adamski7

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #84 on: September 8, 2014, 12:17:50 pm »
Hi chaps

So looking for some riding advice
We've got four teams from the office entered into an Eton Dorney tri on sept 28
I'm doing the bike leg for our team...I think 2 of us are gonna be pretty close..matched swimmers in the 27 min area and my runner is a 50 minutes as opposed to the others 40 minute runner..so a lot gonna be down to me to get a gap on their rider

Have found a place to get 40 k uninterrupted (give or take pedestrians wandering into the road and cars pulling out) training runs..my first run out was 1.19.. My second 1.17.. My third 1.17 again(2 seconds faster)
I don't think I've got time to introduce tri bars to the bike now...in case I can't get into a comfortable enough position so staying on my usual road bike for this ride anyhow
Finding I can hold an average of 32kmh for around the first half then slowly losing speed over the second half..keeping cadence in the high 90's

Any hints as to what I can be doing in next few weeks to get my time down

Also considering whether to use brand new tyres.. My summer Michelin pro 4's which went on in April showing a few nicks so a bit worried to use them on the day in case something gets through
Put on a new summer tyre or lessen risk of puncture by using Conti 4 seasons? I take it Eton is a well kept surface

Any hints gladly received  :wave

Eton Dorny is a brilliant event, and you'll be fine on the surface there.

Couple of tips you can try and introduce at short notice - ride on "phantom" aero bars, like I am in the picture at Liverpool a few posts up.  This is a difficult trick, it took be a couple of weeks to get confident with it, but you can noticably feel the difference.

The reason i do this, is that aero bars aren't always legal, i do alot of road racing and crit racing where you can't use aero bars, so i like to be in the practice of riding on "phantom bars".

Tyre pressures is an obvious one - make sure your at at least 100 psi, be aiming for 110-115 if your inner tubes can take it.  On a dry crit race i'll be running 120psi.

Learn to move around in the saddle - this is a big one for TT/Triathlon riders, because it's a constant power event.  Shift forwards and backwards in the saddle when your quads/hamstrings begin to burn, this moves the load into a different muscle, and is a good way of giving the glory muscles (quad and calf) a bit of a rest.

Other than that, strip your bike of weight.  One bidon cage is all you need for a 40k ride.  No saddle bags, no spare tubes, no lights, no reflectors, no lock carriers, no frame pumps.  My freind saved 1kg off his bike when he weight with/without all of the extras.  People pay thousands to save that kind of weight.

Offline monkeyharris

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #85 on: September 8, 2014, 02:21:46 pm »
Thanks Adam
Will try the phantom aero for sure - long straights at Dorney to take advantage of that position
Can lose one bottle cage and the saddlebag - obviously have that on whilst training in case of puncture but can take the risk on the tri
And will risk a few extra psi points too..i'm gonna go on new summer tyres(if dry) and then use them next summer
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Offline ATEAMOFCARRAGHERS

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #86 on: January 4, 2015, 07:49:53 pm »
Made up this thread is going. Looking to race again this year if I can get my bike confidence back. Be great to race Liverpool again. I hear the transition is in the Echo?
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Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #87 on: January 4, 2015, 08:22:28 pm »
Hi all,

I want to do a triathlon in 2015. I have a hell of a long way to go though as I've never done one before. I've got myself a road bike and a triathlon suit. That's a start. I'm a poor swimmer, but I am swimming regularly now (3/4 mornings a week) and I'm really looking to improve this year. I've not cycled since I was a kid. But I've just got my bike and I will be incorporating that in my routine also.

I have so many questions, but I don't want to overload the thread with them all. I was looking at joining MerseyTri for the open water swimming from April onwards, but I'm not sure if they'd be too elite for me. I know of a local running club who do swimming too, so I will see what fits my schedule best.

My first basic question is could anyone recommend a good event to start? I think I would prefer the Olympic distance. I'm more of an endurance person rather than a sprinter. Looking for something in the Summer ideally when I have more free time. Liverpool one would be ideal I think. But I'm not sure how to go about entering, do I need a British triathlon license? Or just get a day one? Seems like a big official event.

Thanks for any advice and responses.
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Offline ATEAMOFCARRAGHERS

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #88 on: January 4, 2015, 08:45:20 pm »
Liverpool tri when I did it was a great race. I did it twice and thought the organisation was the best. I'm assuming your based in Liverpool?? If so then do it. I'm looking to race it again.
As for training your doing the toughest bit. Swimming
.
You'll need a wetsuit which you can hire from loads of places. Then get some open water training in. You can choose from Crosby or the Dock.

As for the bike. Hard for me to say it myself as I'm struggling with confidence....but you need to ride. Join a club. Mersey Tri do do rides. Ask them about it. Liverpool Century might be a way to look too. They do rides for all abilities I think. Hope this helps.
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Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #89 on: January 4, 2015, 09:05:32 pm »
I'm assuming your based in Liverpool??

I'm on the Wirral and I read that they do training at West Kirby Marine Lake also, the Docks are still an option for me too. I spoke to a guy at Wallasey AC and he said they do some open water swimming too, so I might ask them. I will send Mersey Tri an e-mail to see about their schedules.

I think the whole not knowing what to expect puts me off a little, but I just need to bite the bullet and get my backside down to a club ASAP.

I bought the tri-suit thinking I might not need a wet-suit, might of been a mistake! Thanks for the reply, just trying to get a feel for how best to start out. Think I'll get a club, then book the event.
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Offline ATEAMOFCARRAGHERS

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #90 on: January 4, 2015, 10:52:26 pm »
Tri suits are worn under the wetsuit unless it's really warm water. Then you just wear the tri suit. You still use the tri suit for bike and swim.
 Yer they do open water sessions in West Kirby too. It's the best thing to do. They are all very friendly at Mersey Tri.
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Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #91 on: January 7, 2015, 10:09:39 pm »
Just concentrate on getting stronger in the swim in the pool before you start to worry about open water swimming! You've got plenty of time yet before open water, it's still freezing in the water & only nutters swim in open water this time of year!!   ;D Oh & you will deffo need a wetsuit in Britain's waters, in fact I don't think I could swim open water without one to be honest!!
But in saying all that, you will definitely need to get some open water swimming in before you do your first race, as it could be all over before you've swam 100m!!  :o
Definitely join up with a club, it might seem 'elitist' but everyone started off as a beginner & folk generally love to help new comers out!!   ;)
Try these sites for loads of events;
http://www.trifinder.co.uk/
http://www.onestepbeyond.org.uk/
I would recommend to do a pool based sprint tri first though, its good fun & can be classed as training too & its only a sprint if you want to sprint!!   ;)
Oh & you are always best to have a trisuit no matter if its pool based or open water as most if not all races do not allow bare torso's!
« Last Edit: January 7, 2015, 10:12:16 pm by Jay797 »

Offline ATEAMOFCARRAGHERS

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #92 on: January 8, 2015, 12:48:55 pm »
Just concentrate on getting stronger in the swim in the pool before you start to worry about open water swimming! You've got plenty of time yet before open water, it's still freezing in the water & only nutters swim in open water this time of year!!   ;D Oh & you will deffo need a wetsuit in Britain's waters, in fact I don't think I could swim open water without one to be honest!!
But in saying all that, you will definitely need to get some open water swimming in before you do your first race, as it could be all over before you've swam 100m!!  :o
Definitely join up with a club, it might seem 'elitist' but everyone started off as a beginner & folk generally love to help new comers out!!   ;)
Try these sites for loads of events;
http://www.trifinder.co.uk/
http://www.onestepbeyond.org.uk/
I would recommend to do a pool based sprint tri first though, its good fun & can be classed as training too & its only a sprint if you want to sprint!!   ;)
Oh & you are always best to have a trisuit no matter if its pool based or open water as most if not all races do not allow bare torso's!
Defo wetsuit if your racing in the UK. Wetsuits generally give good buoyancy. I'm not a really strong swimmer so I bought one that had thicker neoprene on the legs to reduce drag.

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Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #93 on: January 8, 2015, 09:01:37 pm »
Going to stick to the pool in the mornings and work on front crawl. I have a lot to learn I know. Just thought the sooner to get familiar, the better! I will just try and build a base for the 3 sports and see where I am in a couple of months.
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Offline Eddobald

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #94 on: January 15, 2015, 09:50:02 pm »
Allright, this is something I never thought I would ever do, sticking my head into a triathlon thread..

Anyway, short story made even shorter, a mate of mine challenged me last year to do a 70km long cycle sportive, a challenge which I accepted.  To pull one back I challenged him to do a half-marathon this year, which he accepted.  A little bit too easy I thought, got a bit cocky and challenged him to do a half-Ironman with me instead, knowing that there was no way he would accept the challenge...but he did!

So here I am, looking forward to a lot of physical exercise over the next six months.  started running a little bit before christmas, installed my racer on a trainer and went into a pool for the first time in 13 years last week.  Couldn't swim 13 years ago, and it only took five seconds before the lifeguards came running to pull me out of the water this time...  :P

A part of me is looking forward to all the hard work and hopefully being able to do it, while the other part of me is having nightmares of my swimming abilities every night   :)

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #95 on: January 15, 2015, 10:37:00 pm »
Allright, this is something I never thought I would ever do, sticking my head into a triathlon thread..

Anyway, short story made even shorter, a mate of mine challenged me last year to do a 70km long cycle sportive, a challenge which I accepted.  To pull one back I challenged him to do a half-marathon this year, which he accepted.  A little bit too easy I thought, got a bit cocky and challenged him to do a half-Ironman with me instead, knowing that there was no way he would accept the challenge...but he did!

So here I am, looking forward to a lot of physical exercise over the next six months.  started running a little bit before christmas, installed my racer on a trainer and went into a pool for the first time in 13 years last week.  Couldn't swim 13 years ago, and it only took five seconds before the lifeguards came running to pull me out of the water this time...  :P

A part of me is looking forward to all the hard work and hopefully being able to do it, while the other part of me is having nightmares of my swimming abilities every night   :)
This might sound counter intuitive but spend lots of time in the pool swimming matey more time than your cycling & running for at least a couple or three months!! Its a 1900m swim & the last thing you want is for your race to be over before you even get on your bike!
Welcome to Triathlons, you'll love it!!  :wave

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #96 on: March 19, 2015, 10:11:47 pm »
Got my first race on Saturday. Its a Duathlon (sprint) at Clumber Park & its the British Championship too!!   ;D
I was hoping to do quite well until I got tonsillitis a month ago & was ill in bed for a whole bloody week with it & last week had another bug!!   :no :no
But I shall give it my best  :wave

Offline dave 5516

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #97 on: March 21, 2015, 04:23:33 pm »
Got my first race on Saturday. Its a Duathlon (sprint) at Clumber Park & its the British Championship too!!   ;D
I was hoping to do quite well until I got tonsillitis a month ago & was ill in bed for a whole bloody week with it & last week had another bug!!   :no :no
But I shall give it my best  :wave
Only just seen this,J...hope it went well la. :wave
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Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #98 on: March 21, 2015, 10:04:09 pm »
Only just seen this,J...hope it went well la. :wave
Cheers Dave.
I'm quite disappointed really as I completed it in 1:11:20 & I was hoping for a time between 1:05 & 1:10 really, so it was a bit of a reality check I suppose!!  :(
 The bike leg was into a bloody headwind all the way round which made it a tough ride really!  :o
But trying to look on the bright side I am now 24th best sprint Duathlete in Britain in my age group, so I'm pretty pleased with that I suppose!!  :wave :champ

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #99 on: March 25, 2015, 09:05:31 pm »
Just booked my next race, another Duathlon, The Vale of Glamorgan Duathlon on the 12th. Then realized its only 2 weeks away!!  :o ;D
I'll see if I can do better this time around?
Then its onto the Triathlon season with the Little Beaver (Olympic) Triathlon end of May 

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #100 on: April 12, 2015, 04:45:29 pm »
Well I've just completed the Vale of Glamorgan Duathlon & I've learnt a valuable lesson!!   :duh

Make sure your helmet is fastened before you touch your bike!!!!!! Otherwise incur a 2min time penalty!!  :no :no


I completed it in 1hr23:50 + 2mins. I'm very happy with the time as it was a 5.5k run 26k bike & 2.5k run.
That time penalty could cost me a GB age group place??  :duh  :no


Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #101 on: April 19, 2015, 08:41:05 pm »
Got my first two coming up in the next few months. Nervous and excited. Southport and Liverpool in June and July respectively. In both I'm doing the standard distance.

My swimming has improved immensely since the turn of the year. In the grand scheme of things I am probably still useless, but I am confident I can cover the distance. I still have not swam in open water, I have a wetsuit and I intend to get down to some sessions in the next few weeks. I will then ride home on the bike after these sessions. Happy with that.

My cycling is also not good. Average just under 15mph most rides, I have rode 60 miles a week for 3 of the last 4 weeks and this should continue. Really need to get a couple of big rides in.

Overall, as I only started running about a year ago, I am really happy with the progress I've made. Will try to get some brick sessions in soon too. I have done a couple short distance ones, but I need to make them more regular.

Any tips are more than welcome. Not bothered about times for now. Just want to get a feel for the sport.

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Offline dave 5516

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #102 on: April 19, 2015, 09:01:44 pm »
Well I've just completed the Vale of Glamorgan Duathlon & I've learnt a valuable lesson!!   :duh

Make sure your helmet is fastened before you touch your bike!!!!!! Otherwise incur a 2min time penalty!!  :no :no


I completed it in 1hr23:50 + 2mins. I'm very happy with the time as it was a 5.5k run 26k bike & 2.5k run.
That time penalty could cost me a GB age group place??  :duh  :no
Might I remind you...yer a triathlete..I'm surprised you tighten yer qr's lad.... ;D How's things J...you good?
Exercise is to the body what reading is to the mind.

"If I hadn't doped, I would never have won". "Doping improves your performance between 5 and 7 per cent, and maybe 10 to 12 per cent when you are in a peak shape.

"Doping isn't addictive but it's an instrument of power: whoever wins attracts the money; for themselves, the team and the sponsors"

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #103 on: April 20, 2015, 10:38:52 pm »
Might I remind you...yer a triathlete..I'm surprised you tighten yer qr's lad.... ;D How's things J...you good?
I'm good Dave ta, you?  :wave
I've just started to enter a local 10mile TT every Thursday night! Does that make me a cyclist now??   ;D  My first one I did in 28:17 on my road bike complete with mudguards, I'm on my TT bike this week & hope to knock a minute or so off that!

Offline dave 5516

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #104 on: April 23, 2015, 07:54:39 pm »
I'm good Dave ta, you?  :wave
I've just started to enter a local 10mile TT every Thursday night! Does that make me a cyclist now??   ;D  My first one I did in 28:17 on my road bike complete with mudguards, I'm on my TT bike this week & hope to knock a minute or so off that!
I'm good thanks,J....excuse the tardy reply la..I've been away on a little cycling break with me mate out on the Shropshire-Wales border..hard work...too hard fer me like.  ;D

Good luck tonight...26 plus minutes I'd think..whatever it is...enjoy it..as much as you can. :wave
Exercise is to the body what reading is to the mind.

"If I hadn't doped, I would never have won". "Doping improves your performance between 5 and 7 per cent, and maybe 10 to 12 per cent when you are in a peak shape.

"Doping isn't addictive but it's an instrument of power: whoever wins attracts the money; for themselves, the team and the sponsors"

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #105 on: April 25, 2015, 07:17:59 pm »
Oooooooerrr  I went for my first open water swim of the year today & what a fool I am!!! I was hoping to swim my 1500m Tri swim in about 26mins when I race??? Well that's gone straight out the window, I'll be lucky to break 40 mins after todays effort!!  :o :no
I had a new wetsuit on which might need 'bedding in' but I still panicked a little, feeling claustrophobic & breathless, & when I swim back up the lake, the 'chop' was against me & it felt like I was drowning the whole time I was swimming!! :(
I obviously need loads more time open water swimming before the 17th May otherwise I might as well forget turning up as its mayhem at Triathlon swims!!  :'(

Offline Adamski7

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #106 on: April 26, 2015, 11:03:37 am »
Oooooooerrr  I went for my first open water swim of the year today & what a fool I am!!! I was hoping to swim my 1500m Tri swim in about 26mins when I race??? Well that's gone straight out the window, I'll be lucky to break 40 mins after todays effort!!  :o :no
I had a new wetsuit on which might need 'bedding in' but I still panicked a little, feeling claustrophobic & breathless, & when I swim back up the lake, the 'chop' was against me & it felt like I was drowning the whole time I was swimming!! :(
I obviously need loads more time open water swimming before the 17th May otherwise I might as well forget turning up as its mayhem at Triathlon swims!!  :'(

26 mins is very fucking fast like.....

The swim for me, was always just something i had to get out the way without incident.  No point in trying to take 3 or 4 minutes off my already shit swim time, only to have a panic attack and it slow me down on the bike (on which i could take 10 minutes out of the field).

The good thing is, the issues you mention, i used to have every "first" open water swim of the year.  It's not a fitness issue its a familiarity issue.  Plus, the colder temps don't help.

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #107 on: April 26, 2015, 09:49:37 pm »
Oooooooerrr  I went for my first open water swim of the year today & what a fool I am!!! I was hoping to swim my 1500m Tri swim in about 26mins when I race??? Well that's gone straight out the window, I'll be lucky to break 40 mins after todays effort!!  :o :no

You've put the jitters up me there!

I was hoping to have my first one tomorrow, but due to work I won't be able to make it. So it'll be this Saturday. Talking to some people at the club today, they advised me to get neoprene socks as it can be really cold. Still can't wait to try this out!
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Offline dave 5516

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #108 on: April 27, 2015, 07:37:21 pm »
I'm good thanks,J....excuse the tardy reply la..I've been away on a little cycling break with me mate out on the Shropshire-Wales border..hard work...too hard fer me like.  ;D

Good luck tonight...26 plus minutes I'd think..whatever it is...enjoy it..as much as you can. :wave
Well done lad. :wave
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Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #109 on: April 27, 2015, 10:12:34 pm »
You've put the jitters up me there!

I was hoping to have my first one tomorrow, but due to work I won't be able to make it. So it'll be this Saturday. Talking to some people at the club today, they advised me to get neoprene socks as it can be really cold. Still can't wait to try this out!
You'll be fine if you slowly acclimatize to the water matey, don't just jump straight in! I'm still pretty anxious in the water too so that doesn't help matters!

I've been to the Dr's today & she said I'm fighting a viruse?!!   :o   I don't feel ill though!
Well done lad. :wave
That was a good shout Dave, I did reply in the cyclist thread, as I feel that TT'ing is pure cycling  :lickin
Any predictions for this week???  ;D


On a serious note though, I've almost given up on this season before it's even started  :-[ & I'm now thinking about next season & in particular how to improve (dramatically) my cycling without having to spend 6hrs, 5 days a week on the bike as obviously I need to have a splash & jog too!!   :wave

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #110 on: May 1, 2015, 07:47:50 pm »
Got my first Triathlon of the season on Sunday. It's a pool sprint at Lincoln!  ;D
I'm hoping to do the swim in under 7.30min but I'm not going to hold my breath (pun intended!)
I would like to get under 20mins for the 5k run too but again, I doubt it, but you never know?

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #111 on: May 3, 2015, 04:23:25 pm »
Well what can I say.... I'm not having much luck this season already!! I woke up yesterday with a real painful stiff neck & it still was very painful today! Then I swam 2 extra lengths in the swim!!  :no All because of some dickhead that kept grabbing my feet & tapping my toes to overtake me on the turn & then hold me up for 4 length's making me forget how many I'd done!!  :no ;D :butt
Bloody wet & windy conditions this morning on the ride too which was 14.8 miles long with a hill in the first 5k that had me in the granny ring & out of my saddle, it was brutal!!   :o But I averaged 21.1 mph on it so I'm well chuffed with that!!  :)
The run was a little tougher than I was hoping for as the return was into a headwind too!
Time was 1:13:33 & I was 59th overall out of 540 which I've got to be pretty pleased with as its in the top 10%  :champ

Here's the map of the hill?? If it works??

 http://www.onestepbeyond.org.uk/david-lloyd-lincoln-triathlon-maps.php
Might not be much to most folk but I had no more gears left & I was out of my saddle!!  :o ;D
« Last Edit: May 3, 2015, 04:35:34 pm by Jay797 »

Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #112 on: May 9, 2015, 12:37:48 pm »
Well, I had my first go in the Open water at Crosby this morning. I only managed about 50 metres before I had to get out. I need to improve a hell of a lot. All the pool training seemed to have little effect. Whole new ball game.

Water was cold, 11 degrees. It was choppy and windy and some people decided not to swim today. I decided to have a go because it was my first time and I wanted to get a feel for it. My wetsuit is too tight and that made it difficult too. All in all a culmination of things, the waves, the cold, the wetsuit. I just could not get my breathing right. It was weird looking down and just seeing brown... I will be trying again next week though!!

All I can say is the guys who swam today and any of you who do swim in the open water have my full respect. Extremely hard work. I can knock 100 lengths off in the pool (albeit slowly) no problem. But the open water is a whole new discipline I have to master.
All around you walls are tumbling down. Stop staring at the ground.

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #113 on: May 9, 2015, 07:50:15 pm »
Well, I had my first go in the Open water at Crosby this morning. I only managed about 50 metres before I had to get out. I need to improve a hell of a lot. All the pool training seemed to have little effect. Whole new ball game.

Water was cold, 11 degrees. It was choppy and windy and some people decided not to swim today. I decided to have a go because it was my first time and I wanted to get a feel for it. My wetsuit is too tight and that made it difficult too. All in all a culmination of things, the waves, the cold, the wetsuit. I just could not get my breathing right. It was weird looking down and just seeing brown... I will be trying again next week though!!

All I can say is the guys who swam today and any of you who do swim in the open water have my full respect. Extremely hard work. I can knock 100 lengths off in the pool (albeit slowly) no problem. But the open water is a whole new discipline I have to master.
Hey matey do not worry about how it went today!! It was always going to happen & it will definitely get better I promise & I'm talking from my own experiences too. I was exactly the same! Bloody hell it was only a couple of Saturdays ago that I did my first open water swim & had what I can only describe as a pulmonary edema!! I thought that I wouldn't be doing anymore open water swimming again.
Here's my swim from today
 https://www.strava.com/activities/301077222
It was cold but I took 5mins to acclimatise then it felt fine after another 5mins of swimming.
You've done the hard bit by getting in the water  :champ how many folk do you know that wants to swim in a cold lake?
Wetsuits are meant to be pretty tight but not breathing restrictive tight once your in the water!
Keep at it matey, your confidence will definitely come!  :wave

Oh just to add matey, I went for my second open water swim on Wed. just gone & it was pissing it down & not looking great at all!! But it turned into one of my favourite swims ever!! Not only did I swim better than the Sat previous but we had Swifts or Swallows feeding & drinking literally inches from our heads, absolutely brilliant & then when we swam back down the lake we were graced with the clearest rainbow that looked like it started at the other end of the lake, it was almost magical!!
Just thought I'd share that with you as I was contemplating on never open water swimming again if I had another 'attack'  :wave
« Last Edit: May 9, 2015, 08:29:10 pm by Jay797 »

Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #114 on: May 9, 2015, 10:57:37 pm »
Wetsuits are meant to be pretty tight but not breathing restrictive tight once your in the water!
Keep at it matey, your confidence will definitely come!  :wave

I definitely will keep at it, it will take more than that to beat me, that's for sure! I'm planning to go again on Monday provided I get out of work on time.

First thing I did after it was to go to a Tri shop in Chester and get a better wetsuit, still nothing special, an Aquasphere Pursuit, but tried on a few and made sure it was a good fit etc. The staff were really helpful. I was using a piece of tatt from Sports Direct before that I just bought as it was cheap. Silly error. Not to use the wetsuit as a scapegoat for my poor swimming.

I thought I had prepared myself mentally for the open water. But I don't think you can prepare yourself. I am annoyed for panicking. If I set off too quickly and was struggling in a pool, I would just slow down and catch my breath. But it is much more difficult to think clearly when your head is in murky water and you can't find your stroke because of the choppy waves.

When I set off, my mind was saying 'just get stuck in and make sure you keep up with everyone else'. What I should of been doing was focussing on myself only, my breathing and my stoke; making sure I did not panic.

I will have a proper warm up and prepare for the water before I next go in. I will set off slowly and just try to find my rhythm. Hopefully if the lake is still and not choppy it will be easier. I am prepared for a tough time though. The felllas there did say you won't get much worse than this, as it was touch and go whether we would be allowed out or not.

Sounds like a great swim you had, 'can't wait to get to the stage where I actually enjoy it! 6 weeks to sharpen up!
« Last Edit: May 9, 2015, 10:59:26 pm by AA1122 »
All around you walls are tumbling down. Stop staring at the ground.

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #115 on: May 11, 2015, 10:02:53 pm »
Well I cycled to Belvoir Castle on Sunday to reccy the bike course & sort of wished I hadn't bothered! There's a right bitch of a hill that's only about half a mile long but it had me in the granny gear thinking I might not make it up!!!  :o I've also got to climb that git twice!!!  :o >:(
I had a (dream) time in my head that I'd would have liked to get under 2.30 but I'm now thinking anything under 3hrs will be good!!  :o ;D

I definitely will keep at it, it will take more than that to beat me, that's for sure! I'm planning to go again on Monday provided I get out of work on time.

First thing I did after it was to go to a Tri shop in Chester and get a better wetsuit, still nothing special, an Aquasphere Pursuit, but tried on a few and made sure it was a good fit etc. The staff were really helpful. I was using a piece of tatt from Sports Direct before that I just bought as it was cheap. Silly error. Not to use the wetsuit as a scapegoat for my poor swimming.

I thought I had prepared myself mentally for the open water. But I don't think you can prepare yourself. I am annoyed for panicking. If I set off too quickly and was struggling in a pool, I would just slow down and catch my breath. But it is much more difficult to think clearly when your head is in murky water and you can't find your stroke because of the choppy waves.

When I set off, my mind was saying 'just get stuck in and make sure you keep up with everyone else'. What I should of been doing was focussing on myself only, my breathing and my stoke; making sure I did not panic.

I will have a proper warm up and prepare for the water before I next go in. I will set off slowly and just try to find my rhythm. Hopefully if the lake is still and not choppy it will be easier. I am prepared for a tough time though. The felllas there did say you won't get much worse than this, as it was touch and go whether we would be allowed out or not.

Sounds like a great swim you had, 'can't wait to get to the stage where I actually enjoy it! 6 weeks to sharpen up!
It sounds like you had a right baptism there matey!! Like you say, its not going to be half as bad next time & I bet you'll end up loving the next swim you have, as you know now what it takes (sort of)!! If that makes sense?
A good wetsuit is essential but it can start to become a very expensive hobby/sport if you want to 'compete' with all the gear that you 'need'   ;D
Have you thought about entering a pool sprint Tri as that is good practice & will get you used to the feeling of cycling after the swim & running after the swim & bike & in a race environment?

Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #116 on: May 11, 2015, 10:12:35 pm »
It sounds like you had a right baptism there matey!! Like you say, its not going to be half as bad next time & I bet you'll end up loving the next swim you have,

Well you're 100% right there!

I went again tonight, it was windy again, but the lake wasn't half as choppy thankfully. I was nervous before it, but determined to stick to my stroke and do it this time. So I swam out to the first buoy and then swam back to test the water. So far so good. I thought I will try that again, so heads out to the first buoy, nice consistent stroke, I thought 'I feel good here, let's go for the second'. Onto the second buoy, all is well, stroke is fine. Good, I'll do the lap (approx 650-750 metres). Swam the lap fine, drifted a little due to poor sighting, but was really comfortable and happy. So I did another lap. All was good, really was in my element.

So 2 laps tonight and a little swim in and out to the buoy, about a mile in total. Really happy with that. The wetsuit made so much difference, I could feel the buoyancy in the legs and knew I was swimming in a far better position.

Wondering what all the fuss was about now, I can't wait for the next session. Gone from pessimism to optimism in 48 hours. I think that I just picked the wrong day and with so much against me it was too much. Feel fantastic now! Onwards and upwards.

Certainly was a right baptism first time though.
All around you walls are tumbling down. Stop staring at the ground.

Offline Jay797

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #117 on: May 11, 2015, 10:30:09 pm »
Brilliant AA   :champ
It is a massive relief when you do your next swim quite comfortably after a shite one isn't it!
I'm a very weak swimmer with no confidence in the water myself so the first open water swim this year was another rough one but then the 2nd was probably my favourite swim ever!  ;D
Once you've swam a few times open water, swim in a small group pretty tight & get one of your mates to get in your face & gently rough you up a little, ie touching your toes & knocking your arm in the recovery phase just so you get used to it a little before your first Tri, as it can be very daunting in the swim especially the start as its just like being in a washing machine!!!  :o Not meaning to scare you off or anything  ;)
Which Tri you doing?

Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #118 on: May 11, 2015, 10:35:39 pm »
Which Tri you doing?

Southport and Liverpool, both standard distance. I might do the dock swim also as prep. for Liverpool.
https://www.vitalevents.co.uk/events/liverpool-open-water-swim

I'm just made up to have swam the distance, I was worried about just getting round after Saturday. There is no way I will be underestimating the starting waves after that.
All around you walls are tumbling down. Stop staring at the ground.

Offline AA1122

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Re: Triathlons
« Reply #119 on: May 16, 2015, 12:50:42 pm »
Another session this morning, went well, choppy but feeling much more comfortable now.
All around you walls are tumbling down. Stop staring at the ground.