'First Time Triathlete' - The Novice Thread

MCOS

Hi sfhawke7w

Never mind that bufoon at the pool. I wouldn't take that discouaragement from anybody. Take it slow, work on the confidence first. Face in the water, then some breathing, then some strokes etc... the lengths will come in time. Just focus on what is worrying you most right now and work on that. If you set a goal for yourself and work consistently towards it you will get there. Break the goal into manageable steps. September is plenty of time but be realistic. Commit to it and you will notice improvement quickly. Be honest with yourself an be strong about it. In the end of the day you will get out of it what you put in. Go for it!!!

MCOS

pgibbo wrote: »

Yes, I am doing Carna. it will be my first Olympic distance event. Looking forward to it but dreading it also!

MCOS is also doing it.

I hope we get a good day weather wise. Nasty place to be on a bad day! :eek:

Yep I'll be there! Might hang around for a few drinks afterwards too Now whats this I hear about the Carna run being tougher than Kilkee.. Wha??!!

How tough is this Tri?

BTW well done on knocking 8 mins off last year there pgibbo.. nice one!

Bambaata

dont be saying things like that to me MCOS!!! I'd have to hold off a serious amount on the bike if its the case that Carna has a harder run nd i only chose Carna because i didnt like the look of the BoE hills!!

MCOS

Yeah I remember I was between BoE and Carna too. Since it was my first season I figured BoE and HOTW would be biting too much off so I went for Carna. Yep supposed to be a horrible one with as tough a run if not worse!


Guys, Anyone doing Ahlone on Saturday? Did ye get stuff in the post about it? Recieved nothing yet myself

tagoona

MCOS wrote: »

Yep I'll be there! Might hang around for a few drinks afterwards too Now whats this I hear about the Carna run being tougher than Kilkee.. Wha??!!

How tough is this Tri?

BTW well done on knocking 8 mins off last year there pgibbo.. nice one!

The run is definitely tougher. Bike is easier. Although, on thinking about it, there were hills last year in training that I thought were tough that I just see as normal hills.

map my run shows these elevations: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3006459

ZZJ

MCOS wrote: »

Guys, Anyone doing Ahlone on Saturday? Did ye get stuff in the post about it? Recieved nothing yet myself

I got a package with race number, wristband & news letter on monday.

I know they have a set up where people who did not get/lost their numbers can get sorted on the day.

MCOS

tagoona wrote: »

The run is definitely tougher. Bike is easier. Although, on thinking about it, there were hills last year in training that I thought were tough that I just see as normal hills.

map my run shows these elevations: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3006459

Hmm so out and back over a hill, nice and symmetrical. Is it wrong that I pictured a woman lying down looking at that elevation.. ahem...

tagoona

By the way, MCOS - I liked the article!! http://www.limericktriathlon.com/drupal/?q=node/218
Novice my ass though, you run circles around most of us!!!

While I'm at it, this the cycle for Carna - not as bad as the run....
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3007045

MCOS

Bike doesn't look too bad, just the one bit of a climb. Yeah getting a ribbing about that article alright :rolleyes:

ladytri

Doing Athlone on Saturday too. Husband got his stuff but I didn't get anything...looks like it's going to be an early start on Saturday morning so to queue for the "lost registration" tent!

pgibbo

MCOS wrote: »

Bike doesn't look too bad, just the one bit of a climb. Yeah getting a ribbing about that article alright :rolleyes:

It's a good read MCOS. Well done on your year to date. You must be very happy with your progress to date.

Interesting that you point out how important group training is. I may be wrong but I think I recall somewhere that tunney stated that (may have been in relation to the bike) that training solo is more benefical? Do you think group training is important for all 3 or only your weak links?

Bambaata

Good read there MCOS! Best of luck Saturday if i dont see you down there. What wave are you in?

sfhawke7w

guys thanks for all the support,

went to pool after work today, did an hour, and i think i am getting somewhere, the guy that did a wee bit of breathing work with me had said to explode the outbreath but i tried blowing it out in bubbles today and i managed to get two breaths even though not much air on the second, but i def feel that i came on a lot today compared to any other session, i need to time my breath out as some times was getting 3 strokes and others getting 5.

am going in tomorrow at 3 for another bit and the trainer said he will give some guidance then.

as for all the support, thanks i really was going to pack the whole thing in yesterday but after doing some reading online (found some articles on first time tris) and that really boosted my confidence, i also went to the library and found a book, quite easy to follow and the training schedule isnt to bad either.

one question though - with the running , am doing 20mins at 8km on treadmill but find can only manage 7mins then need to walk for 90secs and then do aim for another 7mins, i then up the speed to 12km and run flat out for 30secs, rest and burst again for 30 bringing me up to 20mins. i followed a running programme a couple of years ago and it was walk/run and i am just wondering would i be better maybe doing 4mins jog then walk 1 min and repeat until i get to 20mins? at the moment i find the 20mins run hard. but then again i cycled to work after yesterday so maybe it is all in my head.

MCOS

pgibbo wrote: »

Interesting that you point out how important group training is. I may be wrong but I think I recall somewhere that tunney stated that (may have been in relation to the bike) that training solo is more benefical? Do you think group training is important for all 3 or only your weak links?

Group Training on the Bike: excellent for the beginner as you learn an awful lot about everything, gear, cadence, maintenance etc etc... Also nice to have the company on winter rides. Tunney is correct though that training on your own on the bike is probably more beneficial from the perspective that in a group the pace is dictated for you. On your own (as you will be in a race) you set your own pace. The group may be moving faster than you do on your own too plus you get sucked along in a group making it easier to cover a distance. I'm sure Tunney can give you all the science. Hence I mostly cycle alone.

Group Training Running: waaay more enjoyable than running alone. Also running with a group or someone at the same pace or in slightly better condition than you will push you that little bit and thus increase your fitness/speed over time. I don't mind doing an lsr alone but look for people to train with as much as possible.

Group Training Swimming: Its what got me through the winter. Swimming laps of the pool by yourself over and over again can get quite boring (especially if its a 20m heated pool :rolleyes:). Doing a set with a group is far more interesting and on the mornings when you couldn't be bothered, being in the middle of a group gets the session done. Doing a session with proper swimmer who gives you tips on your stroke even better and swimming with a coach looking on even better again. Then there is OW swimming with a group which beats the pool any day. Quite fun too if you all start together and bump off each other to simulate a Tri start

Just my 2c

MCOS

Bambaata wrote: »

Good read there MCOS! Best of luck Saturday if i dont see you down there. What wave are you in?

Best of luck you too. I'm off in wave 6. Looking forward to the sprint distance again.

MrCreosote

Nice article MCOS! Good luck to everyone on the weekend; hopefully the current isn't too strong this year...

bobaloulou

Hi guys
Anyone any experience of the current in the Shannon, doing Athlone Sprint on Sat and have never swam upstream before so am quite anxious about it.
I wouldn’t be the strongest swimmer

ZZJ

bobaloulou wrote: »

Hi guys
Anyone any experience of the current in the Shannon, doing Athlone Sprint on Sat and have never swam upstream before so am quite anxious about it.
I wouldn’t be the strongest swimmer

Stay in near the bank, there will be less current, and do not worry there are a lot of people anxious about the current, you will not be alone, I see from the website that they have an alternative all downstream course if the flow is too much, so you will not be out in something that people cannot handle.

Best of luck

bobaloulou

Thanks ZZJ

I'm half tempted to go down to Athlone this evening for the trial/practice swim.
If I do I will post back on the current

folgi

sfhawke7w
keep it up- its hard goin at the beginning, but keep checking in on the improvements you're making and try not to let the difficulties/hard parts overcloud the fact that, after each training session you're putting another brick on the wall you're building. brick by brick, step by step. some day soon you'll look back and be so proud that you're good at the things you once found hard.
and most importantly, don't let other peoples opinions knock you down- as the others said, stay positive.
chin up chest out!- keep at it!

as for the running times- i can't say whats right, but if it were me, i would run 4 , walk 1 to bring you to 20 mins, until you're doing that comfortably-then run 5 ,walk 1 three times to bring you to 18mins then up the speed for last 2 mins totalling 20 mins. when comfortable with that, run 7 mins, walk 1, bringing you to 16mins and increase speed for last 4 mins. continue to increase like this until you're running 10 mins, then cut out the walk, as you'll find you'll be able to increase your running time, even by a minute each time. i would recommend running on the road, or grass, as you'll find you can go further. sometimes the threadmill brings endless minutes of clock watching and you get bored easily (i do!) you won't notice the time going outside.
this could be the right wrong way of going about it, but when i started running i would just go a little further each time- lamposts or landmarks are great when on the road. it worked for me, but we're all different and i certainly don't know about the ins and outs of running enough to tell you whats right. see how you go! and good luck

sfhawke7w

well guys went to pool this afternoon and one of the instructors did a wee bit of training with me and i did it managed to do a length and do the breathing, was in pool for over an hour and managed about 12 lengths with the breathing, some lengths swallowed half the pool but it feels great today, to feel i am getting somewhere and that i might actually be able to do it.

i am over the moon and i know will take time but i am so happy.

did 45 min spin class this evening and did 12mins on treadmill (walked 2mins)

so hears to plenty of training!!

kingQuez

Hmm.. silly question; is water provided during a triathlon, or do you just leave your own stocks of whatever in transition/only drink on the bike?

Bambaata

most have a water station on the run. Most carry some on the bike and quantity depends on the distance you are covering. I generally only have a little fluid (about 300 - 400mls) on the bike in a sprint distance and it seems to be ok for me but everyone is different. i haven't mastered what i need in an Olympic yet as ive bonked in the two ive done to date and this has been as a result of bad nutrition plan and going too hard on the bike (as well as not running enough in training!)

kingQuez

Oh, cool. Thanks for the info! Last of my silly questions for the night... what do you do with your wetsuit during T1.. Is there enough space to dump it somewhere so it wont get trashed by other people rushing through the transition? I really didnt do my homework on this

tagoona

Hi Kingquez. You dump it on the ground or on the rack that you just took your bike off. Generally it ends up on the ground anyway, next to your runners for T2.
Nobody will be standing on it.
I would say to put your name and number on the inside of the wetsuit - it's been known for someone to take the wrong suit home.

pgibbo

Best of luck to everyone in Athlone this weekend and any other races that may be on. :cool:

ZZJ

Just got a email about Marshaling the Elite Race tomorrow in Athlone and they said that

'all age group swims are going to be downstream',

just to let you all know!

MCOS

WOOHOO

osgur

feck it.... swimming is my strongest leg.... this is a shame... tad unfair

tunney

osgur wrote: »

feck it.... swimming is my strongest leg.... this is a shame... tad unfair

Very much agree. just because most triathletes (myself included) can't swim properly doesn't mean the leg should be negatate like is happening in alot of Irish races.