Author Topic: The Triathlon Thread  (Read 101073 times)

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #250 on: 17 August, 2010, 12:59:56 pm »
Hever Castle is an outdoor swim for all distances, I think.   I can recommend Roade too :)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #251 on: 17 August, 2010, 01:03:16 pm »
The spend comes from the fact that when you mash up three sports, you mash up three courses.

Fair enough.

I think I've decided I'm going to go for the Sevenoaks one in April, cos it sounds like a really good course (the cycling section ought to be nicely lumpy) and a popular, well-supported event. I'll use the time to train and get kitted up properly. It's still much sooner than 2012, which was my original plan.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

cometworm

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #252 on: 17 August, 2010, 04:09:46 pm »
The Thames turbo series is nice - each bank hol from Easter Monday to august. Short swim (426m) then standard sprint bike and run (20/5). Not too steep (35 quid including a bottle of beer for finishers).

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #253 on: 17 August, 2010, 04:26:50 pm »
Hever Castle is an outdoor swim for all distances, I think.

I quite like the idea of swimming in the castle lake, but I suppose then I'd also need a wetsuit, which just bumps up the cost even further. And I'd need to do some open water training... maybe best stick to the pool-based stuff for now.

Also mustn't forget that I've also got the Brompton World Championships in October, and I don't know how many passes I've got left for this year... so I'll definitely hold off the tri ambitions for now and aim for the Sevenoaks event in April.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Julian

  • samoture
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #254 on: 17 August, 2010, 04:27:46 pm »
I like the look of the Sevenoaks event.  If my knees are still attached I might have a bash at that one on the basis that every event needs a valiant slowcoach.  :thumbsup:

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #255 on: 17 August, 2010, 04:29:28 pm »
Great - would be nice to have some company at the back of the field.  :thumbsup:

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Julian

  • samoture
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #256 on: 17 August, 2010, 04:38:23 pm »
It worked quite well at Roade - Mike's wave set off 20 minutes after me and we crossed the line at more or less the same time.  ;D

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #257 on: 24 August, 2010, 07:51:19 pm »
Well, I had a total mare at Bristol (panic attack in the swim :facepalm: ) but everyone else had lots of fun:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/QDzHBhSIww8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/QDzHBhSIww8&rel=1</a>

(Dock swim, closed roads: this has aspirations of being a London for the West; this year was a pilot to convince the Council to throw their weight behind it.)
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.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #258 on: 24 August, 2010, 10:07:41 pm »
panic attack in the swim

Oh dear. Sorry to hear that. That mass start looks like it was a bit frenetic.

Does look like lots of fun, though.  :thumbsup:

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #259 on: 24 August, 2010, 10:28:28 pm »
It was quite a small holding pond, yes.  Best description of the swim so far was "spider in a bathtub" with the steep dock sides.   ;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.

Julian

  • samoture
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #260 on: 25 August, 2010, 08:50:22 am »
Bad luck, Andy.  "Spider in a bathtub" swim doesn't sound all that appealing!

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #261 on: 25 August, 2010, 09:44:01 am »
These things happen.  It's why one is recommended to do a couple of OW sessions before the race, so that you can get cool with it.

What annoys me is that I've done all that before, but not enough or recently-enough, and clearly for me it doesn't last.  Kinda like inoculation against vertigo by going up things, one abseil in 1996 was enough for 5 years, not 10.  So when it all went wrong, I was in a wave of panic and none of the tricks (lay on your back and scull, breathe, get out and back in, loosen the torso of the suit, hang back from the washing-machine) were on my horizon: only getoutgetoutGETOUT.

Bah.  Kicking self.  Unfinished Business for sure.
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.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #262 on: 25 August, 2010, 11:03:09 am »
Makes you realise that the physical challenge of covering the distance isn't necessarily the hardest thing about a triathlon...

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #263 on: 26 August, 2010, 08:57:00 pm »
To be fair, most of the extra challenge is in the "discipline to train" section, rather than the "conquer your demons" section.  There may be elements of the one in the other, of course, but the swim collywobbles are all nerves and nerves are numbed by exposure.
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.

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #264 on: 03 September, 2010, 10:42:00 am »
am absolutely crapping myself. I stupidly entered a 1/2 iron man in Jan, thinking 'loads of time to train, what could possibly go wrong'..  well, bets are about to be called in and I set off at 6.40 tomorrow morning!

1.9k swim, I'll be just trying to keep it steady and in fairly straight lines.  Apparently you have to get out at half way, 'run' 30 yards then get back in again.  I always fall over when I get out, so i've got the chance to do so twice.
 
84k on the bike, which will be my longest ever ride on the TT bike.  Will be trying not to get carried away with myself because then it's a

21k run. Which I'm dreading, and was tempted to deliberately not finish by 'forgetting' my running shoes but have decided to give it a go... It's this bit which is keeping me awake at night and making me go to the loo about a dozen times a day (which reminds me, musnt forget the immodium..)

Fingers crossed, eh.  At least the sun'll be shining!

Julian

  • samoture
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #265 on: 03 September, 2010, 10:45:47 am »
*envious*

If it wasn't for the amount of training I'd have to do, I'd really want a stab at one of those. 

You've got lovely weather for it.  Which one is it?

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #266 on: 03 September, 2010, 10:47:38 am »
Good luck, Mike!

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #267 on: 03 September, 2010, 10:56:13 am »
*envious*

If it wasn't for the amount of training I'd have to do, I'd really want a stab at one of those. 

You've got lovely weather for it.  Which one is it?

the vitruvian up at Rutland water.  Saying it out loud makes it worse...

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #268 on: 03 September, 2010, 10:58:15 am »
The Vit is said to be a classic.  You'll love it.  Get stuck in! :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.

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #269 on: 04 September, 2010, 08:55:00 pm »
done!! 
the swim was amazing, really heavy fog and no more than about 50 yards visibility, so you couldnt see the turn buoys till you were almost on them. The organisers had found loads more canoeists to follow everyone round so sighting was much easier, you just follow the canoe! 

Bike was freezing cold and hard work.  It's a fairly 'rolling' course and I went backwards on the climbs.  My bike was also refusing to go onto the smallest 3 cogs on the cassette so I couldnt really attack the downhill bits either. At least it gave my legs a break.

The run was hard going.  It's my longest run of the year and I was dreading it, so I set off walking for a minute every water station, so about 2k run / 1 min walk and ended up walking briefly about every 1 or 1.5k.  I had a bit of a black 5 minutes round about 8k and very nearly stopped at half way but decided to give it a go and nearly enjoyed the last 5k. 

636 th out of 1000. 
39 mins for the swim (about what I expected)
02:53 for 50 miles on the bike (was hoping for nearer 2.30 but I was trying to save something for the run)
02:16:47 for the half marathon (absolutely delighted, given my lack of running.  My only other 1/2M was 2.20 about 6 years ago and I doing more running then (and hadnt just spent 3.5 hours tiring myself out)

plus 5 mins for transitions = 5:54.  Six hours was target, so chuffed to bits.

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #270 on: 04 September, 2010, 09:00:13 pm »
Nice work  :thumbsup:
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Julian

  • samoture
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #271 on: 05 September, 2010, 01:29:06 pm »
Fantastic! 

Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #272 on: 05 September, 2010, 01:42:42 pm »
Well done Mike, that's awesome.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #273 on: 05 September, 2010, 08:31:34 pm »
Nice one. That's an impressive performance.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: The Triathlon Thread
« Reply #274 on: 05 September, 2010, 09:39:14 pm »
^^^^^
wot e sed

respect  :thumbsup: