Author Topic: The Triathlon Thread  (Read 99808 times)

annie

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #25 on: 25 April, 2008, 12:57:40 pm »
:hand:

Back to your sick bed Annie!

but feel free to post pics of you in a tri suit ... :P

Indeed ;)

It is wet at the moment, sorry.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #26 on: 25 April, 2008, 01:18:21 pm »
All the better :thumbsup:
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

annie

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #27 on: 25 April, 2008, 01:26:01 pm »
All the better :thumbsup:

Bad boy ;)



This is like mine but mine is black.  So, so comfortable, although it does hug the bottom somewhat.

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #28 on: 25 April, 2008, 01:54:31 pm »
I can't talk,  got home at 6 yesterday and went to bed until 9:30.

Stuck a torch down  my throat & it's nastily inflamed  :sick:

Still in work though  , I'll see what the GP says on Monday.  Looks like another weekend of doing housework, although I'm going to the Liverpool Philharmonic on Saturday for some Russian classical. My parents are going as well so we'll probably have a little drink.

Hope you are feeling better.
 
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

annie

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #29 on: 25 April, 2008, 02:12:19 pm »
I can't talk,  got home at 6 yesterday and went to bed until 9:30.

Stuck a torch down  my throat & it's nastily inflamed  :sick:

Still in work though  , I'll see what the GP says on Monday.  Looks like another weekend of doing housework, although I'm going to the Liverpool Philharmonic on Saturday for some Russian classical. My parents are going as well so we'll probably have a little drink.

Hope you are feeling better.
 

Andrew, you need to see the GP before Monday.  If I was you I would call and tell them you need to be seen today, if you can't be seen then do you have a drop in clinic you can visit?  If you need antibiotics then it would be better to start them today.

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #30 on: 25 April, 2008, 02:51:48 pm »
My local NHS drop in clinic specifically states they can't do prescriptions, however each time I've been to one they've magically had a doctor lurking nearby (my local drop in clinic is at a large hospital) in order to prescribe me antibiotics.

Well worth it if there's a delay getting a doctor's appointment.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #31 on: 25 April, 2008, 03:04:03 pm »
I'm not that bad Annie. My throat isn't actually sore.  My appetite is fine , and the scabs from last weeks merlot induced stumble have healed in record time.

Probably catch something nastier if I go to the drop in centre!
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #32 on: 25 April, 2008, 03:20:48 pm »
Getting-dressed race?  You're welcome to try one...  :demon:
You couldn't let that lie, could you ...

The fourth thing to practice is transition: the changeover.  Closer to the race, start doing combination workouts of swim-bike and bike-run (I set my running shoes ready when I get home from my commute, for example, or just ride to the pool and back).  The swim-bike transition is pretty straightforward at this distance (at longer distances you get woozy as you've been lying down for so long!).  The bike-run transition feels weird so it's good to do it a few times.

Sounds like getting dressed fast is pretty important, hmm ? ;)

Fixies aren't allowed, arguably because a lot of triathletes are not primarily cyclists, and so the danger of numpting it up gets amplified.  Anyway, on most courses they'd be the worst choice.

I can see why Triathlon is so popular, but it seems riddled with little issues that put me off (like the several hours I need to swim 500m)
Banning fixed gear seems like another stupid rule to me - for gawd's sake, who introduced "tri"bars?!?

I don't mean any offence. The sport fascinates (especially the differences in bike gear/technique/etc), but it's just not for me.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Salvatore

  • Джон Спунър
    • Pics
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #33 on: 25 April, 2008, 03:35:53 pm »
I watched a duathlon at the Mildenhall Rally when I went there (2003? 2004?. It looked like fun, with all abilities represented, and no swimming. (I have no trouble swimming a mile or so, doing it quickly would be a problem.) The only mildly sour person there was the official from the BTA (i.e. not from the organising club) who was there to see standards maintained, and was a bit of a stickler.
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #34 on: 25 April, 2008, 03:36:34 pm »

This is like mine but mine is black.  So, so comfortable, although it does hug the bottom somewhat.

Nothing wrong with hugging the bottom. ;) :thumbsup: :-*
Getting there...

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #35 on: 25 April, 2008, 03:50:48 pm »
I can see why Triathlon is so popular, but it seems riddled with little issues that put me off (like the several hours I need to swim 500m)  Banning fixed gear seems like another stupid rule to me - for gawd's sake, who introduced "tri"bars?!?

I don't mean any offence. The sport fascinates (especially the differences in bike gear/technique/etc), but it's just not for me.

Well, the difference in bikes and technique is why the tri bars and the no-fixies.  Anything longer than a sprint is an endurance test and it is important to get off the bike fresh enough to run.  The tri-bar, seat-forward position is obviously more aero than most, but it also means that more power is taken from the glutes and hams.  That leaves the quads a bit fresher for running.  T'is a game of energy budgets.

I blagged my fixie into my first race (I played the "I'm not menacing the podium" and "I'm not a numpty" cards).  The very next week, I went out and bought a regular road bike.  Fixed's wide torque range is more fatiguing on the legs than a consistent high cadence.  It's also slower - I was limited on the descents to how fast I can spin, and even revving my little legs off, that's never going to be the speed that I can make with a nice deep aero tuck. :thumbsup:

Really though, the best bit is that some fine filly draws race numbers on your limbs. You get to be smug for days until they come off.   ;D
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #36 on: 04 May, 2008, 08:19:28 pm »
I'm happy to report that the New Forest tri passed off without woe or catastrophe, and a PB of 2:50:20 ish, about 2:30 up on last year.  In fact it was a PB-fest all round.  But not without event...



The lake had been threatening to be Baltic - swim-cancellingly Baltic - so it was a nice surprise to see it warm enough for the full swim.  To stop people hanging around in the cold, it was a mass start!  I let them all bugger off into the distance, finding my rhythm and chewing along in reasonably good order (albeit at the back of the pack).  Somewhere along the way I sussed that aiming for the right of each buoy meant that my natural veer left was neutralised, and I miscounted the buoys too so got a nice boost with only one to go instead of two when I was starting to tire (and go floppy).  This was also the first open-water swim where a safety boat hasn't asked if I was okay.  Result.

T1 was solid.  The new wetsuit (Ironman Instinct) its much better so it is much easier to remove.  Bish bosh, and off we jolly well go.

The bike was curious.  Because it was a mass start, I was keen to take as many places as possible, which meant that I got chase-blind.  I wasn't so much riding a time-trial as a series of chase-down pursuits.  This was expensive - lots of time on the aero bars, lots of Ullrich high-power gurning, and I was feeling it in my back and hamstrings as well as not drinking as much as I usually do.  I decided to take the risk that the run might be ugly.

T2 was nothing to write home about, again, solid.  No socks, lots of talc.

The run, ah.  Yes.  First kilo was a really horrible shuffle.  Munky didn't do any bricks, did he?  No.  Munky paid for that.  But there was worse to come... all that muscling around on the aerobars left my lower back and hips really unhappy.  There was a *lot* of walking to stretch out a really painful back.  Every hill was a brute.  Yes kids, maxing out on the bike is bad, hm'kay?  In a sprint maybe, but not at this distance.  The last mile or so had me checking my watch and putting down the hammer to try for under 2:50.  Just missed it, just, because the hips went again and I had to speedwalk the very last rise, then charged down into the finish at MHR puker intensity.

The times aren't out yet, nor are any official photos, but I'm guessing that the swim will be about a minute faster, the bike will be faster than before by a good chunk, and the run ver' slow indeed.  Plenty of TriTalk folks in attendance and a couple of Exeter Tri bodies as well, so good craic.

Lessons learned:  Bricks and more run training, silly Munky.  Do not get chase-blind on the bike.  Aim to the right of the buoys.
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #37 on: 06 May, 2008, 09:25:16 am »
Congratulations Andy. Sounds like you've learnt a valuable lesson, one I'm hoping I'll remember in a month's time at Weymouth.

I completed one of the key stages of my IM training on Sunday, the running bit. The marathon was from Avebury to Stonehenge, all off road along up hill and down dale. Pretty good scenery. I manage to get the nutrition right and didn't hit any walls. Time was nothing to write home about, but reassuring in that I managed a pretty solid run and am recovering remarkably well.

Descending stairs is definitely still an 'issue' though.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #38 on: 06 May, 2008, 09:28:21 am »
I've heard about that race - jolly well done that man.  "Nothing to write home about" is in fact something to write home about!  A bit sore here too ;)

(Lesson well and truly learned here: I'll stick more rigidly to a HR effort band in future, though not for sprints!)
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #39 on: 09 June, 2008, 08:26:23 am »
Weymouth middle distance yesterday, my first triathlon after doing a sprint 'for a laugh' a couple of years ago.

The swim was long. I made it even longer because I forgot to sight properly and went past the first buoy. That took me over 52 minutes, a whole 10 minutes more than I'd anticipated. Oh well.

The bike was just great, although short (51.15m said the computer). I love riding my TT bike. I felt strong and was motoring through the field. This is of course the (psychological) advantage of having a bad swim: lots more folk to overtake. The Zipp count was 15  ;D Finished that in 2:24:xx or so, averaging 21.2mph. Very pleased.

In and out of transition and oh my word take it easy, cramp alert! I managed to run through that and then the heat started kicking in for me. I managed to keep running apart from a few yards where I thought I was going to vom. I had gut rot from all those bloody gels (I don't want to see another SIS gel ever again) and ran with bad stomach cramp for 3 or 4 miles until I spotted a portaloo near a house under construction - result! I was very near to doing a Radcliffe... After that I felt a bit better but it was all just a long slog. 2:03:xx, on a slightly short run course. I have run a 1:29:50 half marathon before.

So overall that was 5:23:xx which is nothing to write home about. But I did learn a whole lot of valuable lessons:

  • If you are a chap like me who is challenged in the hair department, make sure you've got a hat/cap to run if it's as hot as yesterday. I reckon I was borderline heatstroked
  • If it's going to be that hot, make sure you take one bottle of energy and one bottle of water on the bike. Gels + energy in this heat make for nausea. Nausea makes for not eating. Not eating does not give you quick run times.
  • If you leave your Proplus in Transition, it's not going to do you much good on the run
  • If transition is on a tennis court, make bloody well sure there aren't any tiny bits of gravel in your socks
  • Treat the run with respect...

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #40 on: 09 June, 2008, 09:22:49 am »
Nice work that Blah.  Good to see I'm not the only sighting master in the water (looked like lovely conditions though!).  Reeling 'em in on the bike is a lot of fun, isn't it? :thumbsup:
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #41 on: 09 June, 2008, 09:33:00 am »
Good to see I'm not the only sighting master in the water (looked like lovely conditions though!).

Fantastic conditions. I love swimming in the sea (as opposed to in the pool).

Hello, I am Bruce

  • Hello, I am Bruce
  • Hello, I am Bruce
    • Flickr Photos
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #42 on: 15 June, 2008, 09:35:33 pm »
I just had a really poor performance at Iceland's only "Halfur Jarnkarl".

It's only the second year there's been an event of this distance in the country, and it's a funny route -- 76 lengths of a 25m heated outdoor leisure pool, 7 out-and-back laps of a country road on the bike (90km), then 4 shorter out-and-back laps running (21km).  Only 9 entrants.

I had a good swim (31min), then spent some extra time in transition putting on socks and a long sleeved top.  Out of town on the bike I hit the headwind and got cold and going slow.  After two laps, I had to stop at transition and fetch some Ron-Hills and gloves I'd left with my running kit.  By the end of the 90km (3hrs 30) I was cold, sore and knackered.  Got some banana in transition, then headed out on the run.  Running with the wind was a lot easier then cycling, and it got a bit warmer, but I ran by far my slowest half marathon ever in 2hrs 2mins .

Total time of 6hours 6 mins was way down on last year's 5 hours 20 in Orkney, but I could come up with lots of excuses (wind, injury, blah blah blah) and I'm still glad I did it.

Everyone got a medal the size of a dinner plate and some time in the hot tub afterwards :-)

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #43 on: 15 June, 2008, 09:38:40 pm »
Nicely done that Bruce :thumbsup:
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #44 on: 16 June, 2008, 08:39:22 am »
Sounds like an enormous effort Bruce. Cycling in really cold conditions on a tri is my worst nightmare. I don't mind a headwind, I don't mind the rain. I don't like cold though.

Bloody well done that man!

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #45 on: 21 July, 2008, 09:35:19 am »
Next key event in Ironman training completed: 100 mile TT national champs yesterday.

Although my time is (as usual) not much to write home about, I got my food & drink strategy and my effort exactly right.

I had 3 750ml bottles: 1 with Nuun and squash, 1 with Nuun and 1 with water (for necking with gels). I took 4 Torq bars (1 every 20miles / every hour), and 2 gels as backup. I ate the Torq bars religiously on the hour and made sure I drank enough by having each bottle empty at roughly 33 mile distance points.

I had the first gel at 75 miles cos I could do with the caffeine kick (the 'make me happy' sachet, as I call them). I had my last gel at 95 miles to mimick IM where you eat everything you have on you.

I think I probably deserve some kind of price for eating the most. Some of the guys were doing the whole thing on two bottles of energy drink  :o

I set off trying to keep it spinning and really using the gears to maintain optimum cadence, and not really ever 'pushing' the pedals (apart from when some git had just overtaken me of course ;-)

I managed to hold that strategy for a reasonable 21.3 mph average until 75 miles, when I had my caffeine and I started pushing a bit. At 95 miles it was balls out, in the hurtbox and it certainly didn't open again until after the finish. I did find I didn't really have much left in the last couple of miles (when I was trying to overtake the rider who had just overtaken me).

So in all, pleased.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #46 on: 23 July, 2008, 09:19:53 am »
Great when the plan comes together, isn't it?  Sounds like you timed it just right.

Triathletes always eat more.  I think it's because we can't go and collapse after the ride! 
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #47 on: 23 July, 2008, 09:40:32 am »
Triathletes always eat more.
... Audaxing triathletes doubly so, I expect.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Gandalf

  • Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #48 on: 28 July, 2008, 07:51:04 am »
I'm warming to the idea. What's a good noob sprint event that doesn't have an extortionate entry fee and isn't miles away from London?

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #49 on: 28 July, 2008, 09:10:14 am »
British Triathlon Federation

Dorney Lake is supposed to be nice (enclosed site, lappy bike course).  Brighton could be fun too. Play with the search tool :)
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.