Any triathletes here?

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I want to do a triathlon next year. I currently row competitively and bike to commute and i'll probably be doing a few long rides during the summer to the cottage and stuff.

Anyways, i've decided to wait until next year to give myself time to train for it. I could probably do one right now, slowly, but i'd like to be competitive so i need to learn to swim fast and i've got to start running (i hate running but it's only 10km in an olympic triathlon so i can hack it). I'm going to see if i can train with my university swim team and if i get good i'll try to join them in the 2010/2011 year, hopefully having a competitive sport in the winter months will help stave off the depression i get after the rowing season.

so has anyone done any triathlons, if so what kind? has anyone done an ironman? that's one i seriously doubt i'll ever do, i hate running so i'm already pretty sure i won't run a marathon, and an ironman is an insane amount of racing followed by a marathon, so i'm about 90% sure i won't do one (about 80% sure i'll never do a marathon).

There are always easier, fun tris you could try this summer to see if you like it, they usually call them 'sprint triathlons'. In those ones the swim is usually so short you can doggy padle it and still be competitive, lol. I would say to jump into just some small ones this summer to see if you like it. You could spend all this time training for next year and find out you dont like it, and also it is one of those things that you need tons of practice to be competitive at. It is not just training on the bike, swim, run parts, for a beginer as much is learning everything about it, like practicing your transitions and knowing how to do the race, how to pace yourself so you dont blow it all on the bike. You learn all that stuff from actually doing them, being there and observing others, how they setup and transition, etc.

I am very very bad at swimming, but last year I did a couple just for fun, one I did entered as a 'team', found someone to do the swim and I did the bike and run. The person who did the swim was very slow, but I made up tons of time on the bike, but am no were near fast at the run. I will probably do a couple again this year.

I recommend first training for a 10K and then working up to a half-marathon. Typical athletes training for a marathon run 7 miles/3X per day/ 6 days per week. Of course, you'll have to build up to it. I recommend running(at a slow pace to start off with), 6 miles a day/4 days per week. Go to the pool and swim laps 2 days per week and bike one day per week.

Eventually, you'll build up to it, but you have to start out with easier courses like a 6K run or a 15K bike. You won't be able to do much hardcore trainng at first, and you'll probably have to rest frequently and take days off between hardcore cardio sessions. The point of the cardio and hard running is to make it count and don't run again until you are completely rested. If you try and keep training when tired you will just overmetabolize and overtrain and run your body into the ground.

Get up to the point where you can run for 100 minutes on a treadmill and then do the eliptical machine for 50 minutes.

Triathlons keep me out of graduate school. Laboratory experiments are valuable but there is no substitute for the field research. I have done sprint through half Ironman distances. Several years ago I found the triathlons to be more fun than running alone. Olympic distance is a lot of fun. You can really hammer and not worry about it; I have a hard time hitting the wall. Longer distances take more concencentration on energy conservation.

As for advice I encourage you to read some good books when you get a chance. Some take a thorough look at the mental component, which is worthwhile. Breakthrough Triathlon Performance by Brad Kearns is a great read. Physiologic and skill stuff is good also. In swimming don't overemphasize a speed focus, at least during the season. Swimming is mostly skill and with triathlons the aim is towards efficiency. You, being fairly young, may need less drill emphasis than us older people. Yes, experimentation will be important.

One caveat to a full Ironman is how much the body can withstand during a year, which is about 2 if you want to do well. To sink all of your eggs into one basket and then have one thing go wrong to interupt your one big race can take a toll mentally and financially. The Ironman races cost a bit of a premium.

As for myself I was in good standing to qualify June for age group nationals but these flu-like symptoms have dragged on for 11 days and I have missed much training therein.

Yes, 10 years ago I did sprint triathlons. Really loved the variety of training and the way that I thrashed different muscle groups on a rotating basis. I primarily run now and actually am more prone to overuse injury. When I did tri's, I mostly just overtrained, period. One lady I ran with a few years ago did the Kona IM in her 70's several times and only stopped at 76 (didn't make the bike cutoff 2 years in a row). Best of luck!

One thing that really helps is the brick workout, where you do two disciplines and get to practice your transitions. You learn a lot from these! Especially bike-to-run.

I can't swim or bike, but my freshman history teacher, who is maybe 24 and has only taught here for 2 years, is leaving the school to become a professional Ironman triathlete. For anyone who doesn't know, an Ironman race is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and then a full marathon run.

^^ Oh nice! I have probably heard of him then. I know of most pros.

I race Ironman 70.3. I've got one in August and I've been training since March. It isn't easy for me for two reasons. I eat gluten free due to GI issues, and well my AS traits tend to make me drift off and ignore my training for a day or two, or cut my training short. It doesn't happen too often thankfully.

Next year I'm determined to try a 140.6. Yeah baby.

For a beginner triathlete, just do your local sprint tri to see if you'd like it. All sorts of people finish short course tris so don't be intimidated. It is really easy. You can swim breastroke the whole way, ride on a mountain bike, and walk the run course in old tennis shoes, and you would not look out of place.

Later on when you gain confidence and decide tris might be for you, get a USAT membership and buy a triathlon bike and other gear, and train properly and race in sanctioned events. If you decide to go for it, that is.

That is so true, beef, you probably will not finish any worse then half way down on the results even if you do not train any.


That has been a problem for me this year, and I have a stage race this weekend, I have a feeling I am not going to finish good. Just wondering, what gets you out the door when you dont feel like training?