How to get started with a Sprint Triathalon?
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you can swim in the locale pool just do laps. run on the tredmil to get the distance. and take some spin classes all over winter. then after winter start going outside and doing those exercises. i wanted to do a triathon but you have to factor in other thing. but i agree look up beginer triathons0
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We have a jon boat, kayaks for all 6 of us, and I have a paddle board as well (profile pic, actually) sooooo, yeah, totally possible (minus the fact that the weather is getting ready to change, not sure about the whole wetsuit/cold water swimming just yet... although I mentioned it to hubby and he is willing).0
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The cutoff time definitely makes me pause on even thinking about registering for this particular one. Grrr... It’s still early in the planning process, not even training yet.0
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The posts about finishing times and cutoffs has made me recall a particularly inspiring moment from my last race in 2018 (I'm rehabbing an injury this year, so no racing.)
This 9 minute video has a few cool moments. The first 2:30 of the clip are basically Ironman marketing, so ignore that, but then notice the athletes in transition on race morning and then at the end when they are crossing the finish line. All shapes, sizes and nationalities, and all of them are smiling.
My 2 favorite scenes are near the end: First at 8:37, a 75 year old athlete crosses the line, then at 8:57, a guy who has failed to finish in his previous SIX attempts crosses the line and the crowd goes wild!
I saw that guy several times while out on the run course that day, and though he was suffering as much as anyone, he smiled the whole day. He was simply NOT going to quit.
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I have been wondering about when it would be appropriate to try to do one. It has always been a major goal of mine. I do martial arts and have good fitness in certain ways, and not so good in others. I can't even run close to a 5k straight yet, so I wonder if I should wait until I do that? I do 5k races fairly regularly and can still get under 40 minutes even with walking a significant portion of it, but that's without swimming and biking first.
I am a finisher, and have done 7k obscacle course mud races that involved significant incline, plus 4 hour Krav Maga belt tests, so I think I could probably make one on my two feet without any time limits. I am just wondering at what point I should wait for my fitness level to get to first. It is also difficult because wihh training already 3-4 times a week, I have limited time to work in trialthon training. But I would love to do one sooner rather than later, even if I have to crawl across the finish line.0 -
I have been wondering about when it would be appropriate to try to do one. It has always been a major goal of mine. I do martial arts and have good fitness in certain ways, and not so good in others. I can't even run close to a 5k straight yet, so I wonder if I should wait until I do that? I do 5k races fairly regularly and can still get under 40 minutes even with walking a significant portion of it, but that's without swimming and biking first.
I am a finisher, and have done 7k obscacle course mud races that involved significant incline, plus 4 hour Krav Maga belt tests, so I think I could probably make one on my two feet without any time limits. I am just wondering at what point I should wait for my fitness level to get to first. It is also difficult because wihh training already 3-4 times a week, I have limited time to work in trialthon training. But I would love to do one sooner rather than later, even if I have to crawl across the finish line.
Based on your description of fitness level, I see no reason why you couldn't pick out a sprint distance race that sounds fun and begin training now to race early next year. Since you are a "finisher" and have done some endurance type stuff, my guess is that you'd probably enjoy the training and challenge of triathlon.
Regarding your question about fitness level: swimming, cycling and run fitness are built over time. That is why the training plans are typically mapped out at 12, 16, 20 or 24 weeks. The idea is to build general aerobic capacity as well as sport specific fitness by slowly ramping up volume. There's tons of info out there on how this happens, (search "periodization" and "supercompensation over time" if you're geeky) but a simple way to look at it is to think of climbing a set of stairs. If your goal fitness level on race day is the top step, then on week one of training you move to "Fitness Step One", on week two you move to "Fitness Step Two" by increasing training volume slightly, etc. When you reach Week Four of your plan, you remain on Fitness Step Three, at reduced volume. The reasion for this is to allow your body time to recover and capture the fitness gains you built during the preceding weeks. You continue this process (or something similar) for the duration of your 12 week plan. This builds your fitness while minimizing the risks of becoming injured during the process. This can be done while pursuing other sports, but my two cents is this: At some point, you'll probably decide what your priority is for triathlon. If you just want to complete the race, then that could leave time for other training pursuits. If you want to become competitive, then its a usually a different story. Especially at the longer distances, the training volume and intensity can make it difficult to remain focused on other sports at the same time.
TLDR Version: Start now, follow a structured training plan. Be consistent and you will have success on race day.
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moonangel12 wrote: »
How do you safely practice in open water? I could have hubby troll and fish the shore along side me in the river! Ha!
Obviously, never swim alone. I chose a fall tri for my first so that I could practice in warm lake water. In a bigger, all-sports lake, it's helpful to have someone on a waverunner to take you out and drop you and you can swim back to shore with them escorting you (preventing you from getting hit by other craft). Getting used to a dead start (no push-off) is also a good idea. Or if you have a lake with a cordoned-off swimming area--swim around the limits of the ropes. Those kinds of places usually have lifeguards. Look for a local tri group that welcomes beginners--they will usually schedule some open water practice and you can learn from them, too.
A wetsuit does give you more buoyancy, but there are water temperature limits for when you can use them. If you expect to be swimming in a race with a wetsuit you should practice in a wetsuit--it's a little more time-consuming in transition. Pro tip--put your timing chip on UNDER your wetsuit.
One more thing to think of--unless you are considering "costume changes" which would add huge amounts of time to transition--think carefully about your choice of bras... You don't want to choose something with a lot of padding (which you might need for your run) because it will become waterlogged in your swim. Also, practice swimming in your bra... Women problems
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I have been wondering about when it would be appropriate to try to do one. It has always been a major goal of mine. I do martial arts and have good fitness in certain ways, and not so good in others. I can't even run close to a 5k straight yet, so I wonder if I should wait until I do that? I do 5k races fairly regularly and can still get under 40 minutes even with walking a significant portion of it, but that's without swimming and biking first.
I am a finisher, and have done 7k obscacle course mud races that involved significant incline, plus 4 hour Krav Maga belt tests, so I think I could probably make one on my two feet without any time limits. I am just wondering at what point I should wait for my fitness level to get to first. It is also difficult because wihh training already 3-4 times a week, I have limited time to work in trialthon training. But I would love to do one sooner rather than later, even if I have to crawl across the finish line.
no think just do
my first one was on a drunken dare - i hadn't swum in about 5 years; had just bought a bike and hadn't run a 5k faster than about 45 min
12 years later - i've done 2 ironman, multiple half ironmen and love it4 -
deannalfisher wrote: »
no think just do
my first one was on a drunken dare - i hadn't swum in about 5 years; had just bought a bike and hadn't run a 5k faster than about 45 min
12 years later - i've done 2 ironman, multiple half ironmen and love it
That is amazing! I can’t even fathom the distances at this point. I have dreams of doing thing like that, but still question how capable my body is of doing them...0 -
"deannalfisher wrote: »
no think just do
As usual, @deannalfisher , you've made it simple!
And once "in", the addiction takes hold and there is no escape!
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moonangel12 wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »
no think just do
my first one was on a drunken dare - i hadn't swum in about 5 years; had just bought a bike and hadn't run a 5k faster than about 45 min
12 years later - i've done 2 ironman, multiple half ironmen and love it
That is amazing! I can’t even fathom the distances at this point. I have dreams of doing thing like that, but still question how capable my body is of doing them...
you will be amazed at what your body is capable of!
http://trifind.com/ is a great website for finding races - you can search by states, months of events, distance etc0 -
moonangel12 wrote: »Deannalfisher - time cut off explanation makes total sense to me! Still not sure how possible it is for me
I will check for more races in the area - when I do a search for 5ks it is pretty plentiful, but tris either aren’t as consolidated with their listings or few and far between (given the proximity to DC I am thinking I just haven’t figured out the best place to look). It would be good to volunteer sooner rather than later!
here are a couple in the DC/VA/MD area that i like:
Rumpus in Bumpass - https://kineticmultisports.com/races/rumpus/ - and it has a cool medal - down in Lake Anna, Fredericksburg
Quantico Sprint Tri - https://www.marinemarathon.com/events/quantico-triathlon - on Marine Corps Base Quantico - run by the marines
Richmond Tri Club - used to have a sprint tri that was a pool swim but i can't find any reference to it for 20200 -
Lots of good advice here. Do start small and build up to longer distance races. Oh, and you will get addicted:)0
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There is one somewhere in WV that has 2 miles of kayaking for the first leg! But our internet went out before I could look up where it was... that would be fun!
I found an old listing (2011 I believe) for a sprint just 20 minutes from the house... I can’t imagine swimming in the pond they used! My family fishes it and it is so full of grass and ducks... blech! But maybe it wasn’t quite so slimy 8 years ago...0 -
deannalfisher wrote: »
Ha!
Rumpus in Bumpass looks fun! It’s a couple hours from the house, but my fisherman husband and the rest of the family wouldn’t complain if they just HAD to trek to Lake Anna.
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moonangel12 wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »
Ha!
Rumpus in Bumpass looks fun! It’s a couple hours from the house, but my fisherman husband and the rest of the family wouldn’t complain if they just HAD to trek to Lake Anna.
its a total fun race - i'll likely be there next year doing it - the medal looks like one of the beasts from where the wild things are
there are xterra like triathlons that have kayaking etc0 -
Re: wetsuits, be sure to get one made for Tri. A surfing wetsuit will not work because it is too bulky to swim comfortably and if memory serves me correctly, is too thick for Tri rules.
Our training lake water is 65-75 degrees from May to Sept so I wear one all the time, but not everyone does. Mine is sleeveless. You can often find used ones at a lower price than new, or rent one.0 -
Re: wetsuits, be sure to get one made for Tri. A surfing wetsuit will not work because it is too bulky to swim comfortably and if memory serves me correctly, is too thick for Tri rules.
Our training lake water is 65-75 degrees from May to Sept so I wear one all the time, but not everyone does. Mine is sleeveless. You can often find used ones at a lower price than new, or rent one.
I was just looking online for a used one... need to research sizing. Sleeveless is decent enough? I have sensory issues with tight clothing, especially upper body, so the sleeveless is definitely what I would prefer.
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moonangel12 wrote: »Re: wetsuits, be sure to get one made for Tri. A surfing wetsuit will not work because it is too bulky to swim comfortably and if memory serves me correctly, is too thick for Tri rules.
Our training lake water is 65-75 degrees from May to Sept so I wear one all the time, but not everyone does. Mine is sleeveless. You can often find used ones at a lower price than new, or rent one.
I was just looking online for a used one... need to research sizing. Sleeveless is decent enough? I have sensory issues with tight clothing, especially upper body, so the sleeveless is definitely what I would prefer.
sleeveless is totally fine and to be honest - i only wear one when the water temp gets to 68 and below because of similar issues0
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