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#1
07-12-2008, 06:55 PM
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Any Triathletes out there?
Looking for tips for a first timer; I've signed up for the California 70.3 next April, but I might do some sprint or Oly distance races before that.
I'm not coming into this cold, I've run a few marathons, with times between 3:45 and 4:15. Certainly not competitive, but nothing where Ill fall over and die. Got a used road bike (2003 Bianchi Giro) about 3 weeks ago, and have been biking to work (13 miles each way) three times a week, plus a couple of 50+ milers on the weekends. I used to be a really good swimmer, but have not been in the water for about 5 years, so I need to find a place to swim. Equipment wise, I'm mostly good on the bike, and I run on a regular basis, so I'm good there as we.. Swim is where I need help, any recommendations on wetsuits, etc...? Any other general tips? Dave PS I realize that a car forum is not the best place to get advice on something like this, I am trying other places as well, but figured I'd hit up my car forum for advice as well. 
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#3
07-12-2008, 07:02 PM
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No, not really. I think you have to get under 3:00 to qualify for the New York Marathon, and the really competitive guys are running within minutes of 2 hours. I think the record is like 2:04 or so.
Edit: Correction: 3:10 to qualify for the Boston Marathon, if you are a male 18-34 Last edited by caelric : 07-12-2008 at 07:07 PM.
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#4
07-13-2008, 01:05 AM
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Yes - have done lots of sprints and olympic distance, plus a half and a full IM.
I like Quintana Roo wetsuits, and have a full-body one. Is the 70.3 a half? If so, there's a great training program out there called '13 weeks to a 13 hour ironman', which will also work for a half. Your max distance workout should be 2/3 of your expected time for the race, and I like to do this as a brick (stands for Bike-Run-ICK...) Definitely get aero bars for your bike, then train to get used to them. Because more of your weight is on the front wheel, and your arms are out front, the bike will handle differently with them. But it's free speed - with aerobars I can go 1 - 2 mph faster for the same effort. Experiment with placement, and what's comfortable for you. Is the Giro a true road bike (sorry, don't know)? Make sure you have high-pressure slicks on it, I usually run 700x23c on mine at pressures between 115 and 125 psi.. G/L! Send me a PM if you have more questions (or ask them here  )
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#5
07-13-2008, 02:04 AM
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70.3 is a half, thats apparently what they are getting called now, at least according to the websites I have looked at.
Giro is a true roadie at least as far as I can tell. I'm not sure about the aeros, they just look so uncomfortable. The 700x23's on mine are at 125, so I am doing fine there. the only thing I worry about is that I am 6'0, 220 lbs (I weightlift), so I don't want to put too much weight on the front and damage the wheel. Done a couple of bricks allready, just really need to get into the swimming (and get a wetsuit!). There is an oly here in Monterey, CA in about 2 months, not sure how ready I will be for that, so I don't know if I want to do it or not. The nike and run I won't have a problem with (not doing this to win, just finish, so no worries there), just really need to work on the swim! We'll see how it goes. Thanks for the advice, and if I have any specific questions, I'll be sure to ask.
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#6
07-16-2008, 12:09 AM
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Here's a question for you: do you recommend a sleeveless or a long sleeved wetsuit?
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#7
07-16-2008, 05:51 PM
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Depends on how cold the water will be. I don't care for long sleeved wetsuits, and if I can stand it, I'll just swim in my tri shorts.
Get a pair of aero bars and get fitted by a pro at a bike shop. As you train, don't be surprised if you start losing weight and not lifting as much. That is what happened to me. I started at 190 lbs (5'11", lifter) and now I'm at 175, but much leaner and faster.
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#8
07-20-2008, 05:08 PM
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Quote:
Depends on how good a swimmer you are: Quintana Roo or Ironman wetsuits used to have a great chart on how fast you are, plus some questions about your form, which then recommended a full, shorty or whatever suit. I can swim a long way but am slow, so swim in a full suit - but, typically only use it for half-IM or longer, Olympic distance and sprint swims don't make enough time difference for me to justify the time required to shed it.
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#9
07-20-2008, 05:14 PM
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Yeah, I am swimming in Monterey Bay, CA for my first tri, Olympic distance, in two months. Water temp is 58-62 degrees. Wetsuit is kind of required.....
I'll probably go with sleeveless; I hate long sleeved shirts, and am always that guy in the shortsleeves, even when it is cold out.
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#10
09-13-2008, 06:12 PM
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And here's the report from my first triathlon
This morning, I ran my first triathlon, a so-called Olympic distance triathlon, called this because it is the official distance used for the Olympic triathlon events (of course, those guys go much faster than me...) The Olympic distance is a 1500 meter (approx 0.9 mile) swim, a 40km (approx 24 mile) bike ride and a 10k (approx 6.2 mile) run. This was the Pacific Grove triathlon, held in Pacific Grove, CA (right near Monterey, about 100 miles south of San Fran) The PG triathlon is somewhat unique is a couple of ways. First, each leg has multiple laps (2 laps for the swim, 4 laps for the bike, and 3 laps for the run) This makes for a really good spectator event, and allows the crowd to cheer everyone on quite well. The other unique part is the swim....the swim is done in Monterey Bay, which has some cold Pacific water. Today, we were lucky, the water temp was a balmy 60 degrees. Normally, it is in the mid 50's. Chilly, but surprisingly, the wet suit kept me mostly warm. The second part about the swim is that Monterey Bay is full of kelp (aka seaweed) At some spots, it is so thick that you are almost crawling on top of the kelp rather than actually swimming. Regardless, I managed to survive the kelp swim, coming in at 34:25, which was good for 42nd place in my age group, 35-39 yr old males (there were about 100 in my age group) This was much better than I expected, as my swim is not very good. A quick change into my bike shoes, and off I went on the bike course. I thought the bike would be my strong suit, but unfortunately, it was not. I even got passed by a guy on a mountain bike! I did realize that at some point I need to get a triathlon specific bike, which has different geometry than a regular road bike. Tri bikes are a lot more aerodynamic, and also are designed to use different leg muscles, in order to preserve your legs for the run. Of course, a decent tri bike is on the order of $3000 (or more, the sky's the limit here!), so that won't be happening anytime soon. My bike time was 1hr 22min 17sec, good for 55th place in my age group. Another quick change in the transition area, with my running shoes, and off I went, at a not-quite-sprint pace....not quite because my legs were very rubbery after the bike. The run was a run, can't really say much about it, other than apparently it was my strongest area. It took me 47min 07sec, and I came in at 29th in my age group. Passed through the finish area, immediately went to the lunch tent (free lunch for all the athletes, I never pass up free food!), and then went over to the transition area, where I had stored a Pepsi. A nice cold Pepsi. It was good. A nice cold beer may have been better, but I did have to drive home. Besides, that's for later this evening. Beer and ibuprofen, that is... Overall, I came in a 2hr 52min 30sec, 38th in my age group, 228th overall. I'm happy, since my goal (besides completing it without dying....) was to finish in under 3 hours, and I did it. Future plans include the Oceanside half Ironman next April (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run), some more Olympic distance tri's, maybe a marathon here or there (although I have done two of those allready), and now I am looking for the next Ironman to register for. Contrary to belief, there are more Ironman triathlons than just the one in Hawaii. In fact, the one in Hawaii is almost impossible to get into, so thats not even an option. The one that looks most promising is next year in August, in Louisville, Kentucky. The only problem with that is that it is probably pretty warm in August in Kentucky. I want to give a big thanks to Allen and Bryan of Rooly sunglasses, who provided me with lots of sunglasses for my tri (and other uses). I wore my Rooly sunglasses during the bike portion (and would have worn them during the run, I get too sweaty running) They worked great, and they also work great during all my bike rides.
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#11
09-13-2008, 06:32 PM
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^congrats caelric.I'm a marathoner but can't swim and haven't done much biking. What I can do is appreciate good athletic performances. That's a heck of an accomplishment and a nice age class placing. Way to go.
PS, you're right about the qualifier time for open class males for Boston. Every 5 years older it jumps 5 minutes and for the 45-49 class moves 10 minutes and then 5 minutes thereafter again. A 3:45 is a decent time for a guy your size.
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#12
09-14-2008, 09:39 PM
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Congrats man! You inspire me!
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I'm a mushroom-cloud-layin' mothe*****, mother*****! Every time my fingers touch brain, I'm Superfly T.N.T., I'm the Guns of the Navarone!
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#13
09-18-2008, 08:33 PM
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Congrats caelric - and great run time off the bike!
You don't need a tri-specific bike for speed, good technique and some tri-specific equipment will get you there. Aerobars are a must if you don't have them, and aero wheels can help in flat terrain. If you start to seriously compete, then consider a tri-bike. Good luck! My half-IM is in a couple of weeks, and hurricane Ike didn't help with training
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#14
09-19-2008, 10:09 AM
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G35Now...good luck in a couple weeks!!!!
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07 G35s Liquid Platinum/Graphite - Premium & NAV - Misc. mods: KPtech NAV Bypass module, KPtech window up module, 35% ceramic tint, amp & JL 10W3v3, Interior LEDs, keyhole delete, removed 6 disc changer, OEM all weather floor mats, hitch (for bike rack) ---> WAR EAGLE!!!!!!!!
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#15
09-19-2008, 10:18 AM
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Yeah, good luck, definitely!
Next for me is another Olympic, the San Francisco/Treasure Island tri, and then a half in April, down in Oceanside, California. I'm shooting for the 2009 Ironman Arizona in November, 2009!
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