Triathlon questions

13»

Replies

  • jlklem
    jlklem Posts: 259 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    So, biking outdoors will have to wait until spring. I have a hybrid, so I'm not looking for a wonderful time. If I get into it more I may spring for a better bike, but not for my first one. I will start outdoor biking as soon as the white stuff is gone.

    Looking at the results from 2016 (can't find 2017 for some reason) and going for men around the 30 min 5K on the Sprint, I'm thinking sub 20 mins for the swim and sub 45 for the bike would put me in the same ballpark as those running around 30 mins.

    At least it gives me a goal to shoot for. Need to continue the swim lessons though. That is still my weak spot.

    Sounds like a good plan. One piece of advice...bike really really hard unless you are tired. Biking is non impact. If you are not riding a lot you can hit it hard.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    So, biking outdoors will have to wait until spring. I have a hybrid, so I'm not looking for a wonderful time. If I get into it more I may spring for a better bike, but not for my first one. I will start outdoor biking as soon as the white stuff is gone.

    Looking at the results from 2016 (can't find 2017 for some reason) and going for men around the 30 min 5K on the Sprint, I'm thinking sub 20 mins for the swim and sub 45 for the bike would put me in the same ballpark as those running around 30 mins.

    At least it gives me a goal to shoot for. Need to continue the swim lessons though. That is still my weak spot.

    You said swimming is your weak spot--what is your strongest discipline? Run? Or Bike?

    Times are so variable because you have no idea what any given competitor's strengths are, and whether they had complications during any of the legs.

    I would definitely start with the tri with the shorter swim if swimming is your weak spot. Looking at the race that I did (it was a women's only race, but a 30 min 5K is a 30 min 5K), swim times for finishers with 30 min 5K were anywhere from 3-5 min/100 meters. The bike time will depend on how flat your course is--my course had a few hills and it looks like most people averaged 14-15 mph--the top cyclist was a bit over 20 mph. There were very few tri bikes in my race and not even very many road bikes--lots of hybrids and mountain bikes...

    Also remember that your running pace in a tri (especially your first tri) will probably be a little slower than your pace when you run a 5K by itself...
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    edited December 2017
    A good base plan is strength train 2-3X per week. Then train each portion of the race a minimum of 2X per week the weakest event 3X per week. My tri program is a sprint and I lift 2X a week, run 3 times a week, and bike and swim 2X a week. It works out to a total of about 6 hours a week of training. That's fine to complete and even do well in a sprint triathlon.

    Triathlon is an incredibly supportive community, don't worry you won't embarrass yourself!!
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    My first triathlon was years ago, but I showed up wearing boxer shorts, a mountain bike, and had never practiced transitions. I had a blast, laughed at myself a good bit, didn't finish dead last despite my best efforts, made several friends, and learned a lot. I have several under my belt now and have upgraded gear along the way, but most of my improvements lie on the mental side of this.

    Swimming was my strong suit and biking was (and still is) my weakest sport.

    The multisport community is extremely supportive and engaging. You need but ask and will be bombarded with a ton of information and advice.

    Personally if you've already scheduled swimming lessons I would have them focus on your kick. When the weather warms up schedule some open water swims to get used to it. Many have a safety officer in a kayak making sure everyone is ok.

    Schedule in an indoor tri as well and see how you do. Get a baseline established and see what to improve on.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I'm done my first round of swimming lessons and they were very helpful. Plan now is to swim twice a week to pick up my endurance and then, in late Feb start the next level of classes. Swimming is still my weakest point.

    My wife can accompany me in a kayak once the lakes are warm enough. Plus I can try open water swimming where I can still stand up if needed.

  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    Just checking back in on this thread. Glad to see you're continuing to train for a first tri!

    This is the perfect time to nail down your swimming form and begin to build endurance. And, as @jlklem suggested, you can never do too much cycling.

    Look forward to hearing more as you progress in training.

Categories