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Triathlon Journey

Couch To Triathlon Training – Post-Race recap – Top 5 First Triathlon Tips

couchtotri_strideboxHello Runner,

Well, it’s been a week, and I am sorry for the delay in the Triathlon post race recap… we had some much needed website maintenance last week that had our website down for a short time, and I wanted to make sure we were up and running before I posted an update.

As for the event:

On the personal side, I won’t get too much into the details, it was a fun event, and for my first actual race in over 3 years, I feel like I did well, but my performance definitely suffered. I did complete my first triathlon, and did better than a lot of others. I’ll definitely do another one, although I will likely wait until next summer. There’s a few events I have my eyes on. Check out the Pole Pedal Paddle… not a real triathlon, but still good times.

The one thing personally that I really need to work on is taking time to train correctly. The whole point of this thing was to prove that I could train for a triathlon with a limited amount of time each week. Although it is possible to train in a short time, to train for good performance will take better management of time, and a more intense training schedule.

For The Future:

So I mentioned personal that I would train a little harder, but I would like to share with you the top 5 tips I would change to the training/event prep that I did (in no particular order). Hopefully these will help you in your training. These will be more specific such as:

1. Swim More Open Water. – I spent a lot of time in the pool, and felt very comfortable swimming there. But a lot of the technique and comfort I had went out the window a week before when I hit the cold water, got dizzy, and had to cut the training short. It was only 3 days before the event that I discovered ear plugs and that they would keep me oriented. Also, swimming in 62 degree water is a lot different than 81 degree water. Everyone says to do more open water swimming, and I simply thought swimming was swimming… not true. Get out in the open water!

2. Get A Better Bike. – There is a point where any bike will do, and honestly, the best cyclists in the country could beat me riding the heaviest Walmart special around. But there is something to be said for a bike that functions well. The clunky gear changes, and unpredictable handling of my $200 Walmart special held me back a bit. It was especially disheartening on the first half of the bike ride which was all uphill… having the chain skip on a gear change really loses a lot of momentum. If I were to do it again, I would probably rent a bike, get a new bike, or at the very least, have my bike professionally tuned and fitted before race day.

3. Practice Transitions More! – There were a lot of different ways to transition, both from swim to bike, and bike to run. Efficiency was my focus through the events, but honestly, I hadn’t put a ton of effort into making my transitions that efficient. In my defense, a lot of people used the transition as a rest time between, so they took a lot longer, but knowing how to lay my shoes, or getting out of my wetsuit quicker, or starting my iPod for the bike. I was in and out of T5 in about 1:45 which didn’t seem bad, but I could have been much faster. (T2 was easy because I had worn my running shoes on the bike.)

4. Get Tri Shorts. – Ok, so this is something I did a few days before the race that ended up being life changing. I was planning to swim with a pair of Speedo style swim trunks and then pull some shorts over them later. In my one attempt at this, I chaffed horribly (I won’t get into details). I finally broke down and bought some Pearl Izumi Tri Shorts for a good sum. But on race day, they worked great under my wetsuit, and dried quickly on the bike, and were very comfortable on the run. I am very happy that I did not forgo this small expense, as I would likely still be walking funny if I had.

5. Focus on Fun. – I’m a pretty competitive person, but in no way did I go into this event thinking I would win it, or be in contention. I wanted to push myself, and perform my best, but I knew there were those in the field that were going to easily win, and no amount of 12 week training plans would put me with them. I put a lot of stress on myself to perform, and at many times, that took a lot of the fun out of it. It was about halfway through the swim when I really put my “fun face” on and had a great time. Being in the “My First Triathlon” wave helped with that a lot as well. It was a very fun wave, and the other athletes were more friendly than many of the more “elite” athletes in attendance. It was a lot of fun to trade training stories, and tips with them before the race, and sit and enjoy post race beers and ice cream with them.

Triathlon-HeaderThank you!

Thanks for sharing and enjoying the journey with me. This will not be my last Tri, and I will definitely be doing more events in the next year than I did the past 3. It does take a lot of balance and work to train fro three events. It was motivating and helpful to see the support and advice I received from many of you reading my reports throughout the process.

Thinking about it?

There’s a special kind of person that enjoys distance and endurance events. It makes finishing a race an accomplishment, and performance a rush that has to be felt to be understood. If you are considering a Triathlon, go for it. The crowd is fun, the swim isn;t as bad as everyone says (wetsuits float) and the feeling of knowing you’ve done something that many people will never attempt is a great one. I met a woman that was 68 who had done here first triathlon at 65. She loved the feeling knowing that many her age were retired to the couch, and even though she had no chance to be the overall champ, she loved pushing herself to the limit (the age group was’t that saturated either.)

What does it take to be that type of special person that has done a triathlon… simply going out and doing it.

Until next time:

Just Keep Running (& Swimming & Biking)

Couch To Triathlon Training – Final Weekly Update – Survival of the Fittest

couchtotri_strideboxHello Runner,

Well, I’m only 6 days away from my first marathon, and I’m totally freaking out.

OK, not totally, but I really don’t think I am any closer to being ready than I was 12 weeks ago. It’s been a long process, and the reality is coming quickly that maybe I am not as prepared as I should be.

But, as they say, the show must go on. I’ll still swim, bike, and run… or die tri-ing. (All the puns are intended.)

swimmingSurvive The Swim!

Had a little bit of a wakeup call on Sunday. My wife and I decided to swim the course with our new wetsuits, and it was the first time hitting the oh so cold river.

A little over halfway through, I found myself getting very dizzy, and only through my best efforts was I able to relax. I cut the swim about 100 meters short and got up to dry land. My legs were fine, and I wasn’t freezing, but boy was my equilibrium messed up.

After some thorough searching through the Tri forums, and other places, I figured out that A. I should be wearing a swim cap in cold water, and B. Cold water in your ears can really mess up some people.

I’ve always had sensitive ears, so it doesn’t surprise me of these facts. Supposedly the cold water gets in your ears and essentially just messes up your balance. I had a problem early on in the pool with some equilibrium issues, but they went away. I guess the cold water is not as forgiving as the river.

So last night, I hit the store and got a Silicone swim cap, and some earplugs. After my acclimation swim this morning, I can say that I felt 100% better, no dizziness, and ready to bike when I exited. I’ll likely get in the river everyday through Thursday just to keep acclimating my body to the temperature.

Are You Ready?

I’ve entered a lot of events, and I always have this thought of “Did you train hard enough” right before them. But  if someone never had any doubts about their training, they’d likely be lying. Should I have had that taco and beer during week 4? Should I have cut that swim short to make the dinner party?

The only thing to do now is to go out and do it. I know it will be hard to live up to my own performance standards, and I know that there  will be unknowns that I will encounter during the day, but that’s what makes it worth it.

At the end of Sunday, I’ll have intimate knowledge of what a first time triathlete goes through… what to pack in my transition bag for next time, what not to eat the night before, and how much time I should focus on training for each event.

And I’ll let you know on Monday the 20th… should I survive.

Until next time,

Just Keep Running

Couch to Sprint Tri: Are You Prepared?

couchtotri_strideboxIs the big triathlon race day almost here? We have put together some last minute tips to help you race strong.

1. Don’t forget to taper.

Rest and relax in the few days leading up to your event. In the week before your event, decrease the amount of time you exercise. You have already put in your time training. Get out and warm up those muscles, do some yoga, and practice your transitions.

If you had set backs in your training, this isn’t the time to make it up. Any injuries or illnesses that happened are hopefully behind you now and your taper is still important to your event day.

2. Get some sleep.

Some people take a mild sleep aid 2 days before the event to ensure they are well rested. It isn’t necessary, but it does show the importance of sleep leading up to your race. Chances are the night before your race there will be too much excitement to get a full nights sleep. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

3. Add a few extra carbs to your diet.

Carb loading is a complicated thing and usually isn’t what people think. It isn’t eating as much carbs as you can the day before your event. But do add some additional complex carbohydrates in the days leading up to the event and do make sure you have a decent portion of something like rice or pasta for dinner the night before.

4. Set out all of your gear the night before.

Race morning isn’t the time to figure it all out. That is a great way to forget something. Set out all of your gear the night before. Make sure you aren’t missing anything. Pack it up and put it in your car. Plan your breakfast and any other details that may be left. If you tend to get nervous, write down a list of what is needed in the morning so no thought has to go into getting out the door race ready.

A lot can go into the week leading up to your race. Know ahead of time what your game plan is so that it doesn’t sneak up on you.

 

Couch to Sprint Tri: Open Water Swimming Tips

couchtotri_stridebox

If you are training for your first Triathlon, I have one question for you: Have you swam in open water yet?

Well, I have another question too: Do you have a wetsuit if you need one?

Don’t delay! Get out in that water. I may say this a hundred times over the course of this series, but open water swimming is much different than the pool and you will want to get familiar with it before race day.

What do you need to know?

How to sight in open water: It is important to know where you are going and you will have a hard time learning this by following the black line at the bottom of the pool.

Breathing: It is much different breathing in open water than in the pool. Even if the water seems calm it will have more movement than the pool ever will.

Don’t swim alone. If you are new to open water, find a swimming partner. Even seasoned triathletes swim with partners or in groups. If you don’t know anyone, find triathlon groups in your area. Often the group open water swims are open to anyone in order to promote safety in numbers. Your swimming partners can be any level of swimmer, as long as you both are in the water together you are better off than being alone.

 

Couch To Triathlon Training – Week 8,9 Update – Get The Gear

couchtotri_stridebox

Hello Runner,

Well, Only 2 more weeks of training left. I likely will not “taper” my training in the pure sense of the word, but I will relax and take care of my body more in the week leading up to the race.

This next week has a few “brick” workouts as well as more running.

I have been enjoying the summer, and it has been HOT here… like 100 degrees at 10 AM hot, so I have had t really rush out of bed and get my bike or run in before the sun came out. I also took the family camping, but it was at a lake, so I got a few short laps in some open water.

A Curious Discovery…

My running has been a struggle lately. I don’t do well jumping out of bed and going right into running (my back hurts, my gait is off, and my body position sucks). I much prefer an “on-ramp” that lets me work into the day, and head out mid afternoon for a good run. My body at that point has been moving for awhile, and I find I just feel better on the road/trail after a half day of being active. I think it allows my body to get back into awake mode.

This morning I did about 10 hard miles on the bike, uphill both ways, and decided to jump off afterward and take a short run. The running felt like a million bucks. It stretched and relaxed all the places that were tight from the bike, and my body felt like it was totally aligned.

I now am looking forward to the run on race day for two reasons… one is because it will mean the last leg of the triathlon, and the second, because I think my body will be warmed up and ready to run.

Get The Gear…

Sarah posted a great post on Getting the right gear for a Triathlon early in this process… You can see it here.

So, in my best fashion, I ignored every bit of advice, and just bought whatever I wanted.

For The Swim…

WetsuitWell, I’ve been through a ton of pairs of goggles. but finally settled on the TYR Sport Special Ops 2.0 Polarized Camo Goggles. These are nice, give a good field of view, and I have had 0 problems with leaks. I also like the polarized lens for the open water swimming. It also has a little shoutout to my Marine Corps roots with the camo decoration.

For training I was wearing some board shorts early on, but quickly found that was the worst idea and created a lot of drag. I quickly decided to make the change to the Digi Camo Jammer by TYR… streamlined, and of course, camo to match the goggles. (What can I say, you spend 4 years of your life wearing camo, and it becomes your style. I’ll likely wear these on raceday under my…

WETSUIT… boy, these things are expensive, but there are some great options, and I wasn’t too comfortable renting one. So I chose the Blueseventy Sprint Fullsuit. Everything I read about it said it had some high end features at a beginners level price. A lot of people said I didn’t need a wetsuit, but there are two good reasons to wear one… they keep you from going numb, and they HELP YOU FLOAT.

The wetsuit is getting delivered today, and I will for sure get out in the river with it next week and give a full review.

For The Bike…

BikeI have an old Schwinn I bought about 6 years ago from Wal-Mart that cost me around 200 Bucks. Its like this one, but it has a straight commuter handlebar on it that I have been using for training. I bought some aero bars from eBay for 30 bucks, but haven’t gotten the shift/brake situation figured out.

All things considered, I am fine with the bike as it is. I may keep my eyes open for some decent drop bars, but if it’s too difficult, I’m in a ver “run what you brung” phase with the bike.

Also, I’ll be wearing my running shoes on the bike. I have never liked clipless pedals (why do they call them that), and it will save me a lot of time on transition.

For The Run…

I am thinking of getting a new pair of shoes this weekend. I have been a bit partial to the Nike (GASP) Lunarglide series, but I also may try something from Skora. I’ve had a pair of their Form shoes that I used mainly for the gym, but may try some short runs in them to see how the “zero drop” works for my running style.

What I’ll Wear…

Well, for the swim, I’ll wear my Jammer under my wetsuit, and when I transition into the bike I’ll throw a StrideBox shirt on, and probably a pair of shorts over the Jammers for the run (just for some modesty). I thought about going all out with a StrideBox Tri-suit, but with the investment in the wetsuit, I figured the Tri-suit was just a glorified shorts and tank top.

And I’m not a pro… yet.

Until next time…

Just Keep Running

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