How many triathletes here?

I have been doing triathlon for last 3 years. Have done 10+ sprints and a couple of Oly races. Don't know if I'll ever have time to train for a HIM or IM, but I do like the training (although my running is at a glacial pace). How may other MFP people do tris?

Replies

  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I admire triathletes. I'd drown :frown: ... SOOOO bad at swimming.
  • LouSmorals
    LouSmorals Posts: 93 Member
    Yeah, it's commonly the toughest discipline as it is the most technically demanding. I swam in HS so I'm *still* pretty fast, but it all goes downhill after I get out of the water. I'm hoping that losing 20+ lbs will help my game.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    I'm in the "aspiring" category. I'm hoping to do my first sprint this year. My workout buddy didn't think I'd ever get to 185 and said that if I did he'd do a tri with me. I have 18 pounds to go and he's still around 270, and getting scared at this point. :devil:

    Rigger
  • ka97
    ka97 Posts: 1,984 Member
    There's lots of us! :drinker:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/88-triathletes-duathletes

    A lot of us are in hibernation during the snowy weather!

    Done lots of sprints, a couple of Olys. No real aspirations for a HIM. I'm not great on the bike, and I just have no desire to do the necessary bike training for that distance.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Raises hand.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    There's lots of us! :drinker:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/88-triathletes-duathletes

    A lot of us are in hibernation during the snowy weather!
    But not all of us. ;)

    Glad you posted the group.
  • mcbluesky
    mcbluesky Posts: 92 Member
    <---- Completed 4 Sprints over the past couple of years. Goal is to do an OLY this year. Struggle with swimming, and need to lose some #'s to help with the running. Enjoy the training though. Good luck to all who participate.
  • perkins_jerryw
    perkins_jerryw Posts: 18 Member
    I started with my first sprint in 2007 not knowing how to swim (tough to do as an adult learner - should have seen me in class with all the moms and babies). Since then I have done several sprints, Oly's HIM's and three Ironman races (Coeur d'Alene once and Arizona twice). I have two 70.3's before summer this year (Oceanside, CA and Kona, HI) that I am trying to lose weight for.
  • Vanguard1
    Vanguard1 Posts: 372 Member
    I did a couple of Sprints a couple of years back, training for an early Sprint this season and goal is to finish off with an Oly!
  • Punkedpoetess
    Punkedpoetess Posts: 633 Member
    Just started training indoors and am on my second week of training. My fitness goal for the year is to complete a half triathlon by the end of the year. It's exciting, but challenging for me. Especially the swimming which I need to start working on as well as learning to run after biking. Working on the biking and running together part currently.
  • michelefrench
    michelefrench Posts: 814 Member
    My first tri is this August...any words of advice for us noobs is always appreciated!!
  • alathIN
    alathIN Posts: 142 Member
    I'm in the "participant" category. For the past 3 years, I have been in a multisport group where we do Tris in the Summer, run events in the spring and fall, and swim meets in the winter. I have done at least one sprint and one Oly each year.

    I am one of those strange people who like Oly distance because the swim is my best part. Still not great - I'm usually in upper third for swim, and bottom third for bike and run.

    There are people in my group who are very accomplished - we have several Boston qualifiers each year, one of our better swimmers had a top three finish in her age group nationally in the mile, and one of our best triathletes qualifed for the ironman world championships in her age group. Needless to say these people are all faster than me, but we have a great group that is very welcoming for people of all performance levels.

    My top three pieces of advice:
    1) training consistently at a lower intensity is a lot better than going overly intense and getting injured
    2) practice your pacing so you will be able to finish strong
    3) get into a group, find a training partner, whatever it takes to get some social power feeding your program
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    I'm trying to get into it now. I'm no where near being a triathlete, but I will get there. I can run, and I cycle a lot, but haven't even started to train for swimming. I mean, I can swim, but I'm not sure I am very efficient at it. lol. I am doing a Duathlon on March 29th which will get my feet wet on the whole deal. Hopefully in a year or two I can call myself a triathlete.

    My goal is to complete an Ironman before I'm 40 (I'm 36 now). We shall see.
  • IronmanNYC
    IronmanNYC Posts: 14 Member
    Became a triathlete because I needed cross-training due to injuries from running. It's an addicting sport. Enjoy it!!!

    Thanks for providing the link. I'll check that out.
  • RoyalMoose11
    RoyalMoose11 Posts: 211 Member
    Just joined the group. I've been running and swimming for a few months and really want to try to add some biking to get into the tri circuit. Thanks for posting.
  • katalinax87
    katalinax87 Posts: 146 Member
    Signed up for my first sprint in July. So very excited!
  • MINIRunner
    MINIRunner Posts: 19 Member
    Almost 10 years now...

    Last 2 off due to injury, no time to train. I am changing that this year though. Back to sprints, maybe an Olympic distance.

    If all goes well another 70.3 end of the season.
  • IronmanNYC
    IronmanNYC Posts: 14 Member
    My bit of advice for a noob is to learn proper form for swimming!! Take a class; have a coach look at your form and correct things. Then start building distance.
  • _MG_
    _MG_ Posts: 453 Member
    I'd like to be one.

    I've started training for my first one in Aug '14.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    I have done two sprint distance, I needed something to train for when I was getting close to my goal weight. I am not really supposed to run according to my dr, so I train more for the swimming and biking and then just walk/run the end. I have never had a serious training program...until now, I am doing a 6 week training that is heart rate based and I am doing an indoor triathlon in the end. Hoping that this will help me do better in my third outdoor sprint (I've done the same one both times and going for a third)
  • sigsby
    sigsby Posts: 220 Member
    I am a new triathlete. I finished my first sprint last year. This year the plan is to enter the same sprint and an olympic distance too.
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
    *Jumps up and down, waves arms in the air* Ooh ooh ooh Me me me me me MMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Love triathlon. Just freaking love it. Did my first in 2007 and haven't looked back.

    Best noob advice ever: Enjoy it. Enjoy your training, enjoy your race day. Enjoy improving. Enjoy figuring out the sport. The transitions, the switching from 1 discipline to the next. Enjoy figuring out how to turn your bike into a blazing hot road rocket. Just enjoy it all.

    The more fun you have training, the more fun you'll have on race day. The more fun you have on race day, the more you'll enjoy triathlon as a whole. The more you enjoy triathlon as a whole, the more fun you'll have training. It's a hamster wheel of joy.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I've signed up for my first Olympic distance this coming August (have a sprint in June), quite a fe of the members at my tri club are moving up to 70.3 and Ironman distances - I have no delusions of getting there myself.