Training for a Tri??

[CyniQ]

I finally got serious about trimming down for the summer (which started about 2 months ago here. LOL.). Really hard to diet with so much beer and BBQ around. I've been hitting the cardio pretty hardcore and I'm running 5 miles in a little under 30min now. I'm not offically timing it yet but it's definitely under 30. I've been thinking about competing in one of these "mini" triathalons we have around here.

Has anyone ever trained for a triathalon? Advice?

 

[MANWHORE]

I finally got serious about trimming down for the summer (which started about 2 months ago here. LOL.). Really hard to diet with so much beer and BBQ around. I've been hitting the cardio pretty hardcore and I'm running 5 miles in a little under 30min now. I'm not offically timing it yet but it's definitely under 30. I've been thinking about competing in one of these "mini" triathalons we have around here.

Has anyone ever trained for a triathalon? Advice?

5 miles in 30min That's pretty good. In order to get on the Marine Corp track team you would need 5 min miles. .. I could run forever but i wasn't one of the fastest. I believe my best 3 miles was in 19min. We never timed anything over 3

 

[getswoll]

Yeah, I run a sprint tri every fall back where I'm from. 5 consecutive 6 minute miles is real good. If you are planning on doing a sprint tri, expect something such as this:

500 yd swim
18 mile bike
3.5 mile run (or a 3.1 official 5K)

Your running is right on track, as for the other two, how are you in those events? Also, you need to know when your contest will be in order to properly train for it. Let me know and I'll see if I can help you a bit. Take care.

Pax,
GS

 

[CyniQ]

Yeah, I run a sprint tri every fall back where I'm from. 5 consecutive 6 minute miles is real good. If you are planning on doing a sprint tri, expect something such as this:

500 yd swim
18 mile bike
3.5 mile run (or a 3.1 official 5K)

Your running is right on track, as for the other two, how are you in those events? Also, you need to know when your contest will be in order to properly train for it. Let me know and I'll see if I can help you a bit. Take care.

Pax,
GS

I think I do pretty well running. Thanks for the compliment BTW. 5 miles is about the extent of my endurance though. I think my legs can do it but my lungs start to give out in about 4 or 5 miles (I have asthma). After that I'm running on... I don't know, piss I guess. When I "sprint" 5 miles (15 laps around my block) I've only recently gotten to where I don't have to suck my inhaler immediately after.

I'm a really strong swimmer. For some reason my lungs last alot longer in the water. I spend at least 10 hours a week at the lake (we have 3 locally). One of them I've swam across a couple of times. I'm not sure how far it is though.

Biking... I have no idea. I have a mountain bike which I ride a 15 mile track maybe once a month. Otherwise I just play around. My brother has a road bike I could borrow though. It's a nice Bianchi. I think he would let me use it...

I'm really trying to get my endurance up. I don't think I have any shot at winning. But I don't want to drop out.

 

[J0321]

If you can find a Master's swimming program near you, that would help alot. Once you get proper stroke refinement down, your speed will increase drastically and with much less effort. A road bike is a must, it's a completely night and day difference between Mtn. and road. Way easier!!! I haven't raced in almost three years ( not as much interest in the sport in Missouri as in Southern Cali, surprise) but I was a big fan of doing "bricks". Basically you do one training section right after the other as you would in a race. Ex.-Do a pool workout then immediately hit the bike or do a bike and then run. Also, depending on your size, there will probably be a clydesdale division at the race for bigger guys, it's usually a funnier group than the rest- don't take the race as serious, joke about how they'd rather be lifting, etc. and it's a good place to start since you'll avoid some of the "Tri-snobs" with high-end bikes and bad attitudes that often turn people off of the sport. Good Luck man, it's a fun sport and the chicks at most of the events are smoking hot.

 

[getswoll]

yeah, DO NOT do a tri with a mountain bike. I've seen people try it and just absolutly about kill themselves trying to peddle that far. The brick method, as J0321 stated, is a very good way to train. Depending where you are on every event you probably want to build into the total distance you are shooting for. You also should not do any type of mass building or powerlifting weights during your ramp up for a race. The two are mutually exclusive; you will be doing a vast amount of cardio, etc... You probably want to keep your weight training in the maintainance/muscular strenght endurance area. Once you find a tri you want to do, make sure you know if it is open water, lake, or pool for the swim. That will dramatically effect your training for the swim, and tell you if you need a dry suit.

GS

 

[CyniQ]

yeah, DO NOT do a tri with a mountain bike. I've seen people try it and just absolutly about kill themselves trying to peddle that far. The brick method, as J0321 stated, is a very good way to train. Depending where you are on every event you probably want to build into the total distance you are shooting for. You also should not do any type of mass building or powerlifting weights during your ramp up for a race. The two are mutually exclusive; you will be doing a vast amount of cardio, etc... You probably want to keep your weight training in the maintainance/muscular strenght endurance area. Once you find a tri you want to do, make sure you know if it is open water, lake, or pool for the swim. That will dramatically effect your training for the swim, and tell you if you need a dry suit.

GS

Thanks for the advice. I've moved into a higher rep, more cardio training phase already. No sense in bulking during the summer, IMO. I'm in ATX, so there's no chance I'll be swimming in open water, or need a dry suit, our lakes are about 86 degrees right now and will get to 90 by August . Like bathwater.

A friend of mine who's from Ventura, CA (like me) sent me a link to nauticamalibutri.com. It's a 1/2 mi swim, 18 mi bike, and 4 mi run. That doesn't sound too bad. I gotta find out where I am in the swimming and biking though.

 

[getswoll]

hey bro, I was flying the other day and did a touch and go in Austin and got to wondering if you were still planning on doing this?

Pax,
GS

 

[CyniQ]

hey bro, I was flying the other day and did a touch and go in Austin and got to wondering if you were still planning on doing this?

Pax,
GS

Yeah. I jammed up my knee last week and it hurts like hell when I run. But I think I can still do it. I also haven't been training my swim very consistently. But I'm still planning on doing it.

 

[J0321]

Knee injury

A knee injury = a perfect time to get in some extra laps at the pool. If if bothers you while you're riding try a recumbent bike at the gym, I know it looks gay but it takes alot of stress off of the knees and it beats not getting any time in on the bike. Especially since most tri's are "bike heavy" in their total distance.

 

[HeadDoc]

another way of maintaining conditioning for running while getting thru an injury is aqua jogging. Use a light water ski belt and go into water that keeps your feet off the bottom. You can run the same intervals and actually improve your stride in the water. Due to the cross training effect, I always found that my injuries healed faster during the ten years I did tri's.

 

[HeadDoc]

a flotation device worn about the waist when water skiing. This provided just enough bouancy to maintain an upright position in the water without allowing you to stop moving to keep your head above water.


As an alternative aerobic when not walking or cycling, I've done 30 minutes of treading water with my hands above the surface--this is tough. This is done without a belt.

 

[HeadDoc]

Sports Authority.

 

[HeadDoc]

CyniQ, if you plan to race with your mt bike, do it. After a month or so, consider getting a road bike. I have a patient with signficant weight training background. When he switched to a road bike, he has been blasting the competition. His quads were more than prepared for intensive work. I assume that your background is similar.

 

[CyniQ]

CyniQ, if you plan to race with your mt bike, do it. After a month or so, consider getting a road bike. I have a patient with signficant weight training background. When he switched to a road bike, he has been blasting the competition. His quads were more than prepared for intensive work. I assume that your background is similar.

Thank you very much for all the good advice.

You're right about the cycling. I rode with a guy this wkend who has done 2 "century's" (centuries?) and several races. I killed him on the hills. I was really surprised.

Well, "killed" may be an exaggeration. I "beat" him consistently.

 

[HeadDoc]

thanks...they actually have a some free ones to use at the ymca i signed up at. besides the pussy ass music, shitty weights, naked dudes in the hot tub, and in the sauna...its not a bad place. I only use the pool.

Im not a very good swimmer, and cant seem to bet any better. Maybe its my form.

So, with that belt, am i supposed to just run in the pool with it on? dont want to look like some homo when im doing the shit all wrong

the belt was recommended to do aqua jogging while you are healing from a running injury. I find that training very lean people to swim who have done signficant running have alot of initial problems. First the lack of body fat means they are not very bouyant. Second, their ankles, knees, and hips are very tight. So I start people with goggles, snorkle, and fins. This way they get the feel of moving thru the water while stroking without having to coodinating their breathing. When their upper bodies are adapted and moving the water well, I introduce alternate side breathing. When I've got the upper body stroking and the breathing going well, then I give them a pull bouey and fade the fins. This stabilizes their lower body without interferring with the upper body motion and breathing. Finally, I have them drop the pull bouye and do some slight kicking. Using this sequence, I have taken adult non-swimmers into lap swimming a mile within a month.

 

[CyniQ]

the belt was recommended to do aqua jogging while you are healing from a running injury. I find that training very lean people to swim who have done signficant running have alot of initial problems. First the lack of body fat means they are not very bouyant. Second, their ankles, knees, and hips are very tight. So I start people with goggles, snorkle, and fins. This way they get the feel of moving thru the water while stroking without having to coodinating their breathing. When their upper bodies are adapted and moving the water well, I introduce alternate side breathing. When I've got the upper body stroking and the breathing going well, then I give them a pull bouey and fade the fins. This stabilizes their lower body without interferring with the upper body motion and breathing. Finally, I have them drop the pull bouye and do some slight kicking. Using this sequence, I have taken adult non-swimmers into lap swimming a mile within a month.

That's pretty fucking impressive. If I have ever offended you... I apologize. You obviously know your shit.

Thanks again for your interest.

 

[HeadDoc]

you're welcome. I don't offend easily and I don't hold grudges. I enjoyed my ten years doing triathlons. I no longer have the cartlege density in my knees to permit the type of training I used to do.

It'd really help to go to a local lake or ocean to do some swimming and practice picking your head up to "sight"... usually a bouye. Every 3 to 5 strokes is adequate. Just get used to swimming for a half hour or so without the black line to follow.