'First Time Triathlete' - The Novice Thread

SucCes09

With just a few weeks left to Eireman, i need to get some OW swimming in. Is salthill the best spot in Galway city for this, and any advise on what time it would be safest (i.e. there would be a few other OW swimmers) around?

pgibbo

SucCes09 wrote: »

With just a few weeks left to Eireman, i need to get some OW swimming in. Is salthill the best spot in Galway city for this, and any advise on what time it would be safest (i.e. there would be a few other OW swimmers) around?

From what I hear there tends to be quite a few people from 6 onwards each evening in Blackrock. Swim from the diving tower out to the buoys and back (about 1200m). I know Galway triathlon club meet there at 6:30 on Thursday evenings. The Corrib Swimming Club have their races there every Thursday at around 7:30 too. There is also a lifeguard on duty there.

SucCes09

Super, thanks PGibbo

bakedbean

interested wrote: »

some swim advice from those in for the Dublin Tri

The portion of the swim heading upstream is an annual cause of concern - and rightly so - for those who havent done much OW swimming or have had the pleasure of the swim before...

In the Dublin Tri: is the sprint triathlon upstream too or just the Olympic? I can't really see on the website.

The swim training's not going too well! Had a rather colourful open water session yesterday where I managed - I didn't believe it was possible - to get seasick whilst swimming!:)

interested

bakedbean wrote: »

In the Dublin Tri: is the sprint triathlon upstream too or just the Olympic? I can't really see on the website.

The swim training's not going too well! Had a rather colourful open water session yesterday where I managed - I didn't believe it was possible - to get seasick whilst swimming!:)

To answer your question - Im not sure about the swim route for the supersprint. Might be worth emailing their info email address. If Id to guess Id imagine it might be downstream for around 500m or so to the finish - From reading the site it appears their employing a women only wave which might help things.

WRT to seasickness ... happens to me from time to time - I spent years doing OW swimming when I was a kid but in recent years its getting infamous how bad I get. Sea sickness tablets do help (or at least bluff me into thinking im not unwell) for some but Id try taking these before swimming during training and not the day of the race to see if they cause any GI problems for you.

There's not usually too many big waves in the upper liffey anyhow

bakedbean

interested wrote: »

There's not usually too many big waves in the upper liffey anyhow

Yes, that's defo an advantage of rivers v sea:) Perhaps if I close my eyes I'll feel less nauseous too (can't see how many mouldy shopping trolleysI'm passing!)?:D

interested

bakedbean wrote: »

Yes, that's defo an advantage of rivers v sea:) Perhaps if I close my eyes I'll feel less nauseous too (can't see how many mouldy shopping trolleysI'm passing!)?:D

You'll be pleasantly surprised - that stretch of the liffey is no worse than the Athy swim. If you take the usual precautions of covering up any open cuts / scrapes before hitting the water you'll be fine. I was talking to a friend of mine at lunch about sea sickness and recalled how I once got 'sea sick' whilst playing surfing on playstation 2 with the external board ... how sad is that For me, closing the eyes whilst in surf rapidly propels me from feeling a little unwell to very unwell. Oh the irony.

AngelCheeks

I completed my first Tri (Pulse) last Saturday. I absolutely loved it...I'm hooked! Can't wait to get a proper bike now and really get into the training.

Thanks for the advice MCOS. I didn't get an official time for some reason but I was told it was between 1.15 and 1.20 so I'm absolutely delighted

Can anyone recommend a Triathlon Club to train with in Dublin?

I'm going to still do my running sessions with the running club on Wed and Sat so I'm looking to do swimming and bike sessions with a Tri club.

All recommendations welcome.

Cheers

sfhawke7w

angelcheeks - well done,

i have done no training since last week other than a 40min walk on saturday, woke up this morning and have a pain in my back.

am hoping to go swimming in ow this afternoon and will try and get for a run this afternoon. but am really wondering if i will be able to do the loughrea tri, my fitness level is okay but i wouldnt be able to run a 5k completely. there is a 1.8 mile route at my house and it takes me 22mins running/walking. will keep up the training anyway and even if dont do one this year will be well set up for next year.

MCOS

Well done AngelCheeks! Yep, great buzz finishing your first Tri

pgibbo

sfhawke7w wrote: »

angelcheeks - well done,

+1, great going

sfhawke7w wrote: »

i have done no training since last week other than a 40min walk on saturday, woke up this morning and have a pain in my back.

am hoping to go swimming in ow this afternoon and will try and get for a run this afternoon. but am really wondering if i will be able to do the loughrea tri, my fitness level is okay but i wouldnt be able to run a 5k completely. there is a 1.8 mile route at my house and it takes me 22mins running/walking. will keep up the training anyway and even if dont do one this year will be well set up for next year.

I wouldn't worry too much about the run. Lots of people last year were walk/run/walk efforts to finish Loughrea. If your goal is to finish the event and dip your toe in then what does it matter once you get through it and ENJOY it? A bit simplistic I know but don't lose the faith just yet!

MrCreosote

sfhawke7w wrote: »

angelcheeks - well done,

i have done no training since last week other than a 40min walk on saturday, woke up this morning and have a pain in my back.

am hoping to go swimming in ow this afternoon and will try and get for a run this afternoon. but am really wondering if i will be able to do the loughrea tri, my fitness level is okay but i wouldnt be able to run a 5k completely. there is a 1.8 mile route at my house and it takes me 22mins running/walking. will keep up the training anyway and even if dont do one this year will be well set up for next year.

Still some time before Loughrea yet! And there's no harm walking a bit, especially if you plan it beforehand- I like to walk the drink stations myself. And the buzz of the event will tend to pull you along too!

macy9

Aghhhh I still can't swim 600m open water without stopping (for the Dub. tri.)

I think I'll have to jack this whole triathalon thing in until next year

sfhawke7w

i am managing bout 100m in the ow - everytime i go out in ocean there is waves so cant even practice breathing!! going out this afternoon - one of the lifeguards said he will come out swimming with me so hopefully that might help me relax ! only thing is he is cute so might be distracted

tagoona

Cute lifeguards aside, if you're confident, swimming parallel to the shore just outside the point that the waves break, might be your solution.
That's what I end up doing

bakedbean

macy9 wrote: »

Aghhhh I still can't swim 600m open water without stopping (for the Dub. tri.)

I think I'll have to jack this whole triathalon thing in until next year

A howl of frustration if ever I heard one! Is it just the swimming that's getting to you Macy9? My hubby found the swimming was holding him back until he got a friend to coach him. A few tweaks of technique later and he's able to stretch out his distances. Don't despair just yet!

GoHardOrGoHome

macy9 wrote: »

Aghhhh I still can't swim 600m open water without stopping (for the Dub. tri.)

I think I'll have to jack this whole triathalon thing in until next year

Can you tread water? Or swim breast stroke? If you can then you could swim for 400/500m take a quick break by treading water or doing a couple of minutes of breast stroke and then back to front crawl.

macy9

About Piranha:

So Im goin to join Piranha does anyone know when is basically their start of season training?I hate the idea of starting in the middle of things.Is it february?

tunney

macy9 wrote: »

About Piranha:

So Im goin to join Piranha does anyone know when is basically their start of season training?I hate the idea of starting in the middle of things.Is it february?

Generally clubs start back end october beginning of november but probably best just to email their membership secretary.

macy9

Thanks Tunney, i emailed them.

Now, Im just wondering is it even a good idea to join a tri. club if im a novice at all disciplines.

Should you be a good runner before even attempting joining a tri. club?

MCOS

macy9 wrote: »

Thanks Tunney, i emailed them.

Now, Im just wondering is it even a good idea to join a tri. club if im a novice at all disciplines.

Should you be a good runner before even attempting joining a tri. club?

You can be a novice at all disciplines. Some people join with a swimming or running background but hey who here amongst us has NEVER ridden a bike even as a kid!

Tri's are great fun, you meet loads of friendly people, you get in shape and no matter what your starting level you will improve at all disciplines.

Look at it from a different perspective, as a novice you have loads to improve. Maybe doing a 20km bike 20 mins faster than your first attempt at it. The seasoned Triathletes will be putting in a hard winters training just to shave a minute off their time!

So join the club and enjoy it! Better yet pick an event and suddenly you have a reason to train

Best of luck

tunnelvision9

Iv planned to do a season of sprint triathlons in the upcomming months. Never done a trathlon, marathon or anything like that. Only started training two days ago. Whats the situation with transitions, any rules, or things you have to keep in mind? My current understanding of them is that i come out of the water(in my old sailing wetsuit) make a run for the bike(old mountain bike), and just change into a pair of shorts and a teeshirt. probably will take me 3 minuits. Sound about right or am i completly off. What time should i be aiming for, for the triathlon? I hear 1hr 25min is a good time. oh yea i have no experience in any of the sports. First run was 3km and it almost killed me. felt the lactic acid fill in my thighs when i stoped. However it took me 20 min. I was happy with that. Any advice? cheers in advance.

liamo

Read this thread from start to finish.

Reading any other triathlon related threads in this forum would also be a good idea.

After that you will have a good idea about what information you are missing and you will be in a good position to ask specific questions.

tunnelvision9 wrote: »

Iv planned to do a season of sprint triathlons in the upcomming months. Never done a trathlon, marathon or anything like that. Only started training two days ago. Whats the situation with transitions, any rules, or things you have to keep in mind? My current understanding of them is that i come out of the water(in my old sailing wetsuit) make a run for the bike(old mountain bike), and just change into a pair of shorts and a teeshirt. probably will take me 3 minuits. Sound about right or am i completly off. What time should i be aiming for, for the triathlon? I hear 1hr 25min is a good time. oh yea i have no experience in any of the sports. First run was 3km and it almost killed me. felt the lactic acid fill in my thighs when i stoped. However it took me 20 min. I was happy with that. Any advice? cheers in advance.

NWM

I'm doing the Kerry Head sprint in a couple of weeks - first time triathlete. I plan to get up to Olympic distances next year, but all this is secondary to the main sports I play and I will not ever be going for medals etc.

Need to get a wetsuit. In my innocence I thought a normal one would do, but I am told not. Nowhere to try and buy a triathlon wetsuit where I live (Limerick - Gleesons doesn't have my size).

I like the idea of buying cheap off the web, but people on Boards have warned against it.

I see this comment on http://www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=984

"Triathlon Wetsuits, These can be very expensive and if you are competing at the top level then that extra nano second maybe worth the extra cost?? for the normal guy/girl in the street doing a Tri for personal achievement then Multi Sport wetsuits like the Billabong Foil or the Gul Response offer excellent Flexibility / durability and can be used afterwards for all other watersports, so save your cash and get a Billabong Foil 3mm mens or ladies Gul Response 3mm mens or ladies"


Any comment on this?

Wiggle.co.uk have Orcas for about €120 euros. Am I dead wrong buying it? Like I say, I will get to Olympic distances next year, but this will only be a secondary hobby - making myself stay fit for other things.

Stark

There's little difference between the top end wetsuits and the mid range wetsuits imo. At least not enough to justify paying twice the price for the majority of people.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that Orca wetsuit from Wiggle (they do decent entry level suits), the problem is of course that you won't know what the fit will be like when buying online.

Do you have a wetsuit at the moment? Triathlon-specific wetsuits are much better than normal wetsuits for triathlon purposes but I don't think a triathlon-specific suit is compulsory. A friend of mine did several sprints last year in a Lidl wetsuit and managed okay with it, although he's since upgraded.

Genghis

Check out tfn.uk.com (blueSeventy entry level from under 80GBP) or triuk.com, both had end of season specials on wetsuits last time I looked. You can get a last-season top-end suit for close to the ORCA entry level price; though not all sizes will be available.

In my case, I went with Wiggle (sale on Quintana Roo suits). Brillian service. Ordered Wednesday, 2:30pm, in my house before 10am Friday!

PS here is a code for Wiggle, 5GBP off orders above 25GBP. FREE5-PPEM1

humph

Hi all ,
( as a novice ) and to spend a grand max , is it worth lookin for a specific tri bike or should i just get a good racer ?

tunney

humph wrote: »

Hi all ,
( as a novice ) and to spend a grand max , is it worth lookin for a specific tri bike or should i just get a good racer ?

racer

humph

tunney , is that cos i wont get a tri bike for less than a grand?
or that it wont make a differnce to a novice?
ta.

tunney

humph wrote: »

tunney , is that cos i wont get a tri bike for less than a grand?
or that it wont make a differnce to a novice?
ta.

A grand won't get you a good tri specifc bike plus if you can only have one bike you're better off with a road bike.