1st Sprint distance tri

Diamondmaker

Hi All

Just completed my 1st sprint a fortnight ago and have got the bug in a big way. Interestingly it was won on the day by Irelands Ben Shaw, I cant find much about him on the web and tri irelands web site is so out of date, any way thats an aside. I do however want the tricolour tri suit

3 Queries:

1. 750m swim / 14.36. I need to go under 12 mins, I have always been able to swim front crawl but was only shown basic stroke technique 3 months ago and I am stunned at how much it has helped.
Would I be right in saying my main scope for gains will be in the technique at this point, as I have decent fitness ? Will techinique improve my speed more than grunt work and endless lengths ?

2. 20k bike / 41.10. Done in trainers, anyone have any broad stroke ideas of percentage gains in wearing proper bike shoes and pedals? Is this the biggest single equipment gain I can get after the bike, ( or is it wheels ).
$ for $ shoes prob best value however.

3. 5k Run / 21.38. Very disappointed here as I am a sub 18 min 5k man but the jelly legs on lap 1 were savage. After lap 2 I was flying however.
Are bike / run bricks the best use of my time or further speed work focussed on the run ?

Total 1.17.26 and next race 15/1/11.

I am training 5 / 6 days a week and want to smash the above time. Any ideas of realistic target to step up to, as I targetted 1.25 total for the 1st one and I think I slowed up as I noted I was ahead of target and wanted to ensure I did not run out of steam. So I want a more realistic but challenging goal for Jan if any peeps care to help out I would love it.

Feb race is a super sprint cant wait for that but that will be dominated by the big swimmers as there is so little time to trail them in ??

thanks all for advice

DM

catweazle

Where are you doing these, Australia? Lucky man

Great time for your first race - looks like your cycling is your weakest from those splits

Diamondmaker wrote: »

Hi All

Just completed my 1st sprint a fortnight ago and have got the bug in a big way. Interestingly it was won on the day by Irelands Ben Shaw, I cant find much about him on the web and tri irelands web site is so out of date, any way thats an aside. I do however want the tricolour tri suit

3 Queries:

1. 750m swim / 14.36. I need to go under 12 mins, I have always been able to swim front crawl but was only shown basic stroke technique 3 months ago and I am stunned at how much it has helped.
Would I be right in saying my main scope for gains will be in the technique at this point, as I have decent fitness ? Will techinique improve my speed more than grunt work and endless lengths ? I thought this myself that I was swimfit for the distance and I was swiftly put in my place by one of the uber swimmers on boards. I have made great strides in the pool this year and thats more from improving my grunt work with loads of speed sessions then endless lengths. Of course there are probably bigger improvements to made with technique but don't underestimate the gains from improved fitness

2. 20k bike / 41.10. Done in trainers, anyone have any broad stroke ideas of percentage gains in wearing proper bike shoes and pedals? Is this the biggest single equipment gain I can get after the bike, ( or is it wheels ).
$ for $ shoes prob best value however. No idea of percentage gains but I would pick shoes and cleats far ahead of wheels for time gains

3. 5k Run / 21.38. Very disappointed here as I am a sub 18 min 5k man but the jelly legs on lap 1 were savage. After lap 2 I was flying however.
Are bike / run bricks the best use of my time or further speed work focussed on the run ? The stronger you get on the bike the better you will be on the run. Whats your bike cadence like, keep the legs spinning fast particularly towards the end of the bike

Total 1.17.26 and next race 15/1/11.

I am training 5 / 6 days a week and want to smash the above time. Any ideas of realistic target to step up to, as I targetted 1.25 total for the 1st one and I think I slowed up as I noted I was ahead of target and wanted to ensure I did not run out of steam. So I want a more realistic but challenging goal for Jan if any peeps care to help out I would love it.

Feb race is a super sprint cant wait for that but that will be dominated by the big swimmers as there is so little time to trail them in ??

thanks all for advice

DM

airscotty

Diamondmaker wrote: »

Interestingly it was won on the day by Irelands Ben Shaw, I cant find much about him on the web and tri irelands web site is so out of date, any way thats an aside.
DM

He's an U23 Development Athlete and there are plenty of articals on the TI website on Ben's recent races here here here here here here here and here !!

Diamondmaker

airscotty wrote: »

He's an U23 Development Athlete and there are plenty of articals on the TI website on Ben's recent races here here here here here here here and here !!

I found the 1st page, which all the athletes profiles has not been updated since 2010, does not do many of them justice on some recent results. After reading this I chose to use more current sources from their, thanks for the links.

Yeah catweazle, in the beautiful Quneensland wet suit free all year environment, I love to compete in 30 plus degree heat and would not do a wet suit race in a fit, ha ha !