1st Triathlon in 2011 thread

elvis jones

Looking at doing my 1st triathlon in 2011. With that in mind i am wondering are there others out there doing the same and if we can help each other along the way with training tips etc !

nerraw1111

I hope to do one in early 2011. Plan is to use the dark winter nights to start training in the pool. I originally penciled in the Dublin Triathlon on Sunday as my first one but never got around to training for the swim.

Could be an idea to get a small like minded people together. Be great motivation too.

Also, generally, which triathlon is the first in calander or the first to go on sale? They sell out quicker than Arcade Fire these days

elvis jones

Portlaoise is normally one of the 1st and its pool based so an easy start.

At the moment i can swim about 20 metres:D so a bit of work to do there.

The cycle and run aren't a problem but the swim is going to be my challenge. I'm going to do some swimming lessons in Sept when i get back from my holidays and at the weekend i'm going to a cycle and run directly afterwards to get used to doing that.

Portlaoise is what i'm aiming for and its normally around the start of April and the last 2 years had amazing weather.

Its a sprint tri i think ?

Swim 750M
Cycle 20KM
RUN 5KM

connundrum

This one might be a handy one for you Elvis www.trilaois.ie

It was the first one in the 2010 calendar anyway.

Check out the Tri Ireland list of events for 2010 and roughly judge which one you might aim for in 2011

http://www.triathlonireland.com/index.php?id=67&field=date&order=ASC

I hope to have completed 3 tri's by the end of this season, but would still very much consider myself a beginner. If ye get a group going I'd be delighted to tag along

elvis jones

connundrum wrote: »

This one might be a handy one for you Elvis www.trilaois.ie

It was the first one in the 2010 calendar anyway.

Check out the Tri Ireland list of events for 2010 and roughly judge which one you might aim for in 2011

http://www.triathlonireland.com/index.php?id=67&field=date&order=ASC

I hope to have completed 3 tri's by the end of this season, but would still very much consider myself a beginner. If ye get a group going I'd be delighted to tag along

Ya i did the PA at trilaois the last 2 yrs and its actually what got me into running and fingers crossed to triathlons. Its very will run and a great day.

They also run Triathy in June so a lot of people use it as a stepping stone to that.

elvis jones

Meant to say that by 5Km is about 25 min and 20Km cycle is about 45 min at the moment. I'm happy with the running time but i need to knock a bit off my cycle. I haven't a clue about the swim, i'll end up aqua running it:D

Did everyone get a decent bike for training. I got a Giant Defy on the cycle to work scheme and i'm very happy with it but i think i'll get tri bars on the front. I upgraded to clip pedals as well.

Bambaata

If you're looking at a pool one id recommend the Joey Hannan Memorial in Limerick which uses the 50m pool. I felt far more comfortable in the 50 rather than the smaller pool tri i did this year.

elvis jones

Bambaata wrote: »

If you're looking at a pool one id recommend the Joey Hannan Memorial in Limerick which uses the 50m pool. I felt far more comfortable in the 50 rather than the smaller pool tri i did this year.

Looks good, what were the 2010 distances ?

Bambaata

I did the olympic (1500m) but there was also a 750m (sprint) or possibly 400m (super-sprint) version.

elvis jones

Winter training is starting for me on Thursday night.

My running is ok and that won't take much work apart from general fitness.

My cycling needs work on the overall time and will be doing a spinning class on a Thuesday and a long cycle at the weekend.

Its the swimming thats the problem and i could just about do 20 metres at the moment. I'm doing a coached class on a Thursday and i hope to do swim one more during the week as well.

I'm really looking forward to getting into this as my fitness and motivation are low since i've had some injury problems recently.

Oh and it looks like Tri Laois will be on April 9............2 days before our 2nd child is due !!

shg101

elvis jones wrote: »

Looks good, what were the 2010 distances ?

Joey Hannon Sprint ("Try-a-tri") was 500m.

Joey Hannon Olympic was 1500m.

ThisRegard

elvis jones wrote: »

Its the swimming thats the problem and i could just about do 20 metres at the moment. I'm doing a coached class on a Thursday and i hope to do swim one more during the week as well.

Same as myself, can I ask where you're doing the lessons or how you found out about it ? I'd be a strong enough swimmer when doing the breast stroke, the problem arises when it comes to the crawl, I wouldn't be too hot at that so I'd probably end up trashing away at the back of the pack in a race.

elvis jones

I'm actually doing my swimming through the local triathlon club.

Ask on the swimming forum about lessons in your area is what i'd say.

HardyEustace

ThisRegard wrote: »

Same as myself, can I ask where you're doing the lessons or how you found out about it ? I'd be a strong enough swimmer when doing the breast stroke, the problem arises when it comes to the crawl, I wouldn't be too hot at that so I'd probably end up trashing away at the back of the pack in a race.

If you're a weak swimmer while a pool swim may seem like a nicer idea, in truth it's a billion times more stressful and awful. I did the Joey Hannon swim and found it terribly stressful, very little room in the pool and then kept getting boxed in. Hated it. The next race was Athy, I could tuck in at the back, get in no-ones way and swim downstream ... wayyyy nicer.

elvis jones

HardyEustace wrote: »

If you're a weak swimmer while a pool swim may seem like a nicer idea, in truth it's a billion times more stressful and awful. I did the Joey Hannon swim and found it terribly stressful, very little room in the pool and then kept getting boxed in. Hated it. The next race was Athy, I could tuck in at the back, get in no-ones way and swim downstream ... wayyyy nicer.

I've heard that but i'm not the best in the water and the idea of trying my 1st in open water doesn't feel too good. I want to do my 1st in a pool to work on my nerves on water and get some convidence ( but i do plan to do Athy.......i was the MC at it last year )

ThisRegard

Not a big fan of cramped pools myself, mainly because you seem to get a fair few people who are happy to bulldoze through you or just try intimidate you out of the way. As I said I'm fairly confident in the water, it's just the technique I need to work on, don't want to be photographed finishing a swim while doing the doggy paddle !

elvis jones

At the moment i don't even like the deep end:D

tunney

ThisRegard wrote: »

Not a big fan of cramped pools myself, mainly because you seem to get a fair few people who are happy to bulldoze through you or just try intimidate you out of the way. As I said I'm fairly confident in the water, it's just the technique I need to work on, don't want to be photographed finishing a swim while doing the doggy paddle !

You could try putting down an accurate swim time and getting put into a lane suiting your abilities.

ThisRegard

I'm talking about swimming pools that are cramped when swimming recreationally, not me being in the wrong lane for a race ! I've never swam a race and if I did I'd know better to stick myself in at the correct point.

HardyEustace

tunney wrote: »

You could try putting down an accurate swim time and getting put into a lane suiting your abilities.

The problem is that even if you put in an accurate swim time, you've people who over-estimate their ability and then won't let you pass. The marshalls do their best to keep and eye on it and aren't afraid to pull people up if they're behaving in a selfish manner but it still can make the swim stressful particularly if it's your first race.

tunney

ThisRegard wrote: »

I'm talking about swimming pools that are cramped when swimming recreationally, not me being in the wrong lane for a race ! I've never swam a race and if I did I'd know better to stick myself in at the correct point.

Likewise get in the right lane when swimming in a pool just for training/recreation. If you are getting swum over you are in the wrong lane.

tunney

HardyEustace wrote: »

The problem is that even if you put in an accurate swim time, you've people who over-estimate their ability and then won't let you pass. The marshalls do their best to keep and eye on it and aren't afraid to pull people up if they're behaving in a selfish manner but it still can make the swim stressful particularly if it's your first race.

So you swim over them and use them as a mid-lane wall to push off

ThisRegard

I understand that too, I don't have problems with lane swimming, I'm well aware of my capability, or lack thereof. I'm just talking about packed pools, or just small ones like those in hotels, that aren't laned off where it's basically a free for all.

I like to have lots of room to trash around, small man syndrome some would call it.

shg101

HardyEustace wrote: »

If you're a weak swimmer while a pool swim may seem like a nicer idea, in truth it's a billion times more stressful and awful. I did the Joey Hannon swim and found it terribly stressful, very little room in the pool and then kept getting boxed in. Hated it. The next race was Athy, I could tuck in at the back, get in no-ones way and swim downstream ... wayyyy nicer.

Joey Olympic or Joey sprint?

I did the Joey sprint and it was my best swim of the year (and only pool swim), and I'm an awful swimmer.

What I like about the pool swim is I find drafting much easier (especially if people are accurate with swim times) so if someone is tapping your ankles you can let them pass and then swim in their bubbles (saving myself 10% energy).

But then I'm happy being midway down the field when it comes to swim times, and hadn't the problem of being caught behind someone that didn't allow me to pass. But we had a good conversation in the swim lane before we started.

Oryx

Carrick probably has one of the easiest swims in sprint distance as its all downstream. It was my first ever tri this year, I was a dreadful swimmer this time last year, btw . I found my second one, a pool swim, much harder because I found it harder to find my own pace, I was trying to stay ahead or just behind someone else, it wrecked my head. Open water swims I tend to settle into a consistent swim better. So dont let the river swims put you off

edge500

Im taking the plunge next season too. Never done a triathlon before , I should also mention that I hate swimming in pools. Will be doing a few open water swims later next year and try a few open water tri events before doing two half distance ironman events.

As swimming will be my weak point , I will have to address this problem asap. There is a pool about 20miles from me that opens at 7am during the week , hope to make use of this as swimming in a busy pool is stressful and very distracting to me.

Cycling and running dont cause me too much bother as I have been cycling for over 20 yrs and can run a half marathon in about 1hr 30 mins.

Looking forward to getting started with a solid winters training soon , i just need to lay of the Pringles!!

Bambaata

You should start a log edge500 so we can see how you are getting on. Twud be interesting to follow one from someone aiming for that fats of a time and who is trying to address the swimming! I need to address my swimming myself, and i could do with putting down the pies!!

elvis jones

I know its a long time off but what sort of times are people aiming for with their 1st tri 9 depending on length of course )

I'm doing a sprint

750 M swim
20 KM cycle
5 KM run

So i'd be happy with 90 min for my 1st, i know the swim will be my weak point and that is what i have to foucs on as 20m is as far as i can go at the moment:o

connundrum

Having completed both my first pool, river and sea swims over the summer I can say that each was a complete eye opener and leaves me with a lot of work to do come next season.

For the pool - if you plonk yourself in the right wave with people who are swimming roughly the same times as you, you'll have relatively little hassle with getting kicked around and/or being too fast/slow.

For the river - it was my first ever OW swim and I came at it with literally zero OW training. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. The cold, the people bashing into you, the fact that I couldn't catch my breath.. ah God I was at sea (excuse the pun). This was a huge learning block which I took into the next race.

For the sea - I'd gone out a few times for 3 -4 weeks prior to the race and swam around Clontarf/Portmarnock and found this to be a huge help in setting myself up for the race. During the race I stayed at the back and worked my way up the field gradually - avoiding all confrontation. I'd learned to switch from my pool rhythm (3 strokes & breathe either side) to a more manageable 2 strokes breathe left for a while then 2 strokes breathe right for a while.

Lessons - pool swimming and OW swimming are two completely different sports IMO. I'll continue to train in the pool over the winter, but as soon as the temperature picks up a bit I'll be out in the sea.

Know what your times are for swimming - the amount of people who guesstimate their time and either feck up their own race or other people's races is unreal.

dited

Hoping to take part in a few tri's next year too; cycling should be grand, have signed up for a few swimming lessons to, ehh, get a bit more streamlined. Thinking of going along to the local tri club, but can never be sure how long my fúckin knees will hold up for.

HardyEustace

shg101 wrote: »

Joey Olympic or Joey sprint?

I did the Joey sprint and it was my best swim of the year (and only pool swim), and I'm an awful swimmer.

What I like about the pool swim is I find drafting much easier (especially if people are accurate with swim times) so if someone is tapping your ankles you can let them pass and then swim in their bubbles (saving myself 10% energy).

But then I'm happy being midway down the field when it comes to swim times, and hadn't the problem of being caught behind someone that didn't allow me to pass. But we had a good conversation in the swim lane before we started.

It was Joey sprint.

It isn't in anyway meant to be a criticism of the race or of the marshals. I know they do their best to weed out bad behaviour. I was just unlucky in that I got stuck behind a pleb who despite me spending three lane lengths tapping their feet wouldn't let me pass. In the end they got pulled up by the marshals but I found it all rather stressful and it did detract from my enjoyment of the race.

groggles11

Thinking about entering my first one next season too. Gonna chance a sprint or even a standard. Beginning my training this week but not really sure what sort of programme to try. I'm a strong enough swimmer, and average runner and little experience cycling except travelling to and from work. Want to try the swim in the sea or river format so whats a good triathalon to head down to?

elvis jones

Well where are you based, i always think the least amount of traveling.

groggles11

Dublin area! Any sort of weight programmes I should try out to improve my performance? Think I will be able to train to the requirements but would like to complement the training with weights to improve stamina and speed!

nomadic

Fingal is a decent pool(NAC) based one in may. It was my first tri last year.

mapvil

Hi all. Another first timer planning to complete triathlon next year. Hope to do sprint around April/May (maybe pool-based) and then olympic later in the summer. Open water swim will definitely be the biggest challenge. Based in Galway so would welcome any recommended events within striking distance to match above. Also how early do you need to sign up for these events?

elvis jones

So it all starts tonight with a spinning class..........the rest there will be a LOT fitter than me so it should be fun, if i don't make it back it was nice posting here:o

elvis jones

groggles11 wrote: »

Dublin area! Any sort of weight programmes I should try out to improve my performance? Think I will be able to train to the requirements but would like to complement the training with weights to improve stamina and speed!

I's join a tri club, the members are a wealth of knowledge and a great social aspect to it as well.

dazed+confused

I'm working in the Dublin area, planning to do my first Tri next year too. I'm aiming for the Slane Tri which should be held sometime in May.

Anyone want to go for a run in Malahide castle one afternoon next week?

moose112

Really hoping to do triathy next year my fitness level is very poor so got a serious hill to climb. Some of my friends are interested aswell so hopefully they will as it would be good to have some training partners

elvis jones

i did my 1st spinning class last night................oh holy $hit:eek:

So much work to do in the coming months, i plan to do base level fitness until after crimbo and build from there !

VirtualWorld

Tri Laois was my first Tri. Tri Athy became my second a few weeks later. Definately recommended. Sun always shines on Tri Laois.

It is a standard Sprint distance. Plenty of time to train for it still. Enjoy and good luck.

If you can bring yourself to start with an outdoor swim... I couldn't.... Then Tri Athy has a shorter than sprint distance now. Great way to get your feet wet!!



Sprint Distance

30 lengths of 25 mtr pool (as in Portlaoise)
20km cycle
5km run

VirtualWorld

Well done Elvis. There won't be a bother on you!!

Oryx

All three sprints I did last year had different distance swims. Carrick was 750m o/w, Bunclody was 500m pool, and Dublin was 600m o/w. And for me the pool was hardest.

elvis jones

TriLaois is what i'm aiming for at the moment, but with a baby due roughly the same time that might change to the one in Limerick.

VirtualWorld

Congrats on the impending new arrival Elvis. No wonder you are in training!!!

As for the Sprint distances quoted above... Those are the standard Sprint distances. Organisers are at liberty to vary from these a little which can make for different length races. Dun More East with the 7km (uphill) run is the biggest departure I've seen from the standard. But what a great race. I guess it's important to check out what you are letting yourself in for before signing up for a race.

Tri Laois I believe is the standard distance. The bike section may be 19 rather than 20km. The Swim and Run are spot on.

elvis jones

VirtualWorld wrote: »

Tri Laois was my first Tri. Tri Athy became my second a few weeks later. Definately recommended. Sun always shines on Tri Laois.

It is a standard Sprint distance. Plenty of time to train for it still. Enjoy and good luck.

If you can bring yourself to start with an outdoor swim... I couldn't.... Then Tri Athy has a shorter than sprint distance now. Great way to get your feet wet!!



Sprint Distance

30 lengths of 25 mtr pool (as in Portlaoise)
20km cycle
5km run

I know i was working at the last 2 and got sun burned:cool:

Date for TriLaois should be known next week.

nerraw1111

elvis jones wrote: »

i did my 1st spinning class last night................oh holy $hit:eek:

So much work to do in the coming months, i plan to do base level fitness until after crimbo and build from there !

How you finding the spinning classes? Was thinking of signing up to a class over the winter.

elvis jones

Eh beyond hell:D

I found it very hard but i'm starting from a level of little fitness and little cycyling.

I got through it but had jelly legs at the end, but the 1st week is the hardest and i know by Jan i'll be looking on Tuesday nights in the different way.

I'm thinking of getting a turbo trainer so i can get some extra work in as i can only get out on the bike on the weekend days or if i have a day off work.

lamai

elvis jones wrote: »

I've heard that but i'm not the best in the water and the idea of trying my 1st in open water doesn't feel too good. I want to do my 1st in a pool to work on my nerves on water and get some convidence ( but i do plan to do Athy.......i was the MC at it last year )

I started tri's last year. Could barely swim 1 length front crawl in march, but did my first tri in may in a swimming pool, the swim was horrible, I went out too hard on the swim, I have done a few open water swims since and I feel they are far better for people who are not so good at swimming as you can stay on the sides and out of the way. I won't do another pool tri again.

VirtualWorld

Same here Lamai, Went out too hard on my first tri swim and felt wrecked.

Partly because I was still not quite fit enough for it, and partly because of the tension of the first race.

I still prefer the pool swim though to open water even though I am very comfortable in the OW too.

I would be worried that if my first race swim had been in OW that I would still have gone out too hard and maybe panicked too given the depths etc... At least in the pool if you're any way nervous, you have the comfort of knowing you ought not drown!!!

There's my two cents worth! And let's face it... not worth a whole lot these days!!