EnduranceGirl2 Member

The swim is my weakest leg but I've learned to enjoy it partly because my goal is to finish relaxed and ready for the bike. Focus on good form rather than speed. Thinking about how different the experience is from normal life also adds to the wonder.

I always need a helper to zip me in. Lots of BodyGlide or TriSwim on the ankles helps with peeling it off too. If there's a flap on the back of the neck, fold it down to cover the zipper so it doesn't chafe.

Woo hoo!

Awesome performance at B2B. Glad your spill in Knoxville didn't hold you back. Next goals?

Nice! I did Toughman Alabama earlier this year. They took us through some neighborhoods just so that we'd have to go up and down some extra hills :-) I'd recommend the race series too.

Tri Glide spray is pretty good. They are $$$, but DeSoto 400 mile shorts are awesome - check out their reviews on Beginner Triathlete or other online sources.

The only people I know who've gone to Kona have won the legacy lottery (do 12 IM, then get in a smaller lottery pool). Anyone know what IM is planning now that the lottery was declared illegal?

Lots of opinions here... Make sure you've got a woman's seat. My hips are narrow and mens' seats still give me wedgies. Tri shorts need to be snug for both the bike and the run so they stay in place. If you've lost weight, downsize. You get what you pay for- DeSoto is my preferred tri-gear brand. Their intro-priced gear is…

I did a sprint with a friend after 6 weeks training the first year (I can always walk the 5 K...it had been a couple of decades since I'd run). Had fun, got hooked, and did an Olympic the next year. My brother and I wanted to race together and he wasn't interested in short course races, so I did a small half-iron the year…

Don't let age stop you. I train with several people who are approaching 70 who do full IM. One is getting ready for Kona. Being retired an having an empty nest, they have time to train and love feeling and looking far younger than their age.

I started with sprints and had no intention of ever doing an IM. Two years later when I bit the bullet to do an IM, it was a 2 year commitment figuring that I'd learn something from the first and would want to make corrections for the second. Not sure if there will be a 3rd next year but it's likely.

It's totally a nerves thing. For short races, I'm done before problems set in, typically somewhere around 40 miles into the bike. It's not particularly uncomfortable because I've just resolved that it's better to take a quick break than risk embarrassing accidents further down the line. On the other hand, I estimate I lost…

Special needs seems complicated. I've seen people rig something either behind the handlebars or behind the seat. Dense racing foods/gels play havoc with my digestive system. Having half of my nutrition come from fluids and the other half from sort-of real foods has been best. Nutrition has been a thorn in my side ever…

While we're discussing carrying things, I prefer food from the Feed Zone Portables cookbook for training/racing. Nut butter cookies, banana rice balls, and the mochiko crispies are favorites. For training rides or up to half-iron distances, carrying them in a pocket or in a pouch on the top bar of the bike works fine.…

Thx for the tip.

Carbon wheels get all the attention, but I negotiated a package deal for my tri-bike which included high-end aluminum wheels from Easton, all Shimano Ultegra components, and a more comfy seat. The wheels are strong, stay true, and lightweight. After 2 years, no regrets and no plans to spring for carbon.

Be careful about blaming not feeling well on dehydration (see "Waterlogged" by Tim Noakes). Hopefully you're more energetic after a rest week.

It's all about your training. Once a week I do 5x 2/2/2 single leg drills on a stationary bike where the pedals are equipped with straps or clips. In other words, 2 min left leg only, 2 min right leg only, 2 min both and repeat 5 times. This teaches you to pedal throughout the stroke cycle rather than mash the pedals. They…

I also mentally rehearse slowing down and getting off the bike as I come into T2. Wobbly legs can make this awkward too.

Doctor Playful Medicine - Hmmm...I thought that was against the rules in bike racing.

Yes, this is typical sprint distance. Don't make a big deal about transitions - the purpose of this first race is to figure out how transitions work. Do a test ride in unpadded shorts and see how you feel. Since you're not swimming, there's no reason to buy a pair of tri shorts (they are made of swimsuit material and…

I negotiate with my husband - he gets to shlep a 50 pound pack up a mountain and sleep in a tent if I get to go to Florida for the weekend :-)

St. Anthony's Oly is also a great spring destination race.

So sorry to hear. How are you feeling 2 days out? My swim was typical with the goal of having the energy for a strong bike and run. I crashed coming out of transition 2 years ago - big divot in my left elbow that took weeks to heal and bruises/scrapes on the left side of everything except fortunately my head. I viewed it…

Thanks for the well wishes. How'd your race go? This was my first Challenge race - very well organized and one of the nicest transition set-ups I've seen. The ground racks are nice - I've only seen these once before in another small event. Volunteer and police support was excellent. On the other hand, having multiple race…

For those of you doing Challenge Knoxville this weekend, I'm meeting for dinner with a group of racers and spouses (7 of us so far) at 6:15 Sat. at Blue Coast Grill. Send me a message off group if you're interested in joining us.

Practicing fueling is essential. My problem is that I'm never nervous during training and nerves play havoc with my digestive system. I've started being particular about what I eat before a big race 2 days ahead of time - avoid raw veggies and other hard to digest items as well as really rich, fatty/fried foods. I estimate…

Good luck with the competition. I tried copying the file into excel and it's not sorting right. Not sure if its just because its a PDF? It's got a reputation for being a tough race, so my age group is small.

I'm bib 279 Challenge Knoxville HIM. 2 weeks to go!

One more tip on the wetsuit - Some wetsuits have a little flap on the back of the neck that folds down over the top of the zipper. Then another flap folds over this to hold it down. I didn't know this when I rented my first wetsuit The flap chafed the back of my neck for the whole race and gave me a weird burn that took…