Yes, I believe so.

I went for a swim at lunch time and, after about 500m my calves started to cramp. When I got out of the pool my right calf cramped really badly and I couldn't move for about 5 minutes. Has anyone experienced this? Is it just because I'm new to swimming? Will it pass or am I doing something wrong?

Take a complete magnesium supplement. I get foot cramps if I don't take this daily.

Nah go nekked on the feet!

Another thing to think about is elastic laces in your running shoes. That eight bucks was the best money I've ever spent on triathlon gear.

Sorry I'm not qualified to diagnose the cramp thing. If you find it's recurring maybe best to see a physio.

I always cramp up in the calves when I'm in the heated pool, always after the same amount of time, so I think it's a body temperature thing with me.

When I swim open water, I don't get them (or hardly ever).

I also eat two bananas a day now (for Potassium) and take magnesium supplemenst and Calcium. It seems to help a bit.

M

cramping calves - after spending a fortune on supplements someone told me that this came from pushing off the walls. I get it about the 1,200 metre mark in the pool and also everytime I get out of the pool, distance irrelevant. don't get it in the ocean swims, but they cramp up briefly as I come out of the water. I've learned to live with it.
my two bobs worth

cat lady

I have the same problem with cramping calves and feet when swimming balri-i started a thread for advice here.

re: socks. For half IM I wear the 1 pair, for IM, 2 different pair. The 30 seconds extra I find is saved dramatically in the long run just via not having your concentration broken by different sensations/owies in your feet. I would think that if you always ran in training sans socks then racing the same would be cool.

For the record the best socks I have ever found are those blue/black/grey 3 packs in ankle variety from rebel sport. Buy a new pack every IM and wear pair 3 in your slip ons in recovery. Bliss. throw all three in the bin 2 weeks later when you unpack the bike box and all the other stenchy crap

I get calf cramps when swimming whenever I up my distance. What works for me:

Eating bananas (yum)
Staying hydrated when swimming (water and/or sports drink)
Not pushing off the wall or not pushing off hard for the first 1k (just turn around and start swimming without giving yourself a big kick off)
Walking into the pool via the steps and walking out (cramped up big time jumping out of the pool from the lane - never again)
Increasing distance SLOWLY

Good one thanks heaps for the tips guys they are great.

Ok, a question more for the longer stuff. What do people do with nutrition on the bike. Do you start with your own bottle of gatorade? Do you carry all your food in your pockets? What about those bike boxes I have seen around?

The last couple of long rides I have done have included a stop at the corner store for a hamburger, a couple of potato scallops and a coke. Not sure that there is a corner store handy for Canberra HIM so will have to think of an alternate solution

Evening folks

I'll drop in on this on.
The options are carbo drinks(not gatorade, there's better out there) or water and energy gels. Either way you want a full bottle(750ml) of fluid an hour.
So roughly per hour you want a full bottle of carb drink or a full bottle of water and two energy gels.

For a HIM you may be out there approx 3 hrs, so bottle cages on the frame tube and behind saddle.
If your using carb drink, simple your done. If using gels tape em to your handle bars, carry em in a bike jersey or tri top with pockets, or put em in one of the little bike boxes you can buy.

Hope that gives you a starting point.

Like what? I thought they were all pretty much the same and I usually just mix my own gatorade. I actually like Lucozade before a run but no good during because of the glass bottle.

The better drinks from High Five, Endura etc contain more carbs and a better balance of electrolytes, and aren't made up of just simple sugars. Lucozade and gatorade are better suited to downing straight after exercise.

Forgot to mention I like lucozade and often drink lemon/lime Gatorade.

Just decant into plastic bottle. Presto no glass bottle.

You need to try the different drinks out there and work out what is best for you. Perosnally I have always trained and raced on Gatorade and this includes several Ironman distance races. It works fine. other drinks have not done the job as well for me so I have stuck with what I know.
In races many times there is a drink sponsor and you are pretty much stuck with what that is during the race. Do if you are sensitive to this buy a few cans/bottles/packets of whatever it is and use it in training so you know how you will feel after drinking it. If you are ok then no problem. If you don't feel the best then you need to work out how much of your preferred drink you will need and if it is in powder form then carry it on you in a bottle sized serve in a plastic bag then during the race just call for water at the aid stations and then add your little bag to the water and presto you have more drink.
Endura has big raps on it at the moment by several sources but it also has several detractors due to its taste and this is a HUGE factor in what works. if it tastes crap to you then you won't drink it as much and hence no benefit anyway.
If you go into Coles I am pretty sure you can now buy Luczade in powder form too.

What's the thoughts on Staminade?

I have a tub of powder which I occasionally mix up.

If it works for you use it, if it doesn't disgard it and move on to the next product until you find the right one.
Whether its Staminade or any other brand.

update on the sockless cycling (try saying that one 10 times quickly) - gave it a whirl this morning and it was fine for 30k, no discomfort nor blisters. thank you, you have saved me 15-30secs in T1 already. next step, the sockless running bike mount followed by sockless running shoe experiment.

re: sports drinks/gels. i can handles all of the above as recovery or carb loading, but only a few once i am running. the fav with me lately is the Enervit liquid (60mL) screw top 'gels'. for tri's i have been pouring 1 or 2 into drink bottle and fill with water. take 1 for half mary and 3-4 for full mary, but not needing one for 10k even in oly tri distance (due to loading up in the ride).

I just came back from a cycle before going to work (the joys of shift work).

Just remembered this tip. Sorry if it has been covered before,

When you are near the end of your cycle, steady your pace and do some on bike stretches.

Ensure you finish all your drink, if you have some gels or other edibles it easier to finish them on the bike and wash them down with the last bit of your drink.

Once on the run just go steady until you get your second wind. You feel better as you go, then increase tempo if possible.

"sprint" and "Tri" are not words that go together for me. I have only 1 swimming pace, slow and slower.

Theres a really good video tip by Brad Kahlefeldt on using elastic bands to keep your bike shoes in the right spot in T1.

Now lets see if i can do this attaching a link thing (if not go to www.triathlon.org / video / training tips)

Brads Elastic Band Tip

Robbo's one on transition tips is good too.

Wow cool, I hadn't seen those videos. Thanks for the link!

--Toby

As I dont own knicks or cleats, I cycle and run in completely the same outfit. This should save time at t2 when I finaly try a tri shouldn't it? I bet I could even swim in the same shorts on a hot day and save time on t1 as well! Maybe I should practice running and cycling barefoot and eliminate changes of clothes altogether

Classic.

You'd also save a ton of money if you just elimated that pesky bike too!

Only thing to remember you can not have a completely bare torso under current triathlon rules.

Rules don't discriminate between man or woman.

Speedo man would be in trouble!!

thomo

Also, when testing things do it on your high intensity sessions as well. I cut a few things out and made a change in concentrations after doing this. What works at 65% may not work at 80% or after a number of hours.

Wow, this thread is great, there is a lot of really practical stuff in here, thanks a lot and keep it coming.

Signed up for my first tri today (Bribie 300/13/3). Now that I am committed, I will have to get in a few brick sessions, and practice transitioning. Mike

Hints and Tips, Help a brother out

http://forums.transitions.org.au/index.php...c=25064&hl=

Here is a link from our transitions (tri brother and sisters)

thomo

you haven't seen my bike-it's a late 70's/early 80's Malvern Star SL Sport which i picked it up off my brothers bicycle graveyard. I had to change the bent headstem and forks with better ones from the same source. First time I rode it was to work on my 40th birthday. I got a puncture on the way home and ended up buying new tyres and tubes at a cost of $52. So far this is all I've spent on the bike, although last month I pulled it apart for painting as it looked a little ratty. My shoes cost alot more!

Bugger, there goes any chance of winning my age category!

Top work Mike. See you there.

Bribie is a nice little race - evidenced by me somehow coming 2nd in my category!

Unfortunately I can't do the next Bribie event as it is the day after my work christmas party and triathlon training already interferes with my social life way too much so I don't intend on having an early night for the christmas party.

Ive committed to my first tri in early Dec. Does the bare torso rule also apply to the swim?
Should I be wearing a rash vest or something similar?

No. You are safe. I will be wearing board shorts or running shorts at Nepean Triathlon on Sunday.

Need pockets somewhere to put my glasses so I can find my bike

Nah, feel free to speedo it up on the swim! You just need to cover the torso for the ride and run, so have a t-shirt or singlet in transition ready to put on.

Although now I think about it, you may be better off in a rashy. Trying to put a shirt on when you're wet is not the quickest thing in the world. I once spent what felt like half an hour in transition wondering what to do with my t-shirt seemingly stuck forever around my shoulders as I frantically tried to yank it down!

But then again I've never tried to run in a rashy before - could be too hot and chafey? You'd need to give it a test run. Oh man, I don't know if this post helped or just made things more complicated!

Do I need a swimming cap?

No, you will normally be provided with one by the race organisers.

In big races they seperate the wave groups (age groups) and have different colour caps.

If your going for the bare torso in the swim then either borrow or if you own one bring a cycle jersey with a full front zipper on it to put on.
its not to hot to run in as you can zip down on the run, and it is easy to put on when wet.

Just spent my entire lunch hour reading this thread and found it very inspiring. I have competed in duathlons on and off for years and did my first one in a long time last weekend. I would love to do triathlons but have never been able to swim more than 20m in my life. I am considering trying to learn to swim (again) with the dream of doing half ironman one day.

I am not very confident in the water and not a fan of being where I cant touch the bottom, so my biggest fear is drowning. If for example I got into trouble (or paniced) during the swim, what would my chance be of being rescued before I drown? Also what sort of depth of water are most events held in?

Thanks for the adivce.
I thought that would be the case, I just didnt want to turn up and make a knob of myself.

Not a bad idea RaceMikeRace. I might ride in the rashy, it should be dry by the run where I can change into a shirt.

Hi Rock Doctor

If you do the Nepean/ Enticer series for example you can be near the shore. I guess much depends on the course you choose.

cheers Plu

Freddy,

If you are going to change shirts might be an idea to have your race number on one of those elastic belts. Easy to change over.

Awww, spoil sport...was going to suggest to Blair to get a nice frilly looking one -a la Ester Williams

If you were wearing a wetsuit the added bouyancy should make it pretty easy to stay above watertill help arrives.

Rock Doctor, I think you should practice some open water swimming with the safety of friends before trying it in an actual event.

Not only will you have to deal with all your fears, you most likely will experience the 'washing machine' effect of swimming with many other people.

I'm an alright swimmer in the pool but I struggle and feel like I'm about to drown sometimes when open water swimming in a group.

Funny, I had to relearn how to change gears on my STI shimano geared Cannondale.

I haven't rode my road bike in a long, long, long time. Not this year and not last year or year before.

I think I should be right by sunday for Nepean triathlon.

Reading through this tread today I have picked up heaps of great tips - Thanks!

I wish I had of found this before competing in my first Tri last weekend.

350/10/4 Tre-X, off road event.

I found the swim very difficult swallowing plenty of water, swam alot with my head up out of the water- probably making it harder, ended up doing side stroke for most of it. I will spend more time in the pool and try to find somewhere close by for a bit of open water training before the next event. On exiting the water I also found it hard work pulling on a cycling shirt while dripping wet - it was bunched up under my arms and it felt like I was forever trying to pull it down. Next event I will be wearing a singlet of some description during the swim.

Race belt and Elastic laces were both great investments.

I think I'm hooked. I train on the Northside (Brisbane, Ferny Grove) if anyone is interested in some training runs - rides?

I'm 35-39 age bracket, so I won't be getting in your way, but I'll do my best to catch up.

Mike

RD, there's a life in the water for us non-swimmers too, believe it or not! I've done one enticer length tri about 4 years ago, and I had to backstroke most of the 250m. Then at the beginning of the year, I asked tiger angel to teach me to swim (it's handy, being married to a trainer ), and after all those years of floundering around, it only took a few sessions before I was able to get myself from one end to the other relatively comfortably (with fins). I just stuck to the fins for another few months while I improved my stroke, and then just gradually weaned myself off them. These days I swim about 1500m in a session, and I'm entered for Nepean on Sunday.

As the Genie said, "He can be taught!"

p.s. there's always nice men on surfboards paddling alongside, and if you're slow enough, you'll get your own lifesaver following along just behind!

What do you mean "if" i'm slow enough . I will see how I go trying to get more than length of the pool first.