All the gear........... no idea!! - Help needed for training plan please!!

JennyGregory81
JennyGregory81 Posts: 7 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,

I have committed to doing a super sprint triathlon in August which involves 400m open water swimming, a 7 mile bike ride and a 1.5 mile swim.

I know the distances are not massive, but I wanted a goal that I believed I could achieve and I am really excited to get going.

I have done some ebaying and a bit of investment in some equipment and have the following at my disposal:

A treadmill
A spin bike
A barbell with 50kg of weight
A kettlebell
Resistance band
A step (from years ago)
A membership to a swimming pool

So I have absolutely all the tools I need to achieve my goals and I am calorie counting to 1500 a day.

I currently weigh 305lbs and am reasonably active as we have two dogs so I do lots of walking.

I am really committed to this and I do want to push myself, I am going to need to work hard if I am going to achieve my goal.

My thoughts are:

M - (am) - Kettlebell class - 25 minutes (pm) Swimming - 45 minutes
T - (am) - Spin class - 30 minutes (pm) Resistance band
W - (am) - Barbell (pm) Coach to 5k session 1
Th - (am) -Swimming - 45 minutes (pm) Kettlebells
F - (am) Couch to 5K session 2 Rest
S - (am) Spin class - 30 minutes (pm) Barbell
S - Couch to 5k session 3

Any comments would be greatly received - too much cardio/strength? or not enough time between sessions.

Thank you

Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Some of your running and riding should be done outside. Running a hard surfaces are different and harder than running on a treadmill. Same goes with riding a bike especially with a headwind. Best wishes and let us know how you did :)
  • JennyGregory81
    JennyGregory81 Posts: 7 Member
    I will de-camp outside as soon as the weather picks up, I live in West Yorkshire at 365m and we are currently under a foot of snow!! It is also very windy and hilly and want to get a head start in the winder months :smile: Thanks for the advice though!
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    JennyGregory81 wrote: »
    I will de-camp outside as soon as the weather picks up, I live in West Yorkshire at 365m and we are currently under a foot of snow!! It is also very windy and hilly and want to get a head start in the winder months :smile: Thanks for the advice though!

    I figured as much but I took a chance that maybe you lived a little more south. Good luck because competitions are a lot of fun and motivating :)
  • _runnerbean_
    _runnerbean_ Posts: 640 Member
    I am not an expert on triathlon training (or any training lol) but that looks like quite an intensive week to start off with if you have previously just been walking. Could you start with maybe two or three activities this week then increase over the next few weeks to the schedule you have suggested? Two workouts per day straight away is just asking for an injury IMHO. I'm interested to see what others say.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    edited January 2015
    The triathletes around here work up to combining 2 of the disciplines on a day ie spin and then run or run and then swim, or spin and then swim. it makes it easier on race day.

    I echo the get outside as soon as you can.

    Add a fulll rest day. Really your body will thank you.

    Couch to 5 k should be 3x week. swim 3 x week and bike 3x week. Drop a weight workout and put double cardio one day to give you a rest day.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I would strongly suggest a rest day or two, especially starting out. Rest days as as important as training days.

    My other suggestions are get outside. I understand the winter thing but when you can, get outside for all three. You don't want your first open water swim to be the race.
  • JennyGregory81
    JennyGregory81 Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you for all the replies, I have found a suitable place to practice open water swimming and as soon as it is not -5 I will give it a go. I will be taking it very gently to start with!!!!
  • JennyGregory81
    JennyGregory81 Posts: 7 Member
    I think I will also add a couple of full rest days in! X
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    JennyGregory81 wrote: »
    My thoughts are:

    M - (am) - Kettlebell class - 25 minutes (pm) Swimming - 45 minutes
    T - (am) - Spin class - 30 minutes (pm) Resistance band
    W - (am) - Barbell (pm) Coach to 5k session 1
    Th - (am) -Swimming - 45 minutes (pm) Kettlebells
    F - (am) Couch to 5K session 2 Rest
    S - (am) Spin class - 30 minutes (pm) Barbell
    S - Couch to 5k session 3

    From a standing start, that's an awful lot of training.

    What I'd suggest is anchoring the training around your Tri disciplines, and reduce the resistance variety so that you're doing swim/ bike/ run plus either barbell, kettlebell or simply bodyweight work.

    You've already identified that you need C25K to get to the running portion, but equally it's worth some kind of structured cycling and swimming plans, or getting hold of a supersprint Tri plan. Your Swim/ Bike/ Run sessions will need to get a chunk longer over the period as well.

    As you get further down the line you can start combining Tri disciplines into brick sessions to practice transitions. I know from my own training that running off the bike can be an interesting experience.

    Notwithstanding all of that, good effort.
  • JennyGregory81
    JennyGregory81 Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you, I will have another look today and see if I can find a tri-plan. I have a tendency to under work myself so wanted to put loads in!!!! I also walk two dogs for 30 minutes twice a day! Appreciate all the feedback and advice xx
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    305 lbs, 1500 calories per day and starting with everyday intense training, it sounds like a recipe for failing after a few weeks. I would expect with daily exercise at 300 lbs, to burn double what you are planning to eat, possibly more. Definetely add rest days, start slowly to avoid injuries, and keep an open mind about calories. Start slowly and see what needs adjustement as you go, you do not want to exhaust yourself. Good luck.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    You are going to do all that on 1500 calories a day or 1500 calories + exercise? Have you trained twice daily before? If not, I'd suggest starting off once a day (especially if you are also including an hour walk) rather than trying to do so much so fast. You'll wear yourself out real quick and possibly injure yourself.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 526 Member
    Did you mean 1.5 mile run instead of swim, I assume? You go this. Those are great distances to start iwth for your first tri. I agree with everything MeanderingMammal said. You need at least one rest day. Drop some of the other classes and focus on the swim/bike/run. I did a sprint tri a few years ago. It was a women's only one and it was SO much fun! A lot of my bike training was spin classes just because of weather/time/etc. Make sure you get outside when you can. Bricks are awesome. I found them great b/c when I got off my bike to run, even though my legs felt a little wobbly at first, they were already warmed up, so it was almost easier.
  • JennyGregory81
    JennyGregory81 Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you, I have looked at the plan again and I will update you! I found a great 22 week plan for beginners that takes me to about 7 weeks before the tri. I know it sounds weird but I am quite fit for my size as I am usually out with the mutts at the weekend and I am really conscious that weight loss will be the best thing for actually completing the tri! I feel a bit conflicted as to what to do for the best! I will have a less ambitious go at the plan tonight!!!

    Thank you so much for all your input, I do really appreciate your comments x
This discussion has been closed.

Categories