So, I’m racing (if that’s the term) in a sprint distance triathlon on December 9th. The problem is that I’ve been a couch potato for years and I was a 10+ year smoker, having just quit on August 7th. So not only am I soft and mushy, my cardio fitness is embarassingly bad.
When I started training (and I use that word very lightly) a little over a month ago, I couldn’t swim more than a lap without stopping to gasp for air. I couldn’t run more than a quarter mile without stopping to walk-off the joint and respiratory pain for the next several minutes. A 14-mile bike ride took me an hour and I was sore for days. Two weeks from tomorrow I have to swim 400 meters, bike 12.4 miles, and then run 3.1 miles. And I really need to come in under 2 hours to save myself the embarassment of taking up the rear with the octogenarians.
I got a gym membership, and I’ve been training vigorously, but I’m afraid it’s too little, too late. A 400 meter swim still takes everything out of me (though I can do several laps without stopping now), as does a few miles on the bike. Forget about running. My best mile so far has been 7:54 and I thought I was going to die. That was without the swim and the bike in front of it, and without the other 2.1 miles behind it.
There are tons of current triathlete Dopers who I am sure will pop in, but I was quite the little triathlete as a kid. National champion, in fact.
For what it’s worth, just focus on getting each leg done. You really wont start hurting until it is over, because you’ll be so distracted. Also, make sure you are chugging plenty of water and snacking on the oranges/Power Bars (EWEWEWEW)/ bagels they’ve got there for ya. I used to drink this horrible gel thing between each leg. . .oh man, it was awful.
Also, don’t worry about rushing or pushing yourself beyond your limit. You’re going to encounter some of the nicest, most supportive people you’ve ever met. They were n00bz once to, ya know.
Good for you. My Wife just did the Silverman in Vegas (though she missed the bike cut off 85 miles into the ride).
She also did a sprint in Golden CO, a marathon length in Bolder (Bolder Peak) and a half (The Harvest Moon) in Aurora(? – I was there, I just get them all mixed up) And the triple by-pass. I think I might be missing something.
I’ll be watching the thread, and If you have any specific questions, I’ll ask my Wife. Or I might be able to answer myself.
My sister in law is also a Triathalete, and the best advice I have gotten for myself was from my BIL. The race is also very hard on those that support the athlete.
Given your health and fitness history,I would just concentrate on finishing. Finishing way back or last is not considered shameful in the least. Almost everyone out there are competing against themselves. Good luck.
You’re right, of course. I don’t care where I finish in relation to other competitors, but my personal goal is 2 hours.
Two weeks ago I cut everything in half (200m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k run) and did it in 49 minutes. Last week I did it again and came in at 43 minutes, so I’m definitely making progress.
I’m feeling pretty decent about my swim and bike now, but the run is just painful. My whole body aches during and after runs and more often than not I feel like vomiting. I got professionally fitted for running shoes and had my gait analyzed, so I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong, it’s just inexperience.
Yes, I can see this would be a key to your “training demographics”. Not, of course, to indicate any real increase of skill and performance, but merely to convence the public that you ARE training hard and getting better and being more Rocky-like. Yes, this may pay off in product endorsements before you get your first sore ass from the bicycle seat.
I’d recommend concentrating on the running foremost, then the biking. If you go with an easy stroke – breaststroke, say – you’re not going to be too far behind the pack after a 400 m swim. And you’ll be a lot less winded.
That’s especially going to be the case if it’s open water – most slower swimmers tend to have their body and legs drag a little, which not only slows them down and makes them expend more effort, but really exaggerates the effect of any rough water. Most people don’t drag as much on strokes like breaststroke or sidestroke.
My roommate, whose idea of a nice Saturday morning is a thirty-mile run, swears by giant Snickers bars as being better than energy bars for eating during a run. Something about the high fat content being just what you need to keep going.
It’s a pool swim. This will show my ignorance of the sport, but I kind of thought that freestyle was the only stroke that was allowed, and it’s wearing me out in training! I checked out a triathlon book from the library and that’s the only stroke he talks about.
I just got back from the gym, where I did the 400m in 10:40. I have no idea if that was a good time or not but I was pretty gassed out afterwards.
It might be worth your while to check with race officials.
Freestyle is actually used to designate that you may use any style stroke. If you’re racing for speed, though, the crawl stroke (front crawl, Australian crawl) is the one to go with, because it is definately faster. That has lead people to just assume that freestyle = crawl stroke, which isn’t so. Most swimmers even forget that. (which might get you some questions if you don’t check with officials first)
There are some restrictions on what you can choose to swim in a freestyle race: if it’s a medely, you can’t use one of the other strikes in the medely; you have to touch the wall on each turn and finish; you can’t be underwater for more than a certain distance each lap.
However, in training I’d recommend sticking with the crawl – it’s very good for cardio and endurance training, and will probably help with your lung capacity if you have breathing issues. (I’m asthmatic, but have some ridiculously higher-than-average lung capacity because of swimming, as does one of my coworkers, who’s a smoker)
Thanks for the info, Lightray! I’ve always thought Freestyle was kind of a weird name for an event in which everyone did the same stroke. It makes sense now.
I think swimming will definitely be the sport to stay with me after this is overwith. I like biking, but unless I drive somewhere way outside of town it seems like I spend half my rides waiting at stoplights. And forget running. Running hurts.
Check the rules. Crawl is usually the “best” stroke to use, but most in most I’ve done, any stroke - backstroke, side stroke, breaststroke, even dog paddling - is allowed. You just need to cover the distance without assistance.
Whatever you do, you don’t want to be gassed when you’re done. You still have to hop on a bike - and then run.
I don’t think I can swim slow enough to not be gassed after 400 meters. When I say gassed, it’s just my breathing. My muscles are mostly fine during the swim and run, I just fall terribly short of breath. My quads get to hurting pretty bad on the bike (I’ve been doing a spin class and it’s brutal) but I can usually pedal through it or coast for a minute.