Hi Beki

While most of my "upstairs" department have faded away after getting serious about my training and losing most of the excess weight I was carrying, I still like to keep everything strapped in, so I wear a tight sport bra crop top under my swimmers or tri-suit.

If you get a swimmer type top rather than a cotton sports bra, then it should dry out quickly and not rub, but some body glide might be a good idea as well. I found this out in my first race when I wore a cotton sports bra crop top under my swimmers - it filled up with water in the swim and then rubbed the whole way for the rest of the race - heavy, cold and uncomfotable!

Plenty of girls wear their proper normal sports bra under their swimmers (you might want to wear a black one though as the beige etc stands out a bit).

If you don't have a tri suit but want to cover up your thighs then you can always put a pair of tri-shorts or swimmer shorts under your swimmers as well.

Have a look at some photos from a beginner race (should be able to find some from links on the tri-club websites) and that will give you a sense of the different combinations of outfits that people come up with.

Whatever you go with it is probably a good idea to have a practice swim/run in it to make sure it works for you!

The Nepean Enticer is a shorter choice held on the Saturday 17th before Sunday 18's Nepean Triathlon. Same venue and organisers.
250mtr swim /10km cycle / 2.5km run

Beki, that should give you a taste of triathlons. Sounds good?

I'm making my triathlon comeback after many years, doing the Nepean Triathlon, so if you do this one, I will make you look very, very good,

I can't be too helpful in giving suggestions for the 'upstairs department' - ease of running/exercise is the ONLY good thing about having a flat chest.

Thanks for the suggestions ladies, I'm guessing that I need to source myself a good "dri fit" type sports bra. Hopefully with all the training I'll be getting in, this will eventually cease to become a problem

Aah, Thomo - if you could stay right at the back to help me look good that'd be great

Hey Beki

I am coming up for the Nepean Tri, so will be able to cheer you along in the enticer!!

Hey you ... don't you dare forget about this one either

Camden Haven Triathlon

I distinctly remember you promising yourself a weekend away sometime soon

Hey Thomo, Beki, Sunset and co...I plan on making my debut on Nov 4 at a Hills Tri Club event, at the regatta centre! ( i want to wait for Mouse to come back and we will do the event together...can we ride a tandem bike??!! )

I am going to my 3rd ever brick session this weekend at Parramatta Park - lots of good advice and questions coming through this, and a couple of other CR threads i have been lurking around - thanks! I plan to do some swimming also this weekend - i can swim ( poor technique though i bet ) but really only about 50-100metres nonstop last time i tried. Any simple tips to build this up - ie just do slow laps, or do freestyle, then kickboard, then freestyle.....so far i just intend on doing slow laps till i sink. :-)

So excited to hear both Beki & NTR are contemplating their first triathlons!

Beki, let me know if you come out for the Nepean Enticer & I'll certainly come down to cheer you on

NTR, I would have come down to cheer you on during my tri debut but I'll be on my way to the Gong that day! My thoughts however will be with you.

Hi Beki and all,

Sure go for the short ones for confidence however, the Nepean is only once a year and it is the event to do in Sydney ( I heard you Miners). Go in a shorter one before November.

There is quite a bit of effort (getting organised I mean and don't forget cost) to get ready for a triathlon so I find the slight longer ones are worth the effort.

As for the Nepean Beki for that distance it is the one to do because there are a lot of competitors and wave starts. If my memory serves me correctly the women go in an earlier wave so you will have at least 15-20 minutes start on the old guys like me. Also because of the loop nature of the run (2 by 5km) there are always people around you.

On a personal note - you carved up Bankstown 21km - you have the endurance to do the 1-30-10 and you won't get a better bike ride.



cheers PLu

LOL Miners - it wasn't until I was at work this morning that I thought of your invite, I was waiting for that response!

I reckon I could hang in there for the bike leg and the run, but the 1k swim might be a bit of a stretch. The enticer is certainly a possibility though...

I had my citizenship ceremony tonight and while wandering out the back of Woollahra Council offices I discovered there is an open water swimming area fenced off - less than 2k from home and only 50m off one of my favourite running routes. There was I thinking I'd have to travel miles to find one where I wouldn't get washed out to sea! Waaaay too cold for me to hop in there in my bathers just yet but I can see it becoming more tempting over the next few weeks

Oh Plu, I'd hardly call what I did at Bankstown "carving" it up but thanks for the vote of confidence

Wow - there certainly seem to be a few CR's who are closet triathletes/wannabe triathletes, I wonder how many more have been lurking around these threads???

On the swimming topic, what would be a reasonable time for a beginner to swim 1k? I know it's going to vary widely, but where a relatively new runner likes to crack the 60min for 10k, what des the reasonably new swimmer like to crack for 1k? I have no idea how long it would take me (at the moment I end up with loads of breaks between 25m laps - can't do that on the open water course). I wonder how much improvement I could make in 6 weeks?

Well, there is certainly plenty of choice for my first - I'll have to mull this over for a couple of weeks while I see where my training takes me...

*Edit*

Sorry Ellie - just saw your post - I think that October is just waaaaaay too soon. I'm looking at the Nepean Enticer and thinking that is doable although BB is telling me that it's too soon for me (personally I think the 250m/10k/2.5k should be perfectly fine on not too much training - I can certainly cycle/run and I reckon I can swim 250m non-stop by then). Party pooper

nite_time_runner, Beki,

I admit to being a lurker in the Tri related posts.

I used to swim a lot as a youngster, but until recently hadn't swum seriously for about 20 years. My small claim to fame is that I was coached by Laurie Lawrence when I was about 4 or 5. I hated it at the start, I have very vague memories of hiding under the bed so I wouldn't have to go to training.

I found that when I started doing laps that I had to stop within a few laps for a rest. I found myself in a vicious cycle, the tireder (?is that even a word?) I got the more I struggled, the more I strugged the tireder I got ..... I think what was happening was that as I started to struggle for breath I would rush my stroke so that I could get my next breath as quick as possible, this resulted in short rushed inefficent strokes. Somebody recommended that instead of starting to blow air out straight away, hold onto the air for a short time and start blowing out just before taking the next breath, this allowed me to slow down my stroke rate to the point where I could swim continuously.

Time wise, I've been back into the swimming for just over a year now and my 1k time is about 18:00, but it's so hard to tell when you keep losing count of the laps . I recon that somewhere between 20 and 25 minutes is a reasonable time for 1k that might equate to about a 60min 10k run.

I just checked out the Noosa Tri results from last year, and people running a 1hr 10k swam about a 30min 1.5k

Hope this is helpful

Mike

i don't think predicting swim times off of runtimes or vice versa is very useful. they aren't very related. particularly in the beginning.

last tri for me... 1330th out of the water. 28xth on the run.

Hi Folks,

Don't forget to look up in the Hunter! Maitland is coming up on the 14 October and its a great starter triathlon. Here is the link:

http://www.maitlandtriathlon.net/ (1km swim; 30km ride; 8km run)

There is also the Newcastle Foreshore in February next year: http://www.newcastletriclub.org.au/race/default.aspx (this is the link but the 2008 entries aren't open yet) (500m swim, 18km ride; 4km run)

And the Sparke Helmore in March next year: http://www.sparkenbntriathlon.com.au/ (2 distances! 500m swim 15km ride 4km run or 500m swim 20km ride 5km run)

These are all great races so don't discount them!

Cheers,

Danny

Mikey, I definitely had that problem with the swim to begin with - I found the trick last Monday though...find someone doing a slow breast stroke and stay behind them! I felt like I could have gone for hours as I was having to make my arms and legs really slow not to crash into the back of them

As a distance runner you would have thought I'd have figured that out from the beginning - doh!

I see where you are coming from, especially for someone just getting into the swimming. The intention was not that people should try to predict their swim based on their run. I think that the idea was for Beki to get a rough idea of a goal swimming speed to aim for, and to get a feel for where she is at with her swimming, when compared to her running. I may be completely off the mark with my numbers, happy to be corrected by others with more experience.

Mike

I wasn't thinking that my run pace would predict my swim - I was thinking more along the lines of what Mike said, just that as I have no idea of swim pace, what would be good time to aim for. I.e. a newcomer to running would be happy breaking 60mins for their first 10k, so what would a "couldn't swim 10m ten weeks ago" swimmer be happy to manage for 1k in the water?

I've given myself a mini goal - given that as I have to take so many breathers between laps at the moment, if I can manage the 5 x 50m laps non stop in four weeks I'll enter the Nepean Enticer

At my present level of swim-fit it would take me 45mins to swim 1k due to all the 2 min rests

I can pretty much assure you of that. I don't think you will be able go my running / walking pace though. I am going to be like you see in those martial arts movies , slooooow motion.(LOL)



Don't forget about if drafting rules apply in the cycle leg, don't want to get yourselves DQ (insert wink, system doen't allow anymore emotions)



5 x 50 mtrs in 4 weeks, even I can swim further than that in that time. (LOL)

Beki, with your swim breaks suggest you try to tread water for a minute maybe instead of a full stop if possible. This also helps with confidence if you have to stop and adjust things and refocus on direction.

As you said a lot of people who post on coolrunning have done triathlons and we want you to have a good experience.

thomo

Hmmm, perhaps I could have phrased that better...

I think if it takes me four weeks I will miss the cut off

hello all

I've been lurking for a while picking up all sorts of tips for my first triathlon - Noosa. Thought I'd share how I, as a complete novice, got on track.

I started training about eight weeks ago, hadn't swum in eight years and I'm no suzie o'neill, but after 6 weeks following a fairly basic training programme I went from 100 m - almost drowning to 1km in just under 25 minutes (as I said, no Suzie O'Neill).

Swam twice a week. Started with 200 metre warm up, which can be anything you want, 50 m kick board, using floats, or just really slow bilateral breathing, breastroke, whatever. Stretch for about 4-5 minutes in the water, upper body, neck, arms.

Main session could be either 10 x 100 m or 5 x 200, or 20 x 50. this should be done at effort and depending what time you do the interval in then for the shorter distances you do a standing recovery for half that time eg 2 minutes for 100 metres, then rest for 1 minute but never rest for more than 90 seconds between the longer distances. Any longer rest periods and in my opinion you're wasting a training session.

Alternate to this type of session you can do a pyramid 4 x 50, 2 x 100, 1 x 200, 2 x 100, 4 x 50 (rest intervals as above)

Warm down is 200 metres of breaststroke or slow bileral breathing or dog paddle.

After 4 weeks of the above, I was able to swim a steady 1,000 metres without too much trouble. I now swim a 1,000 every third session and am shaving my time down slowly. (I will be going up to 1,500 metres next week!)

Good luck,

cat lady

I've been following this thread with interest as I've been wondering about tris for a while now. Last week found me in the pool doing laps for the first time in about 20 years. And then I never did more than 2.
My forst swimming session was pretty bad to start with. But then I remembered how to breathe and it was better. My running fitness has obviously helped as I swum 11 laps that night-mixture of strokes-and 20 laps a few nights later. Ok I have to rest after every lap (50m) and I have to mix my strokes as 2 laps of freestyle wears me out. My breast stroke is much better but alot slower.
It takes about an hour to swim what I could run in about 4 minutes.
As for cycling-I dont have cycling shoes or even toe clips at the moment. I'll throw some clips on though-I have a set somewhere. Shoes and cleats scare me and I cant see me moving to them anytime soon. So my running shoes will be my cycling shoes too.
My bike isn't really the best bit of equipment-an old 80's Malvern Star steel 27" road bike. Even the wheels are steel. It's in bits at the moment as for some unknown reason I decided to paint it.
I dont have any fancy cycling clothes either-my running shorts and singlet will be my cycling poutfit as well. My running shorts could even be my bathers!

Hey Cat Lady that's a great improvement. I've only just gotten back to swimming too due to injury. I've been doing between 1 and 1.4km swims but its always stop start stop start with no plan whatsoever, so it's great to get an idea of what other people are doing. I've written your suggestions down and I'm taking it with me tonight.

My aim is also to give one of the enticers a go hopefully towards the end of the year or beginning of 2008 depending on when I'm allowed to run again. The physio has given me the go ahead to start cycling this weekend which should be interesting - I can't even remember the last time I rode a bike. (If anyone sees a woman rocking back and forth in the foetal position next to a nice new bike in centennial park... that'll be me after I've forgotten how to brake!)

I am much the same as you Wombatoutofhell - i did my first ever swim session yesterday ( on my own, at a quiet time! ) and swam 1000mtrs . I did stop each and every lap for a breather, but thats OK. Some laps were easier then others, or should that be, some were harder then others! It took me about 50 mins. I found the regular pattern needed for breathing difficult to get into at first, but as an asthmatic, i know swimming is recommeneded, i guess to force you into that pattern (?).

As for a bike, my lovely Mouse found me a road bike off ebay a few months ago for about $150. Its great! ( picture here ) I dont use cleats, but do have toe clips. For now, i cant see how a new bike, new clothes etc will help me enjoy it any more...if i get into it however...well, i just might make a XMAS list!

Great work NTR!

I think I might wait until I've got a bit more "reliable" endurance before I start confusing myself with different sessions in the pool. I want to try and conquer the 1000m in the 50m pool tonight - I can do it in the 25m pool with no dramas but for some reason the extra bit on the one lap just kills me. I'm going to try my theory of super-slow swimming to keep my EIA under control (exercise induced asthma) - it works perfectly for my running so goodness only knows why it took so long to figure it out for my swimming - dur

It's been such a beautiful day in Sydney that an evening at the pool seems like a fitting way to end it

I'm also pleased to report an 8.5k run along the hilly, concrete Coastal Path this morning with no shin pain during or after - only a serious struggle for running on the empty stomach

HI Beki
I just PMd you about the 'upstairs department' question (secret women's business
cheers

My first triathlon is next weekend - 300m/13km/3km (just a short one)

I bought myself a one piece tri suit today after thinking I would never be caught it one. It is the uniform for the squad I train with.

Yesterday I had my longest bike ride ever - from Stafford to Redcliffe for an ocean swim, and then back. 2.5 hrs riding over just under 70km. Previously my longest ride was about 30km.
The ride there was beautiful but the ride by was absolutely horrible - we were against a terribly strong headwind pretty much the whole way and I struggled a LOT - both mentally and physically.

Strangely enough, I'm not sore today. I have no idea why. The worst part is that the arch of one of my feet is sore because it cramped in the water yesterday.

Hi Sunset,

Good luck for next weekend - you have done the training so now its time to enjoy the event. Looking foward to your first race debrief.

Cheers,

Danny

Hi Sunset

I take it your doing the Bribie short course next weekend? I'm not sure if i'm doing that or the longer one. I'm thinking the longer one but i'll see how I go. The swim is pretty good at Bribie if there is a current. Doesn't take very long at all.

I know the ride from Stafford to Redcliffe. Did you go along the Kedron Brook? Underneath the gateway motorway. Its a long ride and that headwind on the way back is a struggle. No trees most of the way so it seems to never end.

Good luck next weekend. I might see you there if your doing the Bribie one.

Hi Madill,

Yes, I'm doing the short course at Bribie. I was contemplating the longer one but as it is my first triathlon I thought I should start easy.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds the ride back from Redcliffe a challenge - is there usually a head-wind or did we get a bad day?

I would like to do it again sometime, and even if there was a slight head-wind I would take my leisurely time coming back (rather than trying to keep up with a pack of experienced cyclists), so it would be a slightly more enjoyable experience.

Not sure if I can really put this post here as I am probably several steps back from being even a beginner at tri's, but I have signed up for some swimming lessons at my local pool on a Tuesday night to sort my shocking stroke technique out! If it does lead to my doing a mini, mini, mini tri, all well and good, but at least for now it will be a bit of cross-training and bingo-wing toning

That's great PlodBod, it's exactly how me and "him indoors" got into it. You should get a lot out of these lessons if you have a good instructor - let us know how you go!

My training has been non-existant the last week or so. I have family from overseas staying so my time has been taken up with trips here and there and eating out... No excuse I know, but I feel bad if I take time out to train while they are here. Hopefully after this Friday things will change and I can actually get some structure into my week. I've hardy even had time to check the forums!

Good luck with the first tri Sunset. I'm intending a couple of similar length ones this season. I've got some running under the belt and have done my first 1/2 marathon this year. Swimming the same, done a few 1.6k ocean swims the last 2 years and intending to do the Busselton jetty swim solo this year (3.6-3.8?kms). Cycling! Well just had my second ever "training" ride this morning after the first one last Friday, about 70mins and just over 27kms each time. Geez my backside is sore, I presume this gets better!? Anyway, have a good one. Look forward to hearing how you go.

Kids went back to swimming after their holidays.

Managed to swim 600mtrs non stop.

I have a confession, it has been 6 weeks since I last swam.

Nepean Triathlon is going to be ugly.

Finally made it to the pool tonight and had my first ever session in the "big" pool

I was really pleased to do my 1km as 50m laps. It was reeeeeeaaaallllllly slow but I have some hope that it will only get better with some regular training. I was expecting it to be seriously ugly after a three week break, especially considering I have only just learnt to swim and have no sort of base built up - luckily it turned out to be a great confidence booster and I can't wait for my next session

OMG - I have finally been let in on the big secret to unclipping with ease!!!

Twist foot INWARDS, towards bike at top of stroke - doh!!! I feel like such a dunce but boy is it great not to have to plan my stops 50m in advance...I actually enjoyed the ride this morning and now no longer have cleat-fear

I'm sorry to say cleat-fear will actually return once you have a cleat-related fall. But it will fade - eventually.

Doing long rides like that will help you out heaps. I know the feeling of trying to keep up with people especially on a long ride where you just wish you were at the end. It seems there is always a headwind on that ride. I've only done it a handful of times although i'd like to do it again soon. I'm moving back to gordon park soon so i'll be able to.

I think i've decided i'll do the longer one at Bribie and see how I go. I did the Raby Bay on sunday and felt pretty good at the end.

So didn't need to hear that

Good luck sunset-I'm looking forward to your race report!
I've made a discovery over the last few weeks-i actually can swim. Very slowly and lousy technique I admit, but I can do 2km non stop in the 50m pool now freestyle. This summer it's down to the beach to try some ocean swimming! I dont think I'll take on any tri's this season but next year is definately a possibility

Good luck Sunset - I've been following your progress from afar as Tri's are something I think I'd like to do one day but I have terrible bike phobia. All the best and I look forward to reading your race report

Sunset

think I saw you runnning over the Goodwill bridge this morning??

CR top and knee tape...

how is the leg holding up?

good luck at Bribie !! that was my very 1st tri 6 years ago .

I'll be there ...

Dave

Hey Kandingo - yes that was me - my first sighting as a CR! How exciting.

Actually the knee isn't doing too well today - a bit uncomfortable but not overly painful

The last couple of weeks I've been doing 2 x 6km runs each week and it has been coping okay.
I really don't know what to do about the knee situation... there appears to be no cure in sight and it has been months since I was regularly running.

I was contemplating this morning how worn out a gentle 6km run makes me when I used to do moderate paced 9km every day without too much issue.
I'm also pondering what sort of terrible time I'm going to do in the 3km run leg this Sunday.

Great, you do have the fitness base. So for swimming just keep turning over the arms. Then add some speed work or time trials.



Unclipping will become second nature. It is just like driving a car in traffic you need to plan ahead.




Tell me it isn't true. You swam 2km non stop and you want to wait till next season to do a triathlon. When I did my one and only half ironman. 2km was the max. that I swam in a training session.

Give it a tri (pun intended).

Like I said-a very slow swim! I haven't tried it outside of a nice smooth pool as yet-might be harder when a few waves are thrown in. Might be harder without the turns too-i cant do a tumble turn as yet so there is a sort of break for the 5 or 10 seconds it takes me to turn. The bikes a problem at the moment as well-my elderly Malvern Star is in bits and wont be competitive in any way shape or form. Not to mention the rider So by the time I get to running I'm allready at the back of the pack and my running isn't strong enough to get back. I will do a tri one day-they sound like fun!
Actually being last or non competitive dont matter-but I have to finish.
The reason I'm not going to this season is I'm working towards other goals. I want to get my 10km under 45 mins before xmas and I want to run a full marathon next year. After I fulfill those goals I'll look at a tri!

Actually Wombat, it's the other way around!

It's way easier to swim continuously without those horrible turns (whichever style you use) every 25 or 50 metres.

They break your rhythm, snap your concentration and muck up your breathing. I much prefer a continuous open-water swim in lake or ocean when the turn is a 'navigated' one (if you understand what I mean) around a mark or buoy or a mate on a surfboard.

It's a bit like your LSD runs compared to shuttle runs!

I don't do tumble turns and I swim laps in a 25 m pool. I find by not doing the tumble turns I get that half a second break at the end of each lap to grab a breath.

This has impacted on my training quite negatively because when I swim in the ocean I don't get that break every ~30 seconds and so I get tired very quickly.

I'm up for a QUT swim/run (8km run) tomorrow arvo if you brisbane people are interested. Something like 3pm? Interest?

I would be interested except for the pesky little thing known as 'work'
I'll be at the pool about 6am though.

Phew! Another 1k in the 50m pool tonight - nice to know that Monday wasn't just a fluke

It was also waaaay quicker than Monday but I won't say by how much as that will give away exactly how slow I am

amen

I've been swimming at QUT pool. Was there yesterday at lunch. I've just realised I can go during lunch break and just work a bit longer. Which is good cause I can do a run or ride in the afternoon.

I usually swim in a 50m pool and find its a bit easier than the 25m plus you dont have to count as much.