Hi - I'm new to all this running and tri stuff, but I completed my first tri last weekend. Just a small one (200m/10k/2k). I got a real buzz out of it and I can't wait for the next one (now 3 weeks away). I only started swimming at Easter - found an adult squad with a sympathetic coach who eased me from barely completing 25m to being comfy enough to enter a tri. Started cycling at the same time - hubby is MTB mad and took me out on 20k road rides (basically he rode ahead and I had to try to keep up or get lost!). Running - started the couch to 5k about 7 weeks ago. Yet I still managed to complete in (what I think is) a respectable time - basically that means I didn't come last! Why didn't I start these sooner!!!!!!

Because you had no idea what fun they were!

Enjoy!

OK, this tri thing is starting to take a hold... went and bought a "proper" swimsuit yesterday and whilst in the sports shop, was stroking the tri clothes and wondering when I could justify purchasing a pair of pink tri shorts and top...

Read that article that Will posted about the difference between the bikes... might have to get me some new handlebars...

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear.

That is great.

As you keep progressing, it may be your husband sucking (drafting) on your wheel trying to keep up.

Try to be gentle and don't drop him in unknown area

I know - the more I read and search the net about Tri, the more stuff I see that I want. I bought a 2 piece Orca tri suit in Red and Nightshadow (very nice), but then had to buy new runners, which are pink and being very aware of the whole bling of Tri, am now contemplating a new suit to match. (Although the new bike on order is grey and red, so maybe I just need new runners?!)

PlodBod, you probably don't want to look at this website then

I luuuuurve Scody gear, their tri suits are great. Good fit, well made, comfy, and look cool on.

Ahhhh one tip though for first time tri suit gals - go one with a black bottom, unless you have a super hot tooosh (of course PlodBod im sure you do!!).

During my first few tris i spent considerable time at the rear of the pack, closely observing what-not-to-wear

... no, but we both know someone who thinks I do! heheheheh

Right that's it. I'm doin a Tri. Not just for the pink outfit, you understand.

No super-hot toosh here! Only a very novice and wobbly one!

I tried on my new tri-suit last night and felt like an imposter - trying to pretend to look like a triathlete.

And yes, I agree a black bottom is a very wise idea. I will be wearing the suit made by the tri squad I train with. It is produced by Scody and features a black bottom, and white/green on the top.

It looks very much like this one

I had a real dilemma trying to decide what size to get though - whether to go small or medium. I am usually about a ladies size 10, however I think it is more the torso length that is most important.
I ended up opting for the small but I hope it doesn't pull on my shoulder/wedgify me in competition.

Good luck at Bribie Sunset! I know you'll do great.

Loving that!!!!

[taken from my blog]

This morning I did my first triathlon. It was a short course at Bribie Island consisting of 300m swim, 13km ride, 3km run.

I turned up at the site excited, and yet a bit nervous/scared. I wasn’t sure how things would work and I felt so unfamiliar with the idea of transitioning.
However the coaches were very helpful and talked me through things so I felt comfortable with what I had to do.

Swim
I found this a bit of a struggle, as usual. However conditions were great - the water was fairly calm and not much of a current. I swam out too wide and so probably added a bit of distance to the swim. I also had the pleasure of ‘group’ swimming and being elbowed, kicked, swallowing gulps of salt water instead of air, etc. That is what triathlon swimming is all about!
My technique was pretty terrible and I was breathing every single stroke, instead of every second stroke. However I made it through and onto the first transition.

T1
I knew which row my bike was in however I ran passed it by about 5 bikes before quickly locating it. My transition was a bit slow I guess but I tried to hurry. I washed my feet but then they got dirty again anyway from the ground so I just pulled the socks and shoes on and off I went.

Ride
The ride course consisted of two laps around suburban streets. There was a bit of a nasty head-wind in the return direction which was a bit unfortunate. After a fairly slow swim, I managed to overtake a LOT of people in the ride. It felt good to go whizzing past them! Like the swim, I didn’t push myself to the point of feeling sick - I paced myself quite well so I was able to stay consistent.

T2
The initial dismount and run to the bike racks actually felt a bit better than I thought it would. I quickly changed my shoes, double knotted the laces, and off I went!
This is when my muscles started saying that they didn’t like the change from bike to run. The first 1km was very awkward and uncomfortable. My legs felt like jelly and my breathing was laboured - it felt like I was incredibly unfit!
It wasn’t until past the halfway mark that I actually started to get into a rhythm. I was able to pick up pace, steady my breathing, and start over-taking more people! Three km’s was way too short to get into a good pace.

Finish!
I managed a sprint and a smile across the finish line. Little did I know I actually placed second in my age category.
My time was 50 minutes and 3 seconds.
The winner in my age group did it in about 48 minutes.

Reflections
I was way, way, too easy on myself. I didn’t know what to expect and so I took it too easy. I was capable of so much more. I could have easily won the age catergory. I ran over the finish line feeling comfortable, and that is not a feeling that belongs at the finish line! I should have been nauseous, light-headed and feeling like I was about to collapse. That is the sign of a good race.

The other thing is that I should have done the longer course - 750m swim/20km ride/5km run. I opted for the easy option because, once again, it was my first triathlon and I didn’t know what I was capable of.

Anyway, I had a fantastic morning, the squad I train with were so supportive and it was a perfect graduation from the beginners triathlon course.

Sounds like a great effort sunset-well done! I think you did the right thing pacing yourself as you did, being your first. Same with the shorter distance. You'll know next time and go alot harder I'm guessing.
Congratulations on your first triathlon. I hope to follow in your footsteps one day!

TOP STUFF!!

You should do the rest of the series and try and take out the overall after a massive result in the first race.

Was also good to meet Kandingo! Hope you had a good race mate.

Great work Sunset, and congrats on your first tri. You now have a benchmark and know what to expect and can go harder and longer for the next one.

But that wouldn't be a challenge now would it..

I'll probably do a couple more in the series but I'm thinking I should go harder with the longer course next time (and indeed it will be a challenge - 1km swim/28km ride/8km run).

I'd better feel sick and nauseous when I cross the line after something like that.

Well done. Here's to the next one.

Sunset

good to see you had a great day...especially feeling good at the finish !!

enjoyed my day as well...bit of wind on the bike sorted a few out...

you will be right for the bigger race...current assisted swim...4 laps of the bike and 2x4km run loops...

18th Nov is next race...race 2 of Gatorade series at Robina...400/15/4

... elastic laces next time?

Yep - that is exactly what I was thinking as I was fumbling with the knots!

Congratulations Sunset. That's a fantastic effort.

Hi Sunset - congrats! You did great Thanks for your race report. You must be so stoked to take out 2nd place in your age category in your first tri. I look forward to hearing about the next one.

Nice work Sunset.
Triathlon requires accurate pacing and knowing how hard to push yourself during each leg. My first Triathlon (Bribie Race 1 Last Year) time was considerably slower than the next one a did. You'll be suprised how much time you take off with the next one you do. Thats probably why you felt you didn't push yourself enough.

Goodluck for Robina if your going.

Well done Sunset, a great first tri.



I think I'd be feeling like that BEFORE a tri of that length!

I'm looking forward to my second triathlon this coming weekend - another short one of 400m/20km/4km

I have a general question in relation to triathlon training...

Every weekend I plan my training for the following week, based around which sessions I want to attend with the squad and which sessions I want to do myself.

I seem to average about 2 swims, 2 rides and 2 runs every week (the runs are a very short 6km due to injury issues).

By doing two sessions a week of each discipline I feel like I'm not really improving and instead just struggling to stay on top of it.

I know when I was running most days (*sigh*) I noticed huge improvements from running 3 days a week, to running 5 - 6 days a week.

Do I need to give up my day job to become a better triathlete?

Frequency is the key. Myself on a standard week run and ride 4 times and swim 3 (note this is for Ironman but still probably holds true over most distances). I have sport focus every 4 weeks and do which ever every day. This week for example was more run focused and in 6 days did 84km of run but the longest was 17.5 over 9 sessions. Next week is more swim focused (still 7 runs though) with 5 sessions. I will often ride 7 days straight. I am a big fan of split sessions morning and night. I find morning and night swim to be difficult but run and bike go well. Probably a bit of overkill to run 9 times a week for sprint distance in your first season. I feel that 2 sessions is more for maintainence than improvement. Still, if you are a new swimmer 2 sessions is pretty good and will have you improving if you get coached properly.

You'd definately be a much better triathlete if you give up your job, might have issues paying the bills for a little while until you go pro.

I find that trying to have consistent training from week to week and make sure that each session has a goal are important. Personally swimming gets minimal time as concentrating on bike and running returns the best results for me as you tend to spend a lot more time in triathlon in those two areas. Welcome to the dilemna of triathlons.

hey ppl,

im also imterested in starting tri, just curious what it would cost me to get completely set-up with a bike. im talking about mid-range, complete gear and all, any thoughts,

thanks team

Watched a tri in Melbourne yesterday, been thinking about doing the mini brooks one starting next Sunday. Sunset, since starting your thread, and with all the answers and advice CR's have been giving, I have started training as well. I got all the inspiration from all those on here, so this reply is a Thank You to all here. Watching everyone out there yesterday made me think of why the hell didn't I think of starting these events sooner. Looked like a lot of fun. Even for the family as it easy for them to see you afew times during the course of the race and cheer you on. That's why this website is so great. Can really pick you up, or the people on here more to the point. Good luck Sunset on all your series and goals and thank you once again on a great thread.
Sav

OK, a couple of newbie questions:

1) Any tips on sighting whilst swimming? I have been practicing a little and whenever I lift my head it seems my legs drop and I almost stop. It then takes ages to get into a good rythm again and it is also hard work.

2) Also, any opinions on leaving shoes in the cleats and putting the feet in once out on the road. Is it that hard and is it worth it?

Hi Hoggy,

People do tri's on all sorts of bikes, but if you want to get the basic gear -

Base level road/tri bikes start at around the $1,000 mark, and then step up from there. Check out the websites for the major suppliers (Giant, Avanti, Specialized, Orbea, Cervelo, Trek, Felt).

But make sure you get the correct fit for you. Its definitely worth going to get fitted prior to choosing a bike, as each has specific dimensions which may or may not suit your limb lengths etc. Some bike shops do it, but just make sure you go to a reputable tri shop in your area. Its similar to choosing running shoes - can cause injury and be damn uncomfortable with the wrong bike. Also be specific that its Triathlons you will be doing as road bikes are set up differently (they do not use aero bars).

All the other bike gear (the basic range) are around; $200 for clip on aero bars, $200 clipless pedals, $250 shoes, $100 computer, $100 helmet. And around $200 for a sexy outfit!!!

You can usually get a good package deal if buying everything from the one store, or even buying off the internet. Or alternatively once you know your frame requirements you can get good bargains off EBay or from triathlon websites.

Hope that helps! Other Brisbanites might know of a good bike fitter.

Since my first tri is now only a few weeks away and I have never ridden or swum in a crowd can anyone give me any tips? I'm not really keen on pissing people off by getting in their way because I don't know what I'm doing.

Hi mate.

Never really thought about the surf-head-check technique and how you actually do it. Years of body-surfing and it's just something you 'do' if you know what I mean. Perhaps it's worth putting in an extra kick before getting your head out, ut I do find it often takes 2 sightings to get a good bearing on where you're going.

I'm paranoid about cleats which was the reason I first taught myself to get into the shoes clipped onto the bike. It does take a couple of rides' practice, but once you've figured it out, it becomes natural and seems silly to think you may have had trouble before.

The quickest transition is to jump on your bike on the run, and then worry about getting your feet down once you're rolling and feeling stable. Get yourself safe (in relation to other cycle traffic), then look down and kick the shoe over if you need to, so you can rest your foot on top - do that with both feet and then pedal until you get yourself up to coasting speed, or depending on the course, wait till you reach a gentle downhill (the pros at Noosa usually take a good km or so before getting into their shoes). Then it's a fairly easy matter of reaching down and slipping the feet in one at a time.

If you run out of room while doing this (such as a corner coming up etc..) don't panic. You can get a decent enough speed going even with your feet resting on top of the shoes for a while - or even if you've got your feet in but haven't had time to tighten the strap up straight away. Make sure you're safe and stable again before getting yourself fully in, strapped up and spinning again.

It sounds complicated writing it down like that - but it really is easier - and far more efficient that stopping in T1 to put shoes on. The way I figure it, even if you're slowing on the bike while you're getting your feet in, at least you're still moving 'forward' instead of sitting on your backside. Besides which, you can slip in cleats, and they wear out on the road - and just as commonly, you could get your cleats filled with mud running through transition preventing them from clipping in at all.

Once every week or so, swim 6x50m where you swin the first 8 strokes with your head up. Good practice. Also gives you a chance to feel the water properly.

Position yourself way to the back if you think you'll be slow, and to the outside - don't worry about swimming a few extra metres and you'll miss the congestion around the bouys. The lifeguards will steer you back if you go too far off course. It's less a matter of not pissing people off and more about not getting rattled or agitated by swimming in a washing machine - just expect unintentional and non-malicious biffo, cos it always happens, and be determined not to be upset by it. If you're worried about losing your goggles put them on under your cap. A tip for sighting - rub a LITTLE bit of dishwashing detergent on the inside of your goggles, let it dry then rub off the residue. Voila! No fog (I've done 3 and 4km events and it works the whole way).
If you're a slow swimmer you won't be riding in a crowd! But as a slow cyclist I'm always careful to not stop or change direction suddenly without checking there's anyone coming up behind me. Thank the marshalls as you go by, they don't get enough appreciation.

Thanks Alison

Great advice has been given on both these questions already. Just to amplify or highlight a couple of things:

1) With both your questions the biggest thing is to practice both in a non-racing environment. Do some laps in the pool where you practice lifting your head every 10 strokes. Get onto a non-trafficky street and practice getting feet into shoes already on the bike, then get your feet out and do it again. Once you've done it a few times in a row it becomes so much easier.

2) If you haven't practised it beforehands do not try it in a race! If you don't have time to practice the bike shoe thing before your next race, then wait until you've had a chance to get used to it a bit before introducing it on race day. The extra nerves, pumping heart rate and fumbling fingers after getting out of the swim do not make it conducive to learning a new skill for the first time!

3) For the shoe-on-bike thing I only learnt to do this earlier in the year and I think it's definitely worth it. My biggest issue is not so much saving time, but trying to avoid having to run the length of a transition area in cleated bike shoes! Awkward and dangerous.

4) One tip which Miners mentioned but I want to mention again is - don't even try to put your feet into your shoes until you get up to speed. I mean around 20 or 25km/hr. If you do try at a slower speed, you'll swerve all over the road. As soon as someone told me this, I found it so much easier to practice!

Both skills may seem difficult now, but just get practising because I can tell you it gets easier pretty quickly. Hopefully see you at Nepean!

I'm no expert, but my dad who did a lot of ocean swims gave me the following tips:

make sure you can breath comfortably on both sides.
shorten your stroke before you lift your head. if you see surf swimmers you'll note they have a much shorter choppier motion than a pool swimmer.
before you start the swim, and if possible, line up something solid on shore. ie, if you're heading towards a bouy which is in line with a lighthouse on the headland, when you go to sight your marker, look for the lighthouse, not the bouy. that big white thing is much easier to spot in swells then a bouncy bouy.
when you go to sight your marker, try and ride the surges of the water, ie, as you crest the swell, look. not much point lifting your head if you're in the bottom of a dip.

cat lady

re: the shoes already on the bike approach....

what do you do about socks?

No socks apparently.

I tried the shoes-on-the-bike thing at the last transitions training I did the other weekend.

It's a bit tricky at first and would certainly cost me time at this stage, but I'll keep practicing in training and hopefully can incorporate it into an event one day.

Peter....don't you know...triathletes don't wear socks...real ones anyway...then there people like me for whom transition time is irrelevant in the scheme of things given I'm so far behind after the swim. I still didn't wear socks but made sure I washed the sand of my feet...cause then I didn't have any drinking water left so didn't get a drink until after the start of the run leg.

PS saw a lot of wobblies at Noosa doing the shoes already in the pedals thing...my recommendation is practice a lot first otherwise you and maybe some other riders are going to come a cropper

Myself and many others don't bother with socks on the bike during tris - not even for Ironman. I find that as the shoe should be fitting you pretty snugly, and you don't have any lateral movement in the pedalling action, it's pretty rare to get blisters from cycling shoes - even over 6 hour+ rides.

re: the detergent in the goggles, I simply use saliva and it works fine for over an hour of swimming.

re: the sighting thing - yes, try for a bigger landmark that's easy to identify. If you're really fortunate, you may also be able to use the sailor's trick of lining up 2 landmarks, 1 in front of the other. That way you know you're keeping on the correct alignment because currents, or a wayward swimming action might push you off-line from the buoy (i.e. the lighthouse may not be on the same alignment it was 5 minutes ago).

oh yeah, and the best tip was from Mike. Don't go trying the shoes-on-the-bike as a first attempt during a race. Mind you, the carnage behind you would be great for spectators ...

Interesting point about the lack of socks Miners. I haven't done anything longer than Olympic and I don't wear socks, but I was actually just wondering what people do for the longer stuff.

I like the tip about the shorter choppier swimming stroke for sighting, Cat Lady, i'll have to give it a go! Also good call on the lighthouse thing, some ocean swims I've never even seen the buoys til I was on top of them because of the chop. Also much better than just following another swimmer - I've had a couple of loooong off-course swims following someone just as clueless as myself before I wised up!

Finally about the wobbles while getting on the bike. I've seen a lot of wobblers at the mounting line who are people with shoes already on their feet, because they look down at their feet to clip in as they push off and then veer all over the place.

I think it's probably safer to jump on the bike in bare feet and pedal away from the chaos of the first fifty metres before even thinking of putting your feet in the shoes. By that stage you're also doing a good speed so not so many wobbles.

oh, i dunno, i think your 38mins for 10k might compensate a little


damn, you mean i have to modify my long graceful stroke? i already swim like a Doberman Pincier with my head up and choppy strokes. i can see where i'm going, just not getting there so quick.

great ideas thanks everyone. always willing to try new things.

My two bobs' worth -

I always find it preferable to run my bike well ahead of the mount line before getting on. A lot of people see the mount line as the point where you HAVE to get on your bike, but you can go well past it and find some elbow room for yourself. (You can run your bike 1km into the cycle leg if that floats your boat - there's no rule against it!)

Personally, I always have trouble getting OFF the damn bike at the end of the cycle. I never had a bike as a kid and so missed out on learning the ol' "flying dismount".

And yes, I only wear socks for Half Ironman or longer.

Good call! I'm totally going to try that out. I admit I had it in my head that you have to get on the bike as soon as you get over the line, why is that?

I'm still cracking up with a mental image of that doberman pincer swimming style Peterhorse!

another thing to think about in the swim is whether the bouys are the same colour as any of the swimmers' caps - sighting is much more difficult when you can't tell which are which at water level LOL (memories of Williamstown 2004)
Don't sight yourself on a boat on the outward leg either, even if you think it's anchored!

None of these are a huge problem in sprint tris though, don't worry

So if you don't wear socks on the bike leg, do you wear them on the run?